It all started with a poster.

United Against Hate Week (Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2020) is a call for local civic action by people in every Bay Area community to stop the hate and implicit biases that are a dangerous threat to the safety and civility of our neighborhoods, towns and cities.

United Against Hate Week emerged from a United Against Hate poster campaign created by Bay Area Cities in response to white supremacist rallies in Berkeley and San Francisco in 2017. 

Convened by Not In Our Town, a national anti-hate organization,  Bay Area Cities committed to an annual week of action and awareness. United Against Hate Week has spread to 60+ cities across the U.S., and includes the Mill Valley Chamber, City of Mill Valley and Mill Valley schools. In conjunction with the countywide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force, an initiative of the Marin Council of Chambers, the Mill Valley Chamber is circulating messages of unity against hate in all forms across social media.

The Mill Valley Chamber is also participating in the We Are One Marin campaign. Its genesis was the incident outside clothing store Yema in Tiburon in August, when the Black owners doing late night work were not known by law enforcement –-- which spurred a confrontation and important community dialogues. 

The We Are One Marin initiative highlights one local Black-, Indigenous- or person of color- owned business each week in the Marin Independent Journal, on marinij.com and on WeAreOneMarin.com. The campaign is generously underwritten by Marin Community Foundation, with coordination by the Marin IJ. Chambers of commerce from all reaches of Marin nominate businesses in their area – chamber members and non-members – to be profiled and photographed, with a goal to put a face and name with each minority-owned business. A new business will be featured every Friday through October 2021 and will remain online for a year. 
​
Want to do your part? Here are a few COVID-friendly actions:

1. Hang a UAH Poster/Create a Poster Distribution Center
2. Speak Up/Hold a conversation
3. Make a UAH Banner
4. Gather Friends, Co-Workers, Classmates to Practice Standing up to Bigoted Remarks or Hate Speech Online
5. Post and Promote UAH Week on social media

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In 2019, just a few weeks on the heels of their 40th anniversary, Pat McDonnell and Barbara Contini, the husband-and-wife team behind Nicasio Woodworks, showcased their Wedded Wood products, an array of bowls, trays, small tables and vases, at the 44th annual American Craft Show in San Francisco.

​Now those gorgeous products are available at Terrestra, the downtown Mill Valley shop at 30 Miller Ave. that husband-and-wife owners Ray Kristof and Amy Satran describe as a “museum store without the museum." McDonnell and Contini, a former consulting firm president and former vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, respectively, told the Marin Independent Journal that "they have individually always appreciated beautiful wood but it wasn’t until six years ago that they became serious about woodworking."

“Most of our work involves highlighting the art that is already in the wood,” McDonnell told the IJ about their Wedded Wood line, which creates mergers between two varieties of distinct walnut trees, the Claro Walnut and the European Walnut. The wood they use is largely reclaimed from trees that are lost during storms or removed for purposes of local land management, landscape upgrades, or orchard recycling.
​
The merging of California and European trees results in complex and beautiful patterns near the graft line. The primary pattern that one sees, as the  two trees mature together, arise from their  different growth rates. Because the Claro rootstock grows much faster than its European top, requires that each year's growth ring, at the graft, must curve ever more horizontally to find their partner's.  

The couple says that Wedded Wood products have become extremely popular wedding and anniversary gifts since each piece so visibly demonstrates the best aspects of a good union: "that together the individuals can achieve much more than they could do separately, that each continues to grow in a manner consistent with its own heritage, and that the visible bond between them celebrates the complexity, beauty, and strength of that union."
  
MORE INFO ON TERRESTRA.
MORE INFO ON WEDDED WOOD.

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The O'Hanlon Center for the Arts, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019, continues its decades-long support of independent artists, has unveiled a 'Small Works Sale' throughout the Holiday shopping season.

From rock sculptures by Stonefox to pottery from Tina Fosella, the collection features more than 50 works of art. O'Hanlon is community-focused nonprofit art center located on two acres at the base of Mount Tam, honoring the cultural legacy of founders Ann and Dick O’Hanlon.

MORE INFO.

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As you may have heard, Mill Valley's annual Winterfest holiday celebration, will be a bit different in this ridiculously strange year.

