SEVEN DOUBLE SIGNERS CAUSE E. FRONTON STREET NAME RESTORATION DELAY

Juan Rene Hernandez and Dad

Juan Rene Hernandez and his dad, proud residents of 430 E. Fronton Street, did everything asked of them at the August 7, 2019 City Commission meeting to petition for the restoration of their home street back to its historic name.

They called on all 82 E. Fronton Street property owners, asking for signatures, mailing requests to those who'd moved away by certified letter, signature requested.  They were successful in obtaining signatures from the necessary 75% of homeowners to overturn the City Commission's poorly-thought-out decision to rename the portion of E. Fronton from Palm Boulevard to Sam Perl Drive as McNair Family Drive.

The fly in the ointment was a campaign by the McNair family that resulted in seven of those who signed Hernandez's petition also signing McNair's, so now City Attorney Rene DeCoss wants the confusion cleared up and the City Commission reluctantly tabled the item for the time being.

"While there is no provision for a petition rebuttal, we have to make certain the intent of these signees," commented City Commissioner Ben Neece.

"I want all of you to know that everyone up here(all the commissioners and the mayor) are behind your effort," City Commissioner Nurith Galonsky told E. Fronton residents at the meeting.

One young man did speak up about intimidation by the McNair family, although, to be honest, he did not seem like someone who would be easily frightened.

Family patriarch Harry McNair came off as a blithering idiot with baseless comments, published in the Brownsville Herald, pontificating about the origin of the word Fronton.  

Attorney Michele Sanchez, paid by someone, made some irrelevant arguments, implying that each lot, not each owner, should count for one vote, claiming "that's how it's done in Greenville."

Mayor Trey Mendez, also an attorney, responded that whatever Greenville does is not relevant in Brownsville.   

Nevertheless, Mendez, who admits the city has totally botched this name change, wants everything done correctly this time.

"Haste makes waste is what my dad always told me," Mendez stated.