Hero: Students from Willow Creek Academy, an award-winning K-8 charter school in Sausalito, made waves at the annual Kids Ocean Day Adopt-A-Beach Clean-Up last week. They joined 700 San Francisco elementary school children, teachers and volunteers at Ocean Beach to remove trash to prevent it from entering the ocean. The clean-up was especially meaningful, as the young students learned earlier this year how they are personally connected to their watershed and the ocean. “They are experiencing what it means to care for a habitat and why their role in protecting it is so vital,” said Tiff Murzi-Moyce of the Marine Science Institute, which organized the event. Kudos to the Willow Creek Academy students for cleaning up the beach and making a positive impact on our environment.
Zero: The Tiburon deerslayer, who won our Zero of the Year award in 2017, has finally been charged with seven misdemeanor counts. Although we’re loath to remember the details of Mark Dickinson’s crimes, here’s a brief synopsis: Dickinson, 54, shot a doe and her fawn last September in front of his home. After a protracted period of suffering, the two deer succumbed to their wounds and died on the scene. Tiburon police reported that he said he was sick of the deer eating his expensive landscaping. Hopefully, this hunter pays dearly for his alleged crimes, which include two counts of animal cruelty and five Fish and Game Code violations, but still we wonder why the Marin County District Attorney didn’t file any felony charges.
