JANUARY 1 - JANUARY 7, 2010
MARiN’S BEST EVERY WEEK
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OO
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
The best revenge is love and forgiveness.
Marin graduates from the decade of hard knocks... [P.11]
[SEE PAGE 6]
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eat can lower yourfrom encourages you to keep old adage, less is more! r the where weight options to choose of each food. Remembe to reach a phase for ent sensory qualities and you’re bound on the same three digits days is stuck iet long enough, ng and sore for University in and the scale three, you huffing, puffi loss levels off In fact, researchers from Drexel Fitness Fatigue workout that used to leave plateaus at week less energy weeks or more.nd that dieters tend to reach physical—they can be Symptom: The a sweat. just efficient and requires Philadelphia fi plateaus aren’t of plateau you’ve barely makes you breakYour body has become mored to your exercise program, it body, six months. Butto identifying which type Underlying Cause: “When you get accustomewhen you stop stressing your guide week 10 and after a trend: d Here’s downwar too. activity. Bell-Wilson. And to do the same psychological, nudge the scale back to its your body,” says spokesperson stops stressing hit and how to R.D., national
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losing results. Gerbstadt, M.D., twice a week increases Holding... you’ve stopped you stop seeing a Day and weights, says Christine. Strength training at least fact, a study published of calories, but The Fix: Add In 1,500 Calories eating the same number Dietetics Associationand fat-burning potential. who trained with during workouts rate Symptom: You’re for the American fewer calories that women and tissue, metabolic leaner, you burn ve function that Association found than 2.5 percent your lean body weight. darn reproducti As you become the American Dieteticreduced their body fat by more restricting calories. Bell-Wilson, Ph.D., then there’s that Underlying Cause: in the Journal of without resting, too). “And reproweight,” says Jenna a week for 12 weeks pounds)—even a good idea. So instead weights twice (and when you’re talented at maintaining our in Columbus, Ohio. Why the kilograms (4.4 is also try the muscle mass 2 of your workouts 4.5 mph pace, Sports Dietetics increased lean makes us extremely fertilized. ed specialist in g on your duration and intensity on the treadmill at a steady road and take advantage an egg become Increasing the R.D., board certifi To safeguard a baby should minutes hit the 30 four hours, dependin or to spread regular three program, your training hills and use landmarks of logging in ductive hoarding?five to six small meals every eating, but rather, treadmill’s intervalterrain. Run in the sand or up extra calorie burning calories you’re strong. “If you’re losing in The Fix: Eat the number of of changes in the or a slow-down. And squeeze Don’t reduce metabolism running the television your you change keep calorie needs. to where sprint to a up t the day to signify . Getting reach a point phone; and n. advises Gerbstadt pacing while you’re on the calories throughou calories, you’re going to ” says Bell-Wilso get the chance, remote control; whenever you weight by decreasingwithout sabotaging nutrients, ense fruits and of relying on the nuked. more into starvachannel, instead you wait for your food to be can’t cut back important to eat low-cal, nutrient-d of energy it can go cult. body is deprived loss even more diffi doing squats while (That’s why it’s more, when your weight ‘Opie, you haven’t vegetables.) What’s your metabolism and making tics finished your milk. in (gasp!) start to Mental Gymnaswant to throw in the towel. tion mode, slowing going down or can’t put it back yet you Wefavorites— on the scale stop weight. Symptom: You up old you know.’ The numbers goal cow,standstill. the at for you to pass a Underlying Cause: as if you’ll never reach yourd that plateaus are a natural phenomGoodie Gridlock cravings make it hard why you’re arm --Aunt Bee you feel to understan a pit of despair, Symptom: Constant of foods you love may explain creep up and , try of wallowing in d impleimportant for people diet. nibbles The Fix: “It’s Gerbstadt. Insteadthrough it. Experts recommen or bored with your on different fruits and vegetables. Look know those little says You’re 18 occur,” will Underlying Cause:your food choices. Load up t with seasonings Vietto help you break around the block after dinner enon and they up and experimen or list of strategies SUN 17 taking a walk The Fix: Shake whole grains or lean protein raw vegetables, for example, yourself with a 13, 2008 PACIFIC tooth, with behavioral changes— with MARCH 7 - MARCH menting small some new ways for inspiration—try hummus comes to satisfying your sweet you it foods to other cultures with rice paper. And when the variety of high-fat rolls namese spring two staples. Studies show decreasing or stick with one
focusing A quarterly guide ties on energizing activi and balanced living
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el By Amy Patur
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n By Terry Alle
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›› LETTERS Grand theft jury Just a quick note to applaud Peter Seidman for taking the time to make accuracy a priority in compiling background research for his story about Marin Clean Energy [“Runaway Grand Jury?” Dec. 18]. There’s been a lot of misinformation and many misleading statements bandied about in conjunction with MCE, the energy initiative that intends to bring locally controlled, price-stable renewable energy to Marin ratepayers. Thanks to Peter for his due diligence in reporting the latest twists and turns in what’s become an unfortunate battle. Too bad the Marin Civil Grand Jury didn’t put the same ethic to work in releasing its report. (By the way, has the grand jury made any effort to correct the numerous inaccuracies in their report?) Ellen Seh, Larkspur
Fallat fallout Never could someone be more wrong than Mr. Fallat, in his letter decrying the Hiroshima survivor’s It’s doubtful the 7-year-old speech to Marin Takashi was in league with Academy students this bunch. [“Marin Youth Suckered by Peace and Forgiveness Propaganda,” Dec. 25]. Almost 70 years has elapsed since the Japanese military and the conservative elite took over power in Japan and attacked our nation. My uncle fought the Japanese and would have been part of the invasion forces.
The U.S. Air Force stationed me in Japan in 1956 and what I found was a people dedicated to peace and to making amends for the war. After discharge here, I returned to attend a Japanese university. The president of my university, Hachiro Yuasa, was a hero who spent many years in military prison for opposing the “Imperial Rescript” and refusing to accept the military rule. The Japanese are still dedicated to peace and justice. The people have supported their peace constitution and withstood every effort by the wealthy conservatives to remove the pacifist portions. The people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, some of whom are still dying from the effects of the bombs, continue to reach out in peace and in opposition to nuclear weapons. As to Tojo, and the “killing machine,” it was not Japanese society, but the wealthy conservative elite and the military who created that and who raped Nanking. Tojo paid with his life, as he should have. But the Japanese people are not the enemy, and not war-like—probably less so than the neo-cons of this nation. My three Japanese nieces do not deserve to be bloodied by Mr. Fallat’s fallacious words. David M. Pittle, San Rafael
Love and forgiveness, served cold I am writing in response to John L. Fallat’s letter from last week. Mr. Fallat wrote his letter in response to the article “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” which was about Takashi Tanemori, a Hiroshima ground zero survivor who shared his experiences with the Marin Academy community. I am a sophomore at Marin Academy who is responding as a student, not as an official for the school. Mr. Fallat labels my school without firsthand
›› TOWNSQUARE
TOP POSTINGS THIS WEEK
The N.W. Airline Pantie Bomber President Obama says that this creep was just an isolated lonely guy. Yea, and Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Boxer are just isolated Democratic nut jobs. The truth is Both Demo... Upfront: Neither paper nor plastic? A coalition of groups, with the support of Marin County supervisors, is supporting a proposed ban on single-use bags (plastic and paper) in county jurisdiction. Read the full... H1N1 vaccination restrictions lifted According to county health officials, as of Dec. 28, high-risk restrictions have been lifted for the swine flu vaccine in Marin.
