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CineArts Sequoia Theater to Reopen July 17

6/24/2020

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Film lovers gather outside the CineArts Sequoia Theatre for the Mill Valley Film Festival in 2014. Photo by Kirke Wrench.
Cinemark, whose lease to operate the CineArts Sequoia movie theater runs through September 2023, announced this week that it plans to reopen the two-screen theater on July. The revelation came as Cinemark announced its plans to reopen all of its more than 340 locations by July 17, four months after it closed its movie houses in the early stages of the shelter in place orders dictated by the COVID-19 crisis. 

The third-largest movie theater chain in the United States will start opening locations in Texas on June 19, before reopening the rest of its theaters between July 3 and July 17.

"There is nothing quite like the awe and power of great cinematic storytelling on the big screen," Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi said in a statement. "And Cinemark is proud to once again welcome guests to enjoy the shared, immersive experience they crave in a way that provides them confidence and peace of mind."

Cinemark officials said they "will uphold enhanced cleaning and sanitizing protocols as well as have elevated expectations for employees and guests," according to the news release.
  • All public and high-touch spaces will be thoroughly sanitized every 30 minutes.
  • Each auditorium will be disinfected every morning.
  • All theaters will reopen with reduced hours and staggered showtimes.
  • Auditoriums will have limited capacities.
"While Cinemark already takes significant precautions to ensure the health and safety of our employees, guests and communities, we have developed the Cinemark Standard for an extra level of cleaning and sanitizing that guests will notice from the moment they walk through our doors," Zoradi said.

Per the mandatory requirement to wear a mask in situations such as sitting in a movie theater as issued by the state of California on June 18, masks are required for al attendees.

MORE INFO.

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Buckeye Roadhouse Closes After Staff Members Test Positive for Coronavirus, Set to Reopen July 6

6/23/2020

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[Update 7.2.20: Buckeye is set to reopen July for indoor and outdoor dining, as well as takeout/delivery. Reservations here].
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As many of us have had to do over the past several months of the COVID-19 crisis, the folks at Buckeye Roadhouse is taking a pause. The 83-year-old landmark Mill Valley restaurant has temporarily closed upon learning two of its staff members tested positive for coronavirus, and will reopen on July 6 after "a deep cleaning" by an outside firm.

In an open letter posted to its website, Buckeye's owners noted that all employees will receive paid sick leave while the restaurant is closed, and COVID-19 testing is now mandatory for the entire staff.
 
Buckeye has been open for most of the shelter in place for takeout/delivery, and had reopened for outdoor dining on June 8, maintaining strict protocols in terms of social distancing, wearing masks and gloves, taking employees’ temperatures before work and cleaning throughout the day.


Buckeye Roadhouse at 15 Shoreline Highway reopens for indoor and outdoor dining on July 6. MORE INFO.

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West Coast Wine • Cheese Marks Full Embrace of its Ever-Growing E-commerce and Wine Club Businesses

6/23/2020

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Fifteen months after Chris and Lindsey Wanner opened the second Bay Area location of their West Coast Wine • Cheese shop at 31 Sunnyside Ave., adjacent to Kitchen Sunnyside restaurant in downtown Mill Valley, the entire foundation of their business – gathering people together to learn about and experience great West Coast wines – fell victim to the COVID-19 health crisis.

With in-person tastings shut down since mid-March, the Wanners had to be nimble. They've done just that. In a note to their followers, Wanner wrote, "After closing our doors in mid-March, we've been on a rollercoaster ride! But I am eagerly looking forward to putting a close to that chapter, and starting a fresh new beginning with a more sustainable, long-term vision. I never imagined getting into the e-commerce game, but that day has come. All the data crunching we've been doing, in collaboration with our friends at Ships Co. Studio, who have provided all the beautiful design and functionality!"

"Let me assure you, this took a lot of data crunching – resulting in some bleeding eyes – to get all the tech notes and photos for over 350 wines loaded, but that's the level of West Coast customer service that we pride ourselves on, even when you visit our website!" Wanner added.

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Wanner says the new website has "everything you need is now all in one place, including a page dedicated to their OVO Rosé, a page on its ever-growing Wine Club and a fully integrated e-commerce ordering site.

As the moniker suggests, the Wanners leave no doubt about the wines they spotlight. “I’m kind of a homer, for sure – it’s all about California, Oregon and Washington,” Wanner says of their Pinot Noir-heavy bottle list of approximately 330 wines. “That’s where my expertise lies, and I really love repping these brands and telling the stories of these winemakers and vineyard owners. And I see us as not being just a place that sells wine, but a space that builds community around our wine and around those stories."

The 411: West Coast Wine • Cheese shop has leaned heavily into its e-commerce and wine club businesses over the past several months of shelter in place. We'll let you know when they reopen their physical space. 31 Sunnyside Ave. MORE INFO.

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Let's Head to the Pitch: Dave Fromer Soccer Unveils 39th Annual Summer Camps – Larkspur, Mill Valley & Tahoe

6/23/2020

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As we all know, every local sports organization has been scrambling over the past few weeks to get ready for summer camps in the midst of a health crisis that requires extensive health and safety protocols.

Dave Fromer Soccer has gone through that process and is unveiling its 39th Annual Summer Soccer Camps, with camps set for Mill Valley Larkspur and Lake Tahoe.

The soccer camps are for boys and girls of all levels, ages 5-14. "With the guidance of our dynamic, experienced coaching staff, campers will develop their conditioning, ball skills, tactical learning, and teamwork in an environment that encourages unity and growth," says Rachel Usher, the program's general manager. "Our summer camps are a great way to build confidence, meet new friends, and develop a love for the game of Soccer!"

