Ellen Mattesi with her 3D creation “Evil Clown” on Montford Avenue. (Photo by Mary Ann Hogan)

The Urban Dictionary defines Mill Valley as “a town in Marin County, California, that served as the basis for the South Park episode 'SmugAlert!' The people there… are generally smug, spoiled recluses who live in tiny, 800-square-foot shacks for which they paid $1.2 million.”

The “generally complacent” people tend to make everyone else grumpy. Or so the story goes. If only life were that easy here. As one dinner host recently said, “I get grumpy at people who get grumpy when they hear about what happened to Mill Valley.”

Just look around and you might find an old-fashioned village with a small-town atmosphere and a big-hearted soul. Here's a potpourri of the real Mill Valley:

Terribly good

At the bend in the road where Molino Avenue meets Montford Avenue, you'll find artist and designer Ellen Mattesi's Halloween Valentine's Day gift. For the past eight years, Mattesi, an “inventor of fantasy environments,” has decorated her front yard with elaborate 3D bodies, torsoless arms and hands, skulls, teeth, skeletons, strange bones and a whole lot of clowns, including the giant evil clown with 12-inch-long teeth. Mattesi says, “All the other clowns have to constantly feed him body parts.”

Every year, people honk and wave, give a thumbs up or scream like the dead as they pull off Molino, a funnel for the crowds from Mount Tam and the beaches, as well as for the neighbors who live up the hill.

A few years ago, Mattesi injured her knee and couldn't put up her decorations. She apologized on social media. The neighbors didn't hesitate for a second: “Would you like to help put them up?” “I would help too. We've enjoyed our Halloween fun since we lived here…” Her teenage daughter stepped in and saved the holiday.

This year, the mayor of Mill Valley left a business card with a note in Mattesi's mailbox: “Thank you for bringing Halloween back to Mill Valley.”

Yes, you can

One day last week, a lost bird flew into Scott Snyder's chimney in Tam Valley. Snyder and his wife could hear the helpless fluttering.

First they called a chimney sweep. “They said they didn't know anything about animals,” says Snyder, a data engineer, voice actor and animal lover. Then they called Marin Humane, which sent someone to search. “They thought it might be an owl.” The organization transports animals but doesn't release them from chimneys. So Snyder called WildCare. But they only receive and treat the animals. They don't release or transport them.

Snyder asked neighbors for suggestions. Several offered to help. One suggested the Southern Marin Fire District, which covers Tam Valley. “It had just rained the night before,” Snyder says, “so I didn't feel too bad.”

Within a few hours, a three-man team showed up. They climbed the steep roof of the Snyder. Removed the top of the stovepipe. Lowered a rope down the chimney. The bird climbed about halfway up the rope. Then it took to the skies. It wasn't an owl. “Probably a Florida jay.”

Neighbors cheered on social media. “What a happy ending! … Cats in trees, birds in chimneys, our Southern Marin firefighters can do it all!”

Yes, you can.

And he did.

Signs of optimism

The sign on the wall of Two Neat, a long-standing, funky art and dog gift shop downtown, reads: “Unsupervised children receive an espresso and a free puppy.”

One Friday afternoon, a group of middle school students walked in and told store owner Bob Bijou, “We're unsupervised 12-year-olds. Can we have our free puppy?” Bijou gave them each a free piece of 10-cent taffy instead. The kids gobbled it up. Soon, regular Mill Valley Fridays became Free Toffee Fridays for the original gang of “unsupervised” and their friends. Even if the taffy isn't free, Bijou says, it's a bargain. “Where else in Mill Valley can you get something for 10 cents?”

There are numerous notable signs:

• At the organic produce stand on the corner of Shoreline Highway and Tennessee Valley Road, a roadside sign reads: “Peace, Love and Pickles.”

• The sign at the Book Depot & Café reads: “I say a town is not a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but if it has no bookstore, it knows it is not fooling anyone.” (From Neil Gaiman's “American Gods”)

Make friends with the parks

Next Thursday night, November 2nd, there will be a fundraiser for Friends of Parks and Recreation from 6:30-11:00 p.m. at Sweetwater Music Hall. Tickets are $100 and include wine, beer, appetizers and rock music from Mustache Harbor. Sponsors include the Mill Valley Soccer Club and the Southern Marin Lacrosse Club.

Among the beneficiaries is the city's planned new skate park, a project by and for a savvy group of Mill Valley middle school students.

So, have a nice Mill Valley day.

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RICHMOND — Can you ferry a boat, sling delicious hors d’oeuvres, tidy up bedsheets and make guests feel at home in a five-room inn in the middle of San Pablo Bay?

If so, the picturesque East Brother Light Station may have a job for you.

Applications are open for two new innkeepers to keep the nearly 150-year-old lighthouse up and running for two years, starting in April 2023.

