Als ich am Tag der Nominierung des EM-Aufgebots in der Süddeutschen Zeitung das erste Mal den Namen Marin im Zusammenhang mit der Nationalmannschaft las, machte es plötzlich Klick. Natürlich kannte ich Marko Marin, hatte ihn ein paar Mal bei Zweiliga-Zusammenfassungen der Borussia aus Gladbach im DSF gesehen. Aufgefallen war er mir da aber nicht. Lediglich Frank Buschmann versicherte mehrfach, dass dieser Junge reichlich Potential habe und einen großen Anteil am Aufstieg der Gladbacher habe. Trotzdem konnte ich mir nicht so recht vorstellen, dass Teamchef Jogi Löw neben Patrick Helmes und/oder Oliver Neuville noch einen weiteren Zweiligaspieler mit zur EM nimmt.

Als dann bei der Liveübertragung kurz nach David Odonkor - was ja an sich auch schon überraschend war- dann aber tatsächlich der Name Marin fiel, hatte es das Trainerteam der Nationalmannschaft mal wieder geschafft. Mit Marin hatte kaum einer und wohl am wenigsten der Spieler selbst gerechnet. Brav betont er im Nachhinein, dass aber ja noch drei Spieler wegblieben nach dem Trainingslager auf Mallorca. Ich lehne mich mal ganz weit aus dem Fenster und behaupte, dass Marin nicht dazugehören wird.

Denn es gibt einige, die sich auf der Partyinsel sehr viel mehr ins Zeug legen müssen, um nicht aussortiert zu werden. Das prominenteste Opfer könnte in meinen Augen Tim Borowski werden. Der Bald-Münchener hat nach seiner Verletzung zwar einige starke Spiele gezeigt, doch ihm fehlt, was Marin zum Beispiel hat: Eine besondere Fähigkeit, die der Mannschaft weiterhilft. Borowski ist natürlich ein großartiger Fußballer. Trotzdem hebt er sich zu wenig von seinen Konkurrenten Hitzlsperger (Schuss- und Zweikampfstark), Rolfes (jung und zweikampfstark) und Jones (bissig wie einst Berti Vogts) ab. Die Nominierung von Jermaine Jones hat mich eigentlich mit am wenigsten überrascht, auch wenn der Schalker bisher nur ein paar Minuten Länderspielluft schnuppern durfte. Jones bringt die nötige Aggressivität mit und hat in dieser Saison in der Champions League gezeigt, dass er auch international mithalten kann. Borowski und Rolfes werden darum kämpfen müssen, Ersatzmann für Thorsten Frings zu sein.

Deutlicher dürfte es beim Duell zwischen den beiden Zweitligastürmern Patrick Helmes vom 1. FC Köln und Oliver Neuville ausgehen. Es ist längst kein Geheimnis mehr, dass der kleine Gladbacher seinen größten Fürsprecher in Kapitän Michael Ballack hat. Für Helmes kommt die EM zu früh, zumal er Mario Gomez und auch Kevin Kuranyi vom Spielertyp her zu ähnlich ist.

Das dritte "Opfer" darf meiner Meinung nach gerne Piotr Trochowski sein, gegen den sich Marin hoffentlich durchsetzt und der deshalb gegen David Odonkor verliert, weil der, trotz wenig Spielpraxis, eben immer für Gefahr sorgt, wenn er ins Spiel geworfen wird. Trochowski dagegen sucht, wie Marin, häufiger Eins-gegen-Eins-Situationen. Sein Problem ist nur, dass er die viel zu oft verliert. Und weil sein Kurzpassspiel in dieser Saison beim HSV ebenfalls zu wünschen übrig ließ, kann Löw für die EM auf den 24-Jährigen verzichten.