Your soapbox is waiting at ›› pacificsun.com knowledge. In my history class, we discussed all aspects of propaganda and learned how it is used to brainwash people. At a Marin Academy open house with prospective families, the history teachers conducted an activity about defining propaganda. How can a school that criticizes propaganda and teaches students how to identify it use propaganda believing it will not be discovered? It does not make sense. Mr. Fallat comments on the “raging killing machine of Japanese society.” Mr. Tanemori was born in 1937 and the Tojo killing machine ended in 1945. How many children were involved in a “killing machine”? The atrocities Japan committed during WWII would not be in the forefront of Tanemori’s mind or experience nor do they directly relate to him since he had no role in them. Mr. Fallat, even if you disagree with Tanemori, please respect him for his courage to forgive and keep a positive attitude. Do you not find it amazing that Tanemori harbors no desire for revenge after his home was reduced to rubble by the atomic bomb? Tanemori’s beliefs can inspire everyone. I will forgive Mr. Fallat for writing a letter criticizing my school without factual basis and for portraying a peaceful and courageous man as a brainwasher. In Tanemori’s words, “the best revenge is love and forgiveness.” Alec White, Marin Academy
Vegan, the new white meat A novelty only 30 years ago, meat-free diets are rapidly becoming the fashion for people who care about their family’s and their planet’s health. Here are recent indicators: According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of Further evidence our animals killed for food meat-chomping days in the country this year are numbered. is expected to drop by 6 percent from 2008. Jonathan Foer’s “Eating Animals” and two other vegan books have made the bestseller list. Meat industry expose Food, Inc. is being considered for an Oscar nomination. Cargill, ConAgra, and other animal6 PACIFIC SUN JANUARY 1 - JANUARY 7, 2010
butchering empires have launched a number of vegan food products. In March, the respected National Cancer Institute reported that people who ate the most red meat were “most likely to die from cancer, heart disease and other causes.” In July, the conservative American Dietetic Association has confirmed that “vegetarian and vegan diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.” In the November issue of World Watch magazine, two World Bank scientists have claimed that meat production may account for more than half of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. The dawn of the new year is a great time to explore the new dietary fashion and all the delicious, healthful vegan foods in our supermarkets. Morgan Vrooman, Mill Valley
That’d be pretty depressing fodder for a singles column... Your Single in the Suburbs columnist Nikki Silverstein writes as if there never was a 9/11, never was war and dismemberment, never were working poor or mortgage foreclosure, never was global warming, bad health care, never was homelessness or chicanery in government... the list is endless. I say Ms. Silverstein—by her examples in last week’s column [“Change I Can Believe In,” Dec. 25]—is far worse than any man she has ever mused about, written of or angered over. Craig Whatley, San Rafael
What’s it all about? At this point in our history the U.S. is looking like a dictatorship of the “moneyed” interests. The monopoly of the health care and pharma industries have stopped our democratic processes. Do we need another revolution? I think so. We need a public option; we need to break up the health care monopolies; we need to protect women’s health. Shouldn’t we have at least what we fought for others to have in Europe and Japan? What is the U.S. about? Geraldine Caldarola, Kentfield
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Roads not taken Peace between hikers and bikers may require trailblazing solutions by Pe te r Se i d m an
F
or decades the goal of finding a path to a peace process in the Middle East has remained elusive. So has the goal of finding a peace process on the trails in the Marin County Open Space District. Hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians have been locked in a grip of entrenched values, mistrust and suspicion of “the other” that has resulted in a stalemate of perception on all sides. But a review of the management practices in the Marin County Open Space District offers at least an opportunity to break that stalemate and find a path to cooperation on the trails in the district. That’s a lot of hooey, say hikers, who blame mountain bikers for blasting by them on narrow trails, breaking the calm of a pristine environment with the rush of rubber and metal. Equestrians have joined the hikers in decrying the bikers. The machines, and the people who ride them, are just not suited to be on the same trails as horses. The struggle, of course, is over who gets to use which trails, and if they must share them. The mountain bikers say the charge that they are inconsiderate and harm the environment comes from a small minority of trail users. Small but vocal. And mountain biking, born in Marin, has as much right to exist as an activity as do hiking and riding horses. In the first week of February, the Marin County Board of Supervisors will hold a meeting to begin a process to review manage-
ment practices in the Open Space District. The process will include an environmental assessment of management alternatives. “Our board is going to have a joint workshop with parks and open space commissioners,” says Supervisor Steve Kinsey. “There will be policy choices presented. We will take public comment, and commissioners will speak. Then, about a month later, the county [Board of Supervisors acting as the board of the Open Space District] will take final action on policy direction.” Kinsey says the joint meeting will take place Feb. 1. Although the issue of conflict on the trails in the Open Space District attracts the most heat, says Kinsey, “The essential part of the plan is to manage our preserves for eternity. That is really the purpose of the plan.” But the issue of trail use, which is part of the plan, is inescapably inflammatory. “I personally believe that what’s happened is that for 20 years, extremists on both sides of the issue have tried to undermine the other side’s point of view, and we’ve been locked in this pitched battle in which there has been no real effort to listen to both sides and see where you can have a gray solution instead of black or white.” Sound familiar? Kinsey and others hold a hope that during consideration of the Road and Management Plan the board can “make it clear that it is committed to reducing conflict.” Bouncing that attitude back to Open Space 8> District staff can give valuable direc-
›› NEWSGRAMS Marin biggest violator of ‘Spare the Air’ day A total of 47 Bay Area residents were found in violation of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s “Spare the Air” days on Christmas Day; 27 of the violators were based in Marin County. The air quality district declares specific days for banning the use of fireplace-generated wood smoke and encouraging public transportation when pollution risk is high. Nearly 400 residents in Marin filed complaints about illegal wood smoke last year, prompting air district officials to send more than 50 warning letters. This season, more than 100 warning letters have been mailed throughout the Bay Area. A second offense could lead to a $400 ticket. Families who do not have access to natural gas and must burn wood to stay warm are exempted. Lark Theater honored Last month, Bernice Baeza, executive director for Larkspur’s nonprofit community arts and film center, the Lark Theater, received a 2009 Women-Owned Business of the Year award from the Women’s Initiative. The Theater was also awarded a $10,000 Google Grant earlier this month for free advertising in Google’s AdWords program and has been nominated in three categories for the Heart of Marin Awards, including: Bernice Baeza for Excellence in Leadership; Arthur Corbin for Volunteer of the Year; and Lark Theater for Achievement in Nonprofit Excellence. The Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin will announce the winners Jan. 7. For more info, visit online at www.larktheater.net.
Nonprofit excellence!
Swine flu shots for all! According to county health officials, as of Dec. 28, high-risk restrictions have been lifted for the swine flu vaccine in Marin. Now that the vaccine is available to everyone, regardless of age or medical condition, Marin County Department of Public Health will provide several free H1N1 vaccination clinics in January by appointment only at Marin Health and Wellness Campus, 3260 Kerner Blvd., San Rafael, (415) 473-6007. The vaccine will also be available through private physicians and select pharmacies, including Safeway and Walgreens. To date, 64 Marin residents have been hospitalized with H1N1, with four confirmed swine-flu-related deaths; throughout the state, there have over 8,000 hospitalizations and 449 deaths related to H1N1. Health officials encourage all Marin County residents to help prevent the spread of the flu virus by getting vaccinated (both H1N1 and seasonal flu), washing hands frequently, covering coughs and sneezes, staying home when sick and keeping informed. For additional info, call the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services at 415/473-6823 or visit online at www.marinflu.org. Shorts... In early January Marin Municipal Water District is sending a letter of notification regarding a 9.8 percent rate increase proposal to all rate payers and property owners in the service area. The public hearing is set for Feb. 24, 7:30pm in the Manzanita Room, Marin Center Exhibit Hall, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. —Samantha Campos EXTRA! EXTRA! Post your Marin news at ›› pacificsun.com
JANUARY 1 - JANUARY 7, 2010 PACIFIC SUN 7
›› UPFRONT
cated political push to open up trails in the district for their use. The rhetoric was the same, but those who opposed giving mountain bikers greater access to the trails pulled out a 2005 study of the county’s open space policies. That study concluded that a majority of county residents agreed with regulations current at the time, which have remained essentially in force. Although the opponents of greater access for mountain bikers conceded that the bikers should have trails on which to ride, they remained firm that bikers shouldn’t be allowed on more trails shared with hikers and equestrians. But, said the mountain bikers, the number of trails on which they are allowed to ride are insufficient for their numbers. Stalemate. The Open Space District is a relatively modern invention, newer than mountain biking, which bike riders pioneered on the slopes of Mount Tam in the late 1960s. County residents voted to create the district in 1971 to purchase and protect undeveloped land. Today, the district oversees 33 open-space preserves. In a November workshop, the Marin County Department of Parks and Open Space presented a trail workshop document titled “Protect Grow Restore Connect.” Kinsey and Supervisor Susan Adams serve on a subcommittee that helped create the report, which is aimed at reviewing the county’s “trail-related management plan” and offers, among other things, al-
< 7 Roads not taken tion to rangers and others in the district, whose principal job is stewardship of the environment, not acting as trail cops. The real tussle on the trails is whether single-track trails should be opened up for multi-use recreation. Allowing mountain bikers on more single-track trails isn’t even a consideration among the militant hiking and equestrian community. The mountain bikers are a hazard. Period. They also tear up trails. But, say the mountain bikers once again, those complaints come from a minority of actual trail users. The Road and Management Plan process could provide the Open Space District with a framework in which to unfold a peace process based on investigation and objective reality. Kinsey says the district should be open to “creative trail solutions,” but “if we really have science that says something’s not right, then we want to deal with it.” Kinsey says he’s spending a lot of time on the issue and has been walking the trails, “and I see there’s so much room for improvement on the environmental side [to preserve existing trails].” He also sees room “to protect tranquility for some and create new opportunities for others, and still do a better job of managing the ecology.” That attitude is quite a distance from a stalemate in 2007, when mountain bikers mounted perhaps their most sophisti-
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›› THAT TV GUY FRIDAY, JAN. 1 Tournament of Roses Parade Yeah, we’re sleeping in too. ABC. 8am. Half Ton Marathon In case you’re not feeling the holiday bloat acutely enough, they are showing Half Ton Teen, followed by Half Ton Mom at 7pm and Half Ton Dad at 8pm. After that, the 650- pound Virgin at 9pm is going to look svelte. The Learning Channel. 6pm.
by Rick Polito
the show’s history. First up is a “bike challenge.” Sounds right. That would be a challenge for any bike. NBC. 8pm. Dirty Jobs We thought they’d save maple syrup maker for Sticky Jobs. Discovery Channel. 8pm. Secrets of Aspen A new reality series follows six women in the elite mountain enclave where the four-legged cougars are the safe ones. VH1. 8:30pm.