“People who typically apply have been in the hospitality industry and they like working with the public; they’re people who have worked on boats for a long time,” said Tom Butt, Richmond’s outgoing mayor and president of the East Brother Light Station Inc., which runs the lighthouse. “It’s very attractive for those type of people: Boats and lighthouses are like peanut butter and jelly.”

Perched on a rocky mound near Point Molate and visible from the Richmond Bridge, the iconic bed-and-breakfast offers beautiful panoramic views of the San Francisco and San Pablo bays.

In addition to seasonal day visits and special events, visitors on the island can enjoy rented-out rooms inside the goldenrod California Victorian structures — surrounded by miles of shimmering salt water and the occasional harbor seal — Thursday through Sunday for $475 to $525 a night.

While it’s a dream job for some, the role is not an breeze or some cushy, luxury getaway.

“It’s a really cool place, but the one thing the job doesn’t allow you to do is sit around and drink piña coladas while enjoying the view,” Butt said. “It’s hard work.”

Innkeepers must assume the role of maid, boat captain, gift shop attendant, tour guide, host and chef with “high-quality culinary experience” to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner. Applicants who are smokers, live with children or have pets will not be selected.

Additionally, at least one of the innkeepers must have a Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential boat operator’s license, in order to safely ferry guests from the launch at 1900 Stenmark Drive in Richmond to East Brother Island and back.

Two previous innkeepers, Tiffany Danse and Tyler Waterson, estimated they worked at least 80 to 90 hours each week to maintain East Brother Light Station, which is a registered California Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The current innkeepers, Bryan and Stephanie Wesolek, will be leaving after their two-year commitment comes to a close at the end of March.

RICHMOND, CA – JAN. 27: A barge is pushed through the narrows between the East Brothers Light Station and Point San Pablo, part of the coastline of Richmond, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

The newly chosen duo, which does not have to be a romantic couple, will be compensated with a majority portion of the profits of the inn, after the expenses of operation are subtracted. On top of benefits like a health care plan, two weeks of vacation and onsite living quarters on the nearly three-quarters of an acre island, the keepers’ gross pay in 2021-22 was $140,000 split between them.

Butt said there are other perks, too, such as tips and networking opportunities to land future gigs. “You might make me your future employer while working,” he said.

Butt said the staff is supported by volunteers who help out with maintenance of the facilities, such as painting and repair jobs around the grounds. While the $300,000 nonprofit has a list of 300 volunteers, there is a core group of a dozen stewards who work the grounds weekly, Butt said.

And without access to Wi-Fi, reliable cell service and plumbing — aside from a rainwater catchment and cistern system — the job takes the concept of “remote work” to another level.

The nonprofit, which Butt founded, has leased the island from the Coast Guard and run the business, primarily as a means to afford costly repairs and upkeep.

The restored inn was opened in 1980, a few decades after the Coast Guard decommissioned the island’s historic lighthouse keepers in favor of automatic boat beacons.

More information about East Brother Light Station and the innkeeper job can be found at www.ebls.org, and questions may be emailed to EastBrotherLightStationJOBS@gmail.com.

IJ reporter Adrian Rodriguez contributed to this report.

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RICHMOND — Can you ferry a boat, sling delicious hors d’oeuvres, tidy up bedsheets and make guests feel at home in a five-room inn in the middle of San Pablo Bay?

If so, the picturesque East Brother Light Station may have a job for you.

Applications are open for two new innkeepers to keep the nearly 150-year-old lighthouse up and running for two years, starting in April 2023.

“People who typically apply have been in the hospitality industry and they like working with the public; they’re people who have worked on boats for a long time,” said Tom Butt, Richmond’s outgoing mayor and president of the East Brother Light Station Inc., which runs the lighthouse. “It’s very attractive for those type of people: Boats and lighthouses are like peanut butter and jelly.”

Perched on a rocky mound near Point Molate and visible from the Richmond Bridge, the iconic bed-and-breakfast offers beautiful panoramic views of the San Francisco and San Pablo bays.

In addition to seasonal day visits and special events, visitors on the island can enjoy rented-out rooms inside the goldenrod California Victorian structures — surrounded by miles of shimmering salt water and the occasional harbor seal — Thursday through Sunday for $475 to $525 a night.

While it’s a dream job for some, the role is not an breeze or some cushy, luxury getaway.

“It’s a really cool place, but the one thing the job doesn’t allow you to do is sit around and drink piña coladas while enjoying the view,” Butt said. “It’s hard work.”

Innkeepers must assume the role of maid, boat captain, gift shop attendant, tour guide, host and chef with “high-quality culinary experience” to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner. Applicants who are smokers, live with children or have pets will not be selected.

Additionally, at least one of the innkeepers must have a Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential boat operator’s license, in order to safely ferry guests from the launch at 1900 Stenmark Drive in Richmond to East Brother Island and back.

