Lead story on the 11 o'clock news last night--a Richmond man who stole a car, wiping out 3 other vehicles during a highspeed chase to Emeryville! Takes the front off Dad's BMW as he's on his way to pick up the kids-Dad's pretty shaken up!! Meanwhile in fast bagdhad-like motion the stolen sedan clips a signal pole, dropping a traffic light, and slams into our garden wall. Bursts into flames, the miscreant pulling himself from the burning vehicle to collapse beside it. Pulled from danger by the Contra Costa County Sheriff's K-9 unit, arriving in hot pursuit!! In seconds there's four dozen cops on the scene, good video from the helicopter overhead. But takes them ten minutes to call the wrong fire department, while our magnolia tree is burning from the auto fire, now completely out of control. The house is threatened!!! But the wall stands firm. We filled it with concrete and steel years ago as a preventive measure. The stucco is scorched off twenty feet, the cinderblock hot, but uncracked. Our flag still there!!!