23rd annual easter egg hunt june 2 community...

MARK YOUR CALENDARS Santa Venetia Neighborhood Association May/June 2015

June2 – Community Meeting, presentation by Gabriella Calicchio, the new director of the Marin Center. Korean Church, 7pm, Rosal Way and Adrian Way.

2 – After Meeting, around 8:15pm: Medical Marijuana Dispensary presentation with Alex Boggio of Delta 11.

13 – 2nd Sat. Medians Workday, 9am-noon. Call Nanni for meeting location, 472-3269.

11 – Las Gallinas Sanitary District public hearing on proposed sewer rates and connection fees.

28 – Annual Splash Day - Northbridge Pool Party

July1-5 – Marin County Fair

2 – Fireworks Viewing Party, Santa Margarita Island Bridge, hot apple cider, 8:45pm.

4 – Santa Venetia Marsh Stroll, 10am-1pm. Meet across from old McPhailis school.

11 – 2nd Sat. Medians Workday, 9am-noon. Call Nanni for meeting location, 472-3269.

11 – JCC Summer Nights Outdoor Concert Series starts this evening.

24,25,26 – Learn how to Make a Mosaic on the Pueblo Park Art Wall. Daily shifts: 10:30am -1:30pm; 1:30-5:30pm

August8 – 2nd Sat. Medians Workday, 9am-noon. Call Nanni for meeting location, 472-3269.

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June 2 Community Meeting• SVNA Community Meeting: Tuesday, June 2 at 7pm – Join us as we welcome Gabriella C. Calicchio, the new Director for the Marin County Department of Cultural and Visitor Services (she took the place of Jim Farley who retired last year). Gabri-ella will speak about the activities at the County, the Marin Center, and the upcoming Marin County Fair. And as a special treat, she will be bringing Fair posters, Marin Center signature cups, and some Fair passes and/or vouchers for the upcoming Marin Center Presents season. Don't miss this meeting! Come and show your support.• SVNA Community After-Meeting: Tuesday, June 2 at 8:15pm – As reported in the Marin IJ (http://tinyurl.com/lagkl4z), a Medical Marijuana Dispensary business, has leased the building at 70 San Pablo Avenue (across from the SV Market). Last month, the SVNA Board and Community Plan Committee was invited to an on-site meeting with the building owner and the business owner, Alex Boggio of Delta 11. Alex will be presenting at our 8:15pm (special) meeting so you have a chance to meet him, get a virtual tour of the new facility and his plans, and get answers to your questions and concerns. Please join us.• All meetings include Working Committee presentations regarding our Watershed, Community Plan, Neighborhood Beautification, Social Activities, Traffic, Parks, and more. All residents welcome. Meetings are held at the Korean Presbyte-rian Church, 635 Adrian Way at Rosal Way.

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23rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt• Monica Walsh and Norma NovyWhat a beautiful, sunny day to spend with our neigh-bors at the 23rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt in Castro Park. The hunt was sponsored by James A. Walsh Real Estate and the SVNA. This was the third annual Special Adult Division — because adults are special too!A special thanks goes out to volunteers Linda Wong, Rich McGrath, Sylvia Lakeman, Daphne Ahlenius, Russ Greenfield, and Dennis & Valerie Bortoli for their eggceptional work both setting up and clean-ing up. And a basket full of jumpin’ good thoughts to Greg Martinez at Astro Jump of North Bay. Rachel Yacob was again an excellent and enthusiastic Easter Bunny, leading young and old alike in warm-up exercises. And, yes, the jumpy house was popular and Julia Walsh did a very good job ensuring all the kids were safe.It was great to see that many young families have moved into the neighborhood and that there were twice as many toddlers as older kids. Here are some of the highlights: approximately 8 dozen kids with 40 dozen eggs; 3 dozen adults with 8 dozen eggs.The donuts and coffee were great, and were enjoyed during and after the hunt. Thank you to all the children who waited patiently until the young hunts were done to ensure that there were donuts for everyone! A big thank you to Jim Walsh from all of Santa Venetia for organizing this happy event year after year. P.S. Jim is always appreciative of referrals to sell or buy a home anywhere in Marin!

Gabriella C. Calicchio

SVNA COMMittee CONtACtS

2 S V N A C o M M u N i C Ato R M Ay / J u N e 2 01 5

DENNIS BORTOLI [email protected] 415-479-0167

NICOLE CIBELLIS-ANDREWS nicolecibellis_andrews @yahoo.com 415-225-6115

LEAh ELAMIN [email protected] 415-717-3326

GINA hAGEN [email protected] 415-377-3377

LINDA WONG [email protected], 415-205-1661

SVNA BOArD OFFiCerS & MeMBerS

• Bella Santa Venetia: LEAh ELAMIN• Land Use: MARK WALLACE• Median Crew: NANNI WURL• Membership: LINDA LEVEy• Neighborhood Watch: NORMA NOVy• Newsletter: LINDA LEVEy• SV Community Plan: BONNIE MONTE, [email protected]• Social Activities: NICOLE CIBELLIS-ANDREWS • Traffic & Roads: GARy ROBARDS, [email protected]• Traffic Safety: BOBBy GADDy [email protected]• Watershed: RUSS GREENfIELD

ADViSOry BOArDS• Dredging (CSA #6): ChRIS DEIBEL, 415-479-9013, [email protected]• Emergency Services (CSA #19): MARK WALLACE, NANNI WURL• Flood Control Zone (FCZ #7): JACKIE GARCIA, jacqueline. [email protected], 415-492-1898, RUSS GREENfIELD• Parks (CSA #18): GINA hAGEN, NANNI WURL

Santa Venetia Neighborhood Association PO Box 4047, San Rafael, CA 94913-4047 www.thesvna.org

The deadline for articles and ads for the July/August issue is July 1, 2015. Email text to editor Linda Levey, [email protected], 415-499-3411. Put SVNA in the subject line of email.Advertising rates Paid-up SVNA resi-dents can advertise and support The Communicator. Buy a 3-9/16 x 2" ad. Ads in the big Jan/feb issue are $60 and gets mailed to all 1700 homes; ads in the other 5 issues are $30 each. Pay one issue at a time or get one free issue by paying year in advance. Only $180 for the whole year, 6 issues, and receive fREE 4-color on the SVNA website and in the display case. for ad specs, contact Norma Novy, normanovy@ comcast.net, 415-499-9409.

NeWSLetter SuBMiSSiONS

Santa Venetia Neighborhood Association Mission StatementTo preserve and promote the quality of life of the Santa Venetia community. This is achieved through encouraging healthy social interaction; facilitating the flow of information; and protecting the natural beauty and economic well being of the community.

Photo credits: Linda Levey, Norma Novy, Grace Dearborn, Marin IJ, Carol Bryant, Dennis Bortoli • Thanks to Ann Thompson for the Communicator masthead design, to Jok Church for the original SV logo design, and to Joel Lau for revising it. Articles in this newsletter represent the opinions and ideas of the authors, and may not reflect the views of SVNA or its board. While this newsletter aims to best represent information that is useful to the community, please note that SVNA reserves the right to edit submissions for both accuracy and clarity.