Two previous innkeepers, Tiffany Danse and Tyler Waterson, estimated they worked at least 80 to 90 hours each week to maintain East Brother Light Station, which is a registered California Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The current innkeepers, Bryan and Stephanie Wesolek, will be leaving after their two-year commitment comes to a close at the end of March.

RICHMOND, CA – JAN. 27: A barge is pushed through the narrows between the East Brothers Light Station and Point San Pablo, part of the coastline of Richmond, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

The newly chosen duo, which does not have to be a romantic couple, will be compensated with a majority portion of the profits of the inn, after the expenses of operation are subtracted. On top of benefits like a health care plan, two weeks of vacation and onsite living quarters on the nearly three-quarters of an acre island, the keepers’ gross pay in 2021-22 was $140,000 split between them.

Butt said there are other perks, too, such as tips and networking opportunities to land future gigs. “You might make me your future employer while working,” he said.

Butt said the staff is supported by volunteers who help out with maintenance of the facilities, such as painting and repair jobs around the grounds. While the $300,000 nonprofit has a list of 300 volunteers, there is a core group of a dozen stewards who work the grounds weekly, Butt said.

And without access to Wi-Fi, reliable cell service and plumbing — aside from a rainwater catchment and cistern system — the job takes the concept of “remote work” to another level.

The nonprofit, which Butt founded, has leased the island from the Coast Guard and run the business, primarily as a means to afford costly repairs and upkeep.

The restored inn was opened in 1980, a few decades after the Coast Guard decommissioned the island’s historic lighthouse keepers in favor of automatic boat beacons.

More information about East Brother Light Station and the innkeeper job can be found at www.ebls.org, and questions may be emailed to EastBrotherLightStationJOBS@gmail.com.

IJ reporter Adrian Rodriguez contributed to this report.

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The Golden Gate corridor refers to all means of travel between Marin and Sonoma counties to downtown San Francisco.

It’s served by Highway 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District. The world-famous bridge is the most prominent portion of the route. While most travel the corridor by auto, the Bridge District’s bus and ferry services play a major role in facilitating corridor mobility.

I recently spoke with Dennis Mulligan, the district’s general manager. The San Francisco native is one of the top public-sector managers in the Bay Area.

Much work has been accomplished installing a wire rope netting for the state of the art suicide barrier in a project now predicted to cost at least $206 million. It’s expected to be completed in November of 2023. Crews are working 24/7, including double shifts in the evenings. To see an already erected barrier segment, go near the bridge’s northwest end and find the Marin Headlands parking area overlooking the bridge.

In 2021, 223 people tried to commit suicide by jumping off the 1.7-mile span. Of those, 198 were dissuaded due to Bridge District staff’s valiant efforts. The barrier is expected to save 30 lives a year. Past experience indicates of those dissuaded from suicide, few make a second effort whether by jumping, pills, gunshot or other easily available means.

Transit patronage, bridge traffic and related revenue were decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. When the coronavirus hit in March 2020, most of us were terrorized. The idea of ​​going to a downtown San Francisco office, dining out, meeting friends or attending cultural and recreational events seemed foolhardy.

Bridge traffic immediately decreased by 70%, ferry patronages dropped by 99% and bus ridership declined by 90%.

With the introduction of lifesaving vaccines, the “when” and “how” of work is slowly moving toward a new post-pandemic reality.

Along the corridor, auto traffic within Marin has returned to pre-pandemic levels. Likewise, midday and weekend Golden Gate Bridge auto traffic is back to its pre-pandemic volume. It’s the traditional morning and evening commute that’s dramatically declined, particularly on Monday and Friday.

Twenty percent of San Francisco office space is vacant. The other 80% tends to be underutilized. Office denizens – particularly finance and technology – have multiple workplace options. Many have opted to work from home at least two or three days each week, leaving the old Financial District and South of Market’s high-rise buildings desolate.

That trend is reflected by bus and ferry ridership. Like most urban transit systems, the pillar of Golden Gate ferries and buses was the five-day-a-week peak commute from the suburbs to the city center and back.

On pre-pandemic weekdays, the Golden Gate ferry’s Larkspur to SF Ferry Building route ran 42 trips per day. Mid-pandemic, that was down to 14. Even now, only 22 trips are scheduled.

As Mulligan says, “People are not lining up to go to San Francisco.”

Another example is the Route 4 express commuter bus from Mill Valley to downtown San Francisco. Until early 2020, it made 25 trips a day. The line was terminated during the pandemic. Now, under Golden Gate’s new renumbering scheme, Route 114 makes just four runs each weekday. The decline is similar for all Marin and Sonoma express bus commute routes.

While work habits changed, the recreation-based travel market is returning. That’s reflected on Golden Gate ferry routes from the San Francisco Ferry Building to Sausalito and Angel Island.

If the shift to remote working becomes permanent, its financial impact will be disruptive. Bridge District toll and transit revenue is down by $1 million a week. Even with right-sizing bus and ferry trips to cut costs, Golden Gate was dependent on one-time federal pandemic relief to balance its books.