Each summer camp is a three-week sessions, starting July 6-24 at Piper Park in Larkspur, then onto Friends Field July 27-Aug. 14, and then Pomin Park in Lake Tahoe Aug. 10-14. All camps will be half-day camps from Monday through Friday, 9am-12:30pm or 1-4pm for the 3 week duration. Camps will follow all county and state guidelines in response to COVID-19. 

MORE INFO HERE.

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MV Arts Commission, Kiddo! Tease 'Urban Knitting' Public Art Project on Trees in Depot Plaza in October

6/23/2020

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The Mill Valley Arts Commission (MVAC) and Kiddo!, the Mill Valley Schools Community Foundation, are launching a public art project on the Mill Valley Downtown Plaza in an effort to create public art that brings the community together.

Everyone can participate and/or enjoy the installation by walking through or driving by the plaza. This will be a temporary installation and is commonly called "urban knitting" or "yarn bombing." It will involve safely and temporarily covering some of the trees in the plaza with knit or crocheted patches of yarn and flowers. See above for examples of other Urban Knitting projects.

Organizers plan to launch the installation on Oct. 6, and it will remain up for 7-10 days. 

How you can get involved:
We would love to involve all in the community who would like to participate. If you would like to become involved, please knit or crochet a 12 inch square or rectangle (rectangular pieces should not exceed 12 inches in height.) The color theme is to be reds, yellows and greens. However, if you don't have those colors - make something anyway! Nothing will be turned away! If you don't like to knit or crochet - you can also finger crochet the flowers that will also be used in the project. Here, a smooth yarn works better than a furry one. Here is a video that shows you how to make one: How to Finger Crochet a Flower.

Easy drop-off at the Mill Valley Community Center
A convenient drop box will be located outside the front entrance of the
Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley.
You may drop off your knitted piece
Monday - Friday between 10:00am - 2:30pm.

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The California Honeydrops Release 'Just One More, And Then Some,' Play Virtual Show at Sweetwater – June 26

6/21/2020

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The California Honeydrops, a blues and R&B band that formed in November 2007 playing in BART stations of Oakland, are set to celebrate the release of their Just One More, And Then Some EP on June 26 with a virtual performance at Sweetwater Music Hall, to be live streamed for free online.

The one-night performance begins at 7pm PT. The band will also be selling exclusive merch to mark the arrival of their first album since last year’s Honeydrops Live 2019.

“We wanted the EP to be super raw and to reflect how we play live, so there’s little to no dubbing on the tracks—what you hear is what you get,” Singer/multi-instrumentalist Lech Wierzynski said of the forthcoming album with its original announcement earlier this year. “They’re fun, upbeat songs. Kind of let your hair down, celebrate joy and making music together. That’s why people come to our shows, so we tried to capture that feeling during a time when we can’t gather, a time when people may be looking for a little love and connection. As always, more than anything that’s what we’re trying to put out there.”

The live stream of the California Honeydrops' performance at the Sweetwater Music Hall on June 26 is free. RSVP “tickets” can be accessed here.

MORE INFO.

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Let's Do This Mill Valley: We're Just $7k Shy of COVID-19 Fund's Goal of $100K to Issue 100 $1,000 Local Biz Grants

6/18/2020

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Oh, man, are we close to the finish line.

Since its launch in April, the Mill Valley Chamber’s COVID-19 MV Business Fund has raised $93,000 to support local businesses amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Every $1,000 raised equals a $1,000 direct cash grant issued to local businesses who met a baseline of criteria. The total raised includes $15,000 from the County of Marin and $2,500 from the Bank of Marin, enough to fun 93 grants, more than 75 of which have already been received by local businesses and nonprofits.

We'd love a last final push to put us over the top. You can donate via either GoFundMe or MarinLink, the latter of which both the County and Bank of Marin have utilized on our project’s behalf. THANK YOU! 

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O’Hanlon Center for the Arts Hosts Virtual Conversation with Newly Formed Marin City Arts & Culture – June 23

6/18/2020

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PictureCeramic Sculptor and Painter Zwanda Cook, Executive Director Oshalla Diana Marcus and Painter Orin Carpenter in front of the MC Arts Gallery. Courtesy image.
On Tuesday, June 23, Erma Murphy and Ellen Mattesi, co-directors of the O’Hanlon Center for the Arts their first ever Zoom conversation with another local arts organization.  

"Join in and discover what the newly formed Marin City Arts and Culture is doing to promote and support their artists, and meet the organization's executive director Oshalla Diana Marcus and four of the organizations working artists," Murphy says.

MC Arts and Culture is a membership-based group of black artists in various disciplines, including art, music, theater, dance and literary arts devoted to preserving African American cultural art forms; inspiring, mentoring and supporting new artists, and making others aware of the wealth of creativity arising from the county’s black community.    

The artists on the call will Include:
Zwanda Cook –  Ceramic Sculptor and Painter
Lumumba Edwards – Painter
Malaak Atkins – Mixed Media Artist
Orin Carpenter – Painter


The conversation is set for Tuesday, June 23 at 5pm via Zoom. GO HERE TO ACCESS THE EVENT.
​
MORE INFO ON MARIN CITY ARTS & CULTURE AND CULTURE ARTISTS.

Participants are encouraged to join in the two-part Juneteenth Virtual Event: Friday June 19 and Saturday, June 27 from 10am to 10pm. MORE INFO HERE.