President NORMA NOVy [email protected], 415-499-9409

Vice-President RUSS GREENfIELD [email protected] 415-578-2580

Treasurer LINDA LEVEy [email protected] 415-499-3411

Past President MARK WALLACE mark.t.wallace @gmail.com

Board Member Emerita NANNI WURL 415-472-3269

From the President

Dear Friends,Here's a new picture that husband Hank took of me on a walk in Miwok Meadows. I was stand-ing in the middle of the giant tree trunk feeling the vibes and inhaling the energy of green leaves. On the path into the Meadows, we saw a pair of egrets and a single duck fishing in a small pond. Our last Community Meeting (March 31) was

graced by Brigitte Moran, the Executive Director of the AIM Farmers Markets. She presented the plans that have been developed for our be-loved Civic Center Market and they and she were impressive! Our next Community Meeting is June 2 will feature Gabriella C. Calicchio, the new Director for the Marin County Department of Cultural and Visitor Services and she'll be bearing gifts and perks! Don't miss this meeting! the After Meeting will be very interesting, too. We'll find out about the state-of-the-art Medical Marijuana Dispensary that wants to open across from the Santa Venetia Market. The SVNA Board took a tour a few weeks ago and I was very intrigued and reassured by the set-up.I have a challenge for all of Santa Venetia: Join a Resilient Neigh-borhoods Program team. The founder, Tamra Peters, needs two more households to join in with the other house-holds already committed to the new team. you'll have fun with your neighbors trying to figure out reducing vehicle mileage (bicy-cles, anyone?), calculate electric and gas usage, eliminate garbage and waste, cut back on air travel, calculate and reduce water usage. Thanks to Wayne's creativity, we named our team “Decarbonize da Hood.” i personally reduced 2,749 pounds of CO2 emissions and earned 7,800 resilience points...but the other team members earned much more than I did. Our team was comprised of (left to right) Russ Greenfield (thanks for driving the carpool, Russ), Dan Monte, Helen Sitchler, Bonnie Monte, Wayne Lechner, Dione Christensen, Norma Novy and Kate Fitzsimmons who earned the most points and a nice gift. Team mem-bers took turns bringing yummy snacks to share and during our last meeting we broke out the champagne and chocolate to celebrate!Saturday, June 6, 9am, is the start of the Santa Venetia Garden Exchange. Organized by Becky V. and her dog Lola, bring your plant starts, baked goods, extra Meyer lemons and bushels of zucchini to Pueblo Park. NOTE: I'm offering a class at the College of Marin in build-ing a Hugelkultur raised garden bed on buried wood on June 20 (COM) and 26 (my house, 33 Vendola Dr.). Intrigued? Check out the Urban Gardening section in the COM catalogue or see my notice on BigTent! Or, even better, stop by my house and check out the big raised bed that is growing squash, tomato, sunflower, melon, basil and cucumber plants. My husband used mostly used wood salvaged from Wayne and Dione's old raised bed to make the wooden frame. The internal, piled up wood was gathered from all over the neighborhood: Wayne's house, George across the street, a green box at the corner of Meadow, wood my sister Linda Novy gathered from Fairfax, and Daphne's old tree she cut down.I know that Linda Levey has written a tribute to Patty Garbarino and Marin Sanitary Service, but I'd like to add another thank you. My husband Hank and I have lived here 20 years and managed to accumu-late a fair amount of old and unuseable junk that dragged down the energy of our property. We are now living more in "present time" instead of the past. Best wishes to every one and a good grow-ing season,

S V N A C o M M u N i C Ato R M Ay / J u N e 2 01 5 3

Supporting Our High-Quality Local Schools• Supervisor Damon ConnollySince taking office in January, I’ve focused on potential opportunities for the County to play a greater role in supporting our local schools and ensuring an excellent education for the students

of District 1. Protecting quality public education is one of the most deeply held values in Marin County, and we are working to find new, creative solutions for some of the issues facing our schools, with the goal of helping to build on student success and promote a strong relationship between the schools and the community. Here are a few issues that we are currently working on in the Santa Venetia/Venetia Valley community.

Safe Routes to School One way that the County can contribute to local schools is by helping to facilitate safe routes to school, which can also relieve neighborhood traffic. Venetia Valley has been proactive in addressing traffic concerns on North San Pedro Road by partnering with Brandeis Hillel and the JCC Campus to stagger bell schedules and relieve traffic. We are picking up on the past work of several interested parties by working with the County, the Courts, the Safe Routes to School program, Venetia Valley and San Rafael City Schools (SRCS) to facilitate the use of the under-utilized Jury Parking Lot across from the Civic Center for a drop-off/pickup location for parents. We are also working with Safe Routes to School to address intersections of concern in the Terra Linda neighborhood by convening a comprehen-sive group of stakeholders and coming up with creative, agreed-upon solutions to increase student safety.

After School ProgramsVenetia Valley is in need of afterschool programs to serve 5th-8th grade students. We are working to build up and extend the programs currently offered by the Boys and Girls Club at Davidson Middle School to serve Venetia Valley as well. This means arranging for suit-able transportation and staffing to accommodate more students – which in turn means new costs to the program. We are exploring how the County can support funding these extended services. This would be a cost-effective solution offering Venetia Valley students important after-school support services that are currently unavailable to them, but are already enjoyed by Davidson students.

Venetia Valley Facilities Planning As the SRCS District goes through its facilities planning process in anticipation of a potential bond measure, we are pleased that they are taking an active approach to community outreach, and we are supporting this process. the SRCS District has hosted three community meetings – one more than ini-tially planned – to review plans for Venetia Valley, solicit feedback, and in turn present new amended plans based on this feedback. They’ve also dedicated staff to discussing plans with the community. If you have questions or concerns about facilities plans or the facility plan-ning process, please contact Christina Perrino at [email protected]. We are also happy to discuss facilities plans from a neighborhood per-spective in order to continue to support a successful planning process.

Supporting Our Schools as Best We CanWith experience serving on the Dixie School Board and strong working relationships with the leadership and communities of San Rafael City Schools, we are eager to examine any and all opportunities to sup-port our excellent local schools. I’m particularly interested in bringing computer/technology based courses and curriculum to Terra Linda High School, exploring how County services can support our schools in serving homeless or precariously housed students, and working on ways to extend wireless internet access to key areas allowing for essential student learning and homework outside the classroom for

Supervisor’s Corner • Spring 2015

Fun stuff to do• Linda Levey

In Our Parks our Park Rangers and Volunteers offer lots of wonder-ful things to do in our Marin County Parks. Rangers host a variety of family-friendly events for all ages and interests. They offer barbeques, bike rides, campfires, fishing derbies, horseback rides, interpretive hikes, outdoor safety and skills seminars, skateboard contests, stargazing, and more! Visit their calendar at http://www.marincountyparks.org/depts/pk/calendar.Santa Venetia Marsh Stroll - Saturday, July 4, 2015, 10am – 1pmMeet at the Vendola Drive entrance (across from the old McPhail’s School). Join Ranger Luke Bishop for a stroll around beautiful Santa Venetia Marsh. This low-intensity, one mile hike is a great introduction to exercise for all ages. This is a Healthy Parks, Healthy People event with support from Lift Levantate through a Measure A Breathe/Respira Community Grant. We have joined forces with HPHP and Lift Levan-tate because we share a common goal: To increase opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of our communities through exercise and healthy eating habits. this activity is easy. Wear comfortable athletic clothing and sturdy shoes. We will provide water and healthy snacks. Friendly dogs are welcome, but must be leashed. Heavy rain or high fire danger will cancel the event. Questions: Contact Ranger Luke Bishop at [email protected], 415-473-2816 or visit www.marincountyparks.org

Fun Stuff • Parks & Neighborhood

(415) 479-1070405 N. San Pedro Road

San Rafael

— in Santa Venetia — One Mile East of County Civic Center

[email protected]

S-S Dinner 4-9pm

Tu-f Lunch 11:30am-2pm Dinner 5-9pm

Closed Monday

students without home internet access. In particular, I consider Venetia Valley to be one of the most important neighborhood schools in my district, and look forward to a strong and beneficial relationship with our local school community around Venetia Valley. If you have education-related feedback, ideas, or thoughts, please reach out to my Aide Chris Callaway at [email protected].

Rocky’s Quality Meats & DeliF I N E W I N E & S P I R I T S • P R E PA R E D F O O D S • P R O D U C E • G R O C E R Y

Santa VenetiaMarket

Santa VenetiaMarket

Serving Marin Since 1979

48”

96”1/2” thick MDO (wood) with a vinyl print mounted to it.

Continued on page 5


CSA #18 Parks and Open Space

Pueblo Park Art Wall• Nancy PeakeDesign is under way on the tile mosaic to be installed on the low concrete wall adjacent to the tot play area at Pueblo Park. Mosaic artist Rachel Rodi is designing the mosaic and will be leading the volunteer effort to install the tile mosaic. Marin County Parks is working with the CSA #18 Advisory Board and the Santa Venetia Neighborhood Associa-tion to enlist participants for the installation which is scheduled for July 24, 25, and 26. All ages are welcome and no experience is needed. Participants will learn how to break and shape tile and make the mo-saic on Friday and Saturday, then grout on Sunday. We are planning on a morning shift from 10:30am to 1:30pm and an afternoon shift from 1:30pm to 5:30pm. But if you are having fun, please stay all day! There is a doodle link to sign up at http://doodle.com/kdyxq2x6zb3se6hk. For additional information, please contact the CSA #18 Advisory Board, the SVNA, or Senior Landscape Architect, Marin County Parks, at [email protected] or 415-473-2865.

