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Top Ten: The Year That Just Happened
The best way to give due recognition to the events and highlights that shaped our county? Top-ten lists.

As a new year dawns and 2006 fades from our collective short-term memory loss, it's time to store forever the major events and happenings of a year that began, locally, with the flooding of the much-loved town of San Anselmo and ended, nationally, with a historic change in political power in Washington.

Some would say the two events are linked metaphorically, at least so far as both towns had a lot of dreck washed out of them.

In any case, the events of 2006 are likely to rear their heads again in 2007, so the following list(s) aren't so much a farewell to local issues and artistry, as they are a so long. See you soon. Let's try to get along better next time.

So here's to a brand new year. One filled with peace, human decency and a thirst for knowledge.

We're betting it'll be much like last year and perhaps the year before that and the year before that.

Only maybe a little bit better.

Happy New Year from the Sun!

Marin making headlines

Top ten local news stories of 2006

Sun editorial staff

1. Train in vain The SMART debate: Few propositions have divided the county as did Measure R, a rail proposal that rumbled through the county with a full head of steam—not to mention disputed ridership numbers, a dearth of viable alternatives and, at times, bitter accusations from supporters and detractors alike. Meanwhile, traffic is lousy and getting lousier.

2. That deflating feeling While our ever-so-precious home values didn't exactly turn from a golden parachute to a lead zeppelin, they did stall—leaving many sellers' bank accounts much lighter than expected, squeezing an ever-competitive and overly crowded real-estate industry, and putting many adjustable-interest-rate homeowners in financial straights. This year, home was where the heartburn is.

3. We wanna know: Who'll stop the rain? The New Year's floods devastated many, with San Anselmo taking the brunt of the damage. Even in comfortable and safe suburbia, Mother Nature can do as she pleases.

4. Healthcare District under the knife The Marin Healthcare District elected three new board members in a very tight and very crowded election—a vote set against the backdrop of the district's long-awaited split with its Sutter overlords. The board's campaign for a multi-million dollar bond measure to pay for a seismically up-to-code wing begins now.

5. Doobie-ous dealings in West Marin More than 40,000 pot plants—possibly worth as much as $100 million—were discovered on public land in West Marin, resulting in a clean-up bill of $100,000-plus and further fodder for local amateur comedians with a plethora of Bolinas jokes they'd been saving.

6. Something's rotten in Kentfield The sewage hit the fan in more ways than one in Ross Valley, when a Kentfield overflow led to a civil grand jury lambasting the Sanitary District's board. Not only did the grand jury castigate boardmembers for negligent management of aging pipes, but for certain boardmembers treating themselves to extravagant cigars, booze and meals while taxpayers foot the bill. Voters ousted George Buckle and Dan Hanley from the board in June, effectively saying: "At least you could have bought us dinner first."

7. Detention over for COM? College of Marin's "warning" from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges' Accrediting Commission may have been the equivalent of an elementary school teacher putting a kid's name on the blackboard, but nevertheless it was something the struggling college didn't need. Early in January, COM officials will learn whether they've detailed the college's future plans and solidified its governance structure enough to satisfy the commission and lift the warning status. School officials are also hopeful about a 1.4 percent increase in enrollment last semester. COM may not be a valedictorian candidate yet, but at least it appears they're doing their homework.

8. And on to the capital The 6th District Assembly race found Jared Huffman, of the Marin Municipal Water District board, defeating a field of candidates that included Marin County Supervisor (and all-pro fundraiser) Cynthia Murray. The 42-year-old Huffman ran largely on an environmental platform, with global warming (suddenly garnering the attention it deserves thanks to "An Inconvenient Truth") as a key element. As Huffman cruised to victory in November, Measure R--for which Huffman had vocally campaigned—was defeated by a narrow margin. Here's hoping Huffman finds better success in Sacto.

9. MCF going halvsies Marin Community Foundation, a primary source of grant funds for many county nonprofits, announced a shift in funding priorities--meaning about 20 percent fewer dollars to existing grant recipients. By June 2008, the foundation will be granting 50 percent of its annual disbursements to existing grants and 50 percent to new grants; previously, the divide has been 70-30. In short, many nonprofits will have to scrounge up their piece of a now-missing $5 million pie themselves. Can anyone say "bake sale"?