Until the workplace’s new normal becomes clear, transit management, employees and passengers will have to wait two or three more years to learn how they’ll emerge from the (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime global epidemic.

Resources: Marin’s suicide prevention and crisis hotline is 415-499-1100. Grief counseling is available at 415-499-1195.

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It’s like old times, or at least like the Before Times. Every Fourth of July, the San Francisco Mime Troupe premieres a new musical comedy political satire that tours Bay Area Parks for the rest of the summer, with donations encouraged to keep the show going.

Only for the last couple of years that hasn’t happened. Though SFMT has kept its hand in during the COVID-19 pandemic with a few radio serial podcasts, the theater collective has held off a return to parks until now.

Now the Mime Troupe is back in parks with a new show appropriately titled “Back to the Way Things Were,” though, of course, the nostalgic title is tongue in cheek. It’s the troupe’s first touring show in Bay Area parks since 2019’s “Treasure Island.”

Written by Michael Gene Sullivan with Marie Cartier, “Back to the Way Things Were” does feature a family attempting to go out and do things after being cooped up at home because of the pandemic, but the show’s not really about COVID at all. It’s about voracious capitalists profiting off human misery and destroying the environment, and basically everything being terrible and getting worse.

Small wonder that Zoe, the teenager at the center of the play, has become so nihilistic. Played with scowling exasperation by Alicia MP Nelson, Zoe volunteers at an unhoused placement center, but she also doesn’t believe there’s any hope for the future and doesn’t pretend otherwise.

By contrast, her parents are blithely optimistic, cheerily singing that things are at last getting “back to the way things were.” Norman Gee and Lizzie Calogero keep up a comically sunny, old-timey mom-and-pop demeanor as Ralph and Alice — yes, like “The Honeymooners.” Ralph is even an ex-bus driver who’s now an Uber driver, while Alice just got a new job as a package sorter at a fulfillment center. Of course, the world outside their door turns out to be a parade of horrors giving just a small sampling of how messed up our society is today.

Aside from Nelson as Zoe, all of the actors play multiple roles. Calogero portrays a harried but dedicated social worker, while Gee shows up as a patient but endlessly delayed client waiting for housing help with his volumes of paperwork.

Andre Amarotico is a smooth and smarmy venture capitalist looking to privatize social services, the glad-handing guy who’s obviously going to become the villain of the piece. He also plays an overworked fast food employee, a helpful street protestor, a predatory cop and a shattered idealist.

Like 2018’s Mime Troupe show, “Seeing Red,” this one involves time travel. Keiko Shimosato Carreiro appears as Book, a seemingly crazed visitor from who-knows-where in a cowboy hat, long duster and coveralls (fun costumes by Brooke Jennings). Book is jumpy and paranoid about all the surveillance devices that we all routinely carry and install that allow a mysterious “Them” to track our movements. (The show’s weakest running gag is about whether to call them “They” or “Them,” as if that were a point of legitimate confusion.) And she keeps trying to draw Zoe into her mission to save the future.

Directed by longtime collective member and frequent performer Velina Brown, it’s a lively show showcasing the Troupe’s trademark quick shifts of scene and character, aided by Carlos Aceves’ versatile set. With music and lyrics by Daniel Savio, who leads the three-piece SFMT Band, the songs in a variety of styles are fairly catchy, especially the chipper title tune.

At 100 minutes without intermission, it’s actually one of SFMT’s longer musicals, as some other recent ones have been just a little over an hour. It’s fast-paced enough that it doesn’t feel overlong so much as meandering, less focused on a particular issue than sampling a smorgasbord of social woes that capitalism has wrought. Like Zoe, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by it all and conclude that we’re doomed — at least in the absence of fanciful sci-fi solutions like the ones she stumbles into. But even so, kudos to the Mime Troupe for calling out America’s broken and sabotaged systems and demanding that we somehow collectively do better.

Sam Hurwitt is a Bay Area arts journalist and playwright. Contact him at shurwitt@gmail.com or on Twitter at twitter.com/shurwitt.

IF YOU GO

What: “Back to the Way Things Were”

When: Through Sept 5; various locations and times, including at 7 pm July 20 at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley

Admission: Free, donations accepted

Information: 415-285-1717; sfmt.org

Rating (out of five stars): ★★★★

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Leading Digital Personal Finance Company Earns Spot for Sixth Time

SAN MATEO, Calif., May 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Freedom Financial Network (FFN), a leading digital personal finance company, announced today it was named to the 2022 Best Places to Work in the Bay Area, an annual list presented by the San Francisco Business Times and the Silicon Valley BusinessJournal.

The company rankings are based on the results of confidential surveys sent to each firm’s Bay Area employees. The survey assesses various aspects of company culture, including communications, managerial effectiveness, team dynamics and trust in leadership, to gauge overall employee sentiment. FFN, which is headquartered in San Mateo, Calif. and employs more than 2,400 people nationwide, which was recognized in the large company category of the rankings. This year marks the sixth time FFN has been named to the list.