SATURDAY, JAN. 2 Heartbreak Ridge Clint Eastwood plays a tough drill sergeant readying his recruits for the invasion of Grenada. This is one of those rare instances when the war WEDNESDAY, movie was longer than the actual war. (1986) JAN. 6 People’s Choice Spike 7pm. Awards Luckily this is Pet Psychic Encounters not based on the elecA visit with a woman toral college or we’d be Groomed for a spin-off! Saturday at 9. who claims she can looking at some kind of communicate telepathically with animals, lifetime achievement award for Boxcar most of whom want to know why Arnold Willie. CBS. 9pm. the talking pig on Green Acres never got his Glee! The glee club performs in wheelown show. Animal Planet. 9pm. chairs, in case their classmates needed a new way to mock them. Fox. 9pm. SUNDAY, JAN. 3 Life After People In Man vs Wild Host Bear Gryllis has to tonight’s episode from the post-dooms- survive in Texas. They say that if the ratday series, we learn what would hap- tlesnakes don’t get you the drunk driver in the pickup will. pen to your Discovery Channel. car if mankind 10pm. va n i s h e d. We Worst Cooks in know you were America If they’ve worried. History gathered the worst Channel. 7pm. cooks in America Extreme Makein one place, then over: Home who is going to cook Edition If we lunch at your kid’s were remodschool? Food Neteling a day care work. 10pm. f a c i l i t y, w e’d put in a rubber room, for the THURSDAY, teachers. ABC. JAN. 7 Escape from 8pm. L.A. In the sequel Impaled! T he to Escape from New party trick that For contributions to mankind. Wednesday, 9pm. York, Snake Plissken never gets old! is sent into a lawless Discovery Channel. 8pm. Los Angeles-turned-penal-colony where Desperate Housewives In the aftermath gun-toting thugs engage in murderous of the plane crash, the residents of Wisteria turf wars. How this differs from presentleap into action. And call the landscapers. day Los Angeles remains unclear. (1996) ABC. 9pm. American Movie Classics. 6pm. There’s a Rhino In My House! A woman MONDAY, JAN. 4 The Antichrist New raises a rhino, a warthog and a hyena. Just analysis of the scriptures suggests he’s wait until they hit their teen years. Animal going to be chosen in a game show forPlanet. 10pm. mat. Independent Film Channel. 8:25pm. America 2100 Experts foresee a gloomy The Conveyor Belt of Love Five women future for the United States. That’s why choose from 30 men who are presented we’re putting most of our money in gold. on a conveyor belt. The last time we saw The rest we’re investing in penicillin and this much baggage on one conveyor belt, ammo. History Channel. 10pm. we were at the airport. ABC. 10pm.
›› TRiViA CAFÉ Well, Friends, we’ve come to the end of another year. Here are SOME of the highlights of 2009... let’s see how well you were paying attention. Happy New Year to one and all, and thanks for your support. 1a. On January 15, 2009, a US Airways flight out of La Guardia was forced to land in what unexpected location after striking a flock of geese? 1b. The pilot of that plane became an instant hero.Who is he? 2. One of the most acclaimed baseball players, New York Yankees’Alex Rodriguez, confessed in February that he had done what? 3. In February, this South American president, already in power for a decade, won his bid to end presidential term limits in his country, allowing him to run for re-election again in 2013 if he wants. What country, what president? 4. What two teams competed in the Super Bowl February 1, and who won? 5a. Pictured - Name these stars and the title of their movie, which won the Best Picture at the Academy Awards on February 22. 5b. In honor of their acting and writing/directing, two Marin County residents won major Oscars. Identify these men and their films, both locally made. 6. In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the president of an African country, charging him with war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region.What country, what president? 7. On November 13, scientists proudly announced that water had been discovered where? 8. The swine influenza virus strain (H1N1) appeared from out of nowhere in April, initially killing hundreds of people in what country, considered the most likely epicenter of the worldwide swine flu outbreak? 9. In April, GM announced it would eliminate 23,000 jobs, cut its dealer network by 40 percent and drop what 82-year-old GM brand? 10. At the Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas on April 19, Miss California attracted worldwide attention with her answer to a controversial question. 10a. What’s her name? 10b. What topic was she addressing? 11. In May, this unlikely Scottish singer, who shocked the judges and charmed the world with her sweet voice, was runner-up of a TV talent competition. Give her name and the show title. 12. In late spring, Microsoft launched its own web search engine to compete with rival Google. By the end of the year it had gained about 10 percent of the search market.What’s the name? 13. This man, chairman of the Federal Reserve under both George Bush and Barack Obama, was named Time magazine’s Man of the Year for 2009.Who is he?
by Howard Rachelson 14. Wide-scale street protests broke out in Tehran and spread to the rest of Iran in June after the re-election of what controversial presi#16 dent, by supporters of what main challenger? 15. The 2009 movie award season begins in December—that’s when the Broadcast Film Critics Association announces its nominees for the Critics Choice Awards, due to be announced 1/15/10 in Hollywood. Of the 10 movies nominated as Best Picture, two have the same first word, two letters.What are they? 16. In June, he made headlines after disappearing from his job as governor; it was reported he was walking on the Appalachian Trail.Who is he, what state? 17. In June, North Korea sentenced two U.S. journalists to 12 years in a labor prison, guilty of “illegal entry”into the country. Who are these women, and for what web news site did they work as news gatherers and reporters? 18. Found in Bernard Madoff’s apartment on the day of his December arrest, police discov#5a ered 100 of these objects totaling $173 million, which Madoff was preparing for his closest family and friends. What were they? 19a. In July the federal government launched a popular program! The $3 billion CARS program, Car Allowance Rebate #19b System, was more commonly known as what? 19b. What car was the best seller, and what make and model was the top trade-in? 20. One of the most watched television events of all time occurred on July 7, 2009, attracting a global audience of up to 1 billion people, and it wasn’t a sporting activity. What was being televised? 21. In August, Scotland’s justice minister announced the release from prison of Abdel Basset Ali alMegrahi. He was sent back to his home country, Libya, on humani#10 tarian grounds because he was suffering from terminal prostate cancer and was expected to die within three months.What was he being held on? 22. The New Oxford Dictionary “Word of the Year” for 2009 has eight letters, starts with U and is related to social networking.What is it? 23. P i c t u r e d here - Billboard called her the #23 Female Ar tist of the Year 2009. Name this singer and the album title shown.
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TUESDAY, JAN. 5 The Biggest Loser Tonight, we meet the heaviest cast in
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Howard Rachelson, Marin’s Master of Trivia, invites you to a live team trivia contest at 7:30pm every Wednesday at the Broken Drum on Fourth Street in San Rafael. Join the quiz—send your Marin factoids to howard1@triviacafe.com.
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tually successful) Dec. 19 search for a Napa hiker on Mt. Tam, Maria-Teresa of Sausalito would like to thank a long list of public servants for â&#x20AC;&#x153;all the assistance, support, encouragement and human warmth received,â&#x20AC;? including Mike and Darrin from the Mill Valley Fire Department; national park ranger Patrick; the Mill Valley police ofďŹ cers in patrol cars and motorcycles, their quick response; the great number of anonymous search and rescue volunteers; the hot coffee, cheese, crackers, access to phones and computers, everyone in the command center; Bijan and everyone working with him; the lady who consoled me when I broke down; and all the effort displayed in helping me ďŹ nd my friend Sean on the trails.â&#x20AC;?