Winterfest 2020 comes into two components this year. One is a film that highlights the spirit of this landmark event, featuring local arts organizations, a pre-recorded tree lighting and, of course, appearances by Santa Claus at locations around town. Marin filmmaker Norm Hunter, who has spearheaded our ongoing EMV Films series highlighting some of the myriad creative businesses, organizations and people in Mill Valley, is helming the Winterfest film. We'll unveil it to the public here on the EMV Blog via YouTube on Sunday, Dec. 6, the usual arrival of Winterfest.

The other half kicks off Nov. 27 with the Winterfest Holiday Hunt, a three-week, scavenger hunt-style contest at more than 40 businesses throughout Mill Valley. Kids accompanied by a parent can travel around town, preferably by bike or on foot, to take photos of silver stars, as selfies in front of the stars they choose, in at least eight of the 40 participating businesses, including some amazing local restaurants and retail shops.

Rules for entry:
1. Kids, accompanied by a parent, must go to at least eight participating businesses and take photos of silver stars, as selfies in front of the stars they choose.
2. Email a minimum of eight photos as attachments to info@millvalley.org to be entered into a raffle to win one of 20 $50 gift cards at participating businesses. One gift card awarded per raffle winner.
3. The submission that includes the highest number of silver stars at participating businesses will automatically win a $40 gift card at a participating business of they choice. Include the name, age and telephone # in the body of the email.

Perhaps the most important part: ​While kids and their parents scurry around town looking for the Silver Stars, we hope they'll do plenty of #ShopMV holiday buying.

Here are the clues we promised about the businesses where you can find the stars, in no particular order (Businesses, if you want to participate but haven't signed up, it's not too late – email us ASAP at info@millvalley.org):

• Located amidst the historic Mill Valley Lumber Yard (as are several of the participating businesses hinted at below), you won't find a more eclectic, sustainability-minded business in town. 
• Floral creativity is on gorgeous display at this Watershed neighbor in the Lumber Yard.
• This MVLY shop takes e-bikes to a completely new level of innovation and panache.
• Creation and curation are at the heart of this custom jewelry business that counts Mill Valley's movie house among its neighbors.
• Just a few steps from Good Earth in Tam Junction, this tiny shop is packed with lovely orchids that will beautify any space.
• This downtown jeweler shares part of its name with a 1997 film starring Cher. It's just up the hill from Vasco.
• If you walk too quickly on Throckmorton and find yourself at a shop selling delicious beverages, you've missed this family-run jewel of downtown.
• This arts and crafts hub moved out of downtown to the Lumber Yard not too long ago, so you can still find a little of a lot of things to spark your imagination.
• This multi-talented artist has a studio at the Lumber Yard, perched above many of its shops and eateries. 
• Located just south of (the) Equator, this space is home to unique gifts, vintage finds and sooo much cashmere.
• Also a neighbor of the Sequoia, this downtown shop oozes creative cool and likes to celebrate the slow, the unique and the exceptional.
• The owner of this shop is at the forefront of many of Mill Valley's biggest events, including the Memorial Day Parade and the Community Block Party. He's also got you covered, men and women, if you need the right attire for that holiday Zoom party.
• Just across the street from Mill Valley Market, this sleek, sophisticated shop could also be called The Home of Beautiful Things.
• Whether you like to rock out or get your groove on, this is Mill Valley's hub for recorded music.
• What's it called when you close one eye and keep the other eye open? This shop makes sure you can see well out of both eyes.
• This MVLY handcrafted marketplace celebrates artists and creators who make cool things.
• Wedged between Watershed and Makers Market at MVLY, this tiny shop has oodles of gorgeous clothing. 
• Whether it's their greeting cards or entertaining store windows, this shop boasts the best sense of humor in town.
• In the heart of downtown Mill Valley, this women’s boutique lets you follow clothing trends without being trendy. 
• Need to get geared up to ride the waves or hit the skate park? This iconic shop's got you covered.
• Just across from the Mill Valley Inn, this downtown boutique is a sight for sore eyes.
• Offering essentials for healthy skin, this renowned business does it better than most. Home of the best-smelling hand saniizers.
• This eatery serves up some of the most delicious baked goods in town, from cookies and pastries to fancy toasts – all without gluten.
• The silhouette of a Bengal Tiger is the logo for this purveyor of deliciousness.
• Classic, kid-friendly Mexican cuisine? This Miller Ave. mainstay has been churning it out for nearly 25 years.
• This Mill Valley institution created the Kiddo! Pizza to benefit local schools.
• This restaurant's numerical address is in its name, and is also home to a gorgeous outdoor tent that allows people to eat outside, safely, during the winter months.
• The name of this incredible restaurant means "beach" in Spanish and serves some of the best chips and guac in the Bay Area.
• This tasty eatery pays homage to the creek running throughout parts of Mill Valley, including right underneath its Lumber Yard location.
• The magnetic alphabet tiles at this Tam Junction breakfast joint keep kiddos busy as they wait to be seated for homestyle organic comfort food.
• This new bakery in town draws its name from one of Marin's most famous campgrounds and is neighbor to Avatar's and conveniently across the street from Endurance.
• This restaurant's name celebrates Mill Valley's restaurant railway history – it also has several brother and sister locations in the Bay Area.
• Especially during King High Tides, this restaurant and its surrounding areas need to break out the sand bags, so you can always get to one of the hottest spots in town.
• The moniker of this Miller Ave. restaurant combines the name of the mountain looking down upon us and a word synonymous with pizza.
• This relative newcomer to Tam Junction has a gorgeous backyard patio space that has been a refuge for many hungry surfers in recent months. 
• Many longtime local residents consider this local institution with familiar faces their dining room away from home.
• A gorgeous hotel with quite possibly the best view in Mill Valley.
• A cornerstone organization on Camino Alto is also known as “the church with the sign.”
• New to town but long-established in Marin, this colorful space is the new neighbor of a guy they call "the Hat."
• This is the home base of one of Mill Valley's favorite Winterfest performances every year.
• Want to be inspired by the power of collective creativity and girl power? This landmark local business is buzz worthy.