“At Freedom Financial Network, our employees play a critical part in furthering our mission to help everyday people get on — and stay on — a path to a better financial future,” said Brad Straw, co-founder and co-CEO of Freedom Financial Network. “Together, we focus on our customers to understand what’s working for them and what’s not and we tailor personalized approaches to meet their personal needs and goals. We innovate to offer the best financial solutions, using data and AI to speed decisioning, improve transparency and And finally, we build relationships so that we can help our customers on their first step, and every next step, on their journey.”

Freedom Financial Network helps people make better financial decisions by managing expenses and debt, saving money, and planning. The company provides innovative technology and relationship-driven support for every step of a consumer’s financial path, including personal loans, debt resolution and restructuring, home equity lines of credit and financial tools and education.

“This recognition is especially meaningful because it is based on the feedback from our employees. We strive to provide an environment where employees can have fulfilling careers and the opportunity to grow, both personally and professionally,” said Linda Lumanexecutive vice president of human resources at FFN.

FFN recently surpassed $15 billion in consumer debt resolved and has served over 1 million customers since its founding in 2002. The company is continually innovating new solutions to expand the depth and breadth of its financial services offerings and is actively hiring for remote and hybrid roles in sales, engineering, technology and product development in California, Arizona other Texas.

Earlier this month, FFN was named to the Phoenix Business Journal’s 2022 Healthiest Employers List in recognition of its efforts to motivate employees to achieve and maintain wellness through a strong emphasis on mental and physical health. FFN has also been named to the Phoenix Business Journal’s annual “Best Places to Work” list 11 times, including winning first place in the extra-large company category in 2021. Last year, FFN was also named one of “Arizona’s Most Admired Companies” by AZBigMedia and a “Top Workplace” by the Arizona Republic.

Full details of the 2022 Best Places to Work in the Bay Area can be found here.

About Freedom Financial Network
Freedom Financial Network is a leading digital personal finance company. We do what traditional banks don’t: Put people first. Our solutions help everyday people get on, and stay on, the path to a brighter financial future, with innovative technology and personalized support. By leveraging proprietary data and analytics, our solutions are tailored for each step of a consumer’s financial journey and include personal loans (FreedomPlus), home equity loans (Lendage), help with debt (Freedom Debt Relief), and even financial tools and education ( Bills.com). Freedom Financial Network has more than 2,300 dedicated employees across California, Arizona other Texas and is recognized as a best place to work.

For information on career opportunities at Freedom Financial Network, visit: https://jobs.freedomfinancialnetwork.com/

SOURCE Freedom Financial Network

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• Marin’s Henry Vare winging it on the San Francisco Bay. Vare and Morgan Headington are set to participate in a wing foiling freestyle exhibition and slalom racing events between the official SailGP races which take place between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz starting at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. (Photo by Bryan McDonald)

• 

  Redwood High sophomore Morgan Headington wings foils around the buoys on the San Francisco Bay. Headington and Henry Vare are set to participate in a wing foiling freestyle exhibition and slalom racing events between the official SailGP races which take place between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz starting at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. (Photo by Bryan McDonald)

• 

  Marin’s Henry Vare makes wing foiling look easy on the San Francisco Bay. Vare and Morgan Headington are set to participate in a wing foiling freestyle exhibition and slalom racing events between the official SailGP races which take place between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz starting at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. (Photo by Bryan McDonald)

The infamous SailGP event hits San Francisco Bay this weekend showcasing the world’s best foiling sailors on the F50 foiling catamaran. The event, now in its second season, continues to create drama and magic on the water in the world’s best sailing venues for a winner-takes-all-prize.

The F50 is a further iteration from the AC 50 launched early in 2017 for use in the 35th America’s Cup in 2017 in Bermuda and has been a boost to the huge and growing interest in foiling watersports anywhere there is breeze and water. Perfect for kids like Marin groms Henry Vare (13) and Morgan Headington (15) who thrive on fast and exciting.

The pair will be flying high on the Bay along with six other youth wing foilers when they participate in a wing foiling freestyle exhibition and slalom racing events between the official SailGP races which take place between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz starting at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday, with a practice session for all fleets on Friday afternoon.

Henry’s dad, Michael Vare, spearheaded the opportunity for the youngsters, reaching out to SailGP Inspire, the League’s community outreach program, to coordinate a youth event as part of the San Francisco SailGP stopover. He said the kids are ecstatic to be involved in such a high-profile event doing something they love and excel at. As part of the program, the kids will meet with the SailGP teams and be a big part of the action this weekend.

“The kids put together their bios including their favorite tricks and who they ride for, so they’re very excited,” Vare said. “SailGP Inspire will provide them with bright colored jerseys, they’ll have numbers on their wings and there will be commentary shoreside about this growing sport of wing foiling,”.

