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MARK YOUR CALENDARS Santa Venetia Neighborhood Association January/February 2018

January 20181/30 – SVNA Commun-ity Meeting, 7pm, State of the County, Supervisor Damon Connelly. Korean Presbyterian Church, 635 Adrian WayFebruary2/7 – Film about the bee crisis in Marin by Kathleen Nemetz, 7pm, CMCM TV, 819 A St., San Rafael, free2/10 – 2nd Saturday Medians Workday, 9am-noon, call Nanni for meeting location 415-472-32692/10 – The Mystery Mouse of China Camp, 4-5pm, China Camp Village Museum for kids 5-12.2/11 – Senior Stroll, Las Gallinas Ponds2/13 NIOT summit at College of Marin Kentfield Campus, Academic Building room AC255, 12-2pm and 7-9pm.

JCC - 2/1, 2/8 @7pm – SF Jewish Film Festival – Best of the Fest Movies

- 1/27 @ 8pm – Winter Nights presents: Los Pinguos – Salsa Night!- 1/28 @ 3pm – New Century Chamber Orchestra- 2/3 @ 8pm – Winter Nights presents: Dhol-rhythms of Non-stop Bangra – Colors of India!- 2/10 @ 8pm – Winter Nights presents: Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums – Swing Time!- 2/25 @ 11:30am – 2pm – Purim Palooza – Free Family CarnivalMarch3/10 – 2nd Saturday Medians Workday, 9am-noon, call Nanni for meeting location 415-472-32693/11 – Daylight Savings starts3/17 – St. Patrick's Day3/24 – Easter Egg Hunt (rain date 3/31)

See Something...Say Something 415-479-2311

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If you live in Santa Venetia, you are reaping the benefits of our Santa Venetia Neighborhood Association. You may not even realize it, but now is the time to say THANKS and… Join or Renew Your Membership!!!One of the most important things we can do as a neighborhood is say thanks! Thanks to the SVNA Board, Committee Members, Neighbors, and County Staff for the time and energy required by so many people to get projects worked on… and sometimes even completed!Did you get an extra garbage pick-up for “bulky items”? SVNA worked with the Las Gallinas Sanitary District and Marin Sanitary Service to get extra pick-ups throughout the year to keep our homes free of debris and garbage off our streets. Did you attend the annual Halloween Block Party or Labor Day Picnic? SVNA members org anized and did the work, and the SVNA paid for those. If you want the perks to continue, YOU will have to contribute. Preparing the newsletter, setting up meetings and events, meeting with our Supervi-sor and other Committee groups, posting on the websites, working on the medians, cleaning up garbage… Volunteers do this!In no particular order, below are some of the things the SVNA does and did for our neighborhood – in 2017! (and some years before)

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES:» Labor Day Picnic including Food, Live Music, Raffles, Cookie Contest, Spin-a-Wheel and Watershed booths, Children’s Play, and last but not least, the Fairy Princess, Face Painting, and Balloon Animals

» Halloween Block Party on Adrian, over 500 Trick-or-Treaters!» Easter Egg Hunt at Castro Park» Annual Splash Day at Northbridge PoolCOMMUNICATIONS:» SVNA Award-winning Newsletter The Communicator with bimonthly mailings and annual mailing party. Besides publicizing SV information, events, honoring our lost friends, and more; through our newsletter we publicize and promote activities and groups in SV and Marin including SRCS, VV School, and the Marin School, Ranger and Park activities, Civic Center Library, Friends of China Camp, GWC, SVNHN, Neighborhood Pools, etc. that directly benefit our community.» SVNA Board of Directors Meetings, monthly» Community Meetings presenting timely topics and various speakers, 5 meetings per year» Supervisor Damon Connolly meetings to discuss SV needs, monthly» Power in knowledge – ongoing posting of news and information on various websitesLAND USE COMMIT-TEE:» Communicate with the County regarding developments in Santa Venetia» Parking – Organized and held Special Meetings in 2016 and 2017 to facilitate discussion within our community

2017 (and more) SVNA Accomplishments Renew/Join the SVNA and Make 2018 Even Better!!!

about parking and worked with the County to enact the Ordinance to limit parking on North San Pedro Road and in the neighborhood.» Sunny Oaks, Oxford Valley –Organized and held Special Meeting to facilitate discussion within our community about development proposals.» Monitoring of Marin County and City of San Rafael agendas for projects affecting SV and posting information to keep neighborhood apprised of possible developments» SVNA donations to local environmental groups

NEIGHBORHOOD BEAUTIFICATION:» 2nd Saturday Median Crew: median maintenance, clean-up, and planting» Raffle for money for our Medians for ongoing maintenance and supplies» Golf Street corner - ongoing planting, watering, and maintenance for our

Save the Date!Supervisor Damon Connolly 1/30/2018 at 7pmJoin us as we welcome Supervisor Damon Connolly for his “State of the County” - a discussion about what has happened in the past year and his expectations for the coming one. Bring your ques-tions, concerns and ideas about what we can do to make our lives and community better in Santa Venetia.The Easter Bunny is Coming, The Easter Bunny is Coming!!!The Easter Egg Hunt this year will be on 3/24/2018 (rain date 3/31/2018). Volunteers are needed – please contact Monica at 415-507-0144 or [email protected]. See our next newsletter for more information.El Supervisor Damon Connolly 30/01/2018 a las 7pmÚnase a nosotros para darle la bienvenida al Supervisor Damon Connolly por su “Estado del Condado” - una discusión sobre lo que sucedió el año pasado y sus expectativas para el próximo. Trae tus preguntas, inquietudes e ideas sobre lo que podemos hacer para mejorar nuestras vidas y nuestra comunidad en Santa Venetia.El conejo de Pascua está llegando, ¡viene el conejito de Pas-cua!La búsqueda de huevos de Pascua este año será el 24/3/2018 (fe-cha de lluvia 31/03/2018). Se necesitan voluntarios: comuníquese con Monica al 415-507-0144 o [email protected]. Vea nuestro próximo boletín para más información.

SVNA COMMITTEE CONTACTS

2 S V N A C O M M U N I C ATO R J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 01 8

DENNIS BORTOLI [email protected] 415-479-0167

NICOLE CIBELLIS- ANDREWS [email protected] 415-225-6115

Board Member Emerita NANNI WURL 415-472-3269elamin@m

Past President MARK WALLACE [email protected]

SVNA BOARD OFFICERS & MEMBERS

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

The deadline for articles and ads for the March/April issue is March 1, 2018. 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 3-1/2 x2" ad. Ads in the big Jan/Feb issue are $60 and the issue is mailed to all 1800 homes; ads in the other 5 issues are $30 each. Pay one issue at a time or get one free issue by paying a year in ad-vance—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, [email protected], 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: Gina Hagen, Linda Levey, Nicole Cibellis-Andrews, Norma Novy • Thanks to Ann Thompson for the Communicator masthead design and artwork for Mt. Tam/Miwok Indian tribute, 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 RUSS GREENFIELD [email protected] 415-578-2580

Vice-President GINA HAGEN [email protected] 415-377-3377

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

Secretary CATHERINE LAGARDE [email protected] 415-472-7862

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• Bella Santa Venetia: COULD THIS BE YOU?• Land Use: MARK WALLACE, LINDA LEVEY• Median Crew: NANNI WURL• Membership: LINDA LEVEY• Neighborhood Watch: COULD THIS BE YOU?• Newsletter: LINDA LEVEY• Social Activities: NICOLE CIBELLIS-ANDREWS • Traffic & Roads: GARY ROBARDS, [email protected]• Watershed: RUSS GREENFIELD

