Hero
Bananas at Large, a San Rafael music store, has given back to the community for decades. To the tune of $100,000 a year, the store donates to local schools, music-making nonprofits and other charities, including Little Kids Rock, Women’s Audio Mission, the American Cancer Society and many others. Owner Alan Rosen lobbies state and national legislators to make music and arts core curriculums in our schools. You can read about these philanthropic efforts on the Bananas at Large website.
But there’s work that Alan performs quietly, never expecting we would find out about his good deeds. For instance, last week on Facebook, he learned about a senior gentleman who lost an entire guitar collection, which took 70 years to build, to thieves. Each stolen instrument carried a special meaning for the man, and he had spent all of his free time in the guitar studio, playing music and giving lessons. Alan donated enough guitars to keep him teaching.
We also heard tell that an East Bay teacher was burglarized and Alan sent him guitars the next day. During last year’s fires, he contributed goods, coordinated concert fundraisers and helped house his staff. Alan, you’re a mensch and we applaud your support of the community.
Zero
When Stanton Klose of Terra Linda walks around his neighborhood, he’s astounded at how often he gets cut-off by drivers rolling through a stop sign and crosswalk. Many of them look the other way and never see him. He asks us to remind folks that drivers could be cited for two infractions, each of which puts a point on their record, not to mention the minimum fine and fees of $237.
And that’s if they don’t hit anyone. On the flip side, Marc, a Tiburon resident, wrote on Nextdoor that pedestrians should always make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street, even though the law gives walkers the right of way. Drivers are human and make mistakes. We say everyone should be careful and look both ways.
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Great article. I work for the guy and have called him a friend for over 25 years. He’s the real deal, and the community is better for the work that he does.