THE FIRST ANNUAL
LOS ANGELES COUNTY SPELLCAST
JULY 21, 1969
HOLLYWOOD BOWL
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
2:00 PM ~ 6:00 PM

LOUISE HUEBNER, the appointed Official Sorceress for Los Angeles County, along with a coven of witches, will involve everyone attending the concert, in the casting of a spell. This is the first time in the history of witchcraft that a spell of so great a magnitude will be cast involving so many of the general public.

The purpose of this gathering is to unite spiritual energies - forcefully; to alter a moment in time and to thereby create a vibration in this environment that will ultimately lead to raising levels of romantic and emotional vitality throughout Los Angeles County.

Special Incantation

‘LIGHT THE FLAME
BRIGHT THE FIRE
RED IS THE COLOR OF DESIRE’

Since Witchcraft attempts to deceive, cajole and otherwise disturb natural inclination and occurrence, then so too, with bits of color, attitudes and words, do children, politicians, actors, and women in love ~ weave spells; the success of which many times is dependent entirely upon the magic of their confidence.

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
OFFICE OF THE COUNTY COUNSEL

648 HALL OF ADMINISTRATION
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90012
MADISON 5 - 3611

December 29, 1969

Dear Miss Huebner:

This is to notify you that there is no authority for your use of the title: Official Witch of Los Angeles County”, which has appeared on the jacket of a record album and in other promotional material concerning your activities.

As you must know the scroll you received at the Hollywood Bowl, July 21, 1968, was purely ceremonial and intended only to publicize the Sunday Afternoon “Happenings” at the Bowl, presented by the County Department of Parks and Recreation as a public service.

We must ask that you immediately discontinue use of the title: “Official Witch of Los Angeles County” or any similar designation creating the erroneous impression that you are affiliated with Los Angeles County government.

Sincerely,
John D Maharg
County Counsel

JDM/mf

Mr. John D. Maharg:
County Counsel
Hall of Administration
Los Angeles, California 90012

January 6, 1970

Happy New Year!

I would like to clarify my position with the County. It should be understood that the County came to me and asked if they could take advantage of my promotional abilities. They asked that I lend my image and my reputation to their activities, rather than as is now being assumed that their activities created my image. It was the Witch who had constant and ample exposure and not the County Department of Parks and Recreation.

Your New Year’s Eve greeting to me says I have no authority to use my title: "Official Witch for Los Angeles County”. But, I have a signed certificate from Supervisor Debs that certifies that I have been designated as the 'Official Witch'.

You say that something other than what was stated on the certificate had been intended, but I only know what the language on the certificate states and not what Supervisor Debs claim its intention to be. You say I should know that the certificate was meant to only publicize. I do know this and I have publicized it.

The concern expressed about the erroneous impression I may be creating is unfounded. I have never pretended to be employed by the County Government. I have always clearly communicated that my time has been freely donated!

EXAMPLE: After the title was awarded I continued to do events for the County.

October 31, 1969, Arcadia Park Party for the retarded children, which I attended and performed at, and publicized; before and after; by special COUNTY INVITATION, despite the fact Halloween has always been my busiest and most lucrative season, and also despite the fact from my past experience with County involvements. I was fully aware that I would receive no pay and no thanks!

Over the past years my efforts to broadcast to the public all cultural events available within the community has brought the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation International attention…via radio, television, movies, newspaper and magazines. …through my own programs and syndicated columns and features and those of my friends. And, up to this very date, the certificate of Official Witchery has been my only ’reward’.

I see no real logical reason why I should discontinue the use of my title for my books, records, syndicated columns and appearances. To my knowledge an award, honorary degree, medal or certificate of thanks has never been revoked! My actions have only served to add a much needed sophisticated image for this County.

I am hurt and offended by certain political actions. If the small amount of humor created for Supervisor Debs by his Press Agents has now failed him, then will he please return the gift I gave to him of the Magical Golden Horn that was meant to insure his Romantic vitality. Certainly he must know that it cannot work now that he has professed a disbelief in goblins, pumpkins, the good tooth fairy and all things that go bump.

Sincerely,
Louise Huebner
Official Witch of Los Angeles County


cc: Supervisor Debs and Members of the Press

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LADIES AND GENTLEMAN OF THE PRESS: You are invited to attend a Press Conference to be held on JANYARY 9, 1970, AT 10:00 Friday Morning. It will be held at the GREATER LOS ANGELES PRESS CLUB on Vermont Avenue in downtown Los Angeles.

THE PURPOSE

To inform you of the potential “DE-SPELLING” of the entire County of Los Angeles. As you know, on July 21, 1969, WITCH HUEBNER, by invitation of the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and the Hollywood Bowl Association, led the first public Spell Cast in the world to insure the increased Sexual Vitality of the County of Los Angeles.

A week earlier Mrs. Huebner had been awarded a certificate that states:


"THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT LOUISE HUEBNER HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS THE OFFICIAL SORCERESS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY BY VIRTUE OF HER SUPERNATURAL POWERS. AND IS OFFICIALLY ASSIGNED TO REIGN OVER FOLKLORE DAY AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL, ON JULY 21, 1969."

"Signed: SUPERVISOR ERNEST DEBS"


What is not stated is that Louise Huebner helped to publicize the entire ‘12 Weeks at the Bowl’ series. ..along with continuous publicizing of other events for senior citizens, retarded children, fund raising, etc. Without payment -- or for that matter, without thanks. The certificate was the only measure taken to in any way compensate the Witch for her efforts. Efforts that many times extended into many months of free service to the County. The County first approached Louise Huebner and asked her to lend her talents and reputation to their activities and not the other way around as Supervisor Ernest Debs now assumes.