Ein bisschen Mitleid darf man schon jetzt mit Timo Hildebrand haben, der zusammen mit dem Dortmunder Sebastian Kehl und dem Leverkusener Stefan Kießling Frusturlaub auf den Malediven buchen kann. Aber wenn man ehrlich ist, war es absehbar, dass er in der DFB-Elf keine Zukunft hat. Ein guter Torhüter ist er zweifellos, aber für das deutsche Tor reicht das eben nicht. Der Schritt nach Valencia war für ihn im Nachhinein ein Desaster, auch wenn er sich dadurch menschlich sicherlich weiterentwickelt hat. Wenn man Jens Lehmann heißt, darf man im Verein die Nummer Zwei sein, Timo Hildebrand hat diese Degradierung zu Beginn der Saison in Spanien enorm geschadet. Er hat bei den deutschen Fans an Ansehen verloren, auch wenn er letztendlich den Kampf gegen Canizares gewonnen hat. Er ist erst aus dem Fokus der Berichterstattung und jetzt aus dem EM-Kader gefallen.

Für ihn fährt Robert Enke nach Österreich. Nicht Rene Adler. Der stand nämlich nicht zur Disposition. Begründung laut Torwarttrainer Andreas Köpke "Rene Adler musste nach dieser starken Saison einfach mit." Klar sollte trotzdem sein, dass Enke aufgrund seiner Erfahrung die Nummer Zwei ist. Adler soll Turnierluft schnuppern, um dann in ein, zwei Jahren Robert Enke (?) abzulösen. Vielleicht ist die WM 2010 sogar schon seine.

Und Marko Marin? Der 19-Jährige wird nun mit den Vorschusslorbeeren zu kämpfen haben, die die Medien nach und nach über ihn herauskramen werden. Er hat alle Nachwuchsteams des DFB durchlaufen, war 2004 sogar Teil einer Uefa-Auswahl die zwei Vergleiche gegen ein afrikanisches Team gewann. Wollen wir mal hoffen, dass er damit klar kommt. Gladbacher Jungstars sind ja nicht immer die stabilsten...

People that ride trains are prettier, more handsome, and more physically fit than those that drive cars. It's a proven, scientific fact.

Embrace the train. The train loves you.

Early April of 2008 put Marin in the presidential spotlight. Barrack Obama held a fund raising event at an estate in Kentfield. The event cost $2,800 for each guest to attend and was held at one of the largest homes in Marin. After the initial reception Obama left the mansion and took a walk down the street to greet various Marin residents that were standing outside of the house. He talked to a US soldier that was stationed in Iraq and his mother (MarinIJ).

I've previously been to the estate where Obama gave his reception. My friend had the opportunity to get paid to house-sit the house while the family was gone. We ended up invading the empty, four-story estate, bringing beer and weed and camped out there for the whole weekend. The house has it's own water supply tank and more than 20 rooms. My friend was eventually caught when the family came home earlier than planned and caught them hanging out within the house.

I also know the soldier's family that Obama talked to.m The soldier's younger sister is my friend that was house-sitting only a few years earlier. The owners of the estate and the soldier's parents were family friends. This connection is probably what set up the interaction between Obama and the soldier.

I sometimes wonder if Obama understood the implications of Marin as he passed through the city streets. If he caught the underlying culture or understood Marin's identity. The house Obama visited is just one estate that caught the attention of our youthful eyes. We saw that house as a legend. It was the castle and we were the peasants. It represented the Marin dream and stood out as an example of prosperity. But it also housed a strange aura of what wealth and power truly represented. A house almost closed off from regular society.

Obama coming to Marin was to win the Marin vote. The Marin populate of retired hippies that gave up on the 60's ideals and thrived in the 1980's capitol markets. The Marin people are the ones who created their own companies in the Internet Boom, invested their money in the right places. Some of the Marinites never left Marin but received all their wealth from their family that had accumulated wealth in order to stay in Marin county. In the future, not many people will move to Marin county. Marinites will pass down their wealth in order for the family to stay in Marin. Home prices will go up as long as the schools stay in good shape.

Maybe Obama saw this in Marin. Maybe he realized Marin's potential power as one of the wealthiest parts of the country. Maybe to Obama, making friends in Marin was making friends in the right places.