ADVISORY BOARDS• Dredging (CSA #6): ELLEN STEIN [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): LINDA LEVEY, GINA HAGEN

» Welcome to Santa Venetia Sign» Garbage clean-up on NSPR, McPhail’s, and more» Repair, rebuild, and paint fences at Vendola and NSPR

NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY:» Safety on our Streets including working with the County and City to discuss traffic calming and parking issues» Raffle for DART/CERT supplies, update DART Carts in case of emergency» National Night Out – Held community meetings and worked with the Marin County Sheriff and San Rafael Fire Department to participate. Member partici-pation on “Outside” Committees

MEMBER PARTICIPATION ON OUTSIDE COMMITTEES:» SV Community Plan (Took years but finalized in 2017!)» Flood Control Zone #7 Advisory Board to the County» CSA #6 (Dredging) Advisory Board to the County» CSA #18 (Parks & Open Space) Advisory Board to the County» CSA #19 (Emergency Services) Advisory Board to the County» Marin County Watershed Program – Technical Committee» Gallinas Watershed Council (GWC)» Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (LGVSD)» Santa Venetia Neighbors Helping Neighbors (SVNHN)» North San Pedro Road Traffic Committee» Friends of Civic Center Library» Resilient Neighborhoods Program

WORKING WITH THE COUNTY:» Members worked with Parks and Open Space on various park updates including the project to refurbish the Pueblo Park Tennis/Pickleball Courts finished in 2017 and celebrated with a fabulous Opening Day event.» Worked with our Supervisor’s office for solutions to parking issues in our neighborhood including excluding huge trucks from our streets (2016-2017) and modifying the 72-hour rule to rid our streets of abandoned vehicles. (ongoing)» Worked with our Supervisor’s office for solutions to the mess on NSPR at Mabry. Implemented a no parking zone to clean up the area (2017), finally got an agreement and action to fill in the berm to prevent the water from leaking across our road (2016-2017), and we hope to get the fence and telephone poles removed in 2018. (ongoing)» Worked with county to request sign compliance in our commercial district for a more attractive entrance to our neighborhood (ongoing)» Worked with our Supervisor’s Office, Parks and Open Space, and SRCS to try to get the McPhail’s site as a neighborhood resource (ongoing)» Worked with our Supervisor’s Office to try to get the Buck’s site as a neighborhood resource, this should come to fruition in 2018! (ongoing)

NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT:» SVNHN and various members have reached out to assist neighbors and residents that suffer a hardship» SVNHN has raised money through yard sales and various activities and provided and annual sponsorship for a Terra Linda student from SV» Rallied neighbors to join the Friends of Civic Center Library Board

2017 (and more) SVNA Accomplishments

S V N A C O M M U N I C ATO R J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 01 8 3

PRIOR YEAR (2017) ACCOMPLISHMENTS (Partial List)» Worked with the County, organized meetings, wrote letters, and fought the multiple home project (originally slated for 28 homes!) at 650 NSPR for over 10 years and instead, we now have Heron Hill, an open space preserve.» Fought the 70-unit ambulatory complex at the Old Tanem’s Site and instead got the site vested for a much more neighborhood-friendly, 5-7 single family homes. » Organized and fought the many subdivisions of Oxford Valley leaving us with the current owner who is planning on building a family resi-dence and some outbuildings.» Organized and hosted Candidates’ Forums (in election years)» Organized and held Special Meetings in facilitate discussions within our community including development proposals at Sunny Oaks, Ox-ford Valley, NSPR, and more» Ongoing work to keep our neighborhood clean, hosting numerous beautification projects including medians work, Welcome to SV sign installation and maintenance, graffiti clean-up, garbage pick-ups, and more.» Members worked with Parks and Open Space to facilitate and participated in updates of our neighborhood Parks including Pueblo Park, Candy’s Park, and Castro Field as well as our beautiful Pueblo Park Mosaic Art Installation.» Worked with Marin Transit to install a bus stop garbage can on NSPR at Mabry and have monitored the site to continue to abate garbage

problems as well as to get damaged and dangerous bus stop bench area on NSPR repaired and replaced.» Worked with the County, LGVSD, Marin Cove HOA, etc to update our Schmidt/Meadow local path hoping to make it safe for bicycles and pedestrians alike.» Worked with the County to get gravel on the Mark Twain path because of slipping complaints.» Worked with LGSD, MCC, the County, and neighbors for a solution for garbage/dumping on our streets, now we have bulky item pick-ups included with our garbage service.» Worked with our Supervisor’s Office to get the dead trees on NSPR at La Brea removed and the sidewalks repaired.» Designed, prepared, and implemented a GoFundMe page for Nestor and Santa Venetia Market, raising money to help after an attack inside the store (www.gofundme.com/help4Nestor)

So join us and…1. Become a member 2. renew your membership annually 3. volunteer...today!The SVNA is NOT an HOA but is a VOLUNTEER Neighborhood Associa-tion working towards the betterment of our community. The more members we have, the more power we have to protect and improve our neighborhood. And remember, no matter when you joined, you have to renew every year in January to continue as an SVNA member! Our fund-ing comes directly from your memberships and we work to spend mem-bership dollars and donations wisely for the benefit of our community.

As we’ve always said… Members are good, “participating” members are even better! So now seems a good time to thank some of our neigh-borhood volunteers (in no particular order). If I forgot anyone, I am so sorry. Let me know and it won’t happen again! The SVNA Board – Preparing the newsletter, managing membership, setting up meetings and events, meeting with our Supervisor and other Committee groups, posting on websites, working on the medians, clean-ing up garbage… we run the gamut! Your Board Members are listed on page 2 and include Russ Greenfield, Gina Hagen, Linda Levey, Cath-erine Lagarde, Dennis Bortoli, Nicole Cibellis-Andrews, Mark Wallace, and Nanni Wurl. If you see one of them on the street, say THANKS!SVNA Committees and County Advisory Boards – Also listed on page 2, members of these groups meet regularly to work on various projects and advise and advocate for our community. Below is a listing. Thank you all for the time you spend on our behalf.2nd Saturday Median Crew: Nanni Wurl, Dennis Bortoli, Carolyn Byrne, Eliseo Garcia, Barbora Juigova, Wayne Lechner, Amanda Mitchell, Carl & Helen Sitchler, Kurt HugetSVNA Land Use: Mark Wallace, Russ Greenfield, Gina Hagen, Mary Hanley, Linda LeveySVNA Social Activities Committee Leader: Nicole Cibellis-Andrews and all our Picnic and Halloween Party volunteers – way too many to list here!DART/CERT: Sandy Fullerton, Jean Zerrudo, Sylvia LakemanFCZ #7 Flooding: Jacqueline Garcia, Russ Greenfield, Jeffrey Krupnick, Alex Kahl, Roger KirkCSA #18 Parks: Linda Levey, Gina Hagen, Karen Thompson, Joyce Clements, outgoing member Nanni Wurl, incoming member Ellen SteinCSA #6 Dredging: William Adkison, Kenneth King, Ellen Stein CSA #19 Emergency Services: Mark Wallace, Nanni Wurl Friends of Civic Center Library: Penny Wells, Ellen Stein, Shelley Cooper, Alison Fuller, Mick WetsSV Community Plan: Bonnie Monte, Giselle Block, Jane Brand, Russ Greenfield, Mary Hanley, Roger Heller, Oscar SeguraGallinas Watershed Council (GWC): Russ Greenfield, Alex Kahl, Dan Monte, Bonnie Monte, Art ReichertAs well, thanks to SVNHN/Santa Venetia, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, members who meet regularly and plan projects to benefit our commu-nity: Sue Ann Anderson, Carol Bryant, Shelley Cooper, Mari Dannecker, Bethanie Gilbert, Missey Jaquysh, Sherry Julin-Issa, Linda Warner.