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Board of Supervisors Vote to Cap Fees at 15 Percent from Restaurant Delivery Services like Grubhub and UberEats

6/18/2020

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The Marin County Board of Supervisors quickly approved a resolution this week that caps the fees charged by restaurant delivery apps like Doordash and Grubhub, which just reached a deal to be bought by European food delivery service Just Eat Takeaway for $7.3 billion, at 15 percent of the purchase price of the order.

The resolution, which we previewed last week, acknowledges that the shelter in place order that went into effect March 17 "placed a sudden and severe financial strain on many restaurants, particularly those that are small businesses that already operate on thin margins, adding to financial pressures in the industry that predate the COVID-19 crisis."

It also notes that "restaurants, and particularly restaurants that are small businesses with few locations, have limited bargaining power to negotiate lower fees with third-party platforms, given the high market saturation of third-party platforms, and the dire financial straits small business restaurants are facing in this COVID-19 emergency."

The resolution takes effect June 22, only impacts restaurants in unincorporated Marin like Strawberry and Tam Valley. So the Mill Valley City Council would need to approve it to impact restaurant deliveries within city limits.

The regulation would remain in place until the county lifts the order prohibiting indoor dining, which is expected to come as soon as June 29, AND the board rescinds it.

But the resolution holds out the possibility that it stays on the books for a while: "Even when dine-in service is allowed by the Public Health Officer in the future, it is unclear how rapidly dine-in service will begin to resume and restaurants may continue to see a significant loss of revenue for an ongoing period of time as dine-in service is reintroduced."

“This initiative is a small way of continuing to offer protection to small businesses in unprecedented times,” Supervisor Damon Connolly said. “We look forward to a fuller reopening in a safe way going forward.”

The regulation would not apply to delivery services delivering orders from chain/formula restaurants with 11 or more locations and/or standardized array of merchandise, a standardized facade, a standardized decor and color scheme, uniform apparel and standardized signage.

“People have migrated to these services and a large portion of our business is now done via home delivery,” Rustic Bakery Founder Carol Levalley wrote to the board in seeking the regulation. “We have no choice to participate in these services or we’d see our already diminished business shrink even more.”

GO HERE FOR MORE CONTEXT ON THE DIFFICULT CHOICES RESTAURANTS FACE IN WORKING WITH APP-BASSED DELIVERY SERVICES.

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Outdoor Art Club Awards Leadership Scholarship to Graduating Tamalpais High Student Kavi Dolasia

6/18/2020

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PictureKavi Dolasia
The Outdoor Art Club has awarded its annual Leadership Scholarship to Tamalpais High School graduating senior Kavi Dolasia. 

The nonprofit organization established a $1,000 annual scholarship in 2019 to be awarded to a female graduating student at Tamalpais High School who has a record of strong academic achievement and has demonstrated exemplary leadership through activities that support the Club’s values. 

OAC officials says that Dolasia is a young woman of remarkable talent and promise. She is the co-founder and President of “Reaching Out With Robotics,” a weekly after-school teaching institute targeting underrepresented groups that now has eight chapters across California. She was one of 10 girls in the country selected as an Ambassador for TechGirls, a United States State Department initiative to build cross-cultural connections through technological discovery. She developed the health app Chew IQ, winner of the Best Marin/Web App Award at the 2017 Marin County Office of Education Hackathon and the People’s Choice Award at the 2017 Bizworld Girlpreneur Competition.

She also held an internship with California Assembly Member Marc Levine, engaging with local communities on a number of important issues. At Tam High, she was the News Editor of the Tam News, President of the Honors Society, and played varsity field hockey.

Ms. Dolasia will attend the University of California at Berkeley in the fall, with a major in Economics and Business Administration.
 
The Outdoor Art Club was founded in 1902 and is dedicated to the protection and beautification of outdoor spaces, wildlife conservation, and other civic, literary, and charitable work.

MORE INFO.
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From Policing to Housing, MV City Council Dives Into Systemic Racism and Inequality, Commits to Action

6/16/2020

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A peaceful protest in support of Black Lives Matter in Mill Valley on June 5.
Editor's note: A five-hour, town hall-style meeting on the subject of institutional racism and systemic inequality is not business-as-usual for the Mill Valley City Council. In recognition of that, and of the multitude of voices that participated, we are giving this event the importance – and ridiculously long length – that it deserves. Thank you.
PictureMill Valley Mayor Sashi McEntee.
In the two weeks since Mayor Sashi McEntee quickly moved past a resident’s question about the Black Lives Matter movement in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, failing to match the urgency of the moment, members of the Mill Valley City Council have been scrambling to respond.

They’ve attended multiple listening sessions with constituents, got an earful at local protests and rallies, consulted with past Mill Valley mayors and councilmembers and crafted a strong statement in support of BLM and promised tangible action to come. 

On Monday, that work began, with more than 300 listeners watching closely as councilmembers dove deeply into an array of recommendations directly from the community and committed to a range of next steps, including turning that statement into a resolution that the council plans to approve in July (MORE INFO HERE).

In doing so, councilmembers exhibited diligence and a seriousness of purpose that matched the community outcry arising out of McEntee’s misstep. Mill Valley resident Patricia Kittredge noted that McEntee’s blunder might have brought an unexpected benefit to the community.

“If that mistake had not been made, we would not stand as strong as we are now,” she told the council and hundreds of listeners online. “Her mistake was a wake up call for us as well – it was a blessing in disguise.”
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McEntee kicked off the virtual town hall-style meeting with an apology.

​"I’m sorry – I didn't convey my true feelings in the moment,” she said, noting her place as the first person of color to serve as mayor in Mill Valley’s history. “I am a dark-skinned woman whose parents came to this country from Sri Lanka, a country torn apart by ethnic civil war. I am committed to doing anti-racism and justice work in this community. Tonight is just a beginning – let us be ready to do the real work.”