10. Lives in suspension The Golden Gate Bridge District had an unusually busy year, with such options as toll hikes and granting corporate naming rights on the table. But when documentary filmmaker Eric Steel sneakily filmed a year's worth of bridge jumpers (gaining filmmaking access on the presumption he was working on a bridge-friendly project), suddenly the district had the suicide-barrier debate back on the agenda. The resulting film, "The Bridge," created more controversy than it did box-office revenue, but one thing was made clear from the stunning work: Statistics show that rescued jumpers do not "just find another way to kill themselves." According to the film, a barrier, costly as it would be, would almost certainly save lives.

Cinemarvelous!

Ten films to renew one's faith in movies (in no particular order)

By Renata Polt

1. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

2. Charlotte's Web

3. Dreamgirls

4. The Illusionist

5. Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple

6. Munich

7. The Notorious Bettie Page

3. Berkeley Rep launched one of its strongest antiwar messages in Brecht's Mother Courage. The songs and dances that accompanied the play's destructive, decades-long war made it a clear warning for those who will listen.

4. Lee Sankowich is gone from Marin Theatre Company, but the director's shocking (and very funny) look at misbehaving white trash in Tracy Lett's Killer Joe won't be forgotten any time soon.

5. Novato Theater Company, kicked out of their downtown space, restaged the Scopes Monkey Trial in a church. You'd think that would be loading the deck, but even the most dedicated creationist could enjoy director John Brebner's version of Inherit the Wind.

6. Marines Memorial Theater's Love, Janis turned out to be more than a summer-of-love-fest for aging boomers. When Katrina Chester belted out Janis Joplin hits like "Piece of My Heart," even the Y Generation stood up and cheered.

7. Shakespeare at Stinson Beach, whose small stage is surrounded by million-dollar scenery, put on another of its do-it-on-a-dime productions and, amazingly enough, the Bollywood take on The Taming of the Shrew was as good as Gandhi.

8. The Ross Valley Players' Proof, an actor's dream with four great roles, lucked out with Katherine McDowell as the young math prodigy and Wood Lockhart as her dead father. The communication between the two, even when across the Great Divide, made for good drama.

9. The Shotgun Players' production of The Typographer (by young playwright Adam Bock) gave us an intense, inside look at three characters who turn out to be—although none will admit this—little more than the sum of their occupations.

10. Marin Shakespeare's summer fest saved the best for last with The Comedy of Errors, one of Shakespeare's most delightful plays. James Dunn directed the misadventures of identical twins, separated in their youth, who end up in the same town—each carrying a lot of baggage. As one of the twins, Brandon Roberts was distinctively wonderful.

The Marin County catwalk

Five trends that reared their stylish heads this year

By Brenda Kinsel

1. Romantic blouses

2. Booties (or ankle boots)

3. Opaque black tights with everything, including evening gowns

4. The return of the pant suit

5. Long, layered necklaces

Top of the pops

Ten Marin musical milestones in 2006—in no particular order except for the last entry

By Matt Kramer

1. Beginning the year with positive vibes was the jam-packed (in more than one way) benefit show for flooded-out guitarist Tom Finch at 19 Broadway. Bless all the participating musicians for demonstrating that harmony is a way of life.

2. Van Morrison kicked off the first U.S. leg of his Pay the Devil tour with a stealthy weekday afternoon show at Rancho Nicasio, the perfect setting for Morrison's take on country tunes.

3. Best under-the-radar performance for a local band goes to the Monophonics for setting up guerrilla-style, outside in the "beer garden" during the Fairfax Brewfest.

4. The Waybacks, just prior to releasing their new CD, put on a hell of a show at the Larkspur Café Theatre. I can still hear and feel the buzz in that room when new fiddler Warren Hood stepped up to the microphone and crooned his first tune.

5. The Waybacks' new CD, From the Pasture to the Future, shows a partially Marin-based band still gaining momentum and depth at the same time. How the heck do they do it all so well?

