By Nikki Silverstein
Hero: Four serious vegetation fires erupted over a five-day period in Novato recently, which scorched many acres of open space and threatened nearby homes. The Novato Fire Protection District fought blaze after blaze valiantly, contained each quickly and saved adjacent neighborhoods. Resident Sophia Osotio posted a suggestion about thanking the firefighters on the Novato in the Know Facebook group and it took off like wildfire. Schoolchildren baked treats and made thank-you cards for the department. Neighbors delivered bagels and coffee to each of the five fire stations to express their gratitude for the firefighters’ hard work. “The outpouring of appreciation and love from our community has been wonderful,” said district spokesperson Sandy Wargo. “We want to thank everyone for their show of support.”
Zero: As temperatures soared recently across Marin, we searched for ways to escape the sun. Shopping inside the air-conditioned Nordstrom in Corte Madera ranked high on our list. When it hit 90 on the Sunday before last, we parked in the lot across from the department store and spotted a barking dog in the front passenger seat of a Lexus SUV. We confirmed that the pup was alone in the vehicle and also noted that the car was running. Spare the air be damned. Does the driver suffer from emergency shopping syndrome and the dreaded can’t-go-anywhere-without-my-dog disorder? Probably, the person experienced a bad bout with a delusional sense of entitlement. Props for keeping the AC on for the pooch, but a total zero for bringing the dog out on a scorching day and letting the car spew carbon monoxide into the air that we all breathe.
