Best of 2012 Top Story Countdown: 10-6

10. Mill Valley’s (Homeless) Woman About Town
July 16

Longtime local resident Rebecca Chapman has been without a home for nearly two years, a period during which she’s battled illness, prescription drug addictions, hunger and, most of all, being ostracized from her community.

9. San Rafael Teen Arrested for Homestead Valley Drive-By Shooting
April 29

More than two weeks after a drive-by shooting in Homestead Valley on Evergreen Avenue sent shockwaves through the local community, Marin County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested a 17-year-old San Rafael teen on suspicion of attempted murder and a number of other charges, law enforcement officials said.

8.
November 12

Less than a year after it opened with a concept and menu developed by local celebrity chef Tyler Florence, Hawk’s Tavern is no more. The much-ballyhooed restaurant on Miller Ave. was simply losing too much money, one of its partners says.

7.
August 27

Seven months after its opening sent a surge of excitement throughout downtown Mill Valley and the local arts community, the Sweetwater Music Hall & Café is in the midst of a transition that its owners hope will leverage its strengths and bolster its musical menu. Investors brought in Aaron Kayce from Mystic Theatre in an effort to broaden music offerings and boost Gordon Drysdale’s management of the restaurant and café.

6. Local Realtor and Rotary Member Marguerite Burbank Killed in Car Crash
May 21

Longtime Mill Valley resident and noted horse enthusiast Marguerite Marie Burbank, 61, died when her car veered off a private road near Lakeville Road east of Petaluma for an unknown reason after an event Friday at the Riverside Equestrian Center near Petaluma. Her dogs Molly and Max also died in the crash.

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