Thanks to Our VolunteersAnd to some other special people in our neighborhood TheSVNA.org Webmaster: Marina McKennaOur Picnic Raffle Master: Sylvia LakemanPicnic Help: Wayne Lechner, Tad Inouye Translation Help: Vallery Bonner, Geronimo Diaz, Wayne Lechner, Christina WilliamsKeeping Our Neighborhood Clean: Rich McGrath

And for going above and beyond:Joyce Clements, Susan Robinson, and Lucy Reid designed, purchased, and donated fabulous Santa Venetia Parks/Community Compass hand-outs/cards (very handy – if you haven’t gotten yours yet, pick one up at our next meeting) The SVNA Newsletter, the Communicator is an ongoing project every other month and many hands make for lighter work. Linda Levey does the hard work of collecting and pulling the articles together and Norma Novy makes it the gorgeous publication that it is. But our newsletter would not be as good as it is without your neighbors/our members who write the articles – their names are listed each issue. Thanks are also due to the volunteers that are not listed, those members who help us to de-liver/mail the newsletter (Russ Greenfield, Dennis Bortoli, Nanni Wurl) and proof the newsletter each issue before we go to print Proofing Assistance/Committed: Alison Fuller, Anna Mullins, Bon-nie Monte, Dennis Bortoli, Diana King, Fontaine Segerquist, Gina Hagen, Jennifer Curtis, Joe Hagen, Jon Metcalf, Joyce Clements, Judy Schriebman, Karen Thompson, Lesley McTaggart, Linda Levey, Maggie Garloff, Mary Carol Winkler, Mary Hanley, Maureen C. Brant, Nicole Cibillis-Andrews, Norma Novy, Patty Wells, Rich McGrath, Russ Greenfield, Sandy Fullerton, Shelley Sweet, Shirley McGrath, Siobhan Semple Stoddard, Sue Ann Anderson, Catherine Lagarde, Valerie Taylor, Sylvia Lakeman, Nanni Wurl, Patty Wells, Valerie Taylor.And finally, thank you to our neighbors who actually pay their member-ship annually. It is such a help. As well, thank you doubly to our neigh-bors who donate extra with their membership. As you’ve heard, “it takes a village!” It’s easy to complain, but let’s do something about it! Join with your neighbors and the SVNA to make/keep our neighborhood the best it can be. Consider joining the SVNA Board or one of the many SVNA Committees. Bring your skills – we could use your help! And if you don’t have time, at least renew your membership!


SVNA Membership—Stronger Together

Your Ticket to a Better Community

Join the SVNA!

Not In Our Town (NIOT)• Gina HagenAs with many neighborhoods throughout the County and California, Santa Venetia is experiencing more drivers per household and we’re seeing more cars parking on neighborhood streets. Due to a number of incidents including vandalism, harassment and bad behavior by some in the neighborhood over the last few months, the SVNA wrote an open let-ter defining the recent parking restrictions for North San Pedro Road and big truck restrictions throughout the neighborhood and asked to please remember to be respectful when talking to others, even if we don’t see eye to eye. You can read a copy here: https://tinyurl.com/SVNA1207. We all deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Talking to each other, attending community meetings and committing to interact with each other peacefully are some of the ways we can keep our neighborhood healthy and safe.There have been numerous Not In Our Town (NIOT) events in Santa Vene-tia, hosted by groups such as Congregation Rodef Shalom at the JCC and Building Bridges at the Parnow Friendship House. “Not In Our Town (https://www.niot.org) is a movement to stop hate, address bullying, and build safe, inclusive communities for all.” There will be a NIOT summit at College of Marin Kentfield Campus, Academic Building room AC255 on February 13 from 12-2pm and 7-9pm. Join concerned civic leaders, community members, students, and parents for a film screening of Light in the Darkness and community discussion about how to stop hate in Marin. Our District 1 Supervisor Damon Connolly will be participating. Visit http://library.marin.edu/blog/not-our-town to learn more about the event and take the pledge here: https://www.niot.org/take-pledge.

Have You Heard?

MOU between the San Rafael Airport and the County• Russ GreenfieldThe County has a draft MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between the San Rafael Airport and the County. The MOU directly effects Santa Venetia property owners who live along Gallinas Creek, as well as the entire community.A well-attended meeting was held on November 15 where the draft MOU was presented. The purpose of the MOU would be to settle issues that have long been in dispute and move forward with an updated map to be completed by the State Lands Commission. The new map would clear up issues on both sides of the creek.While the County and San Rafael Airport have already agreed to the terms of the MOU, the community was able to share concerns and offer ideas to refine the terms.Many thanks to all who attended. Many good questions and concerns were shared. Discussion was heard about the tip of the airport (held in trust by the County), about how much of it can be maintained as wet-lands, the need to consult with experts on FAA regulations, and how to best protect the environment.I would like to thank Supervisor Damon Connolly for getting this impor-tant MOU rolling. It is an opportunity for Santa Venetia to improve on the great place to live that it is.EDITOR’S NOTE: Thanks to neighbor John Parulis who shot and posted a video of this meeting, those who missed it can see it here: https://youtu.be/LCIXo8IRbSY and/or more information can be found on his website: http://gallinascreek.org and at the County site: https://tinyurl.com/ybwvv6m2.

Supervisor’s Corner January 2018

• Supervisor Damon Connolly, [email protected], 415-473-7331, http://tinyurl.com/DamonC

On January 9th, I was deeply honored to be sworn in as President of the Marin County Board of Supervi-sors. I will make public engagement a hallmark