RIP 08

Mark Prado
Article Launched: 05/14/2008 05:21:36 PM PDT

OAKLAND - Marin's traffic got a lot worse last year, but transportation officials say part of the reason is because of work that will ultimately improve vehicle flow.

The hours of delay in the county grew 19 percent from 2006 to 2007, and southbound Highway 101 weekday mornings constituted the third-worst traffic jam in the Bay Area, according to a report released Wednesday by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the California Department of Transportation.

That will hardly come as a surprise to Marin drivers, who routinely get stuck on Highway 101 jams, in particular during the morning southbound commute in the northern part of the county.

But a $128 million project to close a 4.5-mile gap in the carpool lane between Lucky Drive in Corte Madera and North San Pedro Road in San Rafael could help. When finished in December, a carpool lane will run up and down Highway 101 in Marin.

"Once we have the continuous carpool lane in the county, there will be a dramatic improvement throughout the corridor," said John Goodwin, a transportation commission spokesman.

But all that work - which is ongoing and causes lane shifts that slow motorists - is part of the reason for the growing delays.

"Any time there is construction you will see delays as well," said Bijan Sartipi, Caltrans District 4 director.

The No. 3 ranking for the southbound 101 commute was up from No. 4 in 2006, according to the report's ranking of worst commutes. The ranking was based on traffic
Advertisement
measured from 6:05 to 9:55 a.m. between Rowland Boulevard in Novato and Interstate 580 in San Rafael.

The northbound commute from 3:15 to 6:15 p.m. on Highway 101 between Seminary Drive in Mill Valley and central San Rafael was 12th worst. And the 3:20 to 6:30 p.m. northbound commute between De Long Avenue in Novato and San Antonio Road ranked 47th.

The report also showed that since 2003, the delays in Marin have increased 81 percent, the most of any Bay Area county.

"That's why we are investing so much money in that corridor," Sartipi said. "We have been seeing those numbers and want to close all those (carpool lane) gaps in that corridor."

Marin commuters lost 11,200 hours a day sitting in traffic in 2007, according to the report, up from 9,400 in 2006. Overall, Bay Area congestion was up 12 percent, and 33 percent since 2003. The study measured congestion in terms of average speeds below 35 mph for 15 minutes or longer.

"Congestion does track employment," said Scott Haggerty, vice chairman of the transportation commission. "As the Bay Area recovered from the dot-com bust, congestion has also been on the rise. The regional economy really picked up in 2004 and that trend has continued."

But this year with gas prices rising and the economy ailing, congestion could ease, he said.

"It's anecdotal, but I see fewer people on the roads," Haggerty said.

Contact Mark Prado via e-mail at mprado@marinij.com

Noh si ? pai de OZN-uri ne arde noua ?

Sa dea un anunt la "Pierderi" : "Il declaram nul" la viteza cu care se fabrica generali in armia romana s-o gasi unul mai la locul lui.

Marin has a high cancer rate, something needs to change. Relying on the same old highway, and expecting change isn't going to work. Everywhere there is rail transit, there is a surge in usage as the costs of fuel goes up.

Hamilton SMART station a bad idea

A vocal minority has made it appear that most Hamilton residents are in favor of a Hamilton SMART station.

As Hamilton residents who do not live close to the proposed transit station, we join most of our neighbors in opposition, raising several issues for consideration:

• The character of Hamilton will change significantly.

At least one Novato City Councilmember noted that developments would follow at Hamilton or at any commuter station. The developments will likely include apartment buildings, condos, and office buildings, forever changing the character of the neighborhood. Scholarly reports are mixed regarding changes in values of single-family homes close to transit stations. Some may increase but many others will decrease in value.

• Model for Hamilton. The concept for Hamilton is a place for people to both live and work. A transit station encourages just the opposite. Don’t we want to encourage Hamilton employees to purchase new or resale homes in Hamilton? It is far “greener” to have hangar employees work and live in Hamilton.