Castro Park Update• Gina HagenThe design process for the Castro Park playground renovation is near-ing completion. If you are interested in volunteering to help with the playground renovation you can contact Nancy Peake at 415-473-2865 or [email protected]. The dates for the community work day are still to be determined but will likely be at some point late this summer.

AB Opening• Linda LeveyWe have an opening on the Advisory Board for CSA #18. our job is to advise Parks and Open Space staff and the Board of Supervisors on matters relating to projects and programs (a) that can be conducted with funding from the budget of County Service Area (“CSA”) #18; and (b) that affect County lands contained within the boundaries of CSA #18. Should you wish to volunteer for this Board, we would love to have you.

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Trim line placed on top of your design will not show up on the final print-out. We strongly recommend that you read the comments made by prepress regarding issues found or fix-ups made on your file(if any).

Bella Santa Venetia Update

• Leah elaminHere’s an update on projects to make Santa Venetia a more beautiful and healthy place to live!

Tarp Your Load OrdinanceEver notice the unsightly litter along some of Santa Venetia’s road-ways? There is a community effort underway by a small group of local residents to rid the county of this blight. They figured out that the main source of trash along the roads is coming from uncovered vehicles! They are working with Marin County to enact tighter county ordinances for uncovered or improperly covered loads since currently officers can cite a driver oNLy if they see the debris falling from the loaded truck. To learn more about this effort or join the group, visit: marincleanhighways.org.

Limiting Pesticides to help HoneybeesBefore you go out and buy nursery plants for your new native plant garden you may want to ask your nursery which plants have been treated with Neonicotinoid pesticide. Neonics are suspected of helping cause dramatic declines in honeybee populations. And these pesticides can’t be washed off because they have been coated onto the plant seed from the start and remain in the plant nectar and pol-len! Home Depot is now putting labels in nursery plants treated with Neonicotinoids and if you look around you will notice many, many plants have these tags!

A Shout Out and Thanks!To Warren Winters who has offered to donate funds for six Creep-ing Fig Vines and plant them in the Fall along the freshly painted cinder block wall on North San Pedro Road.

More Trees for our Neighborhood In an effort to create more shade, beauty and increase property values in our neighborhood SVNA wants to plant trees in our empty sidewalk tree wells. We are looking to provide free consultation, nurs-ery discounts, and planting/irrigation help for neighbors who want street trees in front of their homes! you can contact me via email, [email protected].

Happy – The movie. The movement.• Michael “Doc” Pritchard (http://www.michaelpritchard.com)

Great neighborhoods are created. Some young Dyslexic kid taught me that reactive and creative were the same letters. Santa Venetia is a wonderful village of good people—connected, protected, and in unity of community. We help beautify our islands in the road, we police ourselves. We look out for seniors and our special needs folks. Normal is just a setting on a dryer but so is Gentle! Let’s be thoughtful and respectful. Recent road rage ain’t going to make it better. Three steps to help temper! 1. Anger is Ego!!! Let it go. Nobody can get your goat unless you show them where it’s tied. 2. Who cares, don’t play angry tag! 3. you don’t, no one does look good in orange jumpsuit! Think, don’t make a Sheriff’s day harder. Be the calm, psalm. Mindful and Kindfull. Too much inflamed entitleditus leads to arrogant bully-ing! We are a working class village—respect other’s lives and families. Be Happiness by living happily. Happy villages raise happy kids.


• Linda LeveyThank you to all of you who have sent in your SVNA membership renewals. If you haven’t yet done so, remember – you have to do it an-nually. Send in your check… or renew on BigTent… but just do it!

More Members = More Communication = More Power as a Community.

A warm Santa Venetia WeLCoMe to new SVNA members: Dick Enersen and Allison & Bret Uppendahl.And THANKS to those neighbors that have donated extra: Tom & Crista Cheap, Roy Fidler, Rick & Ellen Helms, Colleen Johnson, Diana King, Patricia L. Moezzi, Barbara Rahe & Leonard Thanos, Helen & Carl Sitchler, Jill Thomas, Allison & Bret Uppendahl, and Helmut Winkelhake. If you paid your membership via check but wish to be on BigTent, you need to join or renew directly on the site. When it comes to the pay-ment section, just put in “check” and i will okay you.The SVNA Board has been discussing garbage left on the side of the road for the last few years. We’ve worked with the County and among ourselves to find a solution to this problem. We have some diligent neighbors that pick up this garbage and take it to the dump (Rich Mc-Grath, Mary Hanley, Dennis Bortoli, and more) but Russ Greenfield stepped up to the plate contacting the Marin Sanitary Service to ex-plore the possibility of getting an annual or semi-annual “bulky items” pick-up day. I wanted to make sure to acknowledge him for getting this done but I can’t say it better than Norma did in an email:

“Thank you, Russ, for your diligence in working to get the massive garbage pick-up done. Tad (Inouye) and I met outside on the street this am to witness the miracle on Vendola Avenue. Twenty years of garbage GONE! I couldn’t be more happy. And what a lift this has given to our whole neighborhood! I can feel the lightening of the garbage load and the increase in enthusiasm around me.”

So again, thank you to Russ and thank you to Patty Garbarino and The Marin Sanitary Service.Join together with the SVNA to make/keep our neighborhood the best it can be. So many SVNA volunteers work to make our neighborhood a great place to live. your memberships and donations help to fund our volunteer efforts.

SVNA Membership

Your Ticket to a Better Community

In Memory of Edgar Perry Bryant• Sue AndersonEd (Edgar Perry) “Smiley” Bryant and his wife Carol moved to Santa Venetia in 1967, and became valued and active members of this community. Ed made a positive impact on so many, including his family: son Reginald, daughter Lisa (Jessie) Baggerly, and son Kevin (deceased), his grandkids, nieces, and nephews, the“kids” in the neighborhood, the fire fighters in his company, and the “young” firefighters who, with so many others, know the “Legend of Smiley!”As a youth in Indiana when Ed wasn’t pursuing athletics, mainly football and basketball, he could be seen hunting or fishing in the woods around Noblesville. Seeking better opportunities, Ed moved from Indianapolis to San Francisco in 1957. He drove a Muni bus and was a San Francisco airport policeman. That same pioneering spirit was put to good use when “eB” combined his love of reading with his exceptional athletic abilities (semi-pro football) to become the second African-American to join the San Francisco Fire Dept. in 1967. During his 34-year career at the SFFD, “Steady eddie” and Carol managed to raise their family with all the varied hobbies and interests: music, dance, driving vacations, fishing, sporting events and along the way Ed became a scoutmaster, scuba diver, Little League coach, mentor and Big Brother. Overall, a HUGE loveable presence and an incredible friend!Retiring in 1990 from the fire department at the rank of lieutenant, “the Big e,” with his “first love Carol,” took to his second love, seeing the world! Tahiti, Haiti, Cuba, winters in Jamaica, building a home on Maui tropical islands, were his favorites, with China, Hong Kong, Russia, Ger-many, Spain, Italy, the Gambia, Senegal, Tanzania, Egypt and Columbia, to name some, also making the list! Sadly, ed passed away at home in San Rafael on March 4th, 2015. Fam-ily, friends, and many firefighters filled the United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco to celebrate Ed’s life on March 21. Many who spoke that day told of their love of Ed: a man who was a wonderful husband, father, friend, role model, AND a true trickster (who would get you when you least expected it!) Also, several of those former “kids” spoke of how he was always there for them, no matter what – sometimes when their own fathers weren’t – that he really helped raise them to be good people, showing them what a strong person was by his example!one of those “kids” wrote Carol a letter after ed’s death, sharing:

”Besides being my baseball coach and a mentor, Ed was always one of the ‘cool Dads’ that everyone wanted to be around. With my real father having passed away, I secretly wished Ed was my Dad. I realize of course, I am definitely not the only kid in ‘Scabo’ to hold that thought. And if all this wasn’t enough, Ed had to be the funniest and best story teller I had ever heard! But it was Ed’s serious side that had an even larger impact on me. During one of my darkest times, he spent the day with me, sharing his wisdom and insight. I came away feeling more confident in myself and with the knowledge that feeling sorry for myself was more self-destructive than productive. I’ll never forget Ed asking me, ‘What would your father expect from you?’ I have lived by that mantra my entire life.”