“There are a lot of people reeling from the news of still more deaths (like that of Rayshard Brooks 18 days after Floyd),” she continued. “All of us need to make space for more stories and more voices. It's going to be uncomfortable.”

As a starting point, McEntee pointed to President Barack Obama’s four-point call to action, via his My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, for mayors, city councils, and police oversight bodies to address police use of force policies:

1. Review your police use of force policies.
2. Engage your communities by including a diverse range of input, experiences, and stories in your review.
3. Report the findings of your review to your community and seek feedback.
4. Reform your community’s police use of force policies.
 
“From what I see, Mill Valley is ready to make those changes,” McEntee said. “I believe in Mill Valley and I am ready to stand with you and do this work.”

Each councilmember followed with their own mea culpa for not catching the insensitivity on June 1 in the moment.

“The public has provided us with excellent ideas and it's our job to listen and reflect and make change happen,” Vice Mayor John McCauley said.

"I want to be a part of a new structure that elevates the voices of black people in our community," Councilmember Tricia Ossa said. "I recognize the immense privilege I have as a white woman in Mill Valley, and I have become more aware of disparities in our community."

“I can try to empathize but I have no idea what the black experience must be like in America,” added Councilmember Urban Carmel, pointing to data that overwhelmingly indicates massive gaps in income, incarceration rates and the likelihood of dying from coronavirus, among many others. “From the stories that I have heard in our community, we live in two different Americas and two different Mill Valleys.

“We have not been paying attention and not living up to the values we espouse,” he added. “The challenge for this council and community is to finally change that narrative. People are frustrated and they are done with excuses. Every person in our town needs to feel safe and equal.”

​For the bulk of the next several hours, the council turned the event over to the community for comments, both spoken and submitted digitally. Despite the coronavirus-era oddity of audio comments coming from digital devices scattered throughout 94941 and beyond, the sequencing was relatively smooth, and the vast majority of comments moved the conversation forward. Scroll down for a sampling.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

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Clockwise from top left, Mayor Sashi McEntee, Vice Mayor John McCauley, Jim Wickham, Tricia Ossa and Urban Carmel. Courtesy image.
In the end, the Council agreed to take action on many of the recommendations, starting with the creation of an Inclusion & Diversity Task Force to review and develop additional actions, investigate best practices, and make specific recommendations to Council for next steps. The Council also agreed to pursue a number of those actions immediately, irrespective of the task force.

The Council agreed that the task force include people outside city limits, specifically Marin City. "The task force needs to identify all of the things that we’re not going to come up with on our own because most of us are not people of color," Carmel said.

​​The Council then went through a long list of suggestions, both within City operations and areas beyond direct City governance where the City could influence and/or partner with other government agencies or organizations. 

Police
That process started with the Mill Valley Police Department, for which there were 22 recommendations, including transparency on instances of MVPD’s use of force and complaints against officers, as well as information on traffic stops and crime statistics.

“There is nothing on this list that I would take off the list,” McCauley said. “Everything is on the table.”

Those suggestions, available here, included an analysis of how MVPD policies compare with that of the recommendations of #8cantwait, a data-driven campaign to bring change to police departments and reduce the number of deaths and injuries related to interaction with police. 

“This is a serious effort that deserves our focus,” McCauley said. 

It also included exploring a council-added recommendation of seeing how Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD), a community-based diversion approach with the goal “reducing unnecessary justice system involvement of people who participate in the program. 

“Maybe there are times when you might not need to send a police officer on a call,” McCauley said, noting that, given the small size of MVPD with just 22 officers, the City would need to lean on the Marin County Sheriff’s Office. “I would like to see if we can operationalize this as a county.”

The Council recommended that the police department make its 734-page policy manual more accessible to the public.

(Focusing on existing police department policies) is obviously the most immediate thing that needs to happen,” Carmel added, noting the need to dig into the department’s budget and making sure it is money well spent. “What is our spending relative to other counties? Is it normal as a percentage of our revenues? Some basic benchmarking on our spending on the police force.”

McEntee noted the City’s recent move toward shared police services with Sausalito and need to explore other regional approaches.

Housing
“It’s a very difficult situation,” said Carmel, who serves on the City’s Affordable Housing Committee with McCauley. “Mill Valley is a very built-out environment – there’s very little land that’s available aside from areas we’ve got along Miller Avenue.”

That said, the council did approve, in 2017 an affordable housing ordinance in 2017, an attempt to combat the growing shortage of workforce housing in the area. The law requires 25 percent of homes in new developments with four or more units be rented or sold at “affordable” rates. It also levies a 1 percent fee on construction projects that cost more than $100,000, with the money going into a fund to support affordable housing initiatives.

“Our town has worked really hard on this,” McCauley said, pointing to the 25 percent requirement, calling the lack of progress to date frustrating.

Carmel urged affordable housing advocates to attend upcoming meetings on the subject. “I can tell you that the people who are opposed to (affordable housing), they will be there.”

McEntee said the City should work with the County of Marin on language around racially restrictive housing covenants, both historical and current, “not removing them entirely but record the document and issuing a new document that repudiates them,” according to a recommendation from Assistant City Attorney Inder Khalsa.

Schools
While merging the Sausalito-Marin City and Mill Valley school districts is outside the jurisdictional purview of the City, councilmembers expressed a willingness to raise awareness and public pressure on opportunities for greater integration of students at younger ages to foster familiarity. 

“Let’s understand what the barriers are there,” Carmel said. “It could go a long way towards fostering inclusion in our society at a younger age for both young parents and young children.”

