City of Mill Valley : City News : City Manager's News, Thursday, July 9, 2009

News Review

City Manager's News, Thursday, July 9, 2009

Posted Date: 7/9/2009

City Manager’s News, Thursday July 9, 2009
FIRE in MILL VALLEY! Join us for a free 2-hour class for Mill Valley residents. Mill Valley is at greater risk than Oakland was before their catastrophic fire. Come learn why and what you can do about it. Leave with information on landscape management, home protection, and evacuation. All classes held at the Mill Valley Community Center. Class Schedule: 7/13 Monday 7:00 - 9:00 pm 8/1 Saturday 10:00 - Noon 9/19 Saturday 10:00 - Noon 9/28 Monday 7:00 - 9:00 pm 10/10 Saturday 10:00 - Noon Preregistration recommended. Send an email to fireinmv@comcast.net or call (415) 269-6836 and leave your name, phone number, email address and the class you'd like to attend.
Emergency Sirens The emergency sirens are tested on the first Saturday of every month at noon. If you hear the sirens at any other time, you should tune into radio station KCBS 740, KGO 810, KQED 88.5 or your local TV station for information. DO NOT CALL 911. The lines may be jammed and you most likely will not be able to get through. For more information on how to prepare for an emergency, click here.
The Art Mobile is Back! Join us for art with the Art Mobile in your neighborhood park. Join our staff and create works of art in the park! The Art Mobile will be visiting Boyle Park, Downtown Plaza & Sycamore Park. The art projects are free. Bring the kids down and let them explore their artistic side while playing in the park. All ages welcome. Boyle Park Tuesdays 10am-12pm Sycamore Park Wednesdays 10am-12pm Downtown Plaza Thursdays 10am-12pm
Water Saving Improvements at SASM In our efforts to save water and improve public awareness of water conservation, SASM has installed three waterless urinals in its facility restrooms. Two of the urinals are inside the plant and one is in the public restroom adjacent to the dog park. Experts estimate that these urinals will save over 44,000 gallons of water per year.
Flowers are Blooming Around Town – Thanks to Bloomathon! In May, Bloomathon volunteers gathered at the Community Center and locations downtown to plant flowers to beautify our city. They planted sweet william, marigolds, dahlias, alyssum and salvia, which you can see blooming all around town. Many thanks to the volunteers! For more information call Mary Lou at 388-5107 or email Patty at pmcculley@cityofmillvalley.org.
Farmer's Market Mill Valley's new certified farmers' market, held Fridays from 9 am - 2 pm at the Alto Shopping Center, will soon include more local, organic farmers and food producers. In the next few weeks, Green Gulch Farm and Bakery of Muir Beach, Cow Girl Creamery/Tomales Bay Foods, Sartori Farm of Tomales, St. Benoit Organic Yogurt and McEvoy Ranch of Petaluma will join other local producers at the new Market in front of the new Whole Foods location on East Blithedale and Lomita. Marin's newest farmer’s market focuses on local, organic products and has a no single-use bag policy. All shoppers are encouraged to bring their own reusable shopping bags and produce bags. Whole Foods has already given away over 1000 re-usable bags at the Market. For more information on the Farmers' Markets in Mill Valley and Tam Valley, call the Golden Gate Farmers Market Association at 415-382-7846.
Wetlands Days Once a year, the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin (SASM) invites local 3rd grade students, teachers and parents to participate in Wetlands Days. The event includes 7 to 8 stations situated throughout the treatment plant and the accompanying wetlands that teach about water, pollution and other environmental topics. This year the event took place on June 9 and 10, and around 280 students participated. Stations included birds, storm water, pollution prevention and native reptiles with live animals for the students to experience. We thank the volunteers from several of our neighboring sanitation agencies and environmental groups – you make Wetlands Days an event that local schools look forward to year after year.
Brush Clearing on Camino Alto If you have driven over the Camino Alto Grade in the past few weeks, you may have noticed that a substantial amount of brush and foliage has been removed. This vegetation management project involved the Department of Public Works, the Conservation Corps of the North Bay, and Forester & Kroger. Additionally, Bruce Enterprises were hired to perform crack sealing in the roadway while it was closed for the vegetation management operation.
Library History Room We are pleased to announce that our History Room Librarian, David Grossman, was invited to speak at the Annual Meeting of the Conference of California Historical Societies. David has built what is considered a model program for using volunteers and interns to digitize a historical photo collection on a very small budget. He will share this expertise in his presentation: “Bringing Local History to Life in the Digital Age on a Limited Budget.”