Everyone who knew Ed will miss him terribly, but will go on with the many, many wonderful memories of him, a.k.a. “Smiley,” “eB,” “Steady eddie,” “the Big e!”

COmmUNity meetiNg • June 2, 7pm • Gabriella C. Calicchio, Director, Marin County Department of Cultural and Visitor Services. AFter meetiNg 8:15pm: Medical Marijuana Dispensary presentation with Alex Boggio of Delta 11.

Korean Presbyterian Church, Rosal Way and Adrian Way

At the Civic CenterEvents at the Marin Center are ongoing and the calendar can be viewed here: http://www.marincounty.org/depts/cu/calendar. Marin County Fair (July 1 through July 5) is just around the corner and the calendar can be viewed here: http://www.marinfair.org/2015. And if you plan on entering the Fair this year, please share your “wins” with us so we can brag about you within our community!

AT THE JCCThe Summer Nights Outdoor Concert Series begins July 11. View this and more online at http://www.marinjcc.org/events/performing-arts.

Fun stuff to do Continued from page 3


Venetia Valley School K-8

• Grace Dearborn, [email protected]

Dr. Suess Day Venetia Valley’s school spirit shined in March for Dr. Seuss Day. This day included Dr. Seuss themed literacy activities cel-ebrating the written and spoken words of Dr. Seuss. It also highlighted the values of Dr. Suess’ work, values that we share as a school commu-nity. The school spirit and enthusiasm this day evoked was contagious as students unlocked their creativity taking part in expressive read-alouds, a classroom door decorating contest, pajama parades, slimy whimsy, and out of the box art and writing projects.

Our Darling Daughters Over 40 couples (and several full families) TK - 8th grade attended the spring Darling Daughter Dance. It was a magical night where all in attendance were dressed to impress and our little ladies of Venetia Valley felt a special connection to the grown up

they brought as their date. Many thanks to the parents who donated treats and drinks. And a special shout out to our AMAZING DJ (and VV Parent) Adan Flores Martinez for donating his services. This event helped to raise enough funds to cover 1/5 of our Garden Enrichment budget.

G.A.T.E. VV’s after school enrichment classes have been a big hit this spring. From hip-hop dance to Green Team, creativity and learning are thriving. And in the G.A.T.E. classes, real word skills are being applied. For example, in Mr. Dominquez’s 6th Grade Digital Media G.A.T.E. Class students created a marketing video for Ms. DeBaere’s “i’m A Writer!” class. The young writers, in grades 1-3, were filmed and interviewed by the 6th graders, and then the footage was edited and music was added to create the videos.The 8th grade G.A.T.E. program partnered with the National Park Service and Baker university to study the tardigrades of Muir Woods. Tardigrades are microscopic animals that live in a watery environment throughout the world, and may be found in lichen and moss. They are about the size of the period at the end of this sentence, and are con-sidered the world’s hardiest animals. And they are extremely cute and slow moving. Perfect specimens for eighth graders to study!Our students are working with Dr. William Miller, a renowned tar-digrade expert and research associate of Cal Academy. Students have collected moss and lichen habitat from Santa Margarita Island and Muir Woods. through microscopes in Ms. Peck’s classroom, the stu-dents are searching for tardigrades in this new area of the world and adding to Dr. Miller’s worldwide database of tardigrade knowledge.

Teen Leadership Under the guidance of Jennifer Lucko, an associate professor at Dominican University, Rebecca Hornthal, VV’s “Cross-ing the Street” Liaison, and Rabbi Elana, a small group of VV middle school students have been meeting with students from Brandeis Hil-lel Day School/Rodef Sholom Synagogue once a week after school in an effort to build cross-cultural communication and collaboration skills. During these leadership sessions, students share about their lives, learn about civic responsibility, and make plans to take action to improve their communities.

A HIGH SCHOOL THAT FITS YOU.Proudly located in the Santa Venetia Neighborhood150 N. San Pedro Road | San Rafael | CA 94903 www.themarinschool.org

San Rafael City School District Plans - changes are a comin’• Grace Dearborn, [email protected] San Rafael School District has been holding facilities meetings with parents, administrators, teachers, neighbors, and district person-nel to discuss the future of the district. The gist is that the student population in San Rafael is projected to increase significantly in the next 10 years, and the facilities we currently have will not be sufficient to house and teach them all. Many potential plans for expansion are in discussion, but consensus seems to be moving towards Venetia Valley playing a central role in the changes to come. Venetia Valley has the most unused acreage of any school in the district and is therefore in the best physical position to expand in some way. This will certainly include our middle school expanding in size, to take the overflow from Davidson. An additional elementary school will likely need to open as well, and much talk has been around remodeling Las Gallinas and opening it as a new K-5. But no final decisions have been made yet. If you’d like to be part of the conversation, please contact Chris Thomas ([email protected]) at the San Rafael City Schools District office.

North San Pedro road traffic update• Gary Robards

North San Pedro Road Highway 101 Interchange ImprovementsOn April 30, 2015, Supervisor Damon Connolly organized a meeting regarding modifying the North San Pedro Road to provide two through westbound lanes through the interchange to reduce westbound traf-fic backups on North San Pedro Road. Also attending the meeting were Marin County Public Works Director Paul Rojas, Marin County Engineers Craig Tackaberry, Bob Goralka, San Rafael City Manager Nancy Mackle and acting San Rafael Public Works Director Kevin McGowan. It was great having representatives of both the County of Marin and the City of San Rafael acknowledge that this is a problem and discussing possible solutions and constraints. This would be an expensive project since Caltrans would likely require additional im-provements so the main problems are money, and time. Also discussed was the interchange on the other side of the highway at Merrydale Road. the City of San Rafael Public Works Department will continue to evaluate the problem.

Improvements to Path between the Jury Parking Lot and Venetia Valley SchoolOn March 9, 2015 a Traffic Committee meeting was held at the San Rafael City School District Administration Building. the main item of discussion was the proposed pathway improvements (unspecified at this time) between the Marin County Jury Parking Lot and the Roos-evelt entrance to Venetia Valley School. It was decided to try to pursue this idea. We hope that more people will use the Jury Parking Lot to drop their children off and avoid driving on North San Pedro Road.

Join the SVNA Online with BigTentSign-up at www.bigtent.com/groups/svna. Get current neighborhood info, join interest groups and forums.


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Collect ”general mills Box Tops for Education” and ”Campbell Labels for Education” to support programs at Venetia Valley School

The Venetia Valley School is still participating in both programs. The box tops are worth 10 cents each and are used to fund field trips for all grade levels. Campbell product label points are used to obtain PE and playground equipment, recess equipment, and music and art supplies for our school. Contact Tes Robards, 507-0375 for more info. Labels and box tops can be dropped off at the school's main office. v

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Las gallinas Valley Sanitary Sewer District public hearing• Susan McGuire, Administrative Services Manager, 415-472-1734The Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary Sewer District will hold a public hearing on proposed annual increases to its sewer service charge rates over the next five years on Thursday, June 11, 2015 - 6pm at the District’s treatment plant, 300 Smith Ranch Road, San Rafael.This public hearing replaces the one previously scheduled for May 28th, which has been cancelled. Property owners were mailed a May 28 hearing notice; the District subsequently made changes to the required public notice to clarify how rates are calculated for multi-family living units. A revised notice of public hearing was mailed to all property owners in the District on April 27.Sewer service charges fund all District services including mainte-nance, replacement, and updating of aging sewer system facilities to meet new stringent regulatory requirements. Increases are being proposed in order to continue to make critical improvements to District facilities which will help protect public health, safeguard the environment, and avoid costly regulatory fines. The proposed increases will fund a $33 million upgrade of the sewage treatment plant; major rehabilitation and improvements to the sewer pipeline collection system, pump stations, and force mains; improvements and increased maintenance of the reclamation area including levees and public trails; and general upgrades and repairs to the District facilities and equipment. Please plan on attending the Public Hearing for a presentation on the proposed rate changes, and an opportunity to provide input for Board consideration. Reports and more information are available at the District offices and at www.lgvsd.org.

