San Rafael Snapshot - October 31, 2013

Tuesday, November 5 is Election Day

Did you know 67% of voters in Marin vote by mail? In order to have your vote counted, your ballot must be in the mail by today (Thursday)! You may also turn in your vote-by-mail ballot to any polling place or the Elections Office (Room 121) at the Marin County Civic Center. Ballots received after 8 p.m. on Tuesday are not counted. Polls will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.  

Smoking Ordinance to go into Effect November 14

In October 2012, the City Council passed an ordinance strengthening the City’s municipal code to further protect the community from secondhand smoke. As of November 14, 2013, smoking is prohibited in all duplex and multi-family residential units that share a common wall. The ordinance applies to all new and existing properties and does not allow grandfathering rights. Landlords and property owners are required to enforce this ordinance through new lease language or lease amendments as well as posting signage. For more information, please visit www.cityofsanrafael.org/smokefree. 

In addition, Bay Area Community Resources is offering a 6-session tobacco cessation class series in San Rafael beginning on Monday, November 4, 6 – 7:30 p.m. The fee for the course is $25; sliding scale possible. Low-cost nicotine patches available for qualified participants. Call 415-755-2334 for more details or to register. Visit www.bacr.org/tobacco for more information.

Leaf Vacuuming in Gerstle Park and Sun Valley

Public Works Department crews will be Leaf Vacuuming on Saturday morning, November 2, in the entire Gerstle Park area starting at 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and in the Sun Valley area (Forbes Avenue, H Street, Center Street) from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Leaves that are on the sidewalk and parkway strips can be swept into the street.  To assist removal by the street sweeping crews, the leaves should be placed in long low rows parallel to the curb and out of the gutter and not gathered into piles. Please place leaves that fall on your property into the yard waste bins provided by Marin Sanitary and do not sweep them into the street.

Community Engagement in Sustainability

At the last Climate Change Action Plan Quarterly Update meeting, the group focused on community engagement. Many great ideas were brainstormed including increasing the purchase of Deep Green Energy from Marin Clean Energy, installing more solar photo voltaic in schools, and increasing the reach of Resilient Neighborhoods just to name a few. This work will greatly help the City Council Subcommittee on Sustainability in developing next year’s goals, priorities and strategies. If you have any ideas on how to engage the community to live greener, post a comment on our Facebook page.

Change your Clock – Check Your Smoke and CO Detector

It is reported that every three hours a home fire death occurs somewhere in the U.S. and 66% of those occur in homes without working smoke detectors. San Rafael Firefighters strongly urge all residents to Change Your Clock, Test Your Smoke and CO Detector before you go to bed on Sunday, November 3. Several serious fires have occurred in Marin this past year and dwellings were found without operable lifesaving devices. A working device greatly improves your chances of surviving a fire.

Energy Upgrades

Have you been looking for ways to make your home more comfortable and have better air quality, all while saving money on monthly utility bills? Now it’s easier than ever to take advantage of up to $5,800 in incentives from Energy Upgrade California and Marin County for completing a project that meets your home comfort and energy efficiency goals. Free assistance is available by calling a Home Upgrade Advisor, simply call 1 (866) 878-6008 and a specially trained Home Upgrade Advisor will guide you through every step of the process. Upgrade your home’s comfort for the coming winter months and years to come while saving energy and taking advantage of great rebates and financing options. More information can be found at www.marincounty.org/EnergyUpgrade.

City Hall Closed December 23 – January 1

Due to furloughs, the City’s administrative offices in City Hall, the San Rafael Public Library, and the City’s community centers (with the exception of private rentals) will be closed from December 23 – January 1.  Childcare Centers will remain open and 24-hour operations will remain in effect for the Police and Fire Departments.  

Volunteer at the Library

Do you want to bring the joy of reading to others? The library is looking for a volunteer to select books for readers who live in San Rafael but are unable to visit the library themselves. This is a fairly physical job for someone who enjoys working independently. We have a one-year commitment, but most volunteers stay for many years! Click here to find out more about this opportunity.

EVENTS

Day of the Dead

The 25th Annual San Rafael Day of the Dead Celebration will be held on Saturday, November 2 from 4 – 9 p.m. at the Albert J. Boro Community Center. This year will feature an extended hour of art activities, music performed by the Albert J. Boro Community Center’s Intermediate Caribbean Steel Drum class and youth from the Enriching Lives through Music program as well as professional musicians and performers, altars, food and a procession through the Canal.

David Hockney: A Bigger Exhibition

This exhibition marks the return of the celebrated British artist to California with an exhibition assembled exclusively for the de Young. This show is the first comprehensive survey of his 21st-century work. Renowned for his use of traditional media as well as evolving technologies, Hockney has selected monumental paintings, Photoshop portraits, digital films that track the changing seasons, as well as never-before-exhibited charcoal drawings and paintings completed in 2013. Docent Gretchen Turner will give an illustrated lecture at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6, in the City Council Chambers. This free event is sponsored by the Friends of the San Rafael Public Library.  For more information, call 485-3321.

Financial Abuse of Older Adults: Ways of Preventing and Detecting It

On November 6 from 7 – 8 p.m. members of the Marin County Financial Abuse Specialist Team (FAST) will give a presentation concerning frauds and schemes perpetrated against older adults and others in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Handouts concerning these issues will be provided. There will be a question and answer period immediately following the presentation. For more information, call (415) 473-7423 or email mvanderscoff@marincounty.org.