Questions? Email us at info@millvalley.org.

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For Mill Valley business owners, the COVID-19 crisis has created the most maddening, complexity-laden game of whack-a-mole they could ever imagine. 

It seems each day since the shelter-in-place was instituted in mid-March has demanded a skill set that spans from innovating your business model on a near-daily basis to digesting scientific concepts like manipulating air flow to avoid aerosol-based disease transmission.

One of the ways business owners and managers have persevered through the past nearly nine months is by staying connected to the Mill Valley Chamber, and to one another, about the ups, the downs and, most importantly, the best practices.
As owner of Boo Koo, Matt Holmes gets dozens of cold calls for new products and services per week. Most draw little more than a quick thanks but no thanks. But when Duncan McRae reached out about his Breezy air filters for commercial use, Holmes’ eyes lit up. 

With winter’s arrival and the need to make sure his space was safe for some degree of indoor dining (which has since been halted due to a spike in COVID metrics in Marin), Holmes had been investigating air flow solutions, leaning on his brothers, both doctors, for how their irrespective hospitals were keeping their spaces safe and clean.

“So much of what I’d been hearing was so cost ineffective and frustrating that I was willing to listen,” Holmes says. 

​McRae, who grew up in Marin, pitched Breezy, a high-capacity air purifier that uses MERV-13 filters to remove smoke and virus particles from the air and does so at an airflow rate of 900 cubic feet per minute, five times the typical airflow, according to the company. At $179 and the need to change the $20 filter every 4-6 months, the costs are a fraction of HVAC system models. McRae says that he and his partner Patrick McDonnell, a mechanical engineer, had been exploring the filtration space when, “as engineers, we just looked at it as, ‘how can we make a better product?’”

“More than anything, it gives peace of mind to parents and family members that we are doing everything we can to keep our employees and our customers safe,” Holmes says. “We now have yet another tool to combat all of this. I want to do everything possible to keep the community safe.”

Word spread quickly among Mill Valley business owners. 

Manufacturers have flooded the market with residential and commercial air filters during the COVID-19 crisis, but when you distill the array of options down to those that would meet the needs of a restaurant space by cleaning and circulating the air at least six times per hour – and avoid the costs associated with large HVAC units – Breezy stands out, according to local businesses that have jumped on board in recent weeks.

“It’s a simple but effective product,” says Ronda Priestner, owner of FitWise Pilates & Gyrotonic. “Duncan couldn’t have been more professional and absolutely accommodating with the installation and the service and the promise to return to change the filter at the right time – just the kind of company you want to give your business to.”

A Breezy is essentially a "massive fan and filter, simply constructed and rigged up to fit inside a steel box that's positioned about eight feet up on a wall," McRae says, adding that it's designed to diffuse air upwards and avoid cross draft. 