Santa Venetia resident Bassam Habal is accepting new students for 2015 who are passionate about learning guitar or bass.Former instructor for 6 years with the Boston School of Rock, teaching a variety of ages and skill levels, he is currently an instructor at the San Mateo School of Rock. Whether it's playing your favorite song, improvising, writing songs or taking your current knowledge and playing to the next level, he will get you there. Lessons are designed to be fun and inspire the student. Lessons are 45 minutes to an hour for $45. Call for availability—813-739-9188 or email [email protected]

Guitar & Bass Lessons


Keep an eye on the Big-Tent Forums for up-to-the-minute information…This is a list of current and ongoing projects that we are aware of in Santa Venetia. Now is the time to get involved, before the projects are built, not after. If you have an interest in the outcome of any of these building projects, and you should, please contact the SVNA Land Use Commit-tee and/or the appropriate parties:As well, visit http://tinyurl.com/ln8rvfn and click on “North San Rafael” to review open projects in North San Rafael (or other areas). you can subscribe to this page and get updates whenever there is a new project in our area (or in all of Marin!)

Buck’s Landing (Launching) – Talks started almost a year ago about the possibility of procuring this site for Parks and Open Space, but noth-ing concrete happened. But lately, there’s been a lot of chatter about Buck’s on the various internet sites with confirmations of a sale of the property. So we asked our Supervisor Damon Connolly about the status and have this to report: “Buck’s Landing has been purchased by Gallinas Landing LLC. The County remains interested in the property for the purposes of public use and open space, and will work with the relevant parties to explore options towards these goals.”Civic Center Station and Civic Center Drive Improvements – Plans are moving forward for “a gateway providing pedestrian, bike and car access between the Civic Center, Marin Center, Lagoon Park, the fair-grounds and a new SMARt station while improving safety, accessibility and traffic circulation. the project includes a “roundabout” traffic circle in front of Marin Center at Memorial, Civic Center and Peter Behr drives that will slow traffic.” in February, Supervisors approved the Negative Declaration of Environmental Impact. For more information: http://tinyurl.com/pujuvdz.Gallinas Watershed Program - SVNA Contact: Russ Greenfield, [email protected]. Marin County Contact: Laurie L. Williams, Senior Planner/Watershed GiS, [email protected]. As you probably know, with the participation of Santa Venetia (CSA #6 and FCZ #7), Marin County included Gallinas Creek in their watershed program a few years ago. Their website is chockfull of interesting and informative information. you can see agendas and minutes for our Dredging and Flood Advisory Boards, various reports and maps, and other interesting tidbits. As well, they just added a link to their newsletter archives. To see a plethora of information, including their newsletter archives, visit: http://tinyurl.com/p4zsetg. once there, you can also read the “updated Santa Venetia Dock Report” prepared by GWC.Marin Osher JCC – JCC Contact: Scott L. Hochstrasser, [email protected], 415-459-6224. Members of the SVNA, SVNA Board, and Communi-ty Plan Committee met last June with Rob epstein and Scott Hochstras-ser, who has “been retained to assist Marin JCC with current and future land use and environmental planning needs.” they also mentioned their “current and future concept plans for the MJCC campus”. We still have not been apprised of specific plans for the site, but interested persons can contact the SVNA Land Use Committee or check the BigTent Land use Group for postings. We’ll share what, if anything, we find out.McPhail’s School Site – SVNA Contact: Linda Levey, [email protected]. SRCS Contact: Chris thomas, CBo, [email protected], 415-492-3257. the McPhail’s Working Group remains dedicated to keeping this site and field as a neighborhood park and resource, as well as protecting the seasonal wetlands. If you are interested in being involved, ap-prised, and/or updated as to the status of this property, contact [email protected] to be added to our email distribution list. As well, SRCS is conducting visioning meetings for their Master Facilities Plan

but has not included the McPhail’s site. you can view the “Pre-Planning Survey for McPhail’s at this link: http://tinyurl.com/mkqs3ro. Feel free to contact the SRCS (Christina Perrino at [email protected]) to inquire about their plans for this site.)Oxford Valley SiteSVNA Contact: Mark Wal-lace, [email protected]. Montessori Schools continues to try to find a

buyer for this property. We would like nothing more than to save it as open space for the neighborhood or to find a buyer who will respect the valley. If you are interested in this site, please let us know to be included in any future meetings or mailings. As well, we will continue to post any new information we receive on BigTent.San Rafael Airport Soccer Complex/Recreational Facility - San Rafael City Contact: Kraig tambornini, Planner, [email protected], 415-485-3092. the San Rafael Airport Recreation Facility project was approved by the San Rafael City Council in De-cember of 2012. The project is moving forward so keep your eyes open for future City of San Rafael meetings regarding hours of operation, lighting, and safety measures.Santa Venetia Alleyways – SVNA Contact: Alex Kahl, [email protected]. There has been a lot of chatter about all the alleyways that run behind the homes of Santa Venetia. Encroachment is an issue on these paths that are used for travel and access. Conversation has been ongo-ing with neighbors and the county and if you are interested in partici-pating in (or even better leading) the conversation, please contact Alex.Parking in Santa Venetia – The following sections of County code address long-term parking on roads within the unincorporated areas of the County. 15.36.030 - Seventy-two hour limit: It shall be unlawful to park a vehicle on a street or highway within the unincorporated area of county for a period in excess of seventy-two consecutive hours. Every vehicle parked in violation of this section shall be guilty of an infrac-tion and punishable by a fine not exceeding seventy-seven dollars. 15.36.040 - Removal of violating vehicles: Any member of the Cali-fornia Highway Patrol or any regularly employed and salaried deputy of the county sheriff’s office is authorized to remove to the nearest garage any vehicle which has been parked or left standing upon a street or highway within the unincorporated territory in Marin County for seventy-two or more consecutive hours.Traffic in Santa Venetia – SVNA Contact: Gary Robards, [email protected]. the San Rafael City School District heads the North San Pedro Road traffic Committee and is working on ideas and solutions to improve the flow of traffic in Santa Venetia. This commit-tee also includes the County of Marin, the City of San Rafael, osher Marin JCC, Venetia Valley School, and Santa Venetia Neighbors. We hope this collaboration will bring relief for our traffic problems and we thank Gary and the group for their time/energy. (See article on page 6.) Santa Venetia Community Plan – SVNA Contact: Bonnie Monte, [email protected]. County Contact: Christine Gimmler, [email protected]. This long-overdue document will establish what we value about our neighborhood and provide direction on what we want to preserve or improve, and what we would like to change. These guidelines will be invaluable when future issues arise affect-ing traffic, development, transportation, flooding, and more. Work continues with the Advisory Committee and County Staff to respond to direction from the Planning Commission and Board on the draft plan. Visit: www.marincounty.org/santavenetia for more information. SMART – “there’s a train Coming to town”. For info regarding plans for the rails and the Civic Center Station, here are a couple of links: www.cityofsanrafael.org/stationareaplans or www.sonomamarintrain.org/construction-updates. As well you can read about neighbors’ con-cerns, as this project progresses, at this site www.wearesanrafael.com.

Land Use Update 2015

gaspare’s – good Neighbors in Santa Venetia• Linda LeveyGaspare’s is the place to go for a wonder-ful meal AND to benefit the SVNA. So, the next time you are too tired to cook, need a special night out, are ready to celebrate, and/or have a yen for some delicious Italian food or pizza: order in or order out at Gaspare’s Pizzeria. And remember – mention the “SVNA” and they’ll donate 15% of your meal ticket to our neighborhood. A big THANK you to Danny, Gaspare, and Robin! v

Swing By After the Show!• Delicious Food & Great Prices • Family Style Dining

• Thin Crust Pizza • Extensive Italian Menu• Happy Hour 4:30-6:30pm Complimentary Appetizers• Dinner Sun-Thurs 4:30-10:30pm, Fri & Sat 4:30-11pm

• Plenty of Free Parking• Complete Dinners Ready to Take Out

• Have Your Next Party Here • Catering AvailableAcross from the Civic Center next to A & W

200 Merrydale Road • San Rafael • 415-472-7100www.GasparesPizza.com

Swing By After the Show!• Delicious Food & Great Prices • Family Style Dining

• Thin Crust Pizza • Extensive Italian Menu• Happy Hour 4:30-6:30pm Complimentary Appetizers• Dinner Sun-Thurs 4:30-10:30pm, Fri & Sat 4:30-11pm

• Plenty of Free Parking• Complete Dinners Ready to Take Out

• Have Your Next Party Here • Catering AvailableAcross from the Civic Center next to A & W