Mill Valley Recreation & City Services
The Council also expressed support for increased inclusivity at places like the Mill Valley Community Center, specifically by offering the same fee structure to residents from unincorporated Mill Valley and outside city limits.

Arts & Culture 
The council expressed support for an array of cultural initiatives, including a massive “Black Lives Matter” street painting – with 16 artists each creating one letter within the phrase, as has occurred in many American cities – at the intersection of Miller Ave. and Camino Alto. The Arts Commission is set to dive into the project soon. The council also supported an oral history project on the history of the African-American community in Mill Valley and southern Marin, as well as using the Downtown Plaza as a forum for BLM speaker series “where the conversation can continue,” Councilman Jim Wickham said.

The Road Ahead
The council also agreed to turn its recent statement in support of Black Lives Matter into a resolution, which carries additional weight, they said.

At the conclusion of the event, councilmembers expressed a willingness to revisit its standing policy on not addressing matters raised within public open time, from which the massive controversy originated when McEntee didn’t treat the inquiry with the seriousness it deserved.

“There’s room for us to be a little less formal and a little more interactive,” Carmel said. “When people ask questions, we should answer them, and if we don’t know the answer, we’ll promise to get back to them in a short period of time. We don’t have to be too worried about being engaged in discussion with people in this community and getting into trouble.”

“We have very broad discretion about what is a local or national issue,” he added. “When there is an important thing going on, we shouldn’t be afraid to comment on it. We are the mouthpiece for our community and we shouldn’t be afraid of using it.”

They also expressed broad support for McEntee.

“If I felt that she had no commitment to addressing this task, I would’ve said that she should step down,” Wickham said. "But Sashi has shown her willingness to work at this and this is not the time for us as a council to take out a fellow councilmember over a five-second sound bite. This is how we can make changes. We recognize our mistakes and we move forward and become better people."

“A lot of former mayors have made big mistakes early on in their terms,” Carmel said. “The reality is that this is a hard role and we were not necessarily prepared to deal with it, especially with a 100-year pandemic, a 100-year recession and a 60-year civil rights action taking place. That is a lot to take on. As long as we are resolved to do better and really listen and take advice from other people on the council and the community, we’ll be better off going forward.”

“I appreciate hearing from your compassion and understanding and your ability to really take the bigger picture and help me to grow as mayor and help us grow as a council,” McEntee said. “I hope we can work together to mend the wounds in our community.”

Voices Carry

Here's a sampling of the community members who spoke at the meeting and what they had to say:
MVCAN co-founder Eileen Fisher to the council: “We will be watching you. Reforms are not good enough. Serious and structural change must occur. There must be a truth and reconciliation process in Mill Valley.”

Fellow MVCAN co-founder June Cooperman: “The local education system from kindergarten through high school has failed children of color in Mill Valley on so many levels. This has hit me very hard. We are asking the council to work with the Tam Union High School District to elucidate the problems we have and generate comprehensive solutions to them.” 

Emily Ulhorn, board of trustee, Mill Valley School District: "We as a district have our work ahead of us to undo systemic racism in our district. We will start by acknowledging systemic racism. Our board stands ready to collaborate and share resources with the Sausalit-Marin City School District. We believe that working together will provide better outcomes for all children. The ultimate decision lies with voters in these districts." FULL LETTER HERE.

Seniors for Peace: “We know that true racial justice is not achievable by a task force with short term goals and low expectations."

Jasson Minadakis, artistic director at Marin Theatre Company: “Our mission is to present new American plays and more than half of our work focuses on BIPOC playwrights and artists. We have a national reputation for doing so. We can only do this important work in this community if Artists of Color and Patrons of Color feel safe and respected here, on the streets, in our schools when they perform, in our businesses, and in their homes for those who choose to live here. I am here to say that Mill Valley has NOT achieved that goal. I know this from the first-hand accounts of their treatment that Artists of Color working with us have brought to me, and I am confident that there are many instances that they have not revealed, because suffering indignities—being questioned why they are here, being followed, being insulted and even threatened—are unfortunately par for the course in white communities for them. MTC wants to work with the City officially, including with its public safety officers, to ensure the safety and respect of Artists and Patrons of Color in Mill Valley. We want a direct line to public safety officers who will look out for and protect our artists and patrons. We want the community of MV to know that they can come to our productions to experience the empathy that is theater’s beating heart. The City Council needs the experience we have as the Council moves to address racism and prejudice in our community, especially the implicit and under-the-surface kind that exists through bias, White-favoring structures and white authority.”

Kress Jack, a longtime local business owner and Mill Valley resident, told the community about a new nonprofit she and others have started called Raise the Frequency. “It is about how, out of the pain and disgust, our fellow humans are underserved. We as a community have been called to action to make a change. Our vision is to provide safe inclusive spaces without discrimination.” Jack said it is crucial for the city to allocate funding towards events and programming specifically focused on inclusion, from waivers on city facility rentals to speaker and entertainment fees. “We want to engage with you to create a more just reality for more members of our community.”

Antonina Markoff, principal at Markoff/Fullerton Architects: "Like others do, I support you and our community to be boldly anti-racist. To that end I want to specifically call on you to openly identify and remove and remediate the structural racism that persists in our city and it’s regulations that benefit white people and oppress black people and to make common-cause with our neighbors and the County to do the same. Structural Racism takes many pernicious forms. I want to particularly call out Structural Racism as is manifest in Zoning regulations. This section "2.5 Zoning"  from the 2020 Marin County Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Report explains: Zoning refers to regulations related to the use of land and land development in specific areas within a city, town or county. Zoning regulates building density and height restrictions, property lot sizes and the placement of buildings on lots. They also designate residential, commercial and industrial districts and determine the type of housing allowed within communities. Exclusionary zoning practices, including those that limit where, how, or if affordable housing can be developed, can result in creating and maintaining segregated communities."

