Twenty Years
Ago
News item: Up to two million workers are expected to take the day off May 19, so that they can attend the screening of The Phantom Menace, the new Star Wars movie. Now there’s a work ethic for you. A country that closes for movie premieres.
…Fortunately, most workers won’t suffer adversely, because their union contract allows them to take a “personal Star Wars day.” Of course, because the movie opens on a Wednesday, some folks will wind up taking Thursday and Friday off as well. —Stan Sinberg, May 12, 1999
FortyThirty Years
Ago
The people of Marin County have a rare and wonderful opportunity to make a difference in the way life is lived on this planet. The opportunity comes in the form of 1600 acres of surplussed Hamilton Air Base, where there is the possibility of creating a solar village which would point the way toward solutions to problems which vex and threaten all of us. —Steve McNamara,Greg Cahill, May 112, 19789
Fifty Years
Ago
The anti-hippie drive in Fairfax came to a grinding, of perhaps temporary, halt. The city council had been considering an ordinance patterned after one in Carmel which would have made it illegal to sit on the grass or on sidewalks, climb trees, pick rocks or flowers or do most anything but breath quietly. Startled by a turnout of more than 120 people unanimously opposed to the ordnance, the council voted to dump that ordinance and perhaps come up with another. A telling point was that none of the councilmen favoring the ordinance could tell the audience of experiencing any of the objectionable conduct they were proposing to legislate against. —Newsgram, May 14,1969
Compiled by Alex Randolph