Vare and Headington followed their dads into wing foiling some 2 1/2 years ago and now the dads are taking a bit of a back seat as the kids’ passion for wing foiling grows. But that’s okay, says Geoff Headington, a long-time competitive water sports enthusiast, who loves being out on the water with his son.

“I feel like it takes some of the pressure off me from a competitive standpoint,” Headington laughed. “It makes me happy to support him and make sure he’s on the right gear, watch him go and give him tips and instructions, I’m becoming more of a coach than a competitor. I get a lot of joy seeing Morgan improve.”

The boys dialed in some pre-event training when they raced a wing foil regatta several weekends ago on the Bay, the first ever to be raced in the US and hosted by the St Francis Yacht Club. They’re stoked for this weekend.

“I’m really excited to have the great opportunity to race between the F50 races because of the novelty that it has,” Morgan, a sophomore at Redwood High said. “Some of my sailing idols are skippers of these boats and being able to sail alongside them, especially in the same event, is awesome. I’m also excited for the freestyle exhibition because that style of winging is my favorite part of the sport and its super fun to try tricks, even if you fly uncontrollably through the air and bellyflop into the water.

“I’ve been working on my 360 spins for the freestyle event, as well as tactics and mechanics for the slalom racing. For the racing I’ve been practicing speed gybes and my VMG (velocity made good) angle downwind.

Henry, an eighth grader at Del Mar Middle School, was a regular at the St Francis Yacht Club wing foiling race events last year and at just 12 years old placed 3rd overall at the end of the season. He’s been an inspiration for both his peers and adults wanting to get into the sport and is psyched for this weekend.

“I am really looking forward to performing in front of an audience!” Henry said. “I’ve been practicing my racing skills and freestyle tricks leading up to the event.”

Supporting activities that are on the pathway for the next generation of sailing athletes to become inspired and involved in SailGP is as important to the event as staying at the leading edge of technology which ultimately benefits the kind of foiling watersports, like winging, that we regularly see on San Francisco Bay.

“The F50 is constantly being updated, with new wingsails in Season 2 and new T foils being built now,” Russell Coutts, co-founder of the SailGP circuit said. “With the new foils (expected in October) they are predicted to exceed 55 knots of boat speed. The new wings are modular which allow us to use a smaller (faster) configuration in strong winds. The next development will be new rudders. We are also increasing the ‘righting moment’ by making adjustments to the rudder settings which will also make the boats faster.”

Coutts continued, “The F50 is a very good boat for what we are doing because they can now sail both in very efficiently light winds and very strong winds which opens a lot of additional venue possibilities. They are also transported in containers which is essential for this League.”

Catch the foiling action from Crissy Field or the City Front this weekend, info at: https://sailgp.com/races/22/united-states-sail-grand-prix-san-francisco/overview/

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State Sen. Mike McGuire recently gained a new title — majority leader — which takes him up a rung on the Capitol ladder to the second-highest-ranking position in the California Legislature’s upper house.

The Jan. 19 appointment by Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins also marks the first time in 30 years that a North Coast representative has been named to the post — a milestone not lost on the 42-year-old Healdsburg resident who comes from a long time line of farmers.

In a recent interview with the Journal, McGuire said he believes he will “bring a unique view to this leadership position,” noting such key posts are often held by elected officials from urban areas.

“I’m one of the few democrats who represents a rural region of California, and I’m proud of it,” he said.

As majority leader, McGuire said he will be working with Atkins to set policy and budget priorities and his office now manages the entire Senate floor, scheduling “every policy vote, every budget vote,” and overseeing the movement of bills through the Senate process.

“I’m incredibly grateful to serve in this new role but I want to make it very clear: My top priority has been and will always be the North Coast. And we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us,” McGuire said .

McGuire, who served as assistant majority leader for the last three years, replaces Sen. Bob Hertzberg, who is termed out of office this year.

“Sen. Hertzberg leaves huge shoes to fill, of course, but knowing Sen. McGuire and his energy, he will work to fill them, shine them, put in new laces and resole them, all within two and a half minutes,” Atkins said in a release announcing the changes.

First elected to the state Senate in 2014, McGuire’s mercurial rise in politics began more than two decades earlier when at 19 he became the youngest person elected to the Healdsburg Unified School District board before becoming the city’s youngest mayor. After an inaugural term as a Sonoma County supervisor, he turned his sights to the state Senate, winning handily in 2014 before taking 76 percent of the vote to overwhelmingly win re-election in 2018.

Over the years, McGuire has authored a number of bills with North Coast connections, including the creation of the Great Redwood Trail that aims to transform abandoned railroad tracks into a meandering pathway connecting Humboldt Bay to its counterpart in San Francisco. His legislation to halt a bid to bring a “toxic coal train” down the now defunct tracks of the Eel River Valley — which could derail the trail project — just passed a Senate committee.