of my term. I want to make sure you know there are three avenues for community members to engage in the political process: open time and public comment for an item on the agenda, youth engagement, and subject area workshops.The Board of Supervisors meetings always offer the public time at the beginning of the agenda to speak on any topic for three minutes. Open time is for people’s voices to be heard on an item that is not on the agenda for that meeting. The Brown Act prohibits Board members from asking questions or acting on items brought up during open time. But we can put your concerns on a future agenda for discussion and action if staff cannot address it with you. Public comment is part of our decision making and deliberations. Too often public response to a Board action comes when reading the news-paper, the day after the Board meeting. I encourage you to review our meeting agendas on the Board of Supervisors website and share your thoughts in advance of the meeting, or plan to attend the meeting and speak to the issue.Also, getting young people excited about participating in the democratic process and exercising their right to free speech is very important, as I’m always moved by the fresh take that young minds have regarding the world around them. To that end, I have invited high school and middle school students to share their thoughts and ideas at the Board of Super-visors meetings.2018 Dates for Workshops at the Board of SupervisorsSome Board meetings in 2018 will be dedicated to taking a deep dive into an issue, with a two to three-hour workshop in the Board of Supervi-sors Chambers. With more time for public input, I am hopeful this format will allow for extensive discussion on issues and creative solutions. • February 6th session regarding County facilities and a budget update; • April 17th session on sustainability and climate; and• May 1st session on equity. Please let me know if you have ideas for workshops in the second half of the year. During my tenure as President of the Board of Supervisors I will ensure that information is available for the public to review, that your voice is heard, and that our actions are transparent. Given our top priorities of transportation, climate adaptation and resiliency (including disaster and fire preparedness), fiscal accountability, housing, and homelessness, it is as important as ever that we actively and effectively engage the com-munity.Share your expertise, let us hear your ideas to make the County a better place for all of us. I may not always be able to act on your suggestions but I will always listen to your point of view. We are in an age when our community is more engaged than ever and our elected officials must be too.I also encourage you to get involved with your neighborhood associa-tion, if you aren’t already! SVNA is a strong and effective advocate, and I meet with its leaders to discuss issues every month. Their award-winning newsletter provides the latest information on what’s happening in your own community.Always feel free to contact our offices should issu arise, but also know that SVNA is there for you!


• Ellen Stein, [email protected] to dredge Gallinas Creek are still ongoing and moving forward in cooperation with the McInnis Marsh Restoration Project. The creek sediment study has been completed and $699,889 has been approved for the Prep Plans and Specifications involving the McInnis Marsh res-toration. The plans include design and permitting. Parks is still awaiting construction funds but with the desire to begin this project it is as-sumed that funds will be identified soon. Once funding is secured, CLE Engineering is under contract to assist in arranging acceptance of our dredge sediments. A definitive time line has not been established but I will continue to keep you updated.

City of San Rafael Representation• Russ GreenfieldThe SVNA received a letter from San Rafael Mayor Phillips inviting us to a January meeting of San Rafael neighborhoods. I was able to attend the well-attended meeting – there were over 30 people representing various neighborhood associations. The meeting lasted about an hour. The Mayor explained that the City of San Rafael has monthly meetings with neighborhoods in central and southern San Rafael. Because of the high number of associations in North San Rafael (NSR), back in the ’70s the North San Rafael Coalition of Residents (NSRCR) was formed. The idea was that the NSRCR would represent all the associations in NSR; the problem is over the years NSRCR has become less active. The Mayor is hoping to look for possible solutions as he thinks the monthly meetings are important. San Rafael is probably going to spilt up the council. It is likely that they will approve a division of the city so that a council member comes from each section. NSR may end up with two council members as it has the largest population. They expect to decide on this very soon.Although most neighborhood associations are within the city limits, Santa Venetia was not the only “County” association to attend. And the Mayor made it clear that County neighborhoods like Santa Venetia are welcome – our invitation was not a mistake!He brought up a few issues coming up that we all should be voicing our opinion. Some of these are:Northgate Mall – the new owners may want to put housing on top of the stores – someone at our general SVNA meeting asked them about this – it is a high possibility that it will be proposed. The old Holiday Inn – now Four Points by Sheraton – wants to turn that into condos. The Mayor said that San Rafael Meadows has something in writing that prevents apartments from going in there. While condos are not apartments, it is expected that it will end up in court. People were bringing up the issue of congested traffic along with a few other issues and then we ran out of time. I signed up on the list going around to keep informed on new developments. A group of 6 people vol-unteered to be on a committee that will work on some sort of proposal – we should hear more about this in the coming months ahead.

SVNA Board Members Doing (even more) Good!Nicole Cibellis is now the Executive Director of All One Ocean – “Educat-ing Our Communities, Protecting Our Ocean”. Their mission is to educate our communities about the destructive impact of litter on our Ocean and waterways and provide simple, sustainable and effective ways to reduce litter. We provide Environmental Leadership Programs to 3rd graders in Marin County. For more information or to find out how your school can be part of the program, contact: [email protected] Hagen is training with Kidpower International, a Northern Califor-nia based non-profit that has been working with some schools in San Rafael and beyond to teach students, parents, faculty and staff safety, empowerment and positive communication skills. The Kidpower Mission Statement is “To work together with people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and walks of life on our shared common ground of teaching skills for safety, respect, confidence, and kindness for everyone, everywhere.” For more information, tips and resources, please visit https://www.kidpower.org.

Concerned about develop-ment? Here’s where you can find the scoop about what’s happening in your ‘hood’. (Keep an eye on the online 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 inter-est in the outcome of any of these building projects, and you should, please contact the SVNA Land Use Committee ([email protected]) and/or the appro-priate parties. Speak now or forever hold your peace! And since we are short on space in this newsletter, we have listed the projects only (see below). For more detailed information, see our current

newsletter on the web at: www.thesvna.org/newsletter, page 11. (You can view past and future newsletters at this link as well.)If you are interested in other Land Use issues, please con-sult previous and future news-letters for more information or contact our SVNA Land Use Committee with questions and/or concerns. If you know about projects that should be included, please let us know! We’ll do our best to keep the neighborhood updated.

And to keep abreast of County projects, visit http://tinyurl.com/NSR-Proj 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!)

Be Proactive, Not ReactiveLand Use Update 2017

Update on CSA #6 – Dredging

» Buck’s Landing / Launching » Edgehill Way, 8 » Gallinas Creek Dredging » Gallinas Watershed Program » Leona Drive/Vacant Lot » Leona Drive, 22

» Medical Cannabis Dispensaries = Delivery Only » McInnis Marsh Restoration Project » McPhail’s/MacPhail’s School Site » Oxford Valley Site » Parking in Santa Venetia » San Rafael Airport MOU/Levees

» San Rafael Airport Soccer Complex/Recre-ational Facility

» Sunny Oaks/NSPR Development Project (Busse Land Division/Tentative Map P1612)

» Sunny Oaks, 18 / Silver Oaks Court, 9 & 5 » Upper Road/Vacant Lots

What Can You Do for the SVNA?What Can the SVNA Do for You?


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Osher Marin JCC– Start 2018 with fitness, culture & entertainment...• Iris Lax, Osher Marin JCC, 415-444-8015And…in your own backyard! Go to marinjcc.org for more info- 2/1, 2/8 @7pm – SF Jewish Film Festival – Best of the Fest Movies- 1/27 @ 8pm – Winter Nights pres-ents: Los Pinguos – Salsa Night!- 1/28 @ 3pm – New Century Chamber Orchestra- 2/3 @ 8pm – Winter Nights presents: Dholrhythms of Non-stop Bangra – Colors of India!- 2/10 @ 8pm – Winter Nights presents: Steve Lucky & The Rhumba Bums – Swing Time!