6. Ex-Marinite Dave Thom received a warm welcome back when he and his band returned to perform to a capacity crowd at Iron Springs, the place where Thom used to hold court before he defected to Sonoma County. Even Giants fans forgave him.

7. David Grisman's Bluegrass Experience blew summertime away with a smokin' hot outdoor show at Rancho Nicasio; it gave the elements no choice but to cool down afterwards.

8. Larry Carlin's post-Thanksgiving Hillbilly Hootenanny was its biggest and best ever—inspiring Warren Hellman to ride a horse from Bolinas to Nicasio to perform. (Warren performed onstage; the horse performed some fancy footwork getting him there.) How to top it all next year?

9. The Marin Idol competition produced a proud payoff when Larkin Gayl celebrated her recent EP release with two sold-out shows (on a Sunday night!) at the Larkspur Café Theatre.

10. And a special mention to Woody Allen and his jazz band for proving that Marin can hold its own with big cities in the contest of $kyrocketing ticket prices.

Mightier than the sword

Six books by local authors that should earn a place on your shelf

By Elizabeth Stewart

1. The Tiburon Peninsula by Branwell Fanning (Arcadia Publishing). A history of Tiburon, from land of dairy to land of dollar.

2. The Earthquake Shack by Gary Diedrichs (Two Bridges Press). Love story set at the Sausalito waterfront of the 1950s.

3. Gregg by William F. Gregg (Xlibris). A humorous book of cat cartoons and drawings.

4. The Fighter Pilot's Wife by Gilberta Guth (Call Sign Press). An examination of military life's effect on family and spouses.

5. The Town on Beaver Creek by Michelle Slatalla (Random House). Tales from a little old Kentucky town.

6. Blackie: The Horse Who Stood Still by Christopher Cerf and Paige Peterson (Welcome Books). Children's book about Tiburon's motionless equine hero.

Famous Oops!

Ten celebs who screwed up in 2006

By Jacob Shafer

1. Michael Richards: In this age of cell-phone cameras and video sharing sites, no onstage racist rant is truly private—a lesson Kramer learned the hard way.

2. Mel Gibson: Mad Max's latest big-budget, bloody historical epic was upstaged by his low-budget, drunken anti-Semitic rant. He says it was the booze talking, but that booze did a pretty good Mel Gibson impression.

3. Tom Cruise: While the famous "couch jump" took place back in '05, Top Gun Tommy has never really come down from that strange, desperate high. He says it's love, others say it's a massive PR stunt. We say it's just plain crazy.

4. Britney Spears: Oops, she did it again—if by it you mean married a deadbeat backup dancer, gave birth to two of his children, divorced said deadbeat, teamed up with Paris Hilton and flashed her crotch to the entire nation.

5. Rosie O'Donnell: The View hired her to be outspoken, but not to do a really bad impression of a Chinese person and to insinuate that Oprah and her best pal Gayle King are "a little bit gay." While the Asian American community is outraged, we'd be even more worried about the Big O.

6. Madonna: When adopting a child, there are really only two rules to follow: One, find a kid you connect with; and two, make sure that kid is actually available. On a trip to Africa, the Material Girl stopped at step one, and now her "son's" daddy wants his boy back. Papa don't preachÖ

7. Nicole Richie: As if the tabloid shots of her looking like an exhumed corpse in a bikini weren't enough, Lionel's troubled daughter got herself arrested for driving the wrong direction on an L.A. freeway. We never thought Paris would look like the sensible one.

8. O.J. Simpson: You might think it was impossible for the Juice to sink any lower. You'd be wrong. America's most notorious golfer took a little time away from his tireless search for the real killers to pen a book titled If I Did It. Facing public backlash, the publishers made the quasi-confessional work of "fiction" disappear. May we suggest O.J. do the same.

9. Rush Limbaugh: After getting busted with a stash of illegally obtained prescription pills, the Neo Cons' designated blowhard decided to rehab his image by attackingÖMichael J. Fox. Yes, nothing like going after a beloved television figure with a debilitating disease to win back the hearts and minds of the American public.

10. George Allen: OK, he's a politician and not a celebrity. But the former senator's grossly miscalculated—and videotaped—"macaca" joke is the perfect symbol of the Republicans' '06 demise.