200 Merrydale Road • San Rafael • 415-472-7100www.GasparesPizza.com

From the Stacks

read to the rhythm @ your Library!• eva Patterson, Branch ManagerChildren and teens can share their pleasure of reading by joining the Marin County Free Library Summer Reading Programs. They are encouraged to “Read to the Rhythm” May 26 through August 22.Children earn one MCFL Book Buck for every 100 minutes they read (or are read to). the Book Buck can be used to “purchase” an item from the branch store. Book Bucks can be saved to purchase items at various levels. Kids can also donate their Bucks to our Giving Program. The Friends of the Marin County Free Library will make a donation of “real” dollars to the Marin Foster Parents Association for every Book Bucks kids choose to give (up to $500).Teens can sign up online or in the library and may choose one book from a selection provided by the County Friends. For every book teens read and submit an online review, they earn an e-raffle ticket to win a prize in their local branch’s weekly drawing. Teens can also earn raffle entries for any activity/adventure they report about. Weekly prizes include gift cards and Giants tickets. All e-raffle tickets earned by Civic Center teens will also be included in the Civic Center Library’s Grand Prize Raffle at the end of summer – a $50 Visa gift card. e-Raffle tickets earned at all MCFL branches will be eligible for the county-wide Grand Prize of an iPad Mini. So the more teens read, do, and review, the better their chances to win.The Summer Reading Programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Marin County Free Library and their local affiliates, the San Francisco Giants, the Book Place, the Parkside Café, Café Reyes, the Pine Cone Diner, the Siren Café, A Whale of a Deli, the California Library Associa-tion, and the iRead Program.Visit our website at www.marinlibrary.org or call the Civic Center Library at 415-499-6058 for more information about our many activities and special programs for Summer Reading.

eBook Help at Civic Center Library• tom McGibney, Reference LibrarianThe Civic Center Library is offering free one-on-one help in download-ing library eBooks to the Kindle, iPad, and other devices. To make an appointment for a half-hour session, call 415-473-6058. The library is located at the Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, Room 427.

Community meeting march, 2015

SVNA views plans for proposed Farmer’s market• Alison FullerAt the community meeting on March 31, Brigitte Moran from the Agricultural Institute of Marin presented their plans for a permanent Farmer’s Market to be developed on the so-called Christmas tree lot across Civic Center Drive from the Veterans Auditorium. The design includes an overhead plastic structure offering rain protection for some of the vendors’ stalls and a two story 27,000 square-foot build-ing housing markets on the lower floor and space on the upper floor for offices and educational programs. The vendors in the building, including meats, cheeses, dairy and a restaurant will be open daily; the outdoor ones will be open on Thursday and Sunday as at present. Those stalls will close at 11 to accommodate Marin Center matinees and the County Fair so that the site can provide 257 parking spaces. The County has agreed to pay for paving the lot.The Institute is planning to undertake a $20 million campaign to raise construction funds. In an independent survey, 80% of respondents indicated support for a permanent Farmer’s Market; all contributions to the project will be tax deductible, as the Institute is a 501(c)(3) or-ganization. Approval must also be sought from the Frank Lloyd Wright Conservancy, as the Civic Center is under consideration for designa-tion as a World Heritage Site. Further information is available at the website: www.agriculturalinstitute.org.In other business, Gina Hagan of CSA #18 announced that a Castro Field workday will be held at the end of summer. Bonnie Monte, Chair of the Santa Venetia Community Plan Committee, reported that the plan has been asked to identify more sites for possible housing devel-opment. An upcoming “Visioning Meeting” for San Rafael City Schools at the Venetia Valley School was announced. Discussion followed concerning the vacant site of the former McPhail’s School, considered a dangerous eyesore.

Santa Venetia Social Activities• Nicole Cibellis-AndrewsJune 28, 2015 12-3pm – Annual Splash Day co-hosted by SVNA and Northbridge Recreation Club – Come celebrate the beginning of Summer with all your friends and neighbors. you do not need to be a member of the pool to join in the festivities. Splash Day includes games and activities for the kids and free admission to the pool. Lunch will be available for a nominal fee.July 2, 2015 8:30pm – Annual Fireworks Viewing Party – Join us on the bridge to Santa Margarita Island to view the Marin County Fair Fireworks and sip hot cider. Sponsored by the SVNA. This event is free to SVNA members and friends.


http://thesvna.org/membership/

Insurance and Investment Services for Families and Businesses

Chris Owen [email protected] | 415-‐217-‐7912

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Join the SVNA Online with BigTent Sign-up at www.bigtent.com/groups/svna. Get current neighborhood info, join interest groups and forums.


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Civic Center Watershed restoration Project: Community Stewardship of the Commons• Alex Kahl, GWC Board MemberIn the next few weeks we will be addressing the Board of Supervisors with a request that they authorize our community initiated effort to clean up the Lagoon. We will be asking supporters to contact their Supervisor with a message of endorsement. In addition we are con-versing with Civic Center area businesses and other organizations to officially endorse this project.

Civic Center Watershed Restoration the Rose Foundation awarded us $2,500 – almost half of the cost of a floating island. This takes us one big step closer to raising the money needed for the first floating island, the first step in lagoon water restoration. We are raising fund-ing from local business, nonprofit sources, and individuals. Donations can be made to the Gallinas Watershed Council-Floating island.These islands have been used by similar community funded-coalitions in Walnut Creek and Marysville, CA. With plantings on the surface and roots in the water, they provide natural water filtration and wild-life habitat. Once installed, floating islands use no fossils fuels and require little maintenance.

Muddied Waters Frank Lloyd Wright envisioned the Lagoon as the jewel in the landscape of our county park, for our recreation, and as a connection to wild life and the bay. Run-off from the surrounding parking lots and overpopulation by non-native birds have rendered the water dangerous to humans, dogs, and other animals. The lagoon feeds directly to the South Fork of Gallinas Creek and the San Pablo Bay marshlands, habitat for endangered species such as the Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse and Ridgeway’s Rail (clapper rail). Floating islands are a climate friendly remedy.

Community Building Progress Our newest coalition members include the Watershed Alliance of Marin, Marin Link, and the Santa Venetia Neighborhood Association – Welcome and thank you! Ad-ditionally we now have over 30 interested members of the broader Marin community receiving this information.CCWR is focused on education and community engagement to foster stewardship of our natural commons. We are building a partnership of business, foundations, and volunteers intent on improving the water quality and overall environmental health of the Civic Center Lagoon and Gallinas Creek.We still need lots of help. For more information; visit www.gallinas-watershed.org/ccwr or www.facebook.com/marinccwr. As well, our most recent brochure can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/n4mq2an.

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Flood Control Zone 7 (FCZ #7) – update from County of Marin• Bené da Silva - engineering technician iii, 415-473-6538, [email protected] Marin County Flood Control & Water Conservation District -Zone 7 (District) will be conducting inspections of the redwood box (floodwall) and levee along Las Gallinas Creek (Reach). the floodwall and levee inspection is performed every two years and repairs are prioritized and performed every year. There is no cost to the property owners for this service the District provides.the District will send a letter to the property owners along the Reach notifying the dates when the inspection will happen, including the “So, you Live Behind a Levee” information resource pamphlet. A pdf version can be found at the link below: http://content.asce.org/files/pdf/SoyouLiveBehindLevee.pdf.Important Note: The floodwall and levee structure meanders through private properties on which the District has no easements. Having the structure clear of debris and other ob-structions is crucial for the District to conduct proper inspection and repairs. The District thanks in advance the property owners on the levee for their help, as your floodwall protects the entire Santa Venetia Community.Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions: Bené da Silva - Engineering Technician III, 415-473-6538, [email protected] or Dave Nicholson - Zone Engineer, 415-473-6535, [email protected]’S NOTE: To sign up for the FCZ #7 meeting agenda notifica-tion list, please email your request to [email protected].

CSA #6 – DredgingIf you missed the May CSA #6 meeting, past agendas, minutes, re-ports, maps, and more information can be found on the Marin County Watersheds website: http://tinyurl.com/p4z-setg and here is a link to the most recent newslet-ter: http://tinyurl.com/p3y4hsx. And don’t forget, even if you don’t live “on” the creek, it is a huge asset for our neighborhood and a healthy creek is good for everyone!EDITOR’S NOTE: To sign up for the CSA #6 meeting agenda notification list, please email your request to [email protected].