- 2/25 @ 11:30am – 2pm – Purim Palooza – Free Family CarnivalJoin the Hall of Fame winner for best Fitness & Aquatics Center with indoor & outdoor pools (coupon for special free day pass in this issue)Summer Camp Registration Now Open for Grades K-10 from June 25 – Aug 10 and Vacation Camps available Feb 20-23, March 19, and April 9-13. Preschool Registration for the 2018-19 School Year Now Open. Plaza J Café featuring Peet’s Coffee, Mighty Leaf Tea, Smoothies, Three Twins Ice Cream, House of Bagels, Sandwiches, Salads, Soups, Pastries, and Snacks (coupon for free coffee in this issue)

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More Fun Stuff To Do• Linda LeveyThere are many wonderful things to do in Santa Venetia and neighbor-ing areas. Here are a few other options:Marin County Parks. Rangers host a variety of family-friendly events for all ages and interests – barbeques, bike rides, campfires, fishing derbies, horseback rides, interpretive hikes, outdoor safety and skills seminars, skateboard contests, stargazing, and more! Browse their site to get all the details and to view the entire calendar: http://tinyurl.com/Parks-Calendr. Also, note there are many “Free Access to ALL Parks – Measure A Days” on the calendar.This event caught my eye and may be of special interest: Senior Stroll at Las Gallinas Ponds on 2/11/18: https://tinyurl.com/y8ujlh9vAnd don’t forget, if you have a Marin County library card, you can check out a free park pass. For more information: http://tinyurl.com/PrksPassOr, if you’re in the mood, check out the many events right in our neigh-borhood at Marin Center: http://tinyurl.com/CC-Calendr. Their wide variety of offerings includes dance and music shows, outdoor markets, and more. And check out the following websites for their ongoing events:Friends of China Camp: https://friendsofchinacamp.orgMarin Conservation League (MCL): http://www.marinconservationleague.orgMarin Audubon: http://marinaudubon.org

Neighborhood Pride• Linda Levey & Gina HagenThere are many of us who take pride in our neighborhood. We love it when we see our neighbors “keeping it clean”. But too often, it seems people just don’t care. For 2018, let’s see if we can change that.Graffiti: We’ve been working with the County about graffiti in our neighborhood. DPW has said their Road Crews will address graffiti on County signs and we are working with them to get this cleaned up on an ongoing basis. We are also seeing lots of graffiti on PG&E boxes around the neighborhood. Gina has contacted them and they will be sending someone out to clean this up.Graffiti on private property needs to be abated by the owner of the property.How can you help? If you see graffiti – take a picture and include with the location and send to us at [email protected] and we can work on getting it cleaned up! Garbage & Trash: Garbage not only settles on our roadways, but makes its way into our storm drains, creeks, bays, and the ocean. It’s not good for our environment and it’s not good for our neighborhood. It’s been the topic in the Marin IJ articles and Letters to the Editor. There have

been symposiums and classes and all sorts of conversations going on. It’s a complex matter to be sure but there are ways you can help:Tarp Your Load: It’s the law. If you have debris in the back of your truck, cover it before you drive away. If you see an untarped truck, contact the authorities. Pick it up: When you are out walking and biking and enjoying the streets and paths, take a bag with you. It’s not difficult: look down and pick up any garbage you see. Within a short period of time, that will make all the difference.Residents interested in this issue can take the County's survey: surveymondey.com/r/R5ZV6FN and attend a 1/31/18 meeting to learn next steps. Maybe you can help to set up a "Clean Santa Venetia" Com-mittee. You can also visit: http://www.marincleanhighways.org to find out ways you can get involved on a County-wide level.

(415) 479-1070405 N. San Pedro Road

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• Nanni WurlIn November, we finally got back to our Independent Median between Birch & La Pasada. It has to be independent since it gets so little atten-tion, but we love it.Working were Carolyn Byrne, Dennis Bortoli, Eliseo Garcia, Wayne Lechner, and Carl & Helen Sitchler. Carolyn and Helen went to work in front of the convalescent home. The rest of us pruned and pulled weeds. As always, it took longer than we expected.In December, we worked in front of the condominiums. Again, I thought it would not take very long but I misjudged. Working were Carolyn Byrne, Dennis Bortoli, Eliseo Garcia, Wayne Lechner, and Carl & Helen Sitchler. Wayne did his artistic pruning on the Pride of Maderas to allow a better view for the residents exiting from the three homes and for drivers coming from Schmidt Lane and wanting to make a left-hand turn. Wayne did some more pruning on my short median. It was a very satisfying workday.The Median Crew would like to thank Helmut Winkelhake for making a donation in November and Arlene Davis and Mary Parker for again picking up sheets with pruning. Helen wants me to thank the kind resident who decorated one of the oak trees on our longest median with lights. I would like to thank my Median Crew for being so dedicated in helping me to keep up the medians and patient when dealing with a very strong-minded person.

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• Jessica Marker, Director of PartnershipHappy New Year, neighbors! It has been a joy to have the students back and to see how happy they are to return to school. We kicked off 2018 with a music and movement treat that celebrates life and all that is good here in our school community – the rich experiences and contributions of each student, staff, and community member and the ways we sup-port one another in our health, well-being, and growth. Our character trait of the month is self-control, and as such we are discussing ways to care for ourselves, others, and setting our goals for the new year. These goals allow us to continue to take bold leaps and make progress toward our academic, personal, and community goals. We are excited that our esteemed music teacher Mateo Dillaway has been awarded the 2018 Gilbert T. Freitas Award for Excellence in Music Education by the Califor-nia Music Education Association. Our students’ musicianship has soared under his guidance and we hope you will have an opportunity to enjoy both them and him in action in the months to come. Our basketball teams began their season on Thursday with a strong start, winning both of their games! Finally, we want to thank each neighbor who continues to support our community through their volunteerism, donations, advo-cacy, and love. It is a true gift to be a part of this tremendous neighbor-hood community.TK & Kinder registration: If you have a child starting TK or Kindergarten, please join us for registration on February 7th. School Tours: For any family or community member interested in joining our school community, please schedule a tour by contacting Principal Juan Rodriguez at [email protected] or 415-492-3150. Volunteers welcome: If you are interested in joining our community through volunteerism, please contact the Venetia Valley Family Center at [email protected].

Venetia Valley K8 School COMMUNITY MEETING, Tuesday, January 30, 7 pm State of the County with Supervisor Damon Connolly Korean Church, 635 Adrian Way at Rosal Way


The Marin County Sheriff’s Department Emergency number from Landline or Cell ..............................................911Safety Related, Non-emergency (24-hour Communications) ......................................................415-479-2311 Online Crime Reporting for harassing phone calls, identity theft, lost property, theft, theft from vehicles, vandalism and vehicle tampering http://tinyurl.com/RepACrimeCity of San RafaelEmergency from a Landline........................................................................911Emergency from a Cell Phone ............................................415-485-3393Fire Dept. Non-Emergency ..................................................415-485-3300Police Dept. Non-Emergency ...............................................415-485-3000San Rafael Emergency/Disaster Info Hotline .................. 415-485-5070

Electrical ConcernsPG&Electrical Outage ............................................................800-743-5002Underground Electrical Line Alert ............................................................811PG&E Underground Alert ......................................................800-227-2600Flood Control/Clogged DrainsDPW Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm ................................415-473-6528After 5pm/Weekends, Holidays ........................................... 415-473-7513Sewer OverflowsLas Gallinas Valley Sanitary District ..............................415-472-1734 Water Running and WasteMarin Municipal Water District ..........................................415-945-1520Website for water waste info and to report water waste: http://marinwater.org/171/Water-Waste-PreventionCommunity Development Agency/PlanningFront Information Counter ...................................................415-473-6269Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District Sewer Overflows (24 hours) .........................................................415-472-1734Trash and Graffiti If you see dumping get license # and call with location and description ........................................................415-479-2311To request dumped stuff pick-up .......................................415-473-7388 Bus Stop Trash Can, http://marintransit.org/contact.html or email: [email protected] .......................................415-226-0855Call with location & description ..........................................415-479-2311 How to Report an Issue in our Parks and/or Open SpaceEmergency number from landline or cell ...............................................911Safety Related, Non-emergency

Community Compass Note: BigTent has stopped accepting Credit Card or PayPal payments. We have been working on a payment solution through our website (www.thesvna.org) and hope to have that up and running soon. Thank you for your patience. And don’t forget, checks are always accepted and appreciated.

