›› BEHiND THE SUN
From the Sun vaults, April 27 - May 3, 1966
Fires in the mirror Marin City: ‘We’re coming to Kentfield with some matches!’
›› TRiViA CAFÉ
1. Pictured, below: Three cities along America’s West Coast have significant floating home communities: one in Marin County and two others further north. Name all three cities.
1a had prospered, while the former Marinship worker-housing neighborhood languished in disrepair and disillusionment. “Don’t punish me with Few outsiders bothered to visit Marin brutality—talk to me so City, save for those sporting badges and you can see what’s goin’ batons. Some in Marin’s “gilded ghetto,” on”—Marvin Gaye, 1970 where half of all males were unemployed, years ago had had enough. There was a riot goin’ “If you don’t [end this ghettoizaon, 45 years ago this week. tion], Negroes are going to get guns and It was a warm evening in April of 1966, grenades and have when a single guerrilla warfare rock struck a all over the sheriff ’s patrol United States,” car as it cruised warned Marin its nightly round City resident Lethrough the roy Thompson. shadowy streets Some would’ve of Marin City. said that MarinWhat happened ship had already next is uncertain. sailed—the preAccording to a vious two years Pacific Sun story in America witthe following day, nessed race riots a sheriff ’s deputy Meet the press: Supervisors Peter Behr, Bill Gnoss, Byron Lydecker, in New York Ernie Kettenhofen and Tom Storer the day after the Marin City dust up. chased down a City, Rochester, 16-year-old AfriJersey City, Dixmoor and Philadelphia. can-American male in the area. Soon The L.A. Watts riots in August of ’65 left about 100 youths had gathered to 34 dead and 1,032 injured. check out the commotion. According to Eighteen-year-old Philip Scott “put the witnesses, officers handcuffed the kid, burden of white guilt on the five supervibeat him and “put their knees in his back sors,” reported the Sun. “You make me feel and his belly.” Some kids tried to stop the like I’m low, like I’m nothing, like I can deputies—and the next thing anyone knew never be anything. I feel bitterness toward two gallons of gasoline had been lit you,” scathed Scott. “Am I something upon the Marin City advicious and unruly—and ministration building you’re something great and and a “small army” of cops can look down on me? swarmed the streets to beat “All these years you’ve back the masses and put kicked us in the teeth,” he down the flames. Tensions seared, “then we break out had finally ignited between in violence and you give us a the authorities and the imfew pacifiers and some talk.” poverished, mostly black The supervisors, accordcommunity—and Marin ing to the Sun, often looked City was the kindling. “solemn and occasionally At the Board of Superviaffronted” as they listened to sors meeting the following the testimony of the Marin day, Marin City leaders ‘I felt like lying down in the street and City residents. They promcrying,’ Leroy Brown said after the arrived to put the county ised to reduce the number riot. ‘If you could have heard what on notice: If the sheriff of cops in Marin City and to these officers said and what they did don’t call off the heat, “we’re you would have vomited all over.’ “mobilize the private sector” coming to Kentfield and to hire more blacks. Lagunitas with some matches.” Congratulating his fellow county offi“You’re only dealing with 1,800 blacks in cials on their newfound sensitivity toward a county of 185,000,” admonished Marin the plight of the Negro, county adminCity community leader Leroy Brown. istrator Alan Bruce boasted, “Whitey is “Baby, they’re going to tear it all up if you beginning to understand why he is hated don’t do something. I’m not for violence— so much!” but I have to stand with my people.” The board agreed to revisit the matter Brown’s people were a Marin City comat a later date, and moved on to the next munity that had withstood years of oftenagenda item. < times blatant racism from a surrounding
by Howard Rachelson
1b
1c
by Jason Wals h
BONUS: In the list of America’s most common last names, two of the top 10 are Hispanic. What are these names?
Send your best trivia question (with your name and hometown) to howard1@triviacafe. com; if your question is used in the ‘Pacific Sun,’ we’ll give you credit!
▲ A six-week old elephant seal pup with an injured eye ended up having a good Good Friday, thanks to two Marin families who spotted it on the beach near Crissy Field. As they waited for rescuers from the Marine Mammal Center of Sausalito to arrive, the children stayed a safe distance from the seal and politely kept curious humans and dogs away. Our two Marin families are our heroes for knowing the correct steps to follow upon discovering the pup, later named Friday Fellow. The Marine Mammal Center reminds us that if we see a seal pup on a beach that looks ill or injured, resist the urge to pick it up, stay 50 feet away and call the Marine Mammal Center at 415/289-SEAL.
Answers on page 13
▼ In 2009, a West Marin woman called authorities for help with her 64-year-old husband, Peter McFarland, who had fallen outside their home. As paramedics tended to him, he mentioned shooting himself in the head, though he had no gun. Deputies arrived to escort the man to the hospital for psychiatric evaluation. Based on video released by the sheriff’s office, McFarland remained on his sofa, refusing to go to the hospital. When he rose from the couch, two deputies shot him with Tasers. (To see the video, go to YouTube.com and search for “Marin taser.”) On Tuesday, Marin County settled McFarland’s lawsuit for $1.9 million. An expensive evening for taxpayers, so we’re glad the sheriff’s department has implemented policies that cut down on Taser use. —Nikki Silverstein
ZERO
county of mostly white folks—folks who
Email Jason at jwalsh@pacificsun.com.
2. The languages that evolved from Latin are referred to by what “lovely” name? 3. In James Hilton’s 1933 fantasy novel, Lost Horizon, survivors of an airplane crash are rescued and taken to a Himalayan utopia with what exotic name? 4a. Pictured, right: The 47 music stars who recorded “We Are the 4 World” on January 28, 1985, were told to check what at the door? 4b. Their recording group was named USA for Africa, an abbreviation for what? 5. Pictured, right: Buried within Abraham Lincoln’s name (without rearranging any letters) is his vice president’s name. Who was he? 6. The popular navigation tool known as GPS is an acronym for what three-word phrase? 7. Mykonos, Santorini and Rhodos are islands in what sea east of Greece? 8. What was the Beatles’ first No. 1 hit recording... 8a. In Britain (three-word title) 8b. In the U.S. (six-word title) 9. What continent has the fewest species of land animals? 10. For you math students out there: What is the smallest positive number whose cosine = 0?
HERO
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Got a Hero or a Zero? Please send submissions to e-mail nikki_silverstein@yahoo.com. Toss roses, hurl stones with more Heroes and Zeros at ›› pacificsun.com APRIL 29 - MAY 5, 2011 PACIFIC SUN 9