“The bottom line is that we wanted to make it as safe as possible for our guests,” says Miguel Gutierrez, general manager at Tamalpie. “The product matched our needs – we got two for our 2,000 square-foot-space and keep them where there is the most foot traffic.”

“In the restaurant business, you stay focused on the basics,” Gutierrez says. “When it comes to air quality and all that stuff, it wasn’t something you had to spend a lot of time focusing on – until now. But we’re glad to do everything we can to create a safe, comfortable environment for our guests.”

MORE INFO.

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In Mill Valley, we are, quite literally, surrounded by trees in every direction. They envelope us.

Fine art photographer Nico van Dongen pays his own homage to the power and beauty of trees with “Concerning Trees,” a series of striking images currently on display at Poet and/the Bench, the four-year-old lifestyle store and jewelry atelier space from Jeffrey Levin and Bonnie Powers at 11 Throckmorton Avenue.

Van Dongen says that botanical studio photography taught him to closely observe and capture what grows in our natural world. The transition from blossom to tree was enormous for Nico: Capturing that inner feeling of release as well as raised awareness, when you are amongst trees.

"These time-based photographs allow you to stand in the light as he perceives it; surreal and in motion," Levin says. "The visual impression of the final multi-layered image, allows the mind to float between space and time for one moment."

Originally from The Netherlands and now residing in San Francisco, van Dongen has five pieces exhibiting at Poet and/the Bench, with one large format print in its front window.

"These are more than photos, they are truly experiences," Powers adds. "The layers are there to create an initial doubt in what you think you're looking at. Once you see them you can turn them off, but at the same time you have to surrender to them."

​The 411: Poet and/the Bench is at 11 Throckmorton Avenue. MORE INFO.

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Nearly three years ago, a coalition of local organizations embarked on a long-shot plan to bring the Heisler No. 9 – the last remaining locomotive from the “Crookedest Railroad in the World” that ran from Mill Valley to the top of Mount Tam – back to Mill Valley for the first time in 96 years.

To do so, Friends of No. 9, the organization formed by the Mill Valley Historical Society, Friends of Mt. Tam, Marin History Museum and others, submitted a winning auction bid of more than $56,000 to acquire the last remaining locomotive from the “Crookedest Railroad in the World” that ran from Mill Valley to the top of Mount Tam until 1924.

The elation of that moment – "people from Mill Valley have been trying to do this for 68 years," MVHS President Eric Macris said at the time – was tempered by the time, money and effort required to move, restore and relocate the massive, 36-ton, aging locomotive. 

That work began immediately after the auction, and the critically important foundation – fundraising – is kicking into high gear as Friends of No. 9 launches an end of year GiveLively fundraiser with a goal of $50,000. The first phase is the restoration of the locomotive and has a budget of $250,000. 

"No. 9 represents not just an era, but the rare attraction that promoted wilderness preservation at the beginning of the 20th century," Fred Runner, the executive director of Friends of No. 9," said in unveiling the fundraiser. "It carried the first tourists to Muir Woods at a time when providing easy public access to a wilderness park was a new idea and before most people could afford an automobile. We know John Muir rode the railroad to Muir Woods at least 3 times and was treated like a rock star when he visited."

"We need your help!" he added. "Restoration is underway. We have completed the removal of hazardous asbestos and are beginning to repair areas of weather-damaged metal on the 99-year old locomotive. Your donation will enable us to continue this next phase of restoration and have us closer to bringing the No. 9 home. We’re hoping you will consider making an end-of-year donation to help bring the No. 9 back home to Marin."

DONATE HERE

The History
The Mt. Tamalpais & Muir Woods Railway opened in 1896 to take mostly tourists – many of them famous folks like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and John Muir – to the top of Mt Tam. Most of those tourists came to Mill Valley via ferries from San Francisco.

The railway gained its famous “Crookedest Railroad in the World” moniker because its eight-mile route snaked up 281 curves from its origin at what is now the Depot Bookstore & Cafe to its final stop at the Tamalpais Tavern, which also included a hotel, restaurant and dance pavilion, atop the mountain’s East Peak.

The railway extended to Muir Woods in 1907, the year before the redwood tree-laden forest became Muir Woods National Monument. With business booming, the Mt. Tam railway owners bought the new Heisler Engine No. 9 in 1920 from manufacturer Heisler Locomotive Works in Erie, Pennsylvania.

But just four years later, with business down and new roads being built to accommodate the automobile, the company sold the engine to the Siskiyou Lumber Co. for $9,750.