ZERO
Instruments for the beginner or advanced player, mandolins & ukes, vintage & collectible guitars, lessons & repairs
< 8 Roads not taken on new trails.â&#x20AC;? Kinsey also thinks thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an opportunity to create new trails â&#x20AC;&#x153;in proximity to existing ones if they contribute to reducing conďŹ&#x201A;icts.â&#x20AC;? Creating a parallel trail to separate mountain bikes from hikers is one creative option, in essence creating a mountainbike lane in the open space. Other options include equally innovative solutions, for Marin at least. Making sections of trails one-way for bikers can help calm trail trauma for hikers and equestrians, especially if that one-way section is uphill. The speed of the bikers automatically reduces. Another option calls for setting up an alternate-day use pattern for trails in which bikers can ride on one day and hikers get the next. The idea behind the separation strategies is to increase the miles mountain bikers can access without exacerbating the distress hikers and equestrians say they encounter. Those creative solutions hold potential, says Jim Jacobsen, president of the Bicycle Trails Council of Marin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The alternateday solution is a better way to go than the one-way solution. They do that on the Tahoe Rim Trail. It works. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t solve 100 percent of the problem, there always will be a few who ride on the wrong day, but it does reduce the conďŹ&#x201A;ict and seems to satisfy people without really changing the reality on the ground.â&#x20AC;? But instituting creative solutions to a conďŹ&#x201A;ict among entrenched principals isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t easy. Jacobsen is wary that the Open Space District workshop process will result in more of the same old status quo. Kinsey recognizes the difďŹ culty of getting the opposing forces to the bargaining table. He says every opportunity for creative solutions should stay on the table, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but I think there is so much frustration in the hiker/equestrian community about the
HERO
Plug Into the PaciďŹ cSunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
lack of respect for existing rules that until we really re-establish that we have some authority over our lands, these kinds of innovative approaches wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a chance to be tested because people just have no conďŹ dence.â&#x20AC;? Regaining that conďŹ dence and authority needs to be a cooperative effort, and it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come from a massive program for increased enforcement. The district has 12 rangers and two deputy sheriffs. On a typical day, between two and eight rangers and one deputy sheriff are in the ďŹ eld. Rangers spend about 25 percent of their time on enforcement and the rest of their time dealing with open-space maintenance, ďŹ re protection, habitat reclamation and education, among other duties. No funds exist to increase staff. The education arena holds some promise. The Bicycle Trails Council has run a program at trailheads that disseminates educational information about fair use and civility on the trails, and Kinsey says the mountain-bike community often fails to get credit for efforts such as that. Using a combined and boosted cooperative effort, including some focused enforcement, might push the peace process into gearâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;at least thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the hope. The heat this trails issue generates is evident in the massive amount of e-mail supervisors have received from the various stakeholder groups. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It reaches a stage where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ridiculous,â&#x20AC;? says Supervisor Hal Brown. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m getting e-mails from PaciďŹ ca, from Oakland. After a while we just have to say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;no more,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; because it becomes meaningless.â&#x20AC;? On that point, Jacobsen agrees with Brown. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make decisions based on the weight of the e-mails they receive.â&#x20AC;?<
ity Management District banned ďŹ replace use on Christmas, some Marinites balkedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;actually, 27 of us. Not a lot but still more than any other county in the Bay Area. Spurning the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sparing of Airâ&#x20AC;? on our coveted holidays of consumption, we opted to burn, burn, burnâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in the name of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Christmas spiritâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;roasting chestnutsâ&#x20AC;? and all that. Vive le ambience! But hey, arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we supposed to be the progressive ones? Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we have a reputation to uphold as cheerleaders for single-use bag bans and open space preservation and eco-friendly chew toys for our spoiled Shih Tzus (that we adopt from the Humane Society, naturally)? Well, sure, we do! Unless, of course, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Samantha Campos
Got a Hero or a Zero? Please send submissions to scampos@paciďŹ csun.com. Toss roses, hurl stones with more Heroes and Zeros at â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş paciďŹ csun.com
›› FEATURE
OO
Class Of The of ill-begotten war,
As the alarming climate change world and astoundingly inept our county recoiled leadership, faced the 2000s in typical under a Marin fashion—gross decade consumerism, astute
environmental activism and treating pets like children. Here’s a look back at a few of the events that shaped our decade in Marin (dates listed according to when reported upon by the Pacific Sun). Happy 2010!
2000 Jan. 5 Y2K fever hits Marin! Lone end-of-world sign turn out to be for San Rafael city coffers after only 6,000 of expected 9,000 attend vaunted millennium event—that t plus $600,000 to headliners Bonnie Raitt and Huey Lewis and the News—puts New Year’s Eve hangover at $1.2 million in the red.
Jan. 19 Tiburon dog owners refuse to scoop own dogs’ poop in plastic bags; town seeks alternatives. Jan. 26 The Bicycle Bandit wreaks havoc on Marin! Latest (nonfashion) crimes—robbing Wells Fargo at Bon Air Center, not coming to complete halt at stop signs. March 8 Marin Countyy
Republican Central Committee cops to election scheme. Plan to endorse “weaker” Democratic candidate Basia Crane—in hopes she would prevail in primary and be easier pickings for unopposed GOP candidate Ed Sullivan—blasted by out-of-the-loop state chiefs; endorsement withdrawn. March 22 Joan Baez, Robin Williams, Peter Seeger, Boz Scaggs and Jackson Browne turn
out to celebrate Bread & Roses’ 25th anniversary of free concerts for the infirmed and interned.. March 29 Marin’s breast cancer rates ates grow: 37 percent higher than Bayy Area as a whole; death rate 27
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Sim Van der Ryn
percent higher. April 19 Henry Buhrmann, 57, architec architect of Marin General’s 198 1985 transition into privatizaprivatiz tion, announces his ret retirement from Marin General Gene Hospital Corp. April 26 Marin Superior Court judges judg Michael Dufficy, Lyn Lynn Duryee and Terrence Boren are the target of a Marin Family Court Cou recall effort launched launche by citizens.
the nation to Manhattan; Dominican College officially changes its name to Dominican University. May 10 Marin Superior Court Judge Michael Dufficy announces move from family court to civil cases, amidst widespread charges of cronyism. May 17 Recall fever hits Marin, as District Attorney Paula Kamena is latest target of citizenryy over failingg to prosecute 12 >
May 3 Latest figu gures show Marin’s $53,608 $53,6 per capita income is second in
Ram Dass
Mimi Farina Barbara Boxer Will Durst Bonnie Raitt JANUARY 1 - JANUARY 7, 2010 PACIFIC SUN 11 JANU
< 11 Class of the 00’s two supervisors for misuse of county credit cards, and for overzealous prosecution of a woman accused of perjury and attempted kidnapping in child custody case. May 24 Comedian Dana Carvey settles lawsuit against San Francisco surgeon who operated on the wrong artery during double bypass heart surgery at Marin General hospital in 1998. June 21 U.S. House of Representatives restore the rights and identity of Coast Miwok tribe, reversing a 1958 congressional decree that the tribe had died out; 300 Miwok descendents were not amused. June 28 Marin Open Space District limits number of off-leash dogs by any handler to three on district lands; county dog-walkers bark foul. July 26 San Rafael environmentalist Marc Reisner dies of cancer at age 51. His book “Cadillac Desert” from 1986 exposed the hazardous effects of dams and aqueducts. Aug. 16 Golden Gate Bridge District deluged by FasTrak applications, distributors can’t keep up with demand Sept. 20 Gannett newspaper chain sells the Marin IJ to notoriously tight-fisted Dean Singleton’s Alameda Newspaper p p Group; p; ANG
execs promise employees there won’t be “massive” firings or “wholesale” pay cuts. Dec. 6 Longtime environment and campaign-reform champion Margaret Azevedo dies at age 86.
2001
Jan. 24 Marin’s Safe Routes to Schools program launches at the Tam Valley School in Mill Valley; it is one of two national grants to get kids walking and biking to school; median home prices in Marin reach $635,000. March 7 County resident Paul Barrier joins Paula Kamena recall effort because the embattled district attorney has refused to help him prove that “Marin celebrities” (and out-of-county icons such as Madonna) have used his sperm to conceive more than 250 children now in county schools. March 28 Death penalty opponents hold vigil outside San Quentin to protest execution of Robert Lee Massie, 59, known as the “Dean of Death Row” after a 30-year stay; median price for Marin homes reaches $652,000. April 4 Seventy-five percent of Mill Valley Middle Sc School eighth-graders say 75 per percent of their peers smoke ma marijuana; only 9 percent say the do so themselves. they Ap April 11 Man charged wi propositioning two with gi in downtown Fairfax girls for pot fo sex in exchange g for p i deemed menis t tally insane at court hearing; defendant T Donahue Tom eclared himec declared self elf Jesus Christ nd the king and off England, was nduly flatulent unduly nd called the judge and a “bitch. “bitch.””
Daria Halprin
April 18 egendary Legendary Marin ivic activcivic istt Betty
12 PACIFIC SUN JANUARY 1 - JANUARY 7, 2010
Times dies at 62. May 30 Kamena recall effort sinks by a 41,000 to 7,000 margin; median age of Marin rises to 41, three years older than a decade before; Larkspur railroad trestle made famous in finale to Dirty Harry to be removed; Alasdaire Neale named new music director of Marin Symphony. July 25 After a long struggle with lung cancer, folk singer and Bread & Roses founder Mimi Farina dies at age 56. Aug. 29 Battle over Jerry Garcia guitars ensues when guitar maker Doug Irwin claims a pair of axes willed to him by the late Grateful Dead singer; Grateful Dead Productions claims ownership. Irwin claims company is “spiritually bankrupt.” Sept. 11 Al Qaeda declares war on unchecked Western materialism; Marin braces for attack. Oct. 3 San Rafael Rock Quarry hit with a trio of lawsuits via residents, the county and the state attorney general over lack of permits, noise pollution and truck overload. Oct. 10 Developers submit proposals for retreat and conference center at Fort Baker. Oct. 17 Pharmacies report antibiotics Cipro and doxycycline—used to treat anthrax—are flying off the shelves via fear-stricken Marinites.Nov. 14 The Marin-based n-based Century Theatres tres purchase six more movie houses from Pacific Theatres; The Slantt Marin’s struggling ga gay ay and lesbia an lesbian
newspaper, prints final edition; Gerstle Park dog walker stabs man found urinating on his fence Nov. 21 Novato High School allows bizarre antiimmigrant rant to be published in student newspaper; embarrassed school officials quickly try to confiscate all copies Nov. 28 Marin Civic Center hosts its first ever gun show. Protesters demonstrate peacefully outside, gun collectors peruse “killing tools,” Nazi paraphernalia and ID-counterfeiting pamphlets inside. Dec. 5 John Walker Lindh, of Fairfax, is captured while fighting for the Taliban in Afghanistan and becomes known nationally as the Marin Taliban. Former President George H.W. Bush professes his non-surprise that such a youth would be borne of those “Marin County hot tubers.”