Crime Activities Compiled from www.crimereports.com4/15/15 4:14pm – Theft – 1 block Sidney Court4/16/15 3:46pm – theft – 800 block La Playa Way4/19/15 6:48pm – Assault – 1 block San Pablo Avenue5/5/15 5:57pm – theft – 1 block La Brea Way5/5/15 6:46pm – theft – 100 block Birch WayeDitoR’S Note: Please remember to keep your eyes open and if you do see something suspicious, please call 415-479-2311, the non-emergency dispatch number, to report anything out of the ordinary – the Sheriff’s Department is here to help us.

Support Our Local Advertisers: Bogie’s Cafe • Chalet Basque EMFSolutions.Info • Gasparé’s Pizzeria • Golden Cuts & Color

Guitar & Bass Lessons/Bassam Habal • Integrity Electric Jackson Square Financial • James A. Walsh Real Estate

Kathleen Nemetz/Certified Financial Planner Lesley McTaggart Realtor • Marin Ace Hardware

Marshall Motor Works • Mary’s Futons One Foot at a Time/Laurie Steese • Paradise Construction

Santa Venetia Market • Technomaven–Computer Housecalls The Marin School • The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin

2nd Saturday Medians

• Nanni Wurl, 415-472-3269on our March workday, we worked our way up to “the Rafael,” weed-ing and pruning and watering our newly planted miniature oleanders. Working were Carolyn Byrne, Dennis Bortoli, Wayne Lechner, and Carl & Helen Sitchler. Helmut Winkelhake made a donation and Carolyn got money (but not the name) from a kind neighbor in a white SUV. The Crew appreciates this kindness very much. Carolyn and I put in an extra working day. Jill Thomas stopped to make a donation. Another donor was Roy Fidler. All this support feels great.In April, we worked on the long median between Meadow and Mabry. It looked terrible – besides weeds there was lots of litter. Anyway, there were only five of us and we all felt that this median never looked bet-ter. We could not finish, but will do so next week.Working were Carolyn Byrne, Dennis Bortoli, and Carl & Helen Sitchler. We were exhausted but satisfied. the crew wants to thank Alison Fuller for letting us use her green can and Joel Yau for giving his can and providing his neighbor’s. Shirley McGrath stopped to pick up a sheet-full of weeds as did Arlene Davis. We appreciated this support.With the water shortage problems and new restrictions, please know that we are working to alter our schedules to meet the demands of the MMWD. As well, keep in mind the water on North San Pedro Road up to Meadow is reclaimed.And finally, in March, we lost yet another plant to a bad driver (see photo). Please know that we are doing our best to keep our roads attractive. If you see someone hit one of our medians or any plantings on the side of the road, please get the license plate num-ber and contact the Sheriff or anyone from the SVNA Board.

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Source: Esri, i-cubed, USDA, USGS, AEX, GeoEye, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, and the GIS UserCommunity

Levees in Santa VenetiaMarin County, CA

Flood Zone 7

Pump Station

Levees

Levee - Wooden Sections

Flood Zone Boundary

MAP IS REPRESENTATIONAL ONLY. DATA ARE NOT SURVEY ACCURATE.

0 0.25 0.5Miles


Notable Neighbors – Fleming’s mobil Station• Russ GreenfieldHere in Santa Venetia we have some landmark places that everyone seems to be able to identify as being Santa Venetia’s own. Of course we have familiar places like the Civic Center or the Chalet Basque which are famous throughout Marin. Or, you can have a place where the local community can identify itself with. Probably nothing fits the latter description better than Fleming’s Mobil Service gas station which was at the corner of North San Pedro and San Pablo Ave, owned by Al and Phyllis Fleming.Al Fleming was born and raised in Corte Madera. His to be wife Phyllis was born in Oakland and raised in San Francisco. They met going to school at Tamalpais High and got married at St. Patrick’s Church in Larkspur in 1942. Al was drafted into the Army where he served as a machinist at Hamilton Air Force Base and the Philippines. Phyllis stayed with Al’s parents in Corte Madera while he served the Country raising their first two children Gaye and Pete.After the war ended Al left the armed forces and returned home to be hired by the Marin County Fire Department. He started this career out at the Woodacre fire house where he and Phyllis along with their first two children lived in a small cottage. In 1949 they found a house in Santa Venetia which was the second home built on San Pablo Ave. This was the perfect location for them as back then you needed to be within one mile of the highway when in the fire department. With much help from PJ Tarrant they moved into the neighborhood. Seeing that there were no fire houses in the area, when on duty Al would keep the fire truck in the carport of the house. Everyone knew there was a fire call in the neighborhood when he was on duty because there was a fire phone installed on the exterior of their home. Many of the first homes in Santa Venetia were being built around this time. Lots of families with youngsters were purchasing the new homes. Al recruited many high school boys as summertime volunteer fire boys. Each lived with the Fleming family during the summer. Phyllis loved this as she would like to “fatten” them up with her cooking! Around 1950, Al was looking for a way to increase his income and was offered the gas station to purchase. Now, it was not always a gas sta-tion. It started off as a Cleaner business before being transformed into a gas station. With $30 in a cigar box along with a hand shake, a deal was struck and Fleming’s Mobil Service was established.One of the first people to be hired to be a gas attendant was Joe Mello. Joe would pump gas and provide service for Santa Venetia customers along with all those passing by. Many folks mistakenly thought Joe owned the station because they saw him so much. Al’s son Pete worked right next to him from his teenage years until the station's closing. Phyllis was in charge of the accounting and would work both at the station in the back office or from their home. She would jump in frequently if there was a fire call and the station was busy to pump gas. As well as making numerous lunches for the employees.The station saw lots of activity and not all from Santa Venetia. People who would run out of gas and need help would come in and some-times have no money. Al would trade for gas to help them out, or if they were desolate, he would just help them out from his own pocket. He kept a drawer filled with various traded items such as watches, rings, etc. waiting for their owners to return to claim them. The station

was a hub for the local teenagers too. Groups of kids would meet and hangout at the station all the time. After establishing themselves in the community and getting the sta-tion up and running, Al and Phyllis added two more children to their family, Mary, and then five years later, Sally. The station had many stories and interesting people stopping by. In the early 70s when the Renaissance Faire was out at China Camp, all sorts of strange and exotic looking people would come in to ask directions to the infamous event. Joe would just point and tell them, "That way!" Joe had a way with words. Also during this time was the gas shortage. Every day the lines for gas would go all the way up the hill on San Pablo Ave. On a regular basis you might find a small poker game being played under the hood of a car that Joe was managing. During the holidays on Christmas eve or New years eve, you could find a small array of food displayed for anyone to enjoy celebrating the season.One of the more interesting stories involved Al's son Pete. Pete had noticed daily a distinguished looking older gentleman showing up and standing on the corner, leaning against the telephone pole that was in front of the station. He would show up take out a small pad of paper making notes or drawings. After several occurrences of this, Pete ap-proached the man and said he was curious – what might he be up to? The man gave his name and explained that soon the construction of a new Civic Center would get underway. The man was none other than Frank Lloyd Wright.One of the biggest events for the family and for the Santa Venetia Val-ley was when Gaye married the boy up the hill, Rich Lauchenauer in 1964. Customers would come in for gas and leave with a verbal invite to the wedding. The whole Valley shut down that day. The wedding attendance was 700 and the party lasted three days.Many more stories could be told, as the station was not just a place to get gas, but was very much a special part of the community. In its heyday, Al had employed not only attendants, but added mechanics to make it a complete service station. The station closed in the early 80s after a long running history. Pete reopened it shortly after and main-tained it for some time. Eventually he decided to sell it.In the late 80s Al’s health started to decline. He had both hips replaced, and early stages of Parkinson’s began to slow him down along with acute Leukemia. The family cared for him until Al passed away in 1998. Phyllis is now 92 and living in the same house on San Pablo with her daughter Sally and Sally's husband Joey and their two boys. Gaye still lives in the same house she and Rich bought in 1965 in the Meadows. Rich passed away five years ago from pancreatic cancer. together they had four children; Chris, Matt, Greg and Tom along with four grandchildren. Pete and his wife Lydia live in the Peacock Gap area and share two children and four grandchildren. Mary and her husband Jeff reside in Rohnert Park. they share four children and five grand-children.We hope that you enjoyed reading about one of our local landmarks as much as we enjoyed gathering the stories for this article.

community compass

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renew or start your SVNA membership Make check payable to and send to: and newsletter subscription today! SVNA, PO Box 4047, San rafael, CA 94913-4047

Advertising: Paid-up SVNA members can introduce themselves to the community by buying a 3-5/8” x 2” ad in The Communicator. Ads in the Jan/feb issue mail to all 1750 households are $60; ads in the other 5 issues going to members only are $30 each. Or pay in advance and save! $180 for an ad in all 6 issues plus free color on web newsletter and SV Market Window. For ad specs and info, contact Norma Novy, 415-499-9409, [email protected]. We accept camera-ready ads, text, pdfs, tiff, jpg, eps, reflective artwork, photos, etc.