Former City Council candidate Max Perrey slammed Mill Valley and Marin for its dubious track record on racial disparities and income inequality. “It has been too easy for too long to pretend that the inequities that we are all seeing don’t exist.”

Joan Steidinger said that “one of the things that all of us white people in Mill Valley need to do is to apologize and acknowledge the depth of the pain that African-Americans and people of color have experienced over many years.”

Amy Haven praised the overall tenor of the event, saying “the respect and mindfulness has been really powerful to hear.” She said that while affordable housing was necessary, it wasn’t the first step towards a more inclusive Mill Valley. “People of color need to feel safe and supported in Mill Valley. We need a permanent coalition to see how Mill Valley can truly diversify.”

Wesley Cabral said he would “love to see us as a community have some serious conversations about we might reallocate the budget of the police department or disband it completely,” and to “see if we can reduce the police budget in half and free up about $3.5 million and put it in other areas, with more attention to mental health and social services and education. School teachers should be making more than police officers.”

Longtime local affordable housing advocate Dennis Klein lambasted the council: “for over 30 years, Mill Valley has failed to build affordable housing, “perpetuating the discrimination that has been made highly visible by themurder of George Floyd.”

“We as white people have to look in the mirror and understand what we don’t know and how we are complicit with the situations we are trying to solve,” said Jasmine Gavam. “We all have work to do and we need to do so at a very personal level. You might want to consider hiring a chief diversity officer and hold up the mirror to you all.”

Jake Cohen, a Tam High student, told the council that “we’re stuck on this treadmill of reform” when police simply needed to be defunded, with resources allocated elsewhere, to areas like social services with 911 getting triaged depending on the situation. “The public should have access to all records of complaints filed against police,” he said. “This job holds too much power.”

Hilary Heaven told the story of her grandfather, Dr. Daniel Collins, who first tried to buy his house at 700 Summit Ave. in Mill Valley during the early 1950s but was prevented from doing so by a deed restriction preventing the sale to a black man. Collins, who died in 2007 at age 91 at The Redwoods, eventually convinced the owner to sell the house to him, but only after a battle. “That’s the thing about being black in this country,” Collins told the Marin IJ in 1995. “You don’t know how the hell a white person is going to treat you.” Collins was also the first black professor at the University of California at San Francisco’s School of Dentistry and one of the first black men in the country to serve on corporate boards. He also helped create what is now known as Lifehouse, a residential and counseling center for people with developmental disabilities located in San Rafael. Heaven, who has a 14-year-old child in the Mill Valley School District, urged the council to get behind efforts to merge the Sausalito-Marin City and Mill Valley school districts. “Diversify the school system earlier so that families and children get to know each earlier and interact.”

Elan Morpurgo: “People are talking about defunding the police. It’s a lovely idea. Maybe instead of defunding them, we could unarm the police. If you take the weapons away from the police, it would be less money and the police would be very grateful for not carrying all of this ammunition. They look like a Mack Truck with all of the ammunition on them. Be a peace force and not a war force.”

Tiffany Parker: “We have experienced so much prejudice and racially targeted profiling here in Mill Valley. It’s so deep-seated in this community and it starts at home. We’re missing the mark.” Parker pointed to a “Straight Outta Compton”-themed Edna Maguire fifth grade graduation party. “A room of 14 white moms and not one of them thought this was inappropriate,” she said. 

Menden Kibera, one of the creators of the Change.org petition calling for McEntee’s resignation: “We still feel like she’s falling short. We’re so proud of everyone. And I’m impressed by Urban. He showed up after doing some homework. We want to be able to raise our kids here and feel like we’re part of the community. I'm pretty ashamed to be a member of this city. I really hope you guys are listening and ready to take action. I am not backing down and I hope you are committed to doing this work.”

Here and here and here and here are dozens of additional comments submitted by email.
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Board of Supes to Consider Capping Fees at 15% from Restaurant Delivery Services like Grubhub and UberEats

6/11/2020

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Regulation would be in place until the county lifts the order prohibiting indoor dining, which could come as soon as late June, AND the board rescinds it. It would only impact delivery services for restaurants in unincorporated Marin. Cities and towns would need to pass their own respective resolutions for broader impact. 
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For the months leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting shelter in place, few industries faced a cloudier future than restaurant delivery apps like Grubhub, UberEats and Doordash, among others. An insightful blog post from Ranjan Roy seemed to sum it up best:
If capitalism is driven by a search for profit, the food delivery business confuses the hell out of me. Every platform loses money. Restaurants feel like they're getting screwed. Delivery drivers are poster children for gig economy problems. Customers get annoyed about delivery fees.
In short, no one was winning.​

And then, seemingly at the blink of an eye, restaurants across the country had to shut their doors for everything except for takeout and delivery to comply with social distancing requirements related to the coronavirus. Some restaurants in Mill Valley simply shut down, while others slogged through months of constantly iterating on their business model at skeletal staffing levels.

That extremely precarious formula – urging your customers to come pickup their takeout orders, all while knowing that the astronomical levels of anxiety surround the coronavirus made most people uninterested in doing so – meant turbocharged growth for the likes of Grubhub, which saw double digital year-over-year revenue increases for the period that only included a few weeks of the shelter in place. Restaurants had little choice but to play along, though Dine-In Marin remained a localized, less rapacious delivery option.

