Nanette Barragan

Hermosa – Dead by 1,000 Cuts

There is a crucial election in Hermosa tomorrow and if you love eclectic Hermosa, social and active Hermosa, a Hermosa that you and I can afford to live in, I ask you to vote for Ken Hartley and Pete Tucker.

In 2013, lawyers Nanette Barragan and Hany Fangary, backed by Keep Hermosa Hermosa (KHH) surprised everyone by sneaking onto the Hermosa Beach City Council.

Both were newcomers to the city, both were attorneys, both had recently bought homes here – one on the Strand – and both were vocally supported by KHH. They were against Measure O (though they still only got one vote each) and, prior to being elected, neither had much track record working in the community.

Post-oil they were instrumental in dividing the community, […]

Loading

Hermosa Community a Victim of Bureaucracy

Hermosa Beach lost a valuable corporate citizen this weekend, when the weight of over-reaching bureaucracy finally forced Dave Lowe’s Establishment to close its doors.

The Establishment had been serving cocktails and great local bar food to residents for a decade. Despite being an ideal neighbor, the near constant business interference from city staff, a couple council people and a largely anti-business planning commission finally won out. While Hermosa Beach remains largely single and renting – we make up nearly 60 percent of the community demographic – local government has become increasingly browbeat by the vocal minority of residents who rail against the vibrant social community and the businesses that serve it.

There are many problems with this “war on bars,” which spills […]

Loading

Fat Face Fenner’s Fishack & the New England Patriots in the End Zone!

I’m wide awake, having went to bed early and took a nap shortly after waking, but you can’t say the same for Fat Face Fenner’s Fishack staff.

Chris Martinez, long-time Sharkeez problem solver, with the assistance of venerable former owner Gary Vincent, has been leading a super-charged team for 2 1/2 weeks, a team determined to re-open a completely re-charged FFFF in time for another Patriots victory.

“We’ve been working 24 hours a day. Brand new beer lines and taps, extensive cleaning, window repairs and a spruced up kitchen,” said Chris, who works for Sharkeez which recently purchased FFFF.  “Most of us have only had a couple hours sleep a day.”

While the wait staff – made up of beloved standbys like Juan, […]

Loading

Yes to Measure O, says the Hermosa Beach Police Department

I’ve wondered how to approach the subject of the Hermosa Oil Recovery Project (Measure O, March 3, 2015) in this blog. Perhaps the Hermosa Beach Police Department POA’s endorsement of the project is a place to start.

I have long advocated for a community oriented policing approach in Hermosa, including officers on foot and bike to patrol the Pier and the Strand. Hermosa is more Mayberry than Gotham and I’d like to see our officers approach their jobs with less Batman and more Andy Griffith.

As a journalist and researcher, I covered and worked with the USDOJ COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) program for a time and was struck by the positive impact approachable policing could have on a community. While I have heard that […]

Loading

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

A lot of people had their doubts about wearing this shirt on television.  My chance at fame in LA and I go with a football jersey. But I just can’t be ashamed. I can’t and I’ll tell you why.

Personally, I was convinced that most of the doubters were just secret Ravens’ fans – a Wild Card team that hardly deserved a spot challenging the most historic franchise in the NFL.  So, I thought, yes, I’ll wear this shirt. The black and the gold had momentum; I felt like this was the Steelers’ year, again.  Heck, we have six rings, why not seven?

I was so confident that in the week before the game, while in Vegas, I checked the odds for […]

Loading

Etymology of a Hate Mailer

Well, it’s been five days and the mailers keep trickling through the mail.  You may be wondering who I think was behind the attack.  If so, this will be the perfect read for you.

I read a lot of crime fiction. One trope of the private eye novel is that the detective always says, “I don’t believe in coincidences.”  I’m not sure I’d go so far as saying I don’t believe in coincidences but I am wary of them. Here are a few I’ve found.

On December 11, I sent the Hermosa Beach City Council a cease-and-desist letter, as required by state law, regarding what I believed was a violation of the Brown Act by Council Member Nanette Barragan.  The Brown Act is an […]

Loading

Is Hyperbole a Crime?

As many of you pointed out, I had a rather unwelcome Christmas present plopped into my mailbox this past week. Of course it was photo-shopped, creating a disturbing little advertisement that is out of context and out of time. It surprised me as much as it seemed to surprise most of you.  What is even more surprising is the likely identity of the person who spent thousands of dollars to send it.

First: The ad says I am an “E&B Representative.”  I am not an E&B representative. That is not true.  I would not be ashamed to say so if I were. The people at E&B have shown themselves to be as kind, thoughtful and sensitive a group of people as […]

Loading