(24-hour Communications) ........................................................415-479-2311Routine for Parks ....................................................... 415-446-4419 Routine for Open Space ............................................ 415-473-2816Incident Report for County Parks ........http://tinyurl.com/yaq6nj5eQUICK LINKS FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS Traffic Conditions To check Bay Area traffic, click here http://traffic.511.org/Check the Tides Click here for a local tide table from NOAA http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaatidepredictions/NOAATidesFacade.jsp?Stationid=9414290Power Outages Click here to report or check on a power outage.. http://www.pge.com/myhome/outages/outage/Downed Power Lines If you see a downed power line call 911 immediately. For more safety information about downed power lines click here.. http://www.pge.com/en/safety/gaselectricsafety/powerlines/index.page

Do you live in a FEMA designated flood zone? Check out the FEMA Flood Map to find out more information http://msc.fema.gov/portal

Endangered Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Show for Kids at China Camp State ParkSaturday, February 10, 2018 at 4 – 5pm• Friends of China CampThis month’s show at the China Camp Village Museum is an interac-tive program especially for children ages 5 to 12. “The Mystery Mouse of China Camp” introduces the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse, tells what makes it so special, and presents live demos of equipment scientists use to track it for research. Children learn about other rodents, including a relative that grows over 1,000 times bigger. They share les-sons that teach respect for all living creatures. Free snacks and drinks provided. And every child gets a free gift. To reserve, send an email to [email protected] with a) the total number of places you need and b) the number of children’s places you need (special seating.). Reservations are essential and will be confirmed with directions to the Village Museum.

Collect ”General Mills Box Tops for Education” and ”Campbell Labels for Educa-tion” 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 equip-ment, and music and art sup-plies for our school. Contact Tes Robards, 415-507-0375 for more info. Labels and box tops can be dropped off at the school's main office.

(Usual donation $15/$25 but any amount will help!)

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Join/Renew Membership to Friends of Civic Center Library. Critical funding needed!

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By Appointment Only 1 Hour $80; 90 minutes $100 30 minutes $40 neck, back, glutes, shoulders58 Sunny Oaks Dr, San Rafael 415-379-0257–ok to text [email protected]

Here to Promote Your Health!

Karen Kraut Massage Therapist

Santa Venetia Massage D E E P T I S S U E / R E L A X A T I O N

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

Santa Venetia Neighborhood Association January/February 2018

See Something...Say Something 415-479-2311

Neighborly Notes

SUPPORT OUR LOCAL ADVERTISERS: Bogie’s Cafe • Chalet Basque • Friends of Civic Center Library • Gasparé’s Pizzeria

Golden Cuts & Color • Jackson Square Financial • James A. Walsh Real Estate Julia Padilla Voice & Piano • Lesley McTaggart Realtor • Marin Ace Hardware

Marin County Federal Credit Union • North Bay Hardwood Floors One Foot at a Time/Laurie Steese • Osher Marin Jewish Community Center

Santa Venetia Market • Santa Venetia Massage/Karen Kraut Technomaven–Computer Housecalls • The Marin School

Good Food—Good Neighbors Don’t forget, Gaspare’s Piz-zeria is the place to go for a wonderful 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. 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!

Compiled by Linda LeveyFrom Linda LeveyWe were deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Kevin Richard Hughes in November and wish to send our condolences to all of his family. His dad, “Mr. Hughes” and his sister Mary (aka Futon Mary) are long-time SV residents, SVNA members, and friends to us all. We are all so sorry. We also lost Silva Carroll, another long-time resident and member, a few months ago and wish to convey our best to her friends and family.Our Supervisor, Damon Connolly, was named as President of the Marin County Board of Supervisors for 2018. We wish to send our congratulations and look forward to working with him again this year.Support our Venetia Valley K8 School Teachers by donating on DonorsChoose.org. Even a small amount helps teachers fund those special projects. Click often to see the always changing, current needs: https://tinyurl.com/VVDonors.“My Senior Neighbor doesn’t have heat…” was a topic of discussion on Nextdoor started by Santa Venetia resident Anna Boucher. She has now set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to help this Santa Venetia neighbor. Pitch in a little or a lot here: https://tinyurl.com/ya6xl8l5.Neighbor Dan Monte just wrote to say he is running for CA Assembly District 10. If you are interested in hearing more about what he wants to accomplish, you can contact him at 707-393-1948.From Giselle BlockI Love The Watershed Nursery. It’s a great resource located in Pt. Richmond specializing in native plants, all locally sourced and grown on site. They always have helpful staff if you have questions. The more we can get folks growing natives the better – good for the bugs, the birds, and us! Check their website for information including a “Plant Finder” database to help you find plants based on water, soil, or light require-ments and/or the species they attract or resist. For more information. visit www.thewatershednursery.comFrom Gina HagenNeighbors Sam Gallegos & Helen Reid are opening a restaurant. For more information visit: http://www.atalayacafe.comFrom Kathleen Nemetz via NextdoorThe Bee Crisis in Marin. CMCM TV, our local nonprofit television sta-

"Ukulele, anyone?"

tion, will be hosting me February 7 at its mixer to show excerpts of the film I made about the bee crisis here in Marin. Joining me will be local beekeeper Arthur Seebach. Come to learn more about what you can do to save bees, starting in your own backyards. The event is free at 7pm, 819 A Street in San Rafael. For more information: 415-721-0636. Replays of the bee movie can be seen at https://vimeo.com/232586753.From Rich McGrath via NextDoorStopped in at Bogie’s this morning, which many of you know has been a neighborhood fixture for many years. In case you don’t, it’s located on N. San Pedro Road, directly across the street from the Marin County Civic Center. Michael and his sister Leslie own the place and have built a faithful following with their good food, good service, and absolutely unique ambience. I admit I haven’t been in as much as I used to, but after chatting with Mike I have resolved to go more often.Why? Well, I posted a critique of Black Bear Diner the other day af-ter I visited it. It's new and just opened across the freeway. Mike told me that since the BBD opened, his business has dropped off 25% during the week, and at least 50% on weekends. He made it clear to me that he was not complaining, and that he had expected some impact from the new competition in the neighborhood. But not as big a hit as that.Bogies is a friendly, fun place, and has been for years. The charm for me is the unconventional decor, the good food and good service. Plus the familiarity one can only get at a true neighborhood establishment. I think things will work out for Mike and Leslie as the novelty of the new BBD fades. There’s room for both. I urge my neighbors who haven’t stopped by Bogie’s for a while to renew their acquaintance with Mike and Leslie, and support a quality, unique local business. If you haven’t tried it, do. I think you’ll like it.