The devastating fire of July 1929, which burned for three days across 2,500 acres and destroyed 117 homes, was the death knell for the railway. The Heisler No. 9 continued to work on other lumber railroads until 1950, when it was sold to the Pacific Lumber Co. in the Humboldt County town of Scotia. When Pacific Lumber ended its steam train operations, it put the locomotive on display outside company headquarters.

“This is a huge part of Mill Valley history, but also much more than that, as both railroads and logging were a big part of the history of the whole West,” Macris says. “The Heisler represents all of that.”

The Heisler No. 9 has remained in Scotia ever since, despite repeated efforts by Mill Valley community leaders and history buffs to reclaim it, including an unsuccessful campaign by the Mill Valley Chamber in 1953. Local historians like Fred Runner and Ted Wurm made a number of presentations to Scotia town leaders over the years, complete with old-time footage of the railway, to convince them to sell the last remaining remnant of the Crookedest Railroad in the World.

But in recent years, Scotia leaders grew concerned about the growing security and liability costs associated with the engine, and the substantial revenue needed to restore it. In recent years, they put a fence around it to protect it from the public before deciding to put it up for auction.

Macris says they don’t yet have the answers to the long-term questions about the locomotive, particularly whether it will end up atop Mt. Tam’s East Peak near the existing Gravity Car Barn exhibit, in downtown Mill Valley or elsewhere along the Mt. Tam Railway’s old route.

“We want to make it as accessible to the public as possible but also safe and protected from the elements,” he says, noting that several governmental agencies, including the City of Mill Valley, the County of Marin, the Marin Municipal Water District and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, will likely need to weigh on such a location.

“We’re going to need a lot of fundraising and support to get this done,” Macris says. “But I know this community – we’ll get it done.”

The 411: Donate to the Friends of No. 9’s fundraising campaign here. MORE INFO.

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Tam High grad Kylie Frame, whose Feed the Frontlines Marin, a community-driven movement that raised more than $65,000 to both feed first responders but also to support local restaurants trying to sustain themselves amidst the pandemic, drew widespread plaudits and support for her efforts.

People outside the 94941 have taken notices, and Frame was awarded the Association of Fundraising Professionals Golden Gate Chapter’s Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy Award for her efforts. Frame received the award at a Nov. 13th virtual event honoring "individuals, organizations and businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area who generously give their time, talents and resources for the enrichment and benefit of our communities."

Frame and her team launched the program in Mill Valley and eventually expanded its footprint, in collaboration with local restaurants Shoreline Coffee Shop, Watershed, Bootjack Woodfired, BOL, Flour Craft Bakery, Mon Reve Chocolate Studio and Juice Girl, to feed frontline workers in Marin City. 

MORE INFO ON FEED THE FRONTLINES.
​
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As you've likely heard, just one day before Marin County Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis' pre-emptive COVID-19 restrictions on Marin businesses were set to morph from a recommendation to an order, Gov. Gavin Newsom dropped the weight of the state on Marin's recent spike in COVID-19 cases.

The move halts indoor dining, which had not yet returned as a significant ballast for restaurants because consumer confidence has not yet fully supported a return to indoor dining at scale. But while a regression from 50% indoor dining density to 25% wasn't a massive hit, the removal of indoor dining as an option completely, particularly as the weather gets bad today, is extremely unfortunate.

That's especially true given that much of the recent rise in cases, state and Marin officials have said, appears to have come from at-home parties or family gatherings. In Marin, case rates have continued to spike, rising by an average of more than 24 new cases per day over the past week, according to Marin HHS data. ​

Despite the significant setback, Mill Valley's restaurants have innovated their way through the COVID-19 crisis in a variety of ways, particularly by making takeout and delivery a seamless experience. The below list contains each of the known options for restaurants and food shops in town.

Here's a guide to takeout (available at all of the restaurants and stores listed below) and delivery available here in Mill Valley:

On the hunt for that perfect gift for the book lover in your life?

​You won't do much better than a Dec. 3 Outdoor Art Club event, where Elaine Petrocelli, co-founder of one of Marin's premier independent book stores, Book Passage in Corte Madera, will highlight new literature and suggest books for holiday gift giving.

The 1pm event via Zoom is free and open to the public.

The 411: Elaine Petrocelli, co-founder of Book Passage in Corte Madera, highlights new literature and suggests books for holiday gift giving on Thursday, December 3 at 1pm via Zoom. Free. GO HERE TO REGISTER.