During Donald Trump’s presidency, McGuire co-authored a bill that would have required presidential candidates to release their tax returns in order to appear on the primary ballot in California. While it was signed by the governor on its second go-around, the California State Supreme Court later struck down the law.

Cal Poly Humboldt’s Political Science Department Chair Stephanie Burkhalter said McGuire’s appointment to majority leader represents “a vote of confidence” in his abilities by Atkins and his fellow Democrats in the Senate.

And, she said, it potentially sets him up to take over the state Senate’s top slot when Atkins is termed out of office in 2024, or if she steps down for other reasons. McGuire, who is up for re-election this year, is eligible to serve through 2026.

“It’s immensely important to the North Coast that our state senator is in such a prominent role in leadership in the Legislature; at a minimum, it means that our needs and perspectives are articulated and considered in every piece of legislation that the Senate considers on the floor,” Burkhalter told the Journal.

The sprawling Second District — stretching from Marin County to the Oregon border — faces some of the greatest challenges in California, McGuire said, but it’s also a resilient community.

“I’m going to fight for the state and I’m also going to have a laser focus on tackling some of those critical issues in rural California: childhood poverty, homelessness, wildfires, our climate crisis, affordable housing,” McGuire said.

On the local level, McGuire points to his office’s work to secure state funds toward those ends, including the creation of a mental health crisis center in Eureka and permanent housing units with wraparound services for those facing homelessness, as well as backing for the nursing programs at College of the Redwoods and Cal Poly Humboldt.

McGuire said he was thrilled to see the state’s $433 million investment to transition Humboldt State University into Cal Poly Humboldt, the state’s third polytechnic campus and the only one in the northern reaches of California, calling last week’s official designation “historic.”

“It’s a game changer for the campus community, it’s a game changer for the regional economy and the entire North Coast,” he said.

Efforts are also underway to increase broadband access to the rural reaches of the state by extending fiber optic lines along highway right of ways, McGuire said, noting he believes the North Coast, which has more households without internet service than other parts of California, will be “happy with what they are going to see in the coming 12 months.”

On a statewide level, McGuire, who co-chairs the Senate Climate Action Working Group, said California needs to lead the nation in combating the climate crisis, adding that Atkins is advancing the “most aggressive policy and budget package the state has seen” on the subject.

“Our climate crisis must be at the top of the priorities list here in the state and throughout the nation,” he said.

And with wildfires becoming a year-round threat to Californians’ lives and livelihoods, with each new season eclipsing the past, the state needs to build upon last year’s historic investment in wildfire prevention, preparedness and response, McGuire said.

To that end, McGuire said, the state needs to address the CalFire firefighter shortage that left crews stretched desperately thin last year as blazes broke out across the state. Staffing at the agency “peaked in 1975, before I was born,” McGuire said. “We are in the era of megafire and we don’t have the personnel to keep up with the current demand.”

Since taking office, McGuire said that in addition to devastating wildfires and extreme droughts, he’s also seen his district weather floods and now the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Why I love where we live is even in our most darkest days, the North Coast is incredibly innovative — we never give up, we never give in and we’re all in this together,” McGuire said.

That outlook is one McGuire hopes can be translated to the state level as California prepares to tackle the next set of challenges ahead.

“I think it’s a unique opportunity for all of us to work together and my bottom line is I don’t care if someone is a Republican or a Democrat,” he said. “We’re Californians first and my focus is on ensuring the future of the North Coast and the Golden State is bright.”

Kimberly Wear is the digital editor at the Journal. Reach her at 442-1400, extension 323, or kim@northcoastjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @kimberly_wear.

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Autumn begins this month and with it the beauty of the colorful, falling leaves, the softer sunlight and the slowly disappearing summer blooms and crops.

Now is the time to plan and execute in dry and warm weather all the projects that were postponed during the summer, including such large projects.

Here are a few that could be on your hit list.

• Clean the garage. Take a weekend away, collect big bags or boxes and order a garbage box if necessary, then put on your favorite music. If you can’t stand doing the garage on your own, swap favors with a friend or hire someone to help you.

Pull out everything that has been collected over time and assess whether it is worth keeping. If not, donate, sell, or toss it. It’s liberating.

Consider adding a garage floor for the things that are impossible to part with or buy, or build a garden shed for outdoor gear, toys, or bikes.

When the garage doesn’t need cleaning, there may be a room in the house where invisible, disregarded items gather. Whatever space it is, challenge yourself to clear it. You will feel great afterwards.

• Check your roof for broken tiles or damaged shingles. While you are up there, you may want to clear the gutters if they are not protected by foliage protection.

• Finish any painting project, whether it’s house cladding, an interior or a piece of furniture, before it rains.

Andy Templeton / Orange County Register

Take some time to clean your garage.

• Check your fence line. Make sure the posts and boards are sturdy enough to withstand winter storms so that you can breathe easily the next time you surface.