Mrs. Huebner stated today, “If Supervisor Debs persists in asking the Department of Parks and Recreation to unload me ~ or, Mr. Maharg to intimidate me, that will only create bad feelings in me and I will be forced through an act of pride to take back the Los Angeles County Spell for increased Sexual Vitality. What with smog and freeways being what they are, I shudder to think of what the De-Spelling could do to devastate the County. Surely in these critical times, there are other areas that should capture the attention of both Supervisor Debs and our Mr. Maharg. To think that good and valuable County time and effort could go into getting rid of happy publicity and good clean fun in the County Parks fascinates me."

"I want to state clearly that I do not belong in anyway to the paid aspects of the County Government. Nor, ‘Heaven Forbid’, if I may use the word Heaven, would I ever want to!”

COUNTY NEWS BUREAU
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

NEWS ITEM JANUARY 10, 1970

County Supervisor Ernest Debs once issued a scroll to Louise Huebner at a Hollywood Bowl “happening” designating her as the Official Los Angeles County Witch. Now a move is afoot by Supervisor Debs and Counsel John Maharg to stop her from using the title to promote books and records. Miss Huebner has retaliated by threatening to invoke her magical powers. Tribune County Bureau Chief Pete Searls, an apparent early casualty of the strange spirits unleashed on the Hall of Administration, filed the following report:

POOR SUPERVISOR AND PRETTY WITCH
TALE OF A POLITICAL MISHAP
- by Pete Searls ~ Tribune Bureau Chief

Once upon a long time ago, a County Supervisor wanted to give a present to a witch. But, he was only a poor County Supervisor. He didn't have a bag of gold or a fine coat of Unicorn hide or even a glass slipper.

But, he did so want to find a gift for the witch, who was a good witch and very pretty too, with flowing raven hair and a great figure, that he finally sent for his adviser, who was a poor woodcutter, and said, “What can we give the good witch who has been so nice to all the boys and girls of our county?”

And the woodcutter (whose axe made the sound “flack!” when it bit deep into the wood, and so was known as a flack) said, “You are only a poor county supervisor, so you can not give her a bag of gold or a Unicorn coat. How about a tip on where we're going to change the zoning?”

But the poor supervisor said he didn't think that would be a fine enough present for such a good witch so finally the flack said, “What about a nice hand-lettered scroll making her the official witch of the whole county?”

And that was such a splendid idea that the poor supervisor, whose name was Debs, and who was so sincere he was called “Debs, the Earnest,“ forthwith returned to his office and prepared the scroll and called all the people of the county together for a great festival.

When the witch came in, he gave her the scroll and the people cheered and the witch, whose name was Louis Huebner, said it was the finest present she could have gotten (although she wondered if the supervisor was so poor he couldn't afford just a tiny little bag of gold).

In return, she gave Debs the Earnest a magical golden horn and on this horn she cast a spell giving Debs great romantic vitality. And, because all of the good people of the County cheered her so mightily, she cast a good spell on them, increasing their sexual vitality. And, so the festival ended with great merrymaking.

Witch Louise returned to her home in the forest and began more good things for the people of the county.

She made some records and wrote some books telling them how they too could do good things ~ but never bad or evil things unless it was really necessary. And she gave the books and records to the boys and girls and their mothers and fathers, and all she asked was just a teeny, tiny, little bag of gold in return.

But, then, one day, as the Good Witch Louise was stacking all the teeny, tiny, little bags of gold in her corner, there came a messenger from a man who was named John Maharg, who had wormed his way into the confidence of the good, but poor, supervisors and had become their counselor.

The message from Maharg to Witch Huebner was that she must stop calling herself “The Official Witch of Los Angeles County” even though Debs’ scroll said she was, and especially must stop this when raking in the teeny, tiny, little bags of gold.

Witch Huebner was furious. She stamped her foot. She threatened all manner of evil spells. And then she called for her poor woodcutter ~ also known as flack ~ and said, “Oh, whatever shall we do?”

And the flack said, “Why don't we give all the good boys and girls of the county one last chance?”

And so the flack called all the scribes and the criers together, Friday, at a place called the Los Angeles Press Club, and Witch Huebner told them she would not give back the wonderful scroll and that she would still be the Official Witch.

And she said if the poor -- but now wicked -- Supervisor didn't lay off, she would take away her spell of increased vitality from all of the County.

But she promised the poor scribes and criers that she would keep her spell on them, and thus cheered, the scribes and the criers went to the poor County Supervisor and asked Debs what he meant.

Debs -- who was not wicked but just harassed by evil spirits and constituents -- said: “If only you could know the trouble I've had. Now that Witch Louise has a scroll from me, all the warlocks and elves and angels and fertility goddesses -- not to mention the fairies -- in Los Angeles County -- want scrolls from me and it is just too damned much!”

And so he went off to Maharg, and Maharg, muttered something about a magical thing called an injunction, which was so terrible a spell that even the strongest witch or industrialist might be afraid.

And, now all the people of the county tremble at the thought of Witch Louise and Maharg casting spell and counter spell and some think the moral of the story is that sometimes a cheap scroll costs you more than a teeny, tiny little bag of gold.