• Children and safety. Station supporters say the Hamilton station—with added traffic, a 150-car parking lot, idling trains and a potential bus transfer station—will “benefit children.”

Children will be exposed to serious hazards under these circumstances, with three elementary schools located near the proposed station. One recent example is the train death of a San Bruno boy returning from a nearby skate park (April, 2008). The existing Hamilton skate park is within a few hundred feet from rails.

• Not a modern system. Light, electric rail requires different tracks and SMART is not proposing to lay these tracks. Diesel-driven trains will be needed and diesel fumes are hazardous to our health (especially to children and the elderly). Think of the nearby schools and skate park!

• Bus transfer station. With a train station, it would be difficult to argue against a Hamilton bus depot. Is this what we want at Hamilton?

• Ridership. SMART itself estimates 250 boardings maximum daily at Hamilton in the year 2025, a meaningless number having no impact whatsoever on 101 traffic.

There are no benefits and serious harm for Hamilton were a transit station to be built here.

Elvera and Alan Berson

Passenger and freight a win-win

Kudos to Dominic Grossi, President of the Marin County Farm Bureau, for his excellent analysis on page A5 of last week’s Advance of rail’s benefits and the win/win relationship between passenger and freight trains. Sharing fixed costs will improve SMART’s farebox recovery ratio and reduce its operating subsidy.

This will involve more than SMART and freight trains.

Bob Cleek, on the same page, mentions excursion trains. Our railroad has the potential to host the most successful tourist/excursion train service in the United States. Tourist trains between Healdsburg and Willits were hugely popular in 1996-97.

When the railroad was shut down, NCRA’s passenger contractors were holding 10,000 requests for tickets plus another 10,000 inquiries. But if Novato wants to get in on the action, it will have to stand in line behind Santa Rosa and Petaluma.

Intercity passenger trains are also in the picture: Think Santa Rosa to Sacramento in two hours and 10 minutes (estimated running time in a 1993-94 study). Amtrak holds first right of refusal to run intercity on the Northwestern Pacific and will certainly be a player.

It’s surprising that Supervisor Judy Arnold wasn’t aware that our railroad connects into the national rail system. Where else would the freight be coming from and going to? From Black Point the track goes through Port Sonoma, Sears Point, Schellville, Napa Junction, and Cordelia, connecting with Amtrak and Union Pacific at Suisun City. It’s the Redwood Empire’s lifeline. Not only is it more sustainable, it offers the ultimate in mobility. You don’t have to take four thousand pounds of iron, rubber and glass with you everywhere you go.

You just step on board, and that’s a big part of why it’s so much more cost-effective and relaxing than driving.

Lionel Gambill

In this time frame, Marin County actually served as a crucial highlight of NorCal culture, cannabis culture and even American culture. Any cannabinoids can refer to the term "420"; a discreet number that represents the culture of smoking Marijuana as well as the time to do it at. Many marijuana users do not know that "420" originated in Marin County. This is some Marin County history.

In San Rafael High School in the early 1970's there was a group of students that wanted to make a standard time after school, where they could all meet up to smoke. The time they picked was 420. Soon they started using 420 to refer to smoking or to refer to cannabis until the term started to spread around SR and around Marin.

Nobody really know how the term eventually became national. The spread of Marin culture is a study in itself. Part of its rampant takeover comes from wandering college students that leave Marin for schools all across the country. Marin schools have high test score and large amounts of students go away to a four year college. This means that Marinites often end up around the country and are able to spread their influence.

Another reason for the spread of 420 is Marin pride combined with Stoner pride. Both cultures include ideas of boasting one's form of identification. For cannabis users this would be marijuana and all things associated with it <like 420>. For Marinites, there is a prideful feeling when considering one's hometown and a want <no a need> to spread one's unique and colorful culture to all those that don't understand it. The Marin college kids first brought 420 to schools around California <urging their friends to say it, using it in normal speech> and it was eventually adopted as California language. Once it became solid in California the Cannabis culture took