2002 Feb. 13 Death of a 19-month-old d baby brings second-degreee murder charges upon n man and four women, two of them pregnant, who o lived with 12 neglected children hildren in Lucas Valley.
wealthiest in the nation: Belvedere (8), Ross (13), Tiburon (23), Kentfield (27), Stinson Beach (34), Mill Valley (50), Larkspur (58), Nicasio (59), Sausalito (73), Greenbrae (88), Corte Madera (97). May 29 Lesley Stanford, a 52-year-old teacher, is knocked unconscious by a fully racked buck deer at Mill Valley Memorial Day Parade; meanwhile, surfer Lee Fontan survived a shark attack off Bolinas lagoon June 5 Marin Municipal Water District directors, led by president Jared Huffman, announce they are looking into desalination as a supplement to the district reservoirs. July 3 Golden Gate Bridge tolls jump from $3 to $5, the first hike in 11 years. July 24 Belvedere becomes the first Marin town to ban herbicides. Sept. 25 Redwood High students have long claimed the coinage of the potsmoking euphemism “4:20,” but Mill Valley added its own phrase when the town’s towns Kentucky Fried Chicken drive-thru window was handingg out a pair p of loco-weed bags whenever folks asked for “two extra biscuits.”
Oct. 16 A celebratory release of two sea lions near the Farallones turns to horror for Marin Mammal Center staffers when Edog and Swissy, after swimming from the boat toward joyous freedom, are quickly gobbled up by a pair of great white sharks; Fairfax environmental great Gloria Duncan dies, age 74. Nov. 27 Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey backs proposed Marin breast cancer task force to conduct doorto-door surveys and seek environmental connections to Marin’s alarmingly high breast cancer rate. Dec. 4 Marin Agricultural Land Trust co-founder Ellen Straus dies at 75. Dec. 11 Branson SAT scores from October are voided after student-cheating scandal rocks Ross private school. Dec. 31 Respected teacher and College of Marin administrator Maryjane Dunstan dies at age 77.
May 1 Worth th h magazine ranks 11 Marin in communities in the he top 100 Steve McNamara
Paul Hawken Norman Solomon
Huey Lewis
Jane Hirshfield
2003
Feb. 4 Mill Valley fire officials are perplexed when a bathrobe, hanging in the bathroom of resident Jonathan Feller, spontaneously combusts. Investigators conclude that sunlight, concentrated by a concave mirror by the sink, reflected on the robe. Feb. 12 A survey reveals that half of Marin’s 2,238 county employees can’t afford to live in Marin. March 26 Muir Woods’ oldest tree, the 700-year-old Kent Tree, finally topples from old age. May 21 Two years after MediaNews promised IJ employees there’d be no layoffs, a memo from Publisher Roger Grossman (leaked to the Sun) reveals plans to fire 6 percent of the staff. June 4 One hundred years after black bears were last seen in Marin, three sightings of Ursus americanus are reported at Point Reyes, Bon Tempe Lake and Mt. Tam’s Wheeler Trail. July 9 Bill Straus, patriarch of the Marshall’s pio-
neering organic dairy family, dies at 88. Aug. 6 San Rafael approves a moratorium on second-story additions to its famous Eichler homes. Aug. 13 Andrea Martin, founder of the Breast Cancer Fund and who in 1994 was first to notice Marin’s high breast cancer rate, dies at age 57, from brain cancer. Aug. 27 A three-person committee picked by the Novato City Council clears the Novato City Council of any wrongdoing in a street-repaving scandal that occurred when special requests from council members caused their streets to jump the line for upgrades. Sept. 3 Median price of Marin homes climbs to $756,000. Sept. 17 Marin County employees are directed by county officials to minimize record keeping in an effort to thwart Patriot Act snooping. Oct. 1 College of Marin biology professor Jamie Deneris is revealed to have been the focus of a two-year FBI investigation triggered in 2001 after she delivered a lecture about biological terrorist attacks in which smallpox was mentioned. Somehow it got to the fe e feds that Deneris herself had a culture of the extremely rare r smallpox; only two know known cultures exist in the world— worl one in Moscow, another in Atlanta. Oc O t. 15 Marin voters Oct. overwhelmingly vote aga against recall the recal of Gr Gray Da avis, Davis,
but the guv goes down anyway by a 55 to 45 percent margin statewide. Arnold Schwarzenegger wins a trip to Sacto by defeating Cruz Bustamante 48 to 32 percent statewide.
Feb. 4 Town of San Anselmo receives court ruling that attorney Ford Greene cannot post megasigns on the side of his Sir Francis Drake building; Greene subsequently posted 16 little signs lined up side by side reading: “Expose psychopolitics’ lies/Demand a competent press/Burn the Bush house/Speak up and vote/Tell Europe no Hitler here.”
Nov. 12 John Robert Barossi, owner of a San Rafael auto shop, is charged with five felonies after stopping near College of Marin to ask a teenage girl for directions, pulling her into his pickup truck and leading police on a high-speed chase through Petaluma. Dec. 10 Wild turkeys overrun Marin after being extinct in California for thousands of years. Problem started in 1988 when they were reintroduced as a treat for hunters, but the turkeys have outsmarted their stalkers and are swarming the county. State wildlife officials trying to figure out what to do.
2004 Jan. 7 Mill Valley Chamber ber of Commerce names the Pacific Sun n its Business ess of the Yearr for 2004.
Jan. 28 William Randolph ph Hearstt III files lawsuit wsuit with th City of Mill Valle Valley ley over approval proval of Mountain tain Home e Inn’s disability isability acces access ess upgrades. es. Downslope pe neighbor or Hearst claims claim ms the ed parking would woul uld increased infringee upon his 5-acre re spread.
Feb. 11 Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey apologizes for writing letter to a sentencing judge in support of convicted rapist Stewart Pearson, the son of a Woolsey aide, after a stream of protests from victimsrights activists. March 3 Study finds Marin has fastest-aging population in state; by 2010 will have the highest median age. Half of Marin residents are 65 or older. Outspoken writer and cultural critic Grover Sales, of Belvedere, dies at age 84. March 10 San Anselmo resident Brian Oliva wins election challenge to his 12-year reign on the Ross Valley Sanitary District Board— then on election night he he’ss charged arged with drunk driv-
ing and violating probation. March 17 Mill Valley’s vaunted Sweetwater Saloon may move from its 33-year downtown location after whispers of irreconcilable differences emerge between saloon proprietors Thom and Becky Steere and the Aversa family, which owns the building. March 24 Marin realestate agents report market “going crazy” with singlefamily homes receiving multiple offers over asking prices—some by as much as $100,000. March 31 With the presidential election approaching, the home of Corte Madera author Gerald Nicosia is burglarized; lifted are files referencing John Kerry’s membership in Vietnam Veterans Against the War and FBI info on the Vietnam war hero from after he began speaking out against the war. April 28 Broderbund Software, the famous San Rafael company that gave computer geeks “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego,”” closes. Sandiego, May 12 Dominican University faces its second straight year of a more than $1 million shortfall. Stoking the flames of y is controversy university
President Joseph Fink’s $380,000 salary—more than $100,000 over what presidents of similar-size private universities receive. Fink agrees to a 5 percent pay cut. Sixty-five percent of faculty approve a vote of no confidence against the president; Fink admits to being out of touch with campus life and announces plans to schedule lunches with randomly selected students. May 19 Prominent Republicans meet in Tiburon and raise $80,000 for the upcoming presidential race—in support of Democrat John Kerry. The disaffected Republicans say Bush scares them. May 26 Vandals spraypaint “Cruel to Animals” on signs advertising upcoming Circus Chimera show in Novato, despite the fact that Circus Chimera uses no animals in its act. June 9 After suffering a vote of no confidence by faculty, Dominican Dean p Fink receives Joseph endorsem endorsements for his fiscal plans b by the university’s board of trustees t and alumni board. June 23 Loch Lomond neighbor neighbors go ballistic when San Rafael Rock Quarry cranks up its crushingg and blasting in an effort to quickly barge rubble to a broken levee in the Delta. 14 >
Dean Ornish
Ann Brebner
Phil Frank
Joe Nation Walter Murch
Johnny Mosley JANUARY 1 - JANUARY 7, 2010 PACIFIC SUN 13
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Aug. 4 Social-justice activist and Marin Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hall of Fame member Dorothy Hughes dies at age 80.
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454-1347 The PaciďŹ c Sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual Freeway Fiction contestâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; short, pithy stories composed while commutingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is revving up again. In honor of Highway 101, these ďŹ ctional nuggets must be exactly 101 words long. Although the story length is constrained, the subject matter is notâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;let your imagination soar as you conjure up situations, characters, action. Once you arrive at your home or ofďŹ ce, put your road words down on paper (or Word doc as the case may be), slap on an appropriate title (titles donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t count as part of the 101 words) and send us your story. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll publish the best ones. All entries must be typed and include your name, address and phone number.
