Best of 2012 Top Story Countdown: 5-1

5. Alleged Homestead Valley Shooter to Be Charged as an Adult
May 1

Charges were filed in Marin County Superior Court today against a 17-year-old San Rafael teen Max Wade who is suspected of the Homestead Valley drive-by shooting last month as well as a ninja-esque theft of celebrity chef Guy Fieri's $200,000 bright yellow Lamborghini from a San Francisco dealership last year.

4. Sol Food Slated to Open in Mill Valley
November 28

The popular San Rafael restaurant is slated for 401 Miller Ave., in the space recently vacated by Second Breakfast. It will open in February and offer about 20 seats with counter service, eat-in, take-out, pickup and delivery options, along with the same menu as owner Sol Hernandez three other locations, she said in an email.

3. Gun Shots Fired on Evergreen Ave. - Police Hunt for Shooter
April 13

A man on a black motorcycle reportedly fired multiple shots at a white pickup truck parked on Evergreen Avenue between Ethel and Miller avenues late Friday morning, blasting out the truck's windows and causing minor injuries to the two people inside, law enforcement officials said.

2. 2012 Perseid Meteor Shower to Dazzle this Weekend
August 11

The Perseid Meteor shower has some added bonuses this year: it will occur on a night when the moon is in its waning crescent phase, which means the moonlight will interfere only slightly with your view of the meteors, and it's on a Saturday night, which means people can stay up late and sleep in the next day.

1. Sweetwater Music Hall Set to Open This Month
January 11

The hills of Marin are alive with the sound of new music ... venues. Less than a week after former Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh announced plans to open his Terrapin Crossroads music venue in San Rafael, a group of partners including Mill Valley resident and Lesh’s longtime bandmate Bob Weir said they'll open the Sweetwater Music Hall, a much-heralded concert hall and café, on Jan. 27.

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