Fond farewells from City Hall

After a combined 12 years of sitting on the Long Beach City Council, Democrats Lenny Remo and Denise Tangney will be replaced by councilmen-elect Len Torres and Mike Fagen on Jan. 3.

Remo estimated that during his eight-year tenure, he sat in on some 200 Tuesday-night council meetings. “It’s the first time in a long time that I haven’t been committed to something where I knew I needed to be two times a month,” he joked.

First elected in Nov. 2001, Remo served as the council’s president in 2006 and 2007. In June, at the Long Beach Democratic Convention, he opted not to seek re-election, saying that he lacked the necessary support of county Democratic committeemen and local leaders.

Democrats said they wanted to head in a new direction and nominate new candidates for the three council seats that were up for grabs in November. Remo said he was driven to look at the big picture and do what was best for the city’s residents rather than focusing on city politics.

He said he believes that his most important accomplishment during his terms as a trustee was the infrastructure repairs and improvements that were started or completed over the past five years.

As for his free Tuesdays starting in January, Remo is unsure what he will do with that time, but he is considering opening a restaurant. He said he hopes Long Beachers will continue to come to him for advice and take advantage of the knowledge he has gained from being involved with the city for so long.

Tangney, a lifelong community advocate, was elected to the council in 2005. During her tenure, her personal life was punctuated by tragedy, which included a highly publicized drunken driving accident that resulted in the death of her 7-year-old granddaughter, Katie Flynn, and the subsequent murder trial and conviction of driver Martin Heidgen.

In June, Tangney cited family matters and health issues as grounds to retire from the council. She said that one of her proudest accomplishments as a councilwoman was the establishment of a city Environmental Advisory Board, which she believes will make Long Beach a model city for environmental leadership.

“If my legacy is to mirror those who can stay focused on doing the public good while not losing your soul in the process, I have accomplished so much,” she said.

Asked about her plans outside life on the City Council, Tangney said, “I have participated in public service my whole life. I imagine that my passions for social justice will just take another venue.”

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