E-mail entries to letters@paciďŹ csun.com
Deadline for entries Friday, January 29
n u S c ďŹ Paci m
sun.co
14 PACIFIC SUN JANUARY 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; JANUARY 7, 2010
Aug. 18 California State Supreme Court nulliďŹ es 90 Marin same-sex marriages performed after San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom authorized the marriage licenses earlier in the year. Mill Valley movie goers got more than extra butter on their popcorn when part of the Sequoia Theatreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ceiling came down during a packed screening; three are hospitalized, 27 treated for minor injuries. Aug. 25 San Anselmo residents report seeing a mountain lion eating a raccoon in a tree outside their home. Sept. 1 Mill Valley resident David Myers, cinematographer of such classics as THX-1138, Woodstock and The Last Waltz dies at age 90. Sept. 15 Fairfax man has car keyed and pro-Bush bumper sticker peeled offâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; calls incident a hate crime. Dec. 1 Drivers along 101 at the Highway 1 northern off ramp are barraged with ďŹ&#x201A;ying rocks; numerous windshields shattered by mysterious hurlersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;one projectile thrown from a passing vehicle takes the hat off a CHP ofďŹ cer. The rock gang remains at large.
2005
Jan. 12 U.S. Sen. (and former PaciďŹ c Sun reporter) Barbara Boxer signs on to a formal challenge of George W. Bushâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s election victory in Ohioâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;only the second such challenge in the history of the nation. Feb. 2 Filmmaker Eric Steel, posing as a Golden Gate Bridge documentarian, ďŹ lms 19 suicides for a doc about bridge jumpers. Feb. 23 Sanctions loom on College of Marin, as the Western Association of Schools and Colleges cracks down for perceived deďŹ ciencies in governing policy. March 2 Bicycleautomobile road rage takes seemingly tragic turn when cyclist Torrin Arnold and driver James Arrigoni collide on Red Hill Avenue; claiming Arrigoni hit him intentionally, Arnold says he struck his head on the pavement and went blind. After the cyclist sought Braille training and a guide dog, a UCSF physician concludes that Arnold is faking his sight loss. March 9 Marin ofďŹ cially sanctions a Golden Gate Bridge suicide barrier, as county supes vote unanimously to provide monetary assistance toward such an endeavor.
April 6 82-year-old Sarah Nomeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 14-month stay at Kaiser Medical Center in Terra Linda comes to an end when the patient is moved to a Contra Costa nursing home; Kaiser had been trying for months to evict Nome over its claim of $1 million in unpaid hospital bills. April 22 Marin Superior Court executive John Montgomery resigns in a swirl of controversy over the alleged approval of contracts totaling $670,000 to longtime girlfriend. June 10 Marin County ďŹ les suit over $220 million expansion of San Quentinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death row; meanwhile, Marin Assemblyman Joe Nation joins with Republican state Sen. Jeff Denham to demand the facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s closure. June 17 The Dipsea marks its 100th year with win by 67-year-old Russ Kiernan. July 8 Driver challenges a $147 ticket for honking his horn in downtown Tiburon to support war protesters. July 22 With seismic retroďŹ t deadline looming and funds to pay for it in dire need, Sutter Health gives Marin Healthcare District ultimatum: grant the corporation an unending lease on Marin
Dec. 22 Median price for single family home tops $800,000; experts say rising values wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reverse anytime soon.
Or Mail to: Freeway Fiction c/o PaciďŹ c Sun 835 Fourth St. Suite B San Rafael, CA 94901
c â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş paciďŹ
July 28 Marin Municipal Water District approve a yearlong desalination test plant that would be run from trailers near the Marin Rod and Gun Club off the San Pablo Bay.
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General or we walk. Lawsuits are ďŹ led. Aug. 5 The Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit agency (SMART) receives more than $6 million in regional and federal transit funds to move ahead with proposal for cross-county rail commutingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the battle over trains gains steam. Aug. 19 Sacramento consulting ďŹ rm recommends that the Marin Community College District consider closing College of Marinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Indian Valley Campus due to lack of enrollment. Nov. 11 A pair of Fairfax dogsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a pit bull and Rottweilerâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;go on rampage; killing spree includes two cats. A horse and another dog were attacked, but survived. Nov. 18 Reverend Jane Spahr, a minister with the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Tiburon, faces charges from her church over conducting same-sex marriages. Dec. 16 Thousands protest outside San Quentin over the execution of Crips-founder Stanley â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tookieâ&#x20AC;? Williams; the convicted murderer of four who became an anti-gang advocate, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book author and Nobel Prize nominee. Dec. 31 Storms slam Marin, reservoirs overďŹ&#x201A;ow, San Anselmo Creek jumps banks and turns town into Big Muddy West. Marin declared disaster area by guv; more than $100 million estimated damage.
2006 Jan. 6 Nearly 1,000 gallons of raw sewage spill from Ross Valley manhole cover after torrential rains ďŹ&#x201A;ood sanitary sewers with 50 million gallons of rainwater. Feb. 17 County residents are given ďŹ rst look at details for a planned $80 million retreat and conference center at Fort Baker. The project is set to include 144 rooms, a 12,000 square-foot healing arts center, a restaurant and 15,000 square-feet of conference space. Feb. 24 County supervisors announce theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve abandoned hopes of blocking expansion at San Quentinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death row after two failed lawsuits. March 3 In response to a $100,000 offer to come up with an idea to change the world, Marin thinker Larry Brilliant proposes a huge computer centerâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the International System for Total Early Disease/Disaster Detection (INSTEDD) to monitor world news reports of emerging sickness, genocide or environmental catastrophe. March 10 A proposal for a 256-square-foot chessboard, designed by John Cutler, at Mill Valley Depot Plaza comes under ďŹ re from local aestheticians.
Dave Mitchell is hit with restraining order after allegedly grabbing new publisher Robert Plotkin by the throat and attempting to run him down with his car.
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March 31 Former Marin Superior Court executive John Montgomeryis arrested in Virginia on 10 counts of felony conďŹ&#x201A;ict of interest after allegedly granting $674,000 in contracts to girlfriend Linda Lau. May 26 Hearings begin in the case of Sausalito wine entrepreneur Mark Anderson, charged with 10 counts of embezzlement and stealing more than $1 million worth of wine. Hired to store wine at his Sausalito Cellars, Anderson allegedly sold the vino for his own proďŹ t and was also under suspicion for starting a 2005 ďŹ re at one of his storage facilities on Mare Island.
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June 2 The Ross Valley Sanitary District Board comes under ďŹ re for using public funds to pay for extravagant expenditures of $54 ďŹ let mignon plates and $86 bottles of wine. June 9 Novato Marine Andrew Wright emerges at the center of the Haditha massacre that resulted in the killing of two dozen Iraqi civilians at the hands of American soldiers. Lance Cpl. Wright, a member of the unit involved in the incident, had a personal camera with him and was reportedly assigned to take photos of the grisly scene. 16 >
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415.457.8811 www.marin.edu College of Marin is fully accredited by WASC.
JANUARY 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; JANUARY 7, 2010 PACIFIC SUN 15
< 15 Class of the 00’s June 16 The annual discharging of a Korean Warera rifle in a Tam High physics class comes under fire after teacher David Lapp’s 15-year-old bullet-speed demonstration becomes the target of complaints. June 22 Drake High School Principal Don Drake suffers a wounded thumb during the June graduation ceremony after being shot with a pellet gun by disgruntled former student William Castle; the pellet-gunner had been expelled from the school earlier in the year for “misconduct.” July 14 Lynn Esther Lightfoot, a one-time candidate for the Bolinas Public Utility District Board, is arrested on charges of animal cruelty, allegedly forcing the horses to live in squalor, neglecting their feed and not treating their ailments. Lightfoot had been arrested for animal cruelty twice before. July 21 Intense community outrage and “escalating tension over the issue” force the Mill Valley City Council to vote down a proposal for the construction of a giant chessboard in the Depot Plaza. Aug. 4 Law enforcement officials raid a 2,500plant marijuana farm in the Point Reyes National Recreation Area, the largest county pot bust of the decade. Aug. 11 Century Theatres, the San Rafael-based moviehouse hous ho use company comp co mpan anyy that that opero ope perr ates 80 theaters nationwide, is sold to Texas theater chain Cinemark USA. According to a study con-
ducted by UC Davis researchers, Marin General is the most breast-feeding friendly hospital in California. Aug. 25 Photographer and Novato resident Joe Rosenthal, whose 1945 photo of American soldiers raising the American flag over war-ravaged Iwo Jima became one of the nation’s most celebrated images, dies. He was 94. Sept. 1 With the Ross Valley Sanitary District Board already embroiled in controversy over lavish expense reports and inadequate flood-control oversight, district boardmember Brian Oliva is jailed for repeated failures to meet the terms of a DUI citation. Sept. 8 Mill Valley officials order Dave McDonald, owner of “adult” shop Pleasure Principle, to stop attracting pigeons to his storefront with a daily lunch of polenta, pine nuts and cheddar cheese. Sept. 22 Marin Healthcare District considers a deal that would sever ties between Marin General Hospital and Sutter Health by 2010. Sept. 29 While on trial for stealing computers from a Novato o firm, Jon Houston Eipp, p, while on bail, hides in the Marin Civic Center until after hours and takes kes off with half a dozen courthouse computers. When county staff discover iscover the missing monitors the followingg morning, g Eipp Ei ipp pp is alreadyy back in
custody—for stealing a car in San Rafael. Oct. 6 Marin Healthcare District votes 4-1 to terminate the lease of Marin General Hospital to Sutter Health. Dissenting vote cast sarcastically by board member Archimedes Ramirez, who says the termination doesn’t end the Sutter era soon enough. Oct. 13 Median cost of Marin home $813,000, but the Marin real estate market dips for first time in years—median price of homes dropped 3.3 percent from previous year; number of homes sold drops 39 percent. Nov. 3 San Rafael parents decry inclusion of book The Bronze Bow in elementary and middle school curriculum saying the novel promotes Christianity. The 1962 work is about a Jewish boy growing up under Roman rule during the time of Jesus Nov. 10 Measure R—the 2006 SMART proposal— goes down in defeat at the ballot box, reaching the station just shy of its required two-thirds approval. Oct. 27 County officials u a ous y approve app ove a ban ba unanimously on smoking in Marin’s unincorporated outdoor areas. Dec. 1 Beloved naturalist Elizabeth Terwilligerr dies at age 97. Mrs. T inspired generations of children to love and respect nature.