YES! Sign me up to today at the following yearly rate (check one): $30 regular household $15 senior household (65 yr old +)Additional contribution:$_______ Neighborhood Beautification fund$_______ Disaster Preparedness Team (DART) (CERT)$_______ General Donation

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Would you like to volunteer? Check the issues where you would like to assist.

VOLUNTEER SVNA Board Newsletter and proofing flyer distribution Phone banks Watershed—flooding and dredging

Land Use and Development Median crew Social activities Neighborhood Watch Bella Santa Venetia


Community CompassThe Marin County Sheriff’s Department Emergency number ................................................................................................911NEW! Emergency from a cell phone .............................................................911Non-Emergency (24-hour Communications) ................................. 479-2311

See something...Say something!Crime Prevention ....................................................................................... 499-7263Victim/Witness ............................................................................................ 499-6450

City of San RafaelEmergency ..................................................................................................................911Emergency from a Cell Phone ..............................................................453-1515Non-Emergency Fire Dept. ..................................................................... 485-3300Non-Emergency Police Dept. ................................................................ 485-3000San Rafael emergency/Disaster info Hotline ..................................485-5070

Flood Control/Clogged DrainsWorking Hours ............................................................................................ 473-6528After 5pm/Weekends .................................................................................473-7513

Community Development Agency/PlanningFront Information Counter .................................................................... 473-6269If you see dumping (get license #) ...................................................... 479-2311To request dumped stuff pick-up ....................................................... 473-7388PG&E Underground Alert ..............................................................800-227-2600PG&E Electrical Outage ..................................................................800-743-5002Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District Sewer Overflows (24 hours) .................................................................. 472-1734Bus Stop Trash Can ...................http://marintransit.org/contact.html or email: [email protected]

thank you Santa Venetia neighbors• Maggi Garloff, 415-613-9488, [email protected] you to my neighbors Kurt Wahl, Angela Lopez & David Parada, Octavio, Chella & Jessica Salinas, and Jason Pavao. Congratulations for improving our environment by reducing the amount of toxic RF exposure on our end of the block! At any given time in the past, between 12 and 16 WiFi systems were broadcasting across my property (not counting smart meter transmis-sions) none of which belonged to me. typically, WiFi systems transmit over an area of 50-200’. Lately the number of wireless systems in my area has reduced to less than 6 during the day, 0-2 at night. My neighbors have either unplugged their WiFi when not in use or replaced it with wired systems. In addition, some have opted out of PG&E’s smart meter program and had meters replaced with the old, safer analog meters. Wired networks and analog meters are not only healthier, they are a safer and more secure way of maintaining privacy.The ACLU has confirmed utilities spy on customer use and share pri-vate information with third parties. Smart meters reveal details about your private life including whether you are home or away, your sleep and work habits, and whether someone in your home uses specialized medical equipment. Read more at ACLu Northern California https://www.aclunc.org/blog/call-logs-try-kilowatts-reports-reveal-demands-california-energy-dataIf you have any questions about how you can reduce your exposure to wireless radiation, feel free to call me, 415-613-9488.

EMFsolutions.inFoCell Phone Radiation, Smart Meters, Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) —We have solutions!

Maggi Garloff [email protected] EMF Educator Wellness Products Consultant 415-613-9488 • Marin County, CA

[email protected] • www.thesvna.org

Santa Venetia Neighborhood Association P.O. Box 4047, San Rafael, CA 94913-4047

Santa Venetia Neighborhood Association May/June 2015

Neighborly Notes

• Compiled by Linda LeveyFrom Linda LeveyOur neighbor Patty Johnson Smith and her sons Eddie and Ricky lost their Mother/Grandmother, Joan Johnson Luchese, last month. Our hearts go out to Patty and her family and as well to her sister Peggy and her family.I read in the IJ: Sarah Zykanov, a fourth grade teacher from San Pedro elementary School, received a “Service Above Self Award” from the Rotary Club of Marin evening. the award honors those who have demonstrated exemplary humanitarian service, with an emphasis on personal volunteer efforts and active involvement in helping others. Thanks Sarah for your hard work.

“Press Play: Kurt Huget’s globe-trotting ‘Travel Log’” was a great article I read in the IJ about our friend and neighbor Kurt Huget. you can read it here: http://tinyurl.com/kghsdnp. Kurt plays with his band at our Labor Day Picnic, he volunteers and works on our medians, and his new CD is available – check it out on CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kurthuget3.

Also from the IJ: “Comedian Michael Pritchard, a San Rafael resident known for his work with children, was in intensive care at a San Francisco hospital for a successful triple bypass surgery.” As you all know, Michael “Doc” Pritchard is a cherished SV neighbor and our thoughts are with him and his family at this time. And as well, he could use our monetary support, so please visit this site to help: www.gofundme.com/michaelpritchard.Luke is a lucky boy! And congratulations are due to our own Nanni Wurl on her new adopted pooch. I haven’t met him yet but I heard he is a beautiful boy. And, from all reports, very well-behaved.From Norma NovyQigong on the Island continues on meeting every Thursday morning at 10 - 11am, just across the bridge under the big oak tree. Cost is $10-$15. Say hello to your SV neighbors while gently energizing your body, mind and spirit! Call Norma at 415-499-9409 for info.For great copying and printing service, try out The Copy Shop & Printing Company in San Rafael on C Street and Second. Susan and Rich print our Communicator Newsletter and it always looks great and

is printed in a timely manner...and sometimes they even work miracles!From Nanni Wurl Since I walk daily up to the Civic Center, people voice their complaints to me: Too much litter and people not picking up after their dogs, even though bags and cans are provided. Having a dog requires some work – don't get a dog if you're not willing to be a good owner.From Diana ConnollyJimmy Connolly will be graduating from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business in May and starting at RBC Capital as a financial analyst this summer. Jack Connolly will be graduating from Terra Linda High School and has been accepted into UC Berkeley’s electrical engineering and computer science program where he starts in the fall. Both Con-nolly brothers grew up in Santa Venetia, attended Venetia Valley and Terra Linda HS. They had lemonade stands, spent hours gaming with the neighborhood boys, enjoyed the Santa Venetia Swim Club, and on TL’s cross country team they spent many hours running the duck pond, the levees, and the many trails in China Camp. From Valerie TaylorArt Reichert's Canoe Ride Back in September at the SVNA Labor Day pic-nic, I was the lucky winner of a canoe ride with Art Reichert. On March 3, Art took my son Ben Lowe and me out on Gallinas Creek and we had a won-derful time. It was a glorious sunny day, and we paddled all the way up to where the creek intersects with Highway 101, seeing a lot of wildlife along the way. So a big thanks to Art for this unique experience! From Christine KraemerSummer Day Camp at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin will be offered August 3-14, for children aged 8 through 12, at 240 Channing Way in San Rafael. the program will include dance, martial arts, nature education, and non-violent communications, and will promote the values of respect, compassion, and service to others. Some scholarships are available. Counselor-in-training positions are available for ages 13-16. For more information: visit www.uumarin.org or call 415-479-4131 x104.Chamber Music Concert at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin, 7pm on Sat., May 30, at 240 Channing Way, San Rafael. the program will feature the works of Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979), a much overlooked but more recently celebrated female composer. Performers will include soprano Amanda Morando, violist Milton Wong, and cellist Angus Davol. Advance tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and $10 for children 13 and under; all tickets will be $5 more at the door. Refreshments will be offered for sale and there will be a no-host bar. For tickets and more information, visit www.uumarin.org.Swimming in Santa VenetiaThe Northbridge Swim Club is open for the summer and accepting new memberships. Please contact Barbara Perkins for more informa-tion at 415-479-2544.The Santa Venetia Swim Club is open for the summer. For more information, call Sue Wilkinson at 415-454-8568.

23rd annual easter egg hunt june 2 community...

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