Smith: Not only sore, Ken feels bad

Ken McCrae remains trim and buffed many years after he wrestled and then coached at Piner High. I do believe he’s grateful he was beaten and stomped at Santa Rosa’s transit mall, rather than you or me.

“It could have been anybody,” he said.

Now 46 and an employee of Ghilotti Construction, he has returned to work after healing from the injuries suffered when a group of about 12 teens attacked him outside the Roxy Theater on the night of June 28.

He was inside the moviehouse with his girlfriend when he saw outside that some teens were chasing and harassing a boy and yanking away his backpack. McCrae hurried out, caught up and called them off.

McCrae isn’t big but he’s athletic, a long-distance runner. He said one guy strode up and punched him, so hard that McCrae suspects that he’s spent time in a boxing ring.

“He had no fear in his eyes, none whatsoever,” McCrae said. As they fought, the others mobbed him.

Here was a Santa Rosa native, almost 50 years old, being kicked viciously. Police arrived and, fortunately for McCrae, the kid he’d rescued was still there to tell officers that he was not the aggressor.

McCrae’s disappointment to have been stomped by teens in his hometown is as deep as his bruising. “My concern was how animalistic they were,” he said.

The ex-wrestling coach wishes he could meet those teens again for a talk about conduct.

Presumably, somebody knows the steely guy who lead the attack and knows that he needs, at the least, a talking to.

HEARD OF R HOUSE? It’s an ambitious program for foster kids with drug and mental-health troubles, has operated in Sonoma County for nearly 40 years and has done a lot of young people a lot of good.

You may have been served by an R House client if you bought coffee at the house across from SRJC that for years taught the teens job skills. It’s closed now.

With 27 live-in teens and 50 others in day programs, R House is climbing out of debt. Director Sabrina Coyle-Johnson says R House needs to raise a quick $50,000 to avoid losing two treatment homes for girls.

Community benefactor Julia Grant will match every donation between now and Aug. 1. Coyle-Johnson is eager to tell potential supporters about R House, and show them around.

VERNON DAVIS may or may not show up at 49er training camp later this month. But on Saturday, the tight end with the electric smile stepped back from pursuit of a new contract and sprinkled stardust on a party at Imagery Estates Winery.

Krave, the upscale jerky company he owns part of, hosted the food, wine, art and lawn-play event. It raised money for the Vernon Davis Foundation, which awards art scholarships to disadvantaged young people.

Davis took guff from fellow athletes at U of Maryland when he switched majors from Criminal Justice to Studio Art.

“When you’re painting, you want to be perfect. Same when you’re running a play.” .