Dec. 8 The National Park Service approves a plan to kill nonnative deer in the Point Reyes National Seashore. Fallow and Axis deer were purchased from a zoo and released on private land for hunting in 1942; now the animals represent a threat to native species. Dec. 15 A wild turkey crashes through the office window of a Novato High School counselor and flaps through various offices before being captured and released without further incident. Dec. 22 Longtime Pacific Sun arts critic Stephanie von Buchau dies at her home in Larkspur, age 67. Dec. 29 County supervisors approve plan to build $80 million, 86,000 square foot emergency services facility on the site of a popular Santa Venetia dog park; dog owners barking mad.
2007
Jan. 26 County Supervisor Charles McGlashan announces plans to push for a ban on plastic bags at stores and restaurants in unincorporated Marin. Feb. 2 Jack Kirk, two-time winner of the Dipsea p race, dies at age 100. The “Dipsea Demon” competed in the race
an astounding 67 consecutive times.
up his embezzlement of clients’ wine.
Feb. 9 Santa Venetia neighborhood embroiled in controversy over county plans to build an emergency operations center on site of popular dog park. Neighborhood activist Ron Ford engages San Rafael Supervisor Susan Adams— his former boss prior to dismissal in December—in a heated exchange.
March 30 Golden Gate Minutemen Project, the local chapter of the vigilante anti-immigrant group, rallies in San Rafael in support of the recent ICE raids. After 14 years along the picturesque coast of the Pacific, Shakespeare at Stinson relocates operations to Novato. The company’s contentious relationship with Stinson finally ends with disagreements over parking and portable toilets.
Feb. 16. Marin’s Countywide Plan gets first update since 1994. Among the highlights: creation of a baylands protection corridor; affordable housing via “overlay zoning”; and the restriction of development around Novato and San Rafael. Feb. 23 Civil grand jury calls on Marin law enforcement to end practice of “hogtying,” in which a suspect’s wrists and ankles are bound together behind their back, after a Marin man, Cary Grime, dies after suffering a heart attack under such a restraint. March 16 Marin in uproar over immigration raids in Novato and San Rafael—primarily in the Canal district. Practice of fed federal agents identifying the themselves as “police” to gain en entry into homes sparks outrag rage by local cops and city officials; hundreds march in pro protest. M March 23 Sausalito Ce Cellars owner Mark A Anderson is indicted for aallegedly burning down hi his own warehouse that contained 6 million bottles he’d been paid to store for others. F d l prosFederal ecutors say Anderson started the blaze to cover
Anne Lamott Sammy Hagar
David Roche
Bob Weir Sean Penn
16 PACIFIC SUN JANUARY 1 - JANUARY 7, 2010
April 13 San Anselmo filmmaker George Lucas wins unanimous approval from the Town Council to bury utility lines around his vast Victorian estate; the Star Wars legend agrees to foot the $900,000 bill. April 20 Marin home values post slight decline from previous year, but the median stands at $825,000. Forclosures, though, increased by 55 percent. May 4 Ross Valley residents receive mail-in ballots for a special election measure that would charge a $125 a year fee for 20 years to raise money for flood control. May 11 Marin supervisors agree to ask Sen. Dianne Feinstein to lobby on behalf of the Drake’s Bay Oyster Co. for a lease extension by the National Park Service; environmental groups contend the oyster farming is a disruption to the natural environment. May 25 Marin’s state Sen. Carole Migden raises eyebrows after rear-ending a Honda on Highway 12, resulting in minor injuries for a woman and her toddler. Following the accident, Migden reveals for rst thee fi th firs rt time she’s been battling leu-
kemia and the accident was due to her medication. June 1 San Anselmo Town Council unanimously passes outdoor smoking ban. Sheriff’s are on the lookout for a cow killer following the fourth bovine shooting death of the year out along the Marin-Sonoma border. June 15 Bolinas-Stinson school board agrees to share its superintendent with Lagunitas School District, after the latter’s superintendent is placed on leave following child pornography charges. June 29 Researchers at the Buck Institute in Novato believe they’ve discovered a possible link between ingesting iron and exposure to a common herbicide during infancy and onset Parkinson’s disease later in life. July 6 The mail-in measure for the Ross Valley flood control fee passes by a narrow 100-vote margin; Marin United Taxpayers Association cries foul due to 1,000 of the ballots being invalidated because property owners neglected to sign the back of the ballot. Board of Supervisors uphold results despite wave of protests. July 13 Some 150 residents turn out at a Mill Valley City Council meeting to denounce a proposed development along Miller Avenue. Mill Valley officials say that, despite their plans to move forward with the project, they will take public opinion into account. July 20 Government documents reveal that state Sen. Carole Migden, who made headlines in May when she crashed her SUV in Fairfield, has filed carrepair claims with the state totaling more than $7,000 since 2005.
July 27 Tobias “Toby” Giacomini, who founded West Marin’s famous Toby’s Feed Barn, dies in his Point Reyes Station home at age 88. Aug. 3 Strange tale of Frank Garduno, 49, comes to an end. Garduno, arrested in June for allegedly slitting the throat of his neighbor’s dog after it wandered into his yard, was released on bail and proceeded to crash his car, winding up at Marin General. The morning after being released, Garduno suffered a heart attack and died. Aug. 10 Sweetwater proprietors Thom and Becky Steere announce that building owners at 153 Throckmorton in Mill Valley, the Aversa family, have given them notice in the spring that their lease will not be renewed. They must be out at the end of the month. Sept. 7 Dennis Saunders, arrested in 2002 for secretly filming a 45-year-old woman and 16-year-old girl at a Smith Ranch Road apartment complex, sues the San Rafael police to recover the vast porn collection he says they confiscated from him during his arrest. Sept. 21 Beloved “Farley” creator Phil Frank dies in Bolinas of a brain tumor. He was 64. Sept. 28 U.S. Army Spc. Nicholas Olson becomes Marin’s first fatality in Iraq; he and two other members of his unit were hit by an improvised explosive device in the Diyala province. Oct. 5 County Health and Human Services officials are alarmed over Marin’s rise—by nearly 60 percentt each—in each in cases of chlamydia chlamyd dia and gonorrhea since 2002.
David Sheff and son NIc
Oct. 12 The ongoing battle between Sarah Nome and Kaiser Permanente comes to something of a conclusion when the San Anselmo home of Nome—who refused eviction from the Terra Linda facility for 14 months —was auctioned off to pay her hefty hospital bill. Oct. 19 Amid legal threats by plastics manufacturers, Fairfax abandons plans to impose a plastic bag ban on stores and restaurants; the ban will now be voluntary. Nov. 2 Mill Valley resident Charlie Deal—inventor of the toiletseat guitar—dies at Marin General Hospital. The “unofficial mayor of Mill Valley” was 72. Nov. 9 An 800-foot-long container ship collides with the Bay Bridge, dumping 58,000 gallons of bunker fuel into the bay. Oil-soaked wildlife begins washing ashore Marin’s many now-closed beach fronts, including Rodeo Beach, Kirby Cove, the Marin Headlands and Angel Island. Nov. 30 Stinson sunbather Douglas Rigg files suit against Seadrift Homeowners Association after being kicked off a section of beach at the north end of Stinson, behind the Seadrift community. Rigg claims the coastline is by law open to the public; Seadrift claims that law was passed 20 years after the community was built and therefore it is exempt. Dec. 14 A San Rafael gunrange proprietor is recovering after being accidentally shot in the abdomen by one of his customers.
