By Nikki Silverstein
Hero: Laura and her husband were on a bicycle ride around the Tiburon Loop when a pickup truck suddenly swerved into the bike lane on the downgrade into Tiburon. With her husband traveling at 20 mph and no escape possible, the inevitable crash occurred. Unfortunately, he suffered serious injuries. When the ambulance arrived, Dick, a Good Samaritan approached Laura and quietly offered to take care of their bikes, as he saw that she would be accompanying her husband to the hospital. Dick, also a cyclist, pedaled home for his car and returned immediately to pick up their bikes. Several days later, he delivered the bicycles to their doorstep. Laura expressed her appreciation and Dick simply smiled, shrugged and said, “This time it was my turn to be the angel.”
Zero: Nobody we know is against housing for homeless moms and their young children. Unless, that is, the housing is in their community. The convent on the private campus of Dominican University in San Rafael wants to offer transitional housing to two women and their children for two years. Great program, right? Not so fast. In the process of applying for the temporary change-of-use permit from the city of San Rafael, The Dominican Sisters have come face-to-face with the shameful, selfish, not-in-my-backyard crowd that is now battling the convent’s housing project. If you live in the neighborhood and you’re a gracious, warm-hearted soul, please lend your support to the Sisters. As for the rest of you, we wish that you weren’t in our backyard.
