18+ min ago (834+ words) Two key departments in the Marin County government will soon be getting major overhauls. The county is paying a consulting firm $500,000 to evaluate the Community Development Agency, the Department of Public Works and the Marin Housing Authority. Supervisors recently received recommendations for improving the organizational performance of the first two departments. The Marin Housing Authority assessment is scheduled to be presented to supervisors in January. "These organizational excellence reports represent more than a study," said Marin County Executive Derek Johnson. "It's really a roadmap for how we can better serve Marin and meet the challenges of the 21st century." The consulting firm is KPMG International Limited. In its presentations on the Community Development Agency and the Department of Public Works, representatives focused on four key recommendations for each office. Three of the recommendations were the same for both. First, the firm…...

37+ min ago (271+ words) A vehicle dealership in the Canal area of San Rafael is seeking a city permit that would allow an expansion to other nearby properties. The arrangement involves Price Family Dealerships, whose interests include Volvo Cars Marin at 619 Francisco Blvd. East. The company has offered to buy four neighboring parcels that include 601-611 Francisco Blvd. East, 12 Harbor St. and 137-141 Front St., according to an application filed with the city. The parcels comprise about 40,000 square feet. The company plans to use the space for Volvo sales and service and possibly a Polestar electric-vehicle dealership. "Volvo Marin currently has 58 employees and anticipates hiring 20 additional employees with the expansion of the facilities and inclusion of this brand in the immediate future, which contributes to the local economy and boost the local job market," the application states. The application lists just one current tenant at the…...

52+ min ago (337+ words) Mother, you can never have too much glitter!" I laughed as I remembered my daughter, Chelsea Dolan, telling me that. She was putting the finishing touches on a middle school art project, and I was lecturing her on moderation, especially when it came to glitter. And then something wonderful happened. It was a glitter party." And that memory also made me smile. I was looking back, not in pain but in joy. I'm so glad I kept Chelsea's clothes and precious objects in my garage. It isn't much of a memorial, but it served the purpose of turning my thoughts away from darkness and toward the light. In much the same way, some of the Ghost Ship families are in the planning stages of creating a memorial for the old Ghost Ship warehouse site. We are honoring our loved ones…...

1+ hour, 49+ min ago (226+ words) Marin's Holiday Light Spectacular features thousands of holiday lights, a vintage fire truck, seasonal treats, hot beverages and food and toy drives from 4 to 9 p.m. daily through Jan. 4 at the Marin Center and its nearby fairgrounds in San Rafael. The Marin County Civic Center's north, south and middle arches will also be illuminated. A holiday card workshop is from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Dec. 18 at the Civic Center Library in San Rafael. RSVP required. A series of holiday movie double features kicks off with "Frozen" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas" on Thursday, followed by "Encanto" and "Love Actually" on Dec. 17, "Elf" and "Cool Runnings" on Dec. 19, "Paddington" and "Scrooged" on Dec. 26, and "Happy Feet" and "March of the Penguins" on Dec. 28. All screenings are at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Marin Center's Showcase Theater in San Rafael. "As our first-ever holiday light festival, this event brings…...

5+ hour, 13+ min ago (696+ words) The Marin Municipal Water District is spending $387,685 to investigate flood concerns in Nicasio. The study comes in response to residents who protested a plan, now canceled, to increase capacity at the Nicasio Reservoir. Residents suspect the buildup of sediment has led to more frequent flooding along Nicasio Creek and Halleck Creek, which are part of the district's property. Critics said the result has been damage to roads, yards and the community school. Residents said an expansion of the reservoir could exacerbate the flooding. The district convened a group to meet with residents about the concerns. At its meeting on Nov. 18, the district board approved a contract with Environmental Science Associates to study the issue. "What we found is, without question, there's district responsibility," said Ben Horenstein, general manager of the district. "We feel that there are some opportunities and needs…...

5+ hour, 27+ min ago (838+ words) Enforcing new e-bike rules has been difficult, according to some police officials. Central Marin police Lt. Alberto Duenas, addressing the San Anselmo Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee this month, said, "It's been a challenge since the beginning and it still continues to be." Duenas said officers "love to see really high numbers" of warnings and citations. But in the case of e-bikes, the violations are usually traffic infractions, and often the riders do not stop for police. "They're much quicker on the throttle," Duenas said. "They're going to places where cars can't get into. And quite frankly, we're not going to pursue these riders just because the risk of injury is so much higher when anybody's on a motorcycle or a bicycle or e-bike or e-motorcycle." Duenas' comments were similar to other early reports by police on enforcing new local laws…...

5+ hour, 32+ min ago (317+ words) In response to a court ruling, Belvedere has set a new hearing on a $300,000 penalty for residential construction delays at a hilltop mansion. The property is a 339 Golden Gate Ave., a seven-bedroom estate built in 1912. In 2017, the owners filed an application with the city to remodel the house, demolish and rebuild the garage, make landscaping improvements and perform other work, according to a report by Brian Van Son, the city building official. The original construction time limit imposed by the city was 18 months. The project "took four and a half years, including many delays resulting from the property owners" multiple planning applications during the course of the project," Van Son wrote. In 2022, under the municipal code at the time, the city imposed the maximum $300,000 penalty for violating the CTL, or construction time limit. The fines started at $600 per day and…...

5+ hour, 53+ min ago (727+ words) Imagine a high school student in rural California, struggling with a mental issue for weeks with no one to talk to. The nearest therapist is hours away, the youth's family can't spare the time or gas and even if they could get there, the next available appointment isn't for months. It's likely the student will keep showing up to school, pretending everything's fine. Now imagine a trained classmate they could talk to after class " someone who could listen, really understand and help them find support. In rural America, young people face some of the most alarming mental health challenges in the nation, with rates of depression, anxiety and suicide far outpacing those of their urban peers. Suicide rates among rural adolescents and young adults are nearly 50% higher than those in suburban or urban areas. California is not an exception to…...

15+ hour, 50+ min ago (242+ words) " The Corte Madera Town Band, conducted by Nick Burdick, performs its annual holiday concert at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Corte Madera Community Center at 498 Tamalpais Drive in Corte Madera. Admission is free. Go to cortemaderatownband.org. " Bay Area vocal ensemble Musae presents its holiday concert "Canticum Novum: Songs of Celebration" at 1 [] " The Corte Madera Town Band, conducted by Nick Burdick, performs its annual holiday concert at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Corte Madera Community Center at 498 Tamalpais Drive in Corte Madera. Admission is free. Go to cortemaderatownband.org. " Bay Area vocal ensemble Musae presents its holiday concert "Canticum Novum: Songs of Celebration" at 1 and 4 p.m. Dec. 7 at Old St. Hilary's Landmark at 201 Esperanza St. in Tiburon. Admission is $21.40 to $26.50. Go to musae.org. " New Century Chamber Orchestra and the San Francisco Girls Chorus perform "In Winter's Glow" at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church…...

22+ hour, 51+ min ago (18+ words) Sunday's local events: No events scheduled San Rafael at De Anza, 5:30 p.m., El Sobrante...