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One day before Marin County Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis' pre-emptive COVID-19 restrictions on Marin businesses were set to morph from a recommendation to an order, Gov. Gavin Newsom dropped the weight of the state on the regression.

In a move that he likened to “pulling the emergency brake” and "moving from a marathon to a sprint,” Newsom made Marin one of 40 California counties to tighten restrictions in response to a surge of COVID-19 cases across the state. Effective immediately, Newsom moved Marin from the less restrictive orange tier to the more restrictive red tier within the statewide Blueprint for a Safer Economy COVID-19 framework.

That means, effective Nov. 17:

• Restaurants are allowed outdoor service only
• Retail establishments are allowed at 50% capacity
• Office workspaces are allowed for essential workers; nonessential workers should work remote only
• Bars and breweries closed unless serving full meals outdoors
• Wineries are allowed outdoor service only
• Personal care services are allowed indoors
• Places of worship are allowed at 25% capacity or 100 people (whichever is fewer)
• Libraries are allowed at 50% capacity
• Movie theaters are allowed at 25% capacity or 100 people (whichever fewer) – Cinemarts Sequoia remains closed​
• Gyms and fitness centers are allowed at 10% capacity
• Indoor pools are not allowed

Not that it's any consolation, but Marin avoided (so far) being one of the 28 counties moved into the purple Tier 1, the most restrictive status on the Blueprint scale, because of widespread virus spread. Marin is now one of 11 counties out of 58 in red Tier 2 status; 41 are in purple Tier 1.

“This is concerning because surges are happening just as the weather is getting cooler, and before the real holiday season even starts,” Willis said. “We can anticipate more travel, more gatherings, more flu. If we don’t get in front of this now, I’m concerned about our hospital capacity to manage cases come December.”

One week ago, citing a rise in transmission and hospitalizations across the Bay Area, Willis joined with his health officer cohorts to tighten local rules for higher-risk indoor activities where the virus can spread more easily. On Nov. 10, he recommended that Marin restaurants reduce their indoor dining capacity to 25 percent density, down from the 50 percent density approved on Oct. 27 as part of Marin's move into the less restrictive orange tier.

In Marin, case rates have continued to spike, rising by an average of more than 23 new cases per day over the past week, according to Marin HHS data. 

A full list of changes to business sector guidelines will be updated to the Marin Recovers websitesoon. All open businesses must complete a COVID-19 Site-Specific Protection Plan prior to reopening under Tier 2  restrictions. Guidance for the plan also is found on the Marin Recovers website.

Mill Valley School District officials indicated the tier changes could affect Marin’s school reopening process. Marin schools started re-opening on September 8, but Mill Valley's five elementary schools are set to open Nov. 30 for half-day, in-person learning. If the county remains in the red tier or higher, that planned re-opening will continue, but if the county moves to the purple tier before November 30, 2020, MVSD schools will be unable to open and would then target Jan. 11, 2021, assuming health conditions allow. If we are unable to open on November 30th, all learning will remain as is in current Distance Learning. 

Daily case reports are rising in 48 states, according to the New York Times, and "with little action from the Trump administration, governors and mayors across the country are taking new steps to try to halt the spread. 

Much of the recent rise in cases, state officials say, appears to have grown from at-home parties or family gatherings.

Dr. Bob Wachter, a professor and chair of UCSF’s department of medicine, told the Times that the moves by the state seemed prudent in light of rising case numbers. “This strikes me as a reasonable set of actions, particularly with Thanksgiving coming up,” he said. “Whether or not it’s enough, I guess we’ll see.”

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Bottom line: County officials are pre-emptively reducing the density allowed for Marin businesses, effective. Nov. 17. That reduction spans multiple sectors but hits restaurants hardest, as they must shut down indoor dining for at least three weeks, as the expectation is that COVID-19 metrics in Marin will get worse before they get better with the holidays on the horizon.

A mere four days ago, we asked a straightforward question in this space: "Can Marin Avoid Post-Election COVID-19 Regression, Enabling Businesses to Sustain Momentum Into 2021?"

Today, we got a resounding answer from Marin County officials: "Nope."

