By Nikki Silverstein

Hero: Two observant Marinites saw something and said something when they spotted a suspicious fellow with a Ferrari on East Francisco Boulevard. The first person called the San Rafael Police Department after the odd man attempted to panhandle gas money for his 2016 Ferrari 488 GTB.  The next caller reported that the guy was acting strangely and appeared to be showering the car with gasoline. Police arrived and questioned the man, who said that he owned the car and had left it in the shop for two years. Unconvinced, the officers contacted the Ferrari dealership, which confirmed that the car, valued at $245,000, had been stolen from their service department two days before. Police arrested Rocky Jimenez, 36, of Georgia, for vehicle theft and other charges.

Zero: Folks attending Tam High’s graduation received a peculiar welcome. Parking tickets. A meter maid and law enforcement were waiting to give tickets to visitors who dared to park on Almonte Boulevard, a side street near the school. Whose bright idea was that? Think about the decision-making process that led to sending cops to the annual event. Let’s ruin the once-in-a-lifetime celebration for seniors and their families by writing tickets or forcing a futile drive to find legal parking—in the rain. Yep. It was raining. We think it might have been a better use of resources to direct folks to areas where they were allowed to park, or better yet, the school and community should work together to devise a parking plan for their guests.

By Nikki Silverstein

Hero: Marin’s first responders received a special thank you last week on National Donut Day.  Volunteers with the San Rafael Corps of the Salvation Army delivered fresh donuts to more than 40 locations throughout the county, from the Coast Guard rescue station under the Golden Gate Bridge to the Tomales Fire Station in West Marin. Honoring our men and women in uniform by giving them donuts actually has a rich history dating back to World War I, when a group of resourceful women, Salvation Army volunteers, cooked donuts in a soldier’s helmet to bring a taste of home to our forces on the front lines. We appreciate the Salvation Army for recognizing our first responders and taking care of those in need.

Zero: John is an avid runner on the trails in the Marin Headlands, where paid dog walkers and their charges are a common sight. Sometimes as many as 20 dogs at a time rush him, bark and eventually take chase as he continues his run. The maximum number of dogs allowed with a licensed commercial dog walker is six, with at least three leashed. Unfortunately, some walkers exceed the limit and add insult to injury by packing up with other commercial walkers. With that many pooches to watch, it’s inevitable that poop is left to litter the trail. Certainly the walkers are in the dog house, but we also blame the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which fails to enforce its own rules. Ruff.

By Nikki Silverstein

Hero: A whopping 28 percent of Marin’s homeless are young men and women aged 18 to 25. Though they have many needs, the top three services that they request help with are housing, jobs and dental work. The nonprofit group Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity has assisted with housing and employment for the past 13 years, but there are no dentists on their staff. A team of local dentists came to the rescue last month by launching the Bay Area’s first free, ongoing dental clinic for this underserved population. Housed at SMA Dental in Corte Madera, the clinic has already delivered $40,000 in services at no charge. Big smiles for the generous dentists, Drs. Claudiu Marin, Laleh Sotoodeh, Richard Schmotter and Alex Schmotter, and oral surgeon Alex Kashef, MD, DDS.

Zero: Oy. Enough already with NIMBY Marinites and the Marin County Board of Supervisors that kowtows to them. Last week, the board upheld a decision by the county administrator and denied the appeals of seven vendors who wanted to open medical cannabis dispensaries. We guess they forgot about Proposition 215, passed in 1996, which gives Californians the right to obtain and use pot for medical purposes upon the recommendation of a physician. How do our ill residents do that without a nearby dispensary? Apparently, that medicinal need is secondary to the wishes of Marin homeowners who don’t want dispensaries in their town. The supervisors said they’ll consider alternatives. We certainly hope that consideration takes into account the needs of the sick folks in our community.

By Nikki Silverstein

Hero: Spring is abloom and Annie Spiegelman, the Pacific Sun’s own Dirt Diva, and Anita Jones are busy at Marin Oaks High School in Novato teaching students to grow vegetables, fruit trees and flowers that attract pollinators. With the mission close to their hearts, they’ve typically opened their wallets and paid for the plants themselves during their five years of volunteering. This season, enter Chip Young at Pini’s Ace Hardware in Novato, who recently donated a gift card valued at several hundred dollars to the program. Thank you heroes Chip, Annie and Anita for your substantial contributions to Marin Oaks High School and for enabling the bees, hummingbirds, butterflies and other important pollinators to alight on the new plants from Pini’s Ace Hardware. May they grow, bear fruit and blossom.

By Nikki Silverstein

Hero: Most feared that Yoda, a beautiful yellow Labrador retriever, had drowned after the boat he was on capsized in Tomales Bay on April 6. Two friends and two dogs had been on the boat during the tragic accident in which one man died. The other man and one of the dogs were rescued soon after the boat

overturned. That left only Yoda. Three days after the tragedy, Marin County firefighters involved in a training exercise noticed a yellow dog on a remote rocky shore north of Dillon Beach. The firefighters rescued the missing pooch and brought him to the Tomales Fire Station, where he was warmed by the fireplace and ate a hearty meal. Yoda, unharmed from his ordeal, was returned to his grateful family.

Zero: When you drink and drive, you’re stupid. Drink, drive and hit a car, you’re a menace. Drink, drive and just happen to run smack into a Marin County Sheriff patrol vehicle head-on, well, you’re a stupid menace in a big heap of trouble. Justin Satterfield, 34, of Mill Valley, hit the jackpot in the wee hours of the morning last Sunday when he allegedly crossed into the opposite lane while he attempted to round a curve on Shoreline Highway, which put him straight into the deputy’s path and caused the head-on collision. Fortunately, the deputy’s injuries were minor and Satterfield wasn’t hurt, not physically anyway; however, he was arrested and booked on suspicion of a felony DUI. Goodness gracious. Call Uber next time you drink.