Climate
Sacramento Bee: With a 7.40 Rating, Marin Would be the 7th Happiest Nation in the World, Between the Netherlands and Canada, if it Were its Own Country
“We find that happiness is aligned with specific quality of life ratings. In particular, jobs, leisure, and housing,” Baldassare said, according to the report. “In our polling, we also looked at personal finance. But the biggest change we’ve seen over time has been satisfaction with jobs, which went from 52% saying they were very satisfied in our first polling to 31% today.” Other polling, by Gallup, asked Californians to rate their satisfaction of life from 1 to 10. A research team from the University of Oxford then compiled all 215,801 responses into a map of the state, broken down by county.
Read MoreSFGATE: Bay Area Gas Station Owner Mike Shamsian Explains How He Sells Some of the Cheapest Fuels in the Bay Area
Shamsian started researching enterprises with more security for leaseholders and learned that gas stations are subject to a law that strengthens protections for retailers. He started looking for a pump to take over, and it was his wife Fariba who first learned that the Mill Valley Arco was about to hit the market. Shamsian started managing the station in 1995 (Arco’s owner, Marathon Petroleum, is still the landlord) and quickly saw that he’d have to take a risk if he was going to succeed. “I just had to go and sacrifice pricing,” he said.
Read MoreOn Sept. 16th, the City Council Unanimously Backed an Array of Exciting New Measures, from a Boyle Park Redesign, a Pair of Sand Volleyball Courts, Clarified Rules for Depot Plaza, the Case for Vibrancy and Much More
“The plaza was hopping all (last) weekend with families and kids and the elderly,” said Vice Mayor Stephen Burke. “It was really vibrant, and if we think back to this ordinance being addressed in 2015, the Depot was on life support entering a moment of real uncertainty. A lot has changed in our town, and the policies you’re putting are a recognition of that change. You’ve really hit your stride, and I trust that you’ll do the right thing,” Burke said to Howe.” “The intent is not to make Mill Valley into the Greek Theater,” Carmel said. “There is definitely a Mill Valley vibe. It’s not a loud rock n roll thing – just lively on the plaza. How do you bring vibrancy into downtown. We don’t control rent, but we can do certain things about how to make downtown vibrant.”
Read MoreMarin IJ: Marin City to Receive up to $10 Million in Assistance from the Federal Government to Address Flooding Projects, Part of the $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Now comes word that Marin City is among a dozen economically disadvantaged communities across the nation selected to receive up to $10 million in assistance from the federal government to complete small public works projects. The $120 million in projects is being funded with money from the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021. Marin City’s successful proposal was submitted by the Marin City Community Services District in collaboration with the nonprofit Marin City Climate Resilience and Health Justice.
Read MoreWhat a Thrill: KTVU Gives Our Amazing Town the Zips Trips’ Treatment, Highlighting Our Character, History, Food, Shopping, Deep Roots of Arts & Culture and Much More!!
What a Thrill: KTVU Gives Our Amazing Town the Zips Trips’ Treatment, Highlighting Our Character, History, Food, Shopping, Deep Roots of Arts & Culture and Much More!!
Read MoreDick Spotswood: Design, Compatibility Are Key for Proprosed Strawberry Housing Plans
“This type of project is something that is unprecedented in our unincorporated county,” Jones told the San Francisco Chronicle. She said the state is prioritizing adding a variety of housing to well-off neighborhoods with abundant resources, “as this project would do.”The county’s report, which took more than three years to finish, highlights the project’s impact, including traffic and noise. Neighbors have objected to the size of the project, lobbying against it since it was announced.
Read MoreEditorial: Bipartisan Duo Seeks to Address American Unhappiness by “Restoring the Common Good Initiative” and Exploring the Reasons Behind the Dissatisfaction
For U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, the report confirmed something they had been discussing for a while: that despite the high quality of life many Americans enjoy, people seem more dour, anxious and, well, unhappy than ever before.
Read MoreAs Electricity Bills Soar, MCE Offers Relief: Residents and Businesses Eligible for MCE Cares Credit Get up to $25 in Monthly Credits
“No one should have to choose between feeding their family and keeping the lights on,” said Shanelle Scales-Preston, MCE’s Board Chair and City of Pittsburg Councilmember. “That’s why MCE is helping the most vulnerable folks in our community. Since 2020, we’ve provided $62 million in bill relief aimed at keeping our service more affordable and equitable, while being better for the planet.”
Read MoreDick Spotswood: Doing Nothing About Sea Level Rise in Marin Is the Most Expensive Option
The major areas of focus span much of the county, including Bel Marin Keys; Belvedere and Tiburon; Bolinas; the Hamilton Wetlands; Inverness; Marin City; Manzanita and Tamalpais Junction; Mill Valley, downtown and western Novato; Santa Venetia; Sausalito; Stinson Beach; Highway 37; Highway 101; San Rafael; Kentfield; Corte Madera; Terra Linda; and Larkspur. “They are mostly coastal areas, as expected, with some additional inland due to groundwater rise,” Hiatt said.
Read More“It’s Just Hard to Get Hit With”: Council Unanimously Approves a Waste Collection Hike of 8.26%, Among the Highest in Southern Marin
Gene Della Zoppa, CEO of Mill Valley Refuse Service, said the rate increase is due to the current economy. Della Zoppa said for the years 2022 to 2024, the company had an average rate increase of 4.25%. “Other cities across the Unites States are also seeing increases related to solid waste collection,” Della Zoppa said. Additionally, he said some of the biggest costs are labor, disposal costs, workers compensation, and insurance. A union contract negotiated last year resulted in a 15% hourly wage increase for drivers, and this year the drivers’ get a 5.5% increase.”
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