The arrival of outdoor dining this month has allowed a handful of restaurants to add some tables and chairs to the mix, but not enough to offset the continued prohibition on indoor dining. And even when County of Marin officials allow the reopening of indoor dining, which could come as soon as the end of June, it will be with significant social distancing requirements that could reduce seating by as much as 50 percent in some cases, depending on floor plan configurations. That's assuming customers will return confidently, depending on the state of COVID-19 health indicators like coronavirus case counts, hospitalizations etc.

From the major players in Mill Valley to the tiniest of mom-and-pop shops, "all of the above" business models will be necessary for restaurants to survive.

It's with all of that in mind that the Marin County Board of Supervisors is set to consider a resolution on June 16 that would cap the fees charged by restaurant delivery apps like Grubhub, which just reached a deal to be bought by Just Eat Takeaway, a European food delivery service, for $7.3 billion, at 15 percent of the purchase price of the order.

The resolution could mark a significant departure for restaurants and the delivery services, as 15 percent is far less than what many restaurants have been paying those services. Matt Majesky, owner of Pierogi Mountain restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, told the New York Times that Grubhub took more than 40 percent from the average order, flipping his restaurant from almost breaking even to plunging deeply into the red. The restaurant ended up closing in late April. During the shelter in place, delivery apps like Grubhub and UberEats "became essentially the only source of business for the restaurant," and "the fees to the delivery companies turned into the restaurant’s single largest cost — more than what it paid for food or labor."

“You have no choice but to sign up, but there is no negotiating,” Majesky added. “It almost turns into a hostage situation.”

The county's proposed resolution acknowledges that the shelter in place order that went into effect March 17 "placed a sudden and severe financial strain on many restaurants, particularly those that are small businesses that already operate on thin margins, adding to financial pressures in the industry that predate the COVID-19 crisis."

It also notes that "restaurants, and particularly restaurants that are small businesses with few locations, have limited bargaining power to negotiate lower fees with third-party platforms, given the high market saturation of third-party platforms, and the dire financial straits small business restaurants are facing in this COVID-19 emergency."

The regulation would not have a widespread impact in Marin, as it would only cover delivery services for restaurants in unincorporated Marin. Cities and towns would need to pass their own respective resolutions for broader impact. The lifespan of the regulation is also in question: It would remain in place until the county lifts the order prohibiting indoor dining, which could come as soon as late June, AND the board rescinds it. But it holds out the possibility that it stays on the books for a while:

"Even when dine-in service is allowed by the Public Health Officer in the future, it is unclear how rapidly dine-in service will begin to resume and restaurants may continue to see a significant loss of revenue for an ongoing period of time as dine-in service is reintroduced," according to the proposed resolution.

The regulation would not apply to delivery services delivering orders from chain/formula restaurants with 11 or more locations and/or standardized array of merchandise, a standardized facade, a standardized decor and color scheme, uniform apparel and standardized signage

If the supervisors approve the resolution, it would take effect June 22. 

You can watch the Board of Supervisors meeting on June 16 at 9am here.

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Despite Cancellation of 110th Edition Due to COVID-19, Dipsea Race Foundation Doles Out Five $5,000 Grants

6/11/2020

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Scenes from the 109th Dipsea Race on June 9, 2019. Photos by Steve Disenhof.
Organizers of the 110th Dipsea Race made the decision to cancel the race on March 13, a move that looks even more prescient now as the scheduled June 14th date arrives this weekend.

“The thought of having 1,500 to 2,000 people in downtown Mill Valley for the start seemed to be against the interests of public safety,” race organizer Chris Knez told the Marin Independent Journal. “It just seemed like the smart thing at the time. I still can’t imagine 2,000 people in downtown Mill Valley this weekend.”

It was the right call, but it also gutted the funding source – entry fees – for the Dipsea Race Foundation's annual 2020 Dipsea Foundation Scholarships to five seniors heading to college in the fall. But they organized a separate fundraising effort and raised enough to fund the program.

Recipients were honored in a celebration via Zoom this week. They include: Mia Eisenberg (Sir Francis Drake High School/Smith College), Summer Solomon (Tamalpais High School/Chapman University), Amir Barkan (Sir Francis Drake High School/Occidental College), Paul Law (Tamalpais High School/University of Portland) and Lyle Rumon (Marin Catholic High School/Cal Poly). Family, friends and supporters joined the call. 

“We’re happy that the kids are not being penalized because of this pandemic," Dipsea Race Foundation board Merv Regan told the IJ. 

The 110th Dipsea Race has been pushed back until June 13, 2021.

​Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!.​
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County Backs Indoor Retail Reopening on June 12

6/9/2020

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Car dealerships get the green light as well.
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First came curbside pickup, then outdoor, and as of June 12, Mill Valley boutiques and stores will be able to welcome customers back inside their shops for socially distanced transactions with all of the requirements we've come to expect during the COVID-19 crisis: facial coverings, maintaining 6 feet distance between each other, frequent hand washing and wiping down surfaces, among others.

That's the word from Marin County Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis and his agency's Marin Recovers team of county officials and industry advisors. In addressing the Marin County Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning, Willis continued to urge caution as Marin progresses through the phases of reopening.

"There are no risk-free options here," Willis said. "The virus is still part of our environment. We will rely on the data and we need to be adaptive and flexible. We might not go forward as quickly as we've said, and we might even need to go backwards
if there is a COVID-19 resurgence." 

Willis said that if Marin avoids seeing a spike In hospitalizations related to COVID-19 over the next two weeks, restaurants will likely be able to open for Indoor dining, with the possibility that hair salons, gyms and fitness-related businesses, hotels and hospitality all able to reopen.