• Consider collecting rainwater in a barrel or cistern this winter. According to the Marin Municipal Water District, “just 1 inch of rain on a 1,000-square-foot roof produces 600 gallons of runoff” that can be used for irrigation. You can find the discount program for water production on the MMWD website.

• Hire a chimney sweep to inspect and clean your chimney. Sweeps are generally affordable and well worth the price for your safety.

• Clean and store the items used for summer entertainment such as floats, umbrellas, pillows, beach chairs and towels, and barbecues.

• Fall is also a good time to inspect and clean large appliances such as the oven and dryer opening. A handyman can do this if you can’t.

• The garden changes with the season. If you’re visiting the local plant nursery over the next few months, look for cool-season annuals to spice up your yard.

Put them in pretty garden pots near the front stairs or door for a nice welcome. They will also add pops of color when added to a garden bed or used as underplanting for larger plants. Remember to fertilize them during the season.

• Also upgrade your welcome mat if she needs it.

• Check the condition and structure of the trees in your landscape. If they don’t look healthy, or if the branches look dangerous or need to be thinned, hire an arborist if it is not safe for you to self-medicate. You won’t worry about branches falling down in the next storm.

Photo by Elizabeth Jardina

Look for flowers for the cooler season to spice up your garden.

• Fall is perfect for planting spring onions. If you see them in bulk at garden centers, splurge and plant them en masse for the best effect in the garden.

If you like the look of forced amaryllis or daffodil during the holidays, stock up on them when you see them too.

• Maintain your fertilizing, weeding and spraying routine as needed to maintain a healthy landscape.

• Learn from experts this fall and be inspired. Join a gardening club or take in-person or virtual classes offered by local nurseries and organizations.

Indicate

If you have a beautiful or interesting Marin garden or a newly designed Marin house I would love to hear about it.

Please send an email describing one (or both) what you love most about it and a photo or two. I will publish the very best in the next few columns. Your name will be published and you must be over 18 and a resident of Marin.

PJ Bremier writes on home, garden, design and entertainment topics every Saturday. She can be contacted at PO Box 412, Kentfield 94914, or at pj@pjbremier.com.

The post Now’s the time to get your private home and backyard prepared for winter – Marin Impartial Journal appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Even before the cause of the deadly campfire is cleared, California lawmakers are drafting laws to protect PG&E from massive fire-related liabilities.

“We want to send a signal to the financial markets that we are not going to let the utilities flutter in the wind,” said Kellie Smith, chief adviser to the state committee on utilities and energy, on Tuesday. The bill is expected to be introduced by Los Angeles County’s Democratic Rep. Chris Holden, who chairs its main legislative body.

The bill is expected to protect major California investor-owned utilities from wildfires.

“What a happy Thanksgiving gift for PG&E shareholders, directors, and executives to enjoy this holiday weekend as over 12,000 Butte County residents spend Thanksgiving in shelters, tents, or their cars, with some mourning their deaths or despair over their missing “Said Senator Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, a frequent critic of PG&E, on Tuesday.

The idea behind the expected legal framework would be to ensure that financial liabilities resulting from destructive forest fires in 2018 like the Camp Fire in Butte County don’t destabilize a major utility like PG&E.

Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 901, a comprehensive law to end past, present, and future California wildfires, in September, brushing aside criticism that the move was a bailout for PG&E that came with a troubling mountain of inferno-related liabilities is facing the the Wine Country and other regions in October 2017.

This bill created a smoother way for state regulators and PG&E to pass costs on to the company’s customers with higher monthly utility bills. SB 901 requires the powerful state commission on public utilities to conduct a stress test to determine the maximum amount a utility and its shareholders can bear without going bankrupt. SB 901 contained a narrow provision to include the wine country fire storms, a number of which were believed to be caused by PG&E devices.

The new legislation appears to address the bug in SB 901 that primarily applied to fire liabilities in 2017 and potential fires in 2019 and years thereafter, but not specifically applicable to fire disasters in 2018.

“There will be a time and a place for all of this, but for now PG&E is solely focused on helping first responders and helping our customers recover and rebuild,” said PG&E spokeswoman Andrea Menniti on Tuesday.

Ultimately, the legislation is designed to prevent a utility company from going bankrupt in connection with the forest fires, and that protects customers, Smith said.

“When a utility goes bankrupt, it will do a lot more harm to tariff payers than this mechanism we create to make the utility pay until it hurts,” said Smith. “The idea is to make the utilities pay until it hurts.”

San Francisco-based PG&E is using the specter of bankruptcy to alert state lawmakers and regulators to come to the rescue, Hill says.

“PG&E is using the bankruptcy bogeyman to scare lawmakers,” Hill said. “You could have a PG&E payment plan for many years, which BP did after the Gulf oil spill. Instead, PG&E is always looking for the easy way out, no matter how many people are affected. “

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