Two Daytime Car Burglaries Shock Staff and Students

By Nick Seminerio

Two car burglaries committed in broad daylight Wednesday have left staff and students shocked at the daring nature of the crime. Two cars were burglarized, one on Saunders Ave at Devonshire Hall, and the other in the Saunders staff lot next to the art building.

The burglaries took place some time during third period Wednesday. Senior Julia Kinsolving was the first to report the crime after seeing the broken glass while walking along Saunders Ave.

“I heard a strange crackling noise, like glass was breaking off something. I was all by myself on Saunders [Ave] at the time. I turned around and saw a pile of broken window glass on the ground [next to the car],” Kinsolving said.

A purse was stolen out of Senior Audrey Recollon’s car, according to Kinsolving. Kinsolving is a frequent parker on Saunders Ave and reported the theft to Recollon, who told administrators.

English teacher Diana Winkler’s car was the second to be victimized. Winkler’s purse was stolen, along with three credit cards.

After both cars were burglarized, the suspect(s) headed up Park Avenue, which crosses Saunders Ave, hid between two cars, and rifled through the purses, according to Winkler. The purses were discarded, but Winkler’s credit cards were taken, she said.

Campus Assistant Lena Herrera spotted the discarded purses during the investigation.

Shortly after the theft occurred, over $500.00 was charged to Winkler’s card at an Old Navy store in Novato. Winkler has since retrieved her purse.

The number of suspects is not known, according to Assistant Principal Chad Stuart. Stuart said that it’s also unknown whether the suspect(s) is a student.

A review of the security camera pointed at the Saunders Ave parking lot did not turn up any results, Stuart said.

Winker has concerns about the timing of the thefts, and potential danger to students. “I feel shocked, violated, sad, angry, and concerned that two crimes were committed during school hours in broad daylight.  It makes me wonder whether a student would have been in any danger if he/she had startled the thief/thieves by walking by the crime scene,” Winkler said.

Ceramics teacher Beth Cederstrom, whose classroom is near where the theft occurred, said that while the theft is unsettling, it might be a sign of the times. “I think there’s a lot of pressure that’s put on people over the holidays…Marin has changed, it used to be a safer place,” Cederstrom said.

Stuart reiterated previous instructions for staff and students if they witness a theft. “[We] urge anybody who witnessed a theft to not approach the suspect, and call 911 immediately,” Stuart said.

Students Rally Support to Improve the Quality of Canteen Food

 

By Samantha Gilbert and Nick Seminerio

Students in the new Picnic Club are working to improve the quality of canteen food. They have started an online petition and are making an effort to have students share their concerns at the upcoming Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) board meeting on Wednesday, Dec 11.

Picnic Club President junior Chelsea Supawit created the petition on change.org, which has received over 330 signatures as of Tuesday, Dec 9.

Supawit is hoping that the canteen will serve healthier, more organic food. “We live close to some of the most abundant farmland –  growing organic fruit, vegetables and meats of all kind – in the world! Why can’t we eat the food we grow in our own backyards?” Supawit wrote on the petition’s description.

She also raises concerns about the quality of the chicken from Tyson Foods, the company that has recently supplied the Canteen.

However, Canteen Manager Sandy Partee says that the district recently switched to a different supplier, dropping Tyson altogether.

Chef Bonnie Bottarini and other Canteen staff believe that if prices were raised, the Canteen would be able to serve better quality food. Bottarini said she would like to see more fresh cooked vegetables and organic fruit.

Supawit believes that while the salad bar has been a good addition, there is still room for improvement. “I think it’s a great step that we added a salad bar to our Canteen, but it isn’t enough – entrees need to be improved,” Supawit said.

As for funding, Supawit believes that some of the money raised by the Drake Fund could go toward healthy eating alternatives.

Partee said that she wanted to incorporate more vegetables from the garden into the food. “We would enjoy more food [from the] fresh garden brought to the Canteen,” Partee said.

Another hope for Supawit is that students would stay on campus during lunch if the food were improved.

Do you think the quality of food in the canteen should be changed? Vote in our poll above!

 

What is your earliest childhood memory?

“When my clothes caught on fire… I was around eight years old.” – Linda Bonura

“I was a little kid standing in front of the television, holding on to the coffee table in front of me. I think I was watching news of the Vietnam War on TV. I was two.” – Tristan Bodle

“I was in preschool, so like three or four years old. I remember walking around in a circle playing the triangle.” – Susanna Nash

“When my grandmother came to my house every friday. I was probably four.” – Judy King

“It was my third birthday. My dad asked me what it felt like to be three and I told him I didn’t actually turn three until my birthday party.” – Lori Martz

“I was three years old and I went to a professional puppet show of the Wizard of Oz. When Dorothy was yelling ‘help’, I got up on my chair and shouted, ‘Dorothy I’ll save you.'” – Jennifer Olesen

“I remember playing kickball in preschool. It was all about the slow bouncies.” – Alissa Fong

“I was two years old and in a hospital bed. I kept climbing out of the bed so the nurses put a net over my bed. I’ve been claustrophobic ever since.” – Mary Kitchens

“I was three years old and we lived across the street from a pumpkin patch. I wasn’t allowed to cross the street but my older sister was allowed to. One day, she crossed the street so I followed. I fell in the middle of the road with cars coming.” – Paul Grifo

“I was in preschool and I burned myself on the radiator.” – Aaron Wilkerson

“I was either four or five and my family lived in San Francisco. I remember standing at the bottom of the spiral staircase in my house and holding a popgun.” – Jasper Thelin

“Why does anyone care about my earliest childhood memory?” – Jeff Martz

“Sticking a fork through my fingertip when I was three.” – Rod Milstead

“I was either three or four and I remember being stuck in my crib while watching all my siblings run around.” – Mary Buchanan