Heidi Krahling
Dec. 28 Belvedere mansion sells for $65 million, setting a Northern California record.
accused Rifkind of parking outside and trying to sell pot to her customers. Rifkind denies the allegations.
2008
March 14 Local dog walker uncovers a human skull in Marinwood. County Coroner Ken Holmes confirmed that the skull was from an American Indian, likely a member the Miwok tribe. The skull could be anywhere from 200 to 1,500 years old.
Jan. 18 Home foreclosures shoot up by 300 percent since 2006. Median home price dangles at $836,000.
Jan. 25 Marin resident John Stewart, member of the Kingston Trio and songwriter of the Monkees’ hit “Daydream Believer,” dies at age 68. Feb. 1 The killing of nonnative deer in the Point Reyes National Seashore continues over the objections of some animal-rights advocates who charge deer-purge company White Buffalo with, in some cases, cruel and unusual techniques. Feb. 8 In the state Democratic primary, Barack Obama carries Marin with a margin of 55 to 39 percent over Hillary Clinton, his largest spread of any county in the state. Feb. 22 Environmental groups sound the alarm over a state plan to spray moth pesticide Checkmate in Marin. The pesticide is aimed at wiping out the light brown apple moth. March 7 Lynnette Shaw, director of Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana, says J y Rifkind,, of mari-that Jeffrey juana delivery ryy sservice ervice We Deliver,, has made made menacing phone ph hon ne call ls to calls her, he r threatening threa aten a en ning to launch laun unch ch “World “W Worl Wo W rlld War Three”” against agga gainst s the cclub. cl ub.. Shaw w hass also
March 21 State Sen. Carole Migden is hit with $350,000 in fines by a state commission which accuses her of numerous violations stemming from the misuse of campaign funds. April 11 Two-time U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass, of Inverness, wins the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for his collection of poems Time and Materials. May 23 State Supreme Court rules to allow samesex marriage; opponents of the decision say they are already gearing up to place an initiative overturning the ruling on the state ballot in November. June 6 Assemblyman Mark Leno defeats incumbent Carole Migden in Democratic primary for state senate seat.
June 13 PG&E officials launch their campaign against county quest for “community choice” power, saying consumers’ right to greener energy sources through Marin Clean Energy could be more costly than they realize. June 20 Marin County clerk’s office conducts 14 same-sex weddings and issues 35 licenses on the first day homosexual couples in Marin can legally marry. June 27 Police apprehend “Dishonest Abe,” a 32-year-old Contra Costa man authorities nicknamed for his bearded disguise when robbing a Corte Madera bank. Police suspect the culprit is the bewhiskered bandit behind the burglaries of at least eight banks. July 4 The College of Marin is officially removed from probation by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges; the college had been on probation since February after failing to complete the required program reviews necessary for full accreditation. July 18 Marin County Supervisors make deal with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria to not oppose the tribe’s quest for a 760,000-square-foot casino in Rohnert Park if 26 >
Maria Muldaur
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PACIFIC SUN OPEN HOMES
Attention realtors: To submit your free open home listing for this page and for our online listing map go to ›› pacificsun.com, click on Real Estate on the left navigation bar, then scroll to the bottom of our new Real Estate page and click on the open home submission link. Please note that times and dates often change for listed Open Homes. Call the phone number shown on the properties you wish to visit to check for changes prior to visiting the home.
CORTE MADERA
ROSS
GREENBRAE
3 BEDROOMS
6 Baja Sun 2-4 Alain Pinel Realtors 14 Arrowhead Sun 2-4 McGuire Real Estate
$798,000 755-1111 $1,075,000 383-8500
4 BEDROOMS
5124 Paradise Sun 2-4 Frank Howard Allen 21 Flying Cloud Course Sun 1-4 Coldwell Banker
$1,895,000 461-3000 $749,000 461-2020
655 Eliseo Sun 1-4
$399,000 847-2670
Mark “Jake” BAKER 4 BEDROOMS
284 N. ALMENAR Sun 2-4 Coldwell Banker
4 BEDROOMS
5 BEDROOMS
2 BEDROOMS
$1,257,000 461-3220
179 Elm Sun 2-4
Coldwell Banker
$1,845,000 383-8500
4 BEDROOMS
4 BEDROOMS
$724,000 461-3220
2 BEDROOMS
330 Baltimore Sun 2-4 McGuire Real Estate
60 Baywood Sun 2-4 McGuire Real Estate
SAN RAFAEL
NOVATO 2361 Dominic Sun 1-4 Coldwell Banker
LARKSPUR
$1,299,000 461-2020
176 Baypoint Sun 1-4 Frank Howard Allen
$839,000 461-3000
TIBURON
$1,250,000 383-8500
6 BEDROOMS
7 Seafirth Sun 2-4
›› HOME SALES
$3,995,000 381-1500
RE/MAX
DOM* = Days on Market
Recent sales in Marin County include:
Address
BELVEDERE 10 WINDWARD 95 SHORE 456 BELVEDERE
CORTE MADERA 45 GOLDEN HIND 6 CHEYENNE 117 SANDPIPER 416 MANZANITA 172 GOLDEN HIND
FAIRFAX
34 GLEN 117 MEERNAA 118 LAUREL
GREENBRAE 40 CORTE DE SABLA 155 ALMENAR 93 VIA LA CUMBRE 250 VIA LA PAZ
LARKSPUR 7 PALM 44 FRANCES
MARSHALL
22075 STATE ROUTE 1
MILL VALLEY 433 WELLESLEY 206 EVERGREEN 249 CORTE MADERA
DOM* List/Sell% Address
Br/Ba
Asking $
Selling $
4/3 4/6 4/7
$2,300,000 $3,195,000 $7,350,000
$2,200,000 $2,125,000 $6,250,000
11 178 0
95.7% 66.5% 85.0%
5/4 3/2 3/2 2/2 3/2
$1,299,000 $1,089,000 $899,000 $969,000 $887,000
$1,100,000 $1,067,000 $950,000 $930,000 $795,000
239 12 18 77 105
84.7% 98.0% 105.7% 96.0% 89.6%
3/2 3/2 2/1
$575,000 $569,000 $559,000
$590,000 $575,000 $530,000
23 31 133
102.6% 101.1% 94.8%
4/3 3/2 4/3 4/2
$1,575,000 $1,199,000 $1,099,000 $924,900
$1,525,000 $973,500 $885,000 $950,000
60 153 436 20
96.8% 81.2% 80.5% 102.7%
370 SHORELINE 4221 SHELTER BAY 407 PINE 356 JEAN 955 LOVELL 42 JUANITA 35 CASTLE ROCK
NOVATO
21 BROOKSIDE 20 PALOMINO 210 COUNTRY CLUB 1579 NOVATO 43 AARON 112 COBBLESTONE 74 RANCH 19 SINALOA 75 PORTSMOUTH 63 LACONHEATH 308 SAN LUIS
SAN ANSELMO
4/4 4/2
$2,850,000 $1,395,000
$2,425,000 $1,375,000
34 20
85.1% 98.6%
33 SALINAS 190 BUTTERFIELD 166 THE ALAMEDA 1431 BUTTERFIELD 9 JORDAN
1/2
$1,150,000
$775,000
198
67.4%
SAUSALITO
4/3 3/3 3/2
$1,595,000 $1,445,000 $759,000
$1,550,000 $1,320,000 $620,000
48 111 140
97.2% 91.3% 81.7%
16 ANCHORAGE 8 RIDGEVIEW 47 WILLOW 12 ROSE 245 SPENCER
Br/Ba
Asking $
Selling $
DOM* List/Sell%
2/1 2/2 3/2 3/1 4/2 3/3 1/1
$400,000 $417,000 $625,000 $649,000 $549,000 $1,329,000 $595,000
$363,000 $375,000 $520,000 $529,000 $549,000 $1,300,000 $575,000
124 83 101 262 48 0 123
90.8% 89.9% 83.2% 81.5% 100.0% 97.8% 96.6%
5/3 4/5 4/3 2/2 4/3 4/4 5/3 5/4 5/3 4/3 4/2
$1,099,000 $1,211,000 $939,000 $365,000 $849,000 $950,000 $794,900 $739,000 $659,000 $655,000 $619,000
$1,100,000 $1,100,000 $860,000 $268,000 $819,000 $780,000 $700,000 $699,000 $659,000 $650,000 $636,000
168 90 95 320 47 159 91 147 45 15 21
100.1% 90.8% 91.6% 73.4% 96.5% 82.1% 88.1% 94.6% 100.0% 99.2% 102.7%
2/2 2/2 3/2 4/3 2/2
$679,000 $595,000 $609,000 $1,495,000 $835,000
$575,000 $580,000 $632,000 $1,350,000 $860,000
115 28 36 186 50
84.7% 97.5% 103.8% 90.3% 103.0%
2/2 2/3 3/3 2/1 3/3
$465,000 $542,900 $629,000 $699,000 $1,395,000
$425,000 $465,000 $630,000 $650,000 $1,300,000
119 112 85 58 168
91.4% 85.7% 100.2% 93.0% 93.2%
›› pacificsun.com 20 PACIFIC SUN JANUARY 1 – JANUARY 7, 2010