City Manager’s News, Thursday July 9, 2009

FIRE in MILL VALLEY!
Join us for a free 2-hour class for Mill Valley residents.

Mill Valley is at greater risk than Oakland was before their catastrophic fire. Come learn why and what you can do about it. Leave with information on landscape management, home protection, and evacuation. All classes held at the Mill Valley Community Center.

Class Schedule:
7/13 Monday 7:00 - 9:00 pm
8/1 Saturday 10:00 - Noon
9/19 Saturday 10:00 - Noon
9/28 Monday 7:00 - 9:00 pm
10/10 Saturday 10:00 - Noon

Preregistration recommended. Send an email to fireinmv@comcast.net or call (415) 269-6836 and leave your name, phone number, email address and the class you'd like to attend.

Emergency Sirens
The emergency sirens are tested on the first Saturday of every month at noon. If you hear the sirens at any other time, you should tune into radio station KCBS 740, KGO 810, KQED 88.5 or your local TV station for information.

DO NOT CALL 911. The lines may be jammed and you most likely will not be able to get through. For more information on how to prepare for an emergency, click here.

The Art Mobile is Back!
Join us for art with the Art Mobile in your neighborhood park. Join our staff and create works of art in the park! The Art Mobile will be visiting Boyle Park, Downtown Plaza & Sycamore Park. The art projects are free. Bring the kids down and let them explore their artistic side while playing in the park. All ages welcome.

Boyle Park Tuesdays 10am-12pm
Sycamore Park Wednesdays 10am-12pm
Downtown Plaza Thursdays 10am-12pm

Water Saving Improvements at SASM
In our efforts to save water and improve public awareness of water conservation, SASM has installed three waterless urinals in its facility restrooms. Two of the urinals are inside the plant and one is in the public restroom adjacent to the dog park. Experts estimate that these urinals will save over 44,000 gallons of water per year.

Flowers are Blooming Around Town – Thanks to Bloomathon!
In May, Bloomathon volunteers gathered at the Community Center and locations downtown to plant flowers to beautify our city. They planted sweet william, marigolds, dahlias, alyssum and salvia, which you can see blooming all around town. Many thanks to the volunteers!

For more information call Mary Lou at 388-5107 or email Patty at pmcculley@cityofmillvalley.org.

Farmer's Market

Mill Valley's new certified farmers' market, held Fridays from 9 am - 2 pm at the Alto Shopping Center, will soon include more local, organic farmers and food producers.

In the next few weeks, Green Gulch Farm and Bakery of Muir Beach, Cow Girl Creamery/Tomales Bay Foods, Sartori Farm of Tomales, St. Benoit Organic Yogurt and McEvoy Ranch of Petaluma will join other local producers at the new Market in front of the new Whole Foods location on East Blithedale and Lomita.

Marin's newest farmer’s market focuses on local, organic products and has a no single-use bag policy. All shoppers are encouraged to bring their own reusable shopping bags and produce bags. Whole Foods has already given away over 1000 re-usable bags at the Market.

For more information on the Farmers' Markets in Mill Valley and Tam Valley, call the Golden Gate Farmers Market Association at 415-382-7846.

Wetlands Days
Once a year, the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin (SASM) invites local 3rd grade students, teachers and parents to participate in Wetlands Days. The event includes 7 to 8 stations situated throughout the treatment plant and the accompanying wetlands that teach about water, pollution and other environmental topics.

This year the event took place on June 9 and 10, and around 280 students participated. Stations included birds, storm water, pollution prevention and native reptiles with live animals for the students to experience. We thank the volunteers from several of our neighboring sanitation agencies and environmental groups – you make Wetlands Days an event that local schools look forward to year after year.

Chipper 2 Brush Clearing on Camino Alto
If you have driven over the Camino Alto Grade in the past few weeks, you may have noticed that a substantial amount of brush and foliage has been removed. This vegetation management project involved the Department of Public Works, the Conservation Corps of the North Bay, and Forester & Kroger. Additionally, Bruce Enterprises were hired to perform crack sealing in the roadway while it was closed for the vegetation management operation.

Library History Room
We are pleased to announce that our History Room Librarian, David Grossman, was invited to speak at the Annual Meeting of the Conference of California Historical Societies. David has built what is considered a model program for using volunteers and interns to digitize a historical photo collection on a very small budget. He will share this expertise in his presentation: “Bringing Local History to Life in the Digital Age on a Limited Budget.”

Thank you for reading the City Manager's News. If you wish to contact me or comment on any items you have read, please email me at citymanager@cityofmillvalley.org. Anne Montgomery, City Manager.

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