Supervisor Damon Connolly questioned Willis about why hair and nail salons weren't getting the green light now while indoor retail was.

​"It's about proximity and duration of exposure," Willis replied. "Just by their nature, these businesses are one-on-one and the interaction lasts for a longer period of time than a retail transaction. We've seen transmission rates form barbers in other parts of the country of 50-60 percent."

"With i
ndoor retail, it is easier to maintain that physical distancing," he added.

Willis explained that Marin would need to apply for a variance from the state, as 50 of the 58 counties in California already have, to proceed with indoor dining and salons. 

"We may apply for a variance if we feel that is the only way we can move forward as a county," he said, noting that Marin, with 65 incidents per 100,000 people, far exceeds the required case rate of 25 incidents per 100,000 people. 

"There is risk of transmission anytime we are out and about, but there is recognition that we can’t all stay inside," Rice said. "We continue on this delicate balance of trying to live with this disease. I think we’re doing things the right way and you have our support Dr. Willis."

As was the case for previous businesses classes allowed to reopen, retail businesses "must create, adopt, and implement a written COVID-19 Site-Specific Protection Plan (a Site-Specific Protection Plan template is available online at marinrecovers.com that incorporates and addresses all applicable Best Practices included in this guidance. 

Here are additional best practices for retailers:
  • Continue to provide curbside pickup options to customers.
  • Indoor shopping may occur by appointment and/or on a first-come first-served basis not to exceed 50% of the total retail space maximum allowable occupancy or ability for household groups to maintain six feet of distance indoors, whichever is fewer. Individual businesses may establish lower occupancy limits if desired.
  • Businesses may establish customer time limits for occupying the store to ensure traffic flow. 
  • Ensure customers remain a minimum of six feet from employees during the checkout process by installing partitions, barriers or by other means; or install protective plexiglass screens if keeping a six-foot distance is not possible, except as necessary to accept payment. 
  • Consider providing dedicated in-store visit hours for people at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. 
  • Assign staff that is always on-site to monitor store capacity. The person assigned must ask customers to queue at six-foot distances at the door if the capacity of the store is reached. 
  • Customers and employees must sanitize or glove hands before handling any merchandise. Store owners are encouraged to provide hand sanitizer and gloves if possible. 
  • Disallow sampling and customer access to bulk-bin options. 
  • Clothing items may not be tried on and dressing rooms will remain closed. 
  • Apply floor decals in cashier and queuing areas to establish safe waiting distance. 
  • Establish one-way traffic flow through aisles in cases where customers cannot maintain six feet of distance while passing. 
  • Create a single entrance and single exit where possible. 
  • Handle returns based on the latest industry guidance available. Consider extending the deadline for returns or exchanges of items to help customers postpone repeat trips to the business until a safer time or encourage customers to send returns or exchanges by a delivery service in order to reduce unnecessary contact. 

For car dealerships:
  • Must follow the above retail guidelines, as well as:
  • Increase distances between tables/chairs in showrooms and waiting areas to ensure physical distancing in-person meetings, if they are necessary, to ensure physical distancing. 
  • For staff, auto dealerships will follow General Office Space guidelines for office space management. 
  • Allow only one customer in vehicles during test drives with the employee sitting in opposite back seat.
  • Both customer and employee must wear face covers as required by the Health Officer Order for Face Coverings at all times, including during a test drive. 
  • Prohibit staff from using handshakes and similar greetings that violate social distancing protocols. 

At the conclusion of his report, Willis provided a word of caution that echoed that of Mill Valley epidemiologist a few days ago. 

​"While we have successfully reduced transmission, the vast majority of us still remain susceptible to COVID-19," he said. "A second peak in late summer or early fall is coming."

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MV Library Is Now Open for Returns & Curbside Pickup

6/8/2020

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A message from the Mill Valley Library:

While our building still remains closed to the public, the Library is now open for returns and curbside pickup. 

Returns
You may return your library books to the Library Drop Slot next to the front entrance. Returned items will be quarantined for at least 72 hours, during which time they will remain checked out to patrons, but will not accrue fines. At this time, our return bin at the Mill Valley Community Center and Lower Book Drop remain closed.

How Curbside Pickup Works:
  1. Place items on hold by calling 415-389-4292 or by emailing reference@cityofmillvalley.org. 
  2. Once you've been notified that your items are available for pickup, come to the Library. We have spots reserved out front for vehicles if you arrive by car. Once at the Library, call our curbside line at 415-384-4731 or use our intercom to let Library staff know you're out front. 
  3. Library staff will verify your information over the phone, check out your materials, and bring them outside to a designated pickup area. 
*Please do not linger in the area where patrons will be picking up books and adhere to our clearly marked, social distancing signage.
How Long Will it Take to Get My Hold?
Thanks for your patience as we try to provide the best service possible during this time. Most holds placed on items available at the MV Library will be fulfilled within the hour, but items requested from other libraries may take longer than usual. *Our online catalog will be open to self-placed holds once more MARINet libraries are offering curbside. 
​Please Wear a Mask & Maintain 6-foot Distance
Our staff wear masks, wash their hands frequently, and practice social distancing. Please return the favor.

Mill Valley Public Library Curbside Hours
Monday: 10am - 3pm
Tuesday: 2pm - 7pm
Wednesday: 10am - 3pm
Thursday: 2pm - 7pm
Friday: 11am - 4pm 
Saturday: 11am - 4pm 
​Want to know what's happening around town? Click here to subscribe to the Enjoy Mill Valley Blog by Email!.​
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