EDITOR'S NOTE: We had some of our membership write great paragraphs about "Why I am a volunteer and an ac-tive member of the SVNA" but we ran out of room! We've included those in our newsletter on the web (www.thes-vna.org/newsletters) see page 12, and will also include in our March /April Communicator newsletter.

provide critical habitat and ensure that Marin’s marsh-lands and critical infrastructure can withstand sea-level rise, Marin County Parks is using a $550,000 state grant to restore 180 acres of diked wetlands in San Rafael to natural marsh.” More infor-mation can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/k5kko6x and http://tinyurl.com/

ms8hxg4. >>> SVNA Contact: Russ Greenfield, [email protected]. >>> County Contact: James Raives, Senior Open Space Planner, [email protected]’s/MacPhail’s School Site – The McPhail Working Group remains dedicated to keeping this site and field as a neighborhood park and re-source, as well as protecting the seasonal wetlands. If you are interested in being involved, apprised, and/or updated as to the status of this property, contact [email protected] to be added to our email distribution list. >>> SVNA Contact: Linda Levey, [email protected]. Oxford Valley Site –Oxford Valley Site – We heard from the owners: Following professional surveys of the property’s topography, historic features, and natural constraints, they’ve identified what seems to be the least disruptive spot in the north-center of the parcel to locate their home, garage, and barn. Fortunately, the site has two old agricul-tural roads they can rehab for use as a driveway, which will minimize construction-related earth disturbance and maximize protection for the land. They are hoping to have draft plans completed and submitted for the CDR process and available for public comment soon. >>> SVNA Contact: Mark Wallace, [email protected]. Owner: Jim Higgins, [email protected], 415-949-8005.Parking in Santa Venetia – New rules were implemented last year: No parking at all on NSPR, between La Pasada and Vendola, and commer-cial trucks are banned from overnight parking on select streets of our residential neighborhood. Signage has gone up and enforcement has begun. If you live in a section of SV with no parking signs and oversized, commercial trucks are still parking overnight in your neighborhood, please contact the Sheriff to report it. >>> Contact: [email protected]. San Rafael Airport – Complex & MOU/Levees –

MOU/Levees – The County of Marin is working on a Memo-randum of Understanding (MOU) with the Airport regarding the levees and ownership of the creek. A Public Meeting was held 11/15/17 (view the video here: https://youtu.be/LCIXo8IRbSY) and work continues on the Draft agreement. We are told there will be another opportunity to comment in the coming year.Soccer Complex/Recreational Facility – No new news on the Facility, but we understand the project will be moving forward. Let your neighbors and SVNA Land Use know if you see any activity on the site. For more information: http://tinyurl.com/y8qkh5ut. >>> SVNA Contact: [email protected]

Sunny Oaks/NSPR Development Project (Busse Land Division/Tenta-tive Map P1612) – The applicant is requesting Tentative Map Approval to divide the 4.438 acre lot bordering on North San Pedro Road (NSPR) and Sunny Oaks (approximate number 71) into four lots with seven (7) proposed units (including 2nd units) in total. Currently this project is in CEQA/Environmental Review. If you are interested in being included in future SVNA updates on this project, please let us know. Click here for more information and to sign up for updates on this project from the County: http://tinyurl.com/jk746cb >>> SVNA Contact: Mark Wallace, [email protected]. County Contact: Project Planner Evelyn Garcia,

Concerned about development? Here’s where you can find the scoop about what’s happening in your ‘hood’. (Keep an eye on the online forums for up-to-the-minute information.)This is a list of current and ongo-ing 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 build-ing projects, and you should, please contact the SVNA Land Use Commit-tee ([email protected]) and/or the appropriate parties. Speak now or forever hold your peace! J“North San Rafael” projects – Visit http://tinyurl.com/NSR-Proj 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 – The BOS authorized the purchase agreement for the acquisition of Buck’s Landing (including the lands across NSPR, abutting Heron Hill) from Gallinas Landing LLC (who purchased the property in 2015) contingent upon securing funding and other requirements. The project will provide public access to Gallinas Creek and includes plans for restoring habitat. For more information: http://tinyurl.com/yays9lgz. >>> County Contact: Su-pervisor Damon Connolly, [email protected]. Edgehill Way, 8 - The applicant is requesting Tree Removal Permit ap-proval to remove one protected tree located on a vacant lot in unin-corporated San Rafael. Per the application materials, there is a 15-inch Coast Live Oak located 64 feet from the side property line, which qualifies as a Protected Tree under the Tree Protection and Preservation Ordinance. For more information: http://tinyurl.com/ya59389r. >>> SVNA Contact: [email protected]. County Contact: Project Planner Sabrina Sihakom, [email protected], 415-473-3607.Gallinas Creek Dredging – CSA #6 continues to plan for a geomorphic dredge of lower Gallinas Creek in 2018 or 2019 to provide conveyance for boating and other recreational purposes. SVNA Contact: Ellen Stein, [email protected]. County Contact: Jon Liang, 415-473-6215, [email protected] Watershed Program – To see a plethora of information about flooding, dredging, and our watershed – including agendas, minutes, reports, videos, etc. – visit: https://tinyurl.com/yazhzfur. >>> SVNA Contact: Russ Greenfield, [email protected]. County Contact: Laurie L. Williams, Senior Planner/Watershed GIS, [email protected] Drive/Vacant Lot – The applicant is requesting Design Review and Accessory Dwelling Unit Permit approval to construct a new 4,412 square foot single-family residence with a detached garage and accessory dwelling unit on a vacant lot on Leona Drive. The proposed development would have a building area of 6,104 square feet and reach a maximum height of 30 feet above the surrounding grade. For more information, visit: http://tinyurl.com/y8gv8uek. >>> SVNA Con-tact: [email protected]. County Contact: Project Planner Evelyn Garcia, [email protected], 415-473-7173. Leona Drive, 22 – The applicant is requesting Design Review and Tree Removal Permit approval (including two trees classified as “protected”) to construct a new 3-story 4,454 square foot residence and a 613 square-foot attached garage on a vacant lot in San Rafael. The proposed building would reach a maximum height of 40 feet above surrounding grade. For more information, visit: http://tinyurl.com/ybz4sz2m. >>> SVNA Contact: [email protected]. County Contact: Project Planner Sabrina Sihakom, [email protected], 415-473-3607.Medical Cannabis Dispensaries = Delivery Only – The “delivery-only” or-dinance went before the BOS and was approved on 11/14/17. For more information, click here: www.marincounty.org/main/medicalcannabis. >>> County Contact: Program Manager Inge Lundegaard, [email protected], 415-473-7023.McInnis Marsh Restoration Project – “In a forward-thinking effort to