Citing a rise in COVID-19 transmission and hospitalizations across the Bay Area, Marin County Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis joined with his health officer cohorts to tighten local rules for higher-risk indoor activities where the virus can spread more easily. On Nov. 10, he recommended that Marin restaurants reduce their indoor dining capacity to 25 percent density, down from the 50 percent density approved on Oct. 27 as part of Marin's move into the less restrictive orange tier within the statewide Blueprint for a Safer Economy COVID-19 framework.

In Marin, case rates have nearly doubled in the past 10 days (see chart above) and continue to rise, prompting Willis to pre-emptively turn his recommendations into an order, effective Nov. 17. The moves effectively places Marin in the more restrictive “red” Tier 2 within the statewide COVID-19 framework. As of Nov. 17, the follow changes are in effect in Mill Valley:

•  Retail – reduce capacity to 50%
•  Libraries – reduce capacity to 50%
•  Places of worship – reduce capacity to 25% or 100 people (whichever is fewer)
•  Gyms and fitness centers – reduce capacity to 10%
•  Indoor pools – close
•  Non-essential offices – closed
•  Bars and breweries (with no meal option) – closed

In addition, the county will be joining counties across the region to close all indoor dining operations, including:

•  Indoor dining at restaurants
•  Indoor movie theater concessions
•  Indoor food courts

“We’re choosing to move into the red tier before the state moves us to get in front of this surge,” Willis said. “We’re seeing more people getting sick with COVID-19 and needing hospitalization. With flu season and potential impacts from holiday gatherings and travel, it’s time to act to prevent a much larger surge.”

In his report to the Marin County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 10, Willis noted that the recent spike can be traced to white Marin residents participating in indoor gatherings like indoor dining and house parties, where people have longer exposure to one another with less mask usage. Increased mobility – residents traveling within and outside Marin to see family and friends – also drove up case counts, he said.

While the reduction in density across multiple sectors hits businesses broadly, requiring restaurants to shut down indoor dining is the biggest hit. County officials were unable to indicate how long the indoor dining shutdown will last, as the expectation is that Marin's COVID-19 metrics will get worse before they get better with the holidays on the horizon.

County officials said that if Marin's metrics rise to the even more restrictive "purple" tier, Marin could potentially move into purple as early as Nov. 24 and remain there for at least three weeks.
​
"Because consumer confidence has not yet fully supported a return to indoor dining at scale yet, regressing from 50% indoor dining density to 25%, as Dr. Willis recommended on Nov. 10, wasn't a massive hit," Mill Valley Chamber Co-Director Paula Reynolds said. "But the removal of indoor dining as an option completely, particularly as the weather gets bad today, is extremely unfortunate. We'd love to hear some additional clarity around what is driving this recent spike and what is being done to address its causes beyond impacting our already beleaguered restaurants."

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What do Marin’s local businesses, PTAs and Firefighters have in common? They all depend on each other. When you eat, shop or use a local service, you are investing in our local economy. Business taxes fuel our increasingly challenged City budgets. Local business owners and managers donate generously to our schools and keep us safe.

We are in this together – moreso now than ever.

We urge you to support your local Marin businesses, especially over this critical Holiday Season, when all of us have been asked to stay close to home and businesses are bending over backwards to meet your needs—both in person and online.

Keep your dollars in Marin!

While many of our businesses were closed earlier this year, we got in the habit of shopping online. Now that our businesses have reopened, your support is critical for their survival. When making your shopping decisions, please, whenever possible, try to support our Mill Valley businesses.

While it is tempting to save a buck by ordering something on line or shopping out of the County, please remember that when you support local businesses, you are investing in your local economy.  By investing in our local economy this ensures that our police officers, firefighters, and paramedics will be ready and available when we need them.
 
There are many ways to support our businesses throughout Marin and our communities:

• Purchase gifts or gift cards from our local stores, services and restaurants
• Shop Locally……. Online
• Consider Curbside Pickup or Delivery

​If you need any more incentive, there's the City of Mill Valley's annual tradition of waiving metered parking for the time allowed during the holidays. From Friday, Nov. 23 to Sunday, Dec. 31, skip feeding the meter for allowable time. 

The Enjoy Mill Valley Concierge, at your service: The Mill Valley Chamber's amazing Susan Lopes is serving as our EMV Concierge throughout the Holiday Shopping Season. 

Below is a guide to the amazing array of retail shops, restaurants, services, nonprofit organizations – there's a gift in Mill Valley for everyone on your list!

Not sure who has what you're looking for? We've got you covered – email us at info@millvalley.org.