The Argonaut | The Argonaut Newsweekly

Brazen Murder Prompts Call to Action

Posted by The Argonaut | May 22, 2019 | News |

A 29-year-old Oakwood resident was shot to death on Monday in Venice’s first homicide of the year, and local leaders are stepping up to counter the violence By Gary Walker Two prominent Venice community leaders plan to hold a press conference and public call to action next week in the wake of the murder of 29-year-old Oakwood resident Lavell Harris, who was gunned down blocks from his home on Monday, May 20, while being chased by two assailants. Civil rights activist Naomi Nightingale and gang intervention specialist Ansar “Stan” Muhammad want to draw attention to what they describe as...

Opinion: Who Do We Think We Are?

Posted by The Argonaut | May 22, 2019 | Opinion |

Venice’s community identity depends on our reaction to bridge housing and how we vote on June 2 By Will Hawkins Hawkins is a Venice resident, business owner and musician who was chairman of the Venice Neighborhood Council’s Homeless Committee before launching the homelessness nonprofit Chamber of Hope. Now that a judge has ruled against a legal challenge brought by the Venice Stakeholders Association, construction of the bridge housing facility on the former Metro bus yard on Main Street is expected to begin soon. City officials have long promised that this temporary housing will help to reduce homelessness in Venice...

Heroes, Monsters & Oddballs

Posted by The Argonaut | May 22, 2019 | Arts & Events |

Summer’s 10 most-anticipated movies aren’t as dumb as you might think By Daniel Barnes The summer movie season is traditionally a time for blockbuster fluff. However, with a bevy of superhero movies (“Shazam!”; “Avengers: Endgame”), sequels (“John Wick: Chapter 3”) and feature-length brand marketing campaigns (“Aladdin”; “Pokemon Detective Pikachu”) hitting theaters in the last couple months, you have to wonder whether there are any brain cells left for the 2019 summer movie slate to kill. Luckily, a surprising number of auteur-driven wide releases and intriguing independent films fill out this season’s release schedule. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (May 30) I did not like...

Sip Your Way into Summer

Posted by The Argonaut | May 22, 2019 | Food & Drink |

Cool libations and gourmet bar bites all along the coast are calling your name, tempting you to happy hour By Jennifer Pellerito Watching the workday fade away has never been easier thanks to the latest happy hours that have blossomed around our beach cities just in time for summer. Like a Siren’s song, longer, warmer days and the unofficial start of vacation season—Memorial Day—call for you to slip out of work just a tad early, especially with small plates and drinks as good as these. Whether you plan to drink yourself silly or feast on food offerings instead, you...

Channeling Oral History

Posted by The Argonaut | May 22, 2019 | Arts & Events |

For Lucas Hnath’s stranger-than-fiction ode to his mother and her kidnapping, actress Deirdre O’Connell threw herself into the voice and words of ‘Dana H.’ Power, perception and belief are recurring topics of interest for playwright Lucas Hnath. “Hillary and Clinton,” currently on Broadway, views the marital and partisan politics of its namesake leads through a cosmic lens; the Obie- and Outer Critics Circle Award-winning “The Christians” contemplates doctrinal disputes in a megachurch; and the Tony-nominated “A Doll’s House, Part 2” imagines Nora’s life after she fatefully slams that door on Ibsen’s Torvald. Then there’s “Dana H.,” a drama getting...