Land Use Update 2017Be Proactive, Not Reactive

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Why am a Volunteer and an Active Member of the SVNA?Why am I an Active Member of the SVNA? See below for Notes from your Neighbors. Join the SVNA; Volunteer in your Community; Stand up and be Counted… It’s good for you AND your neighborhood!From Russ Greenfield on Mabry Way (SVNA Board President)Linda asked us to write a short message about why we volunteer. I think it is a natural human occurrence. It starts off when we are little kids. We enjoy having toys. In high school we start to take pride in our clothes. Then we get a license to drive and we take pride in our first car. If we are lucky enough to own a house, it shows up there. Then moves on to children, where we try to provide an environment for them to prosper. From there, it grows and moves into community. I volunteer because I take pride in what I do and it now involves the community as well as the whole planet earth. It just makes good sense. I take pride in Santa Venetia, and want to see it flourish. From Dennis Bortoli on Vendola Drive (SVNA Board Member)When I moved to Santa Venetia in 1975 I was like many of my fellow resi-dents, living middle class & taking care of my little corner. I continually worked long hours, upgraded our home and we raised three beautiful girls, but the well being of our family was my major concern. Then it became evident, not only ours, but all kids were in danger at school due to hazardous traffic conditions. So I joined other concerned fathers and we made a difference. We removed 1,600 yards of soil to gain a second road, parking and a sidewalk to keep kids safe. Naturally I was proud of what we accomplished, but the friendships made and the gratification of one’s sacrifice actually helping others is priceless. A few years later I retired and I wanted that feeling again. So I joined “Rebuilding Together” and volunteered in helping to improve living conditions for those that can’t pay. Again I reaped the gratification of making a difference. I was hooked, so I then joined our local DART team so I might help save others during a disaster, the N San Pedro Median Crew and the SVNA Board in trying to maintain the viability of our community. Seeing beyond my little corner has not only changed my perspective, it has also rewarded me in ways that can’t be measured and money can’t buy.From Joyce Clements on Sunny Oaks DriveThe SVNA is the sugar and the glue that holds us together as a com-munity. The Board, committees and many volunteers vigorously keep the interests and the enjoyments of our neighborhood as a first priority --from seeing to it that Santa Venetia is in the front of the the County Supervisors, administrators and officers, by making special events for all of us, and by keeping us informed and in contact. For these reasons and many more, I support the SVNA.

From Norma Novy in Medford, OregonAs a shy person, I valued the group exchange at the board meetings. My ideas were validated and my self esteem grew by leaps and bounds. Be-ing president I grew again, learning how to run a meeting and to greet each and every person with a smile and a hello from the heart. I wish I could still volunteer!From Catherine Lagarde on Hawthorn Way (SVNA Board Member) I volunteer because it feels good. Volunteering allows me to connect to the community and to meet new people. It feels good to know more people in the neighborhood, to have a sense of community. Volunteer-ing is also a chance to learn new skills and to expand on old ones. It feels good to “stretch” a little bit. It feels good to do something different than the day to day routine at work and at home. Finally, we live in such a wonderful place, who wouldn’t want to keep it as wonderful and make it even better?From Nanni Wurl on Vendola Drive (SVNA Board Member)My first involvement in the community was helping to save Santa Margarita Island. I moved on to President of the SVIA/SVNA. And later working on the Medians which I like the best for I can see an immedi-ate result. The world would be a sad place without volunteers. To get involved, get started with something you really care about, no matter how small. Doing what I have been doing brought me in contact with many great people, like the Median Crew. We all need each other. From Sylvia Lakeman on Mabry WayI had lived here for several years before I became an active member. It was only then I realized the importance of each of us working together to preserve and improve the neighborhood we love. By volunteering, I not only felt that I was giving back but made new and dear friends.From Helen Sitchler on Hawthorn WayI was brought up to be helpful to others and find satisfaction in being active in my neighborhood. When, some years ago, I heard about the median crew, and I was working on Saturdays. But, come retirement, I marked the 2nd Saturdays on my calendar. I like gardening (if you can call median upkeep gardening) and have become friends with some of the people we read about in The Communicator. They are no longer just names. I feel a real part of this caring community.From Rich & Shirley McGrath on La Brea WaySupervisor Damon Connolly calls our neighborhood “a very special place”. Neighbor Michael Pritchard says this is “the best place on earth”, I wholeheartedly agree with both. We moved to Santa Venetia forty five years ago, pursued separate careers, raised two wonderful children, and have enjoyed a wonderful life here, which continues today in retire-ment. We have been blessed with great neighbors through all of those years, and our kids have gone on to happy and productive lives of their own, having developed lifelong friendships here that are still going strong. The Santa Venetia Neighborhood Association has given us the oppor-tunity to get to know some of the finest, hardest working, and most dedicated folks we have ever met. Through the SVNA we have met and worked with our last two county supervisors. We realize the great quality of life here is largely the result of these dedicated neighbors and fellow citizens, and the best way to show our gratitude and thanks is to try to give back to our community to the best of our ability. That’s why we volunteer.From Ellen Stein on Vendola DriveMost of us are busy and don’t have the time to keep up with issues that affect our community. I volunteer to keep information flowing and listen to neighbors so I can better represent views other than my own. I appreciate all the constructive input I receive to convey commu-nity sentiments on the boards that I serve. (Friends of the Civic Center Library, CSA #6 – Dredging, and CSA #18 - Parks)From Sue Anderson on Crestview DriveAs a long-time resident of Santa Venetia (and member of Santa Venetia Neighbors Helping Neighbors and the SVNA), I volunteer & give back because it has been my home for almost 50 years – and my husband, Terry, even longer – he grew up here!

[email protected], 415-473-7173.Sunny Oaks, 18 / Silver Oaks Court, 9 & 5 – Neighbors have been asking about ongoing noise and building on the hill. I checked with the County and was provided information showing the 1992 approval for building on two parcels at 18 Sunny Oaks and according to the plans, one parcel is #9 Silver Oak Court (and I believe the other is #5). If this is of interest and you want copies of this information, please email. >>> SVNA Contact: Linda Levey, [email protected] Road/Vacant Lots – Plans were submitted in June 2017 showing access to one parcel off North San Pedro Road and the other off Upper Road. At that time, owner Mark Menges applied for a lot-line adjust-ment with plans for two single-family residential lots. Per the Planner, the lot-line adjustment was approved in August. Building plans have not been submitted yet, but the next step should be Design Review. County Contact: Project Planner Megan Alton, [email protected], 415-473-6235.If you are interested in other Land Use issues, please consult previous and future newsletters for more information or contact our SVNA Land Use Committee with questions and/or concerns. If you know about projects

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Santa Venetia is a very special place – not far from the water and China Camp in one direction and the famous Marin County Civic Center in the other! AND right in the middle of Santa Venetia is one of the best restau-rants around – Le Chalet Basque!But REALLY the best part is the people!! People who care about and help each other!! Our group, SVNHN, has the yearly Yard Sales where so many of you shop – with ALL the proceeds going back into our community! Thank You!AND ONE OF THE MOST FUN things our group has done was giving away 100 bags of mistletoe in front of our wonderful Santa Venetia Market this last Christmas! We surprised many because we weren’t selling them, but giving them away as a thank you for being the great community you are!From Jacqueline Garcia on Estancia WayI’m grateful for much in my life. I feel it’s my responsibly to step up, show up, and give back. If volunteering helps my community be a better place to live, and raise my children, then I’m all in. From Linda Levey on Vendola Drive (SVNA Board Treasurer)I am a California native and have lived in San Rafael almost my entire life. Since my teens, I have volunteered and been active in politics and in my community, so it was a natural progression to join the SVNA Board shortly after moving here. For me, my involvement and time invested is a way of “giving back” and expressing my appreciation and gratitude for all that I have and the joy I get from living here. For those of you who have never tried it, I recommend it highly!From Gina Hagen on Adrian Way (SVNA Board Vice-President)I feel like volunteering has helped me become more connected with my community and be a better active listener. It’s given me many opportuni-ties to take a solution-based approach and actions that have had lasting positive impacts for the neighborhood. The satisfaction of working together with my friends and neighbors feels great! It’s like taking care of a garden - the more you put into it, the more you can get out of it. I care about my community and want it to be the best it can be! If we all pitch in what we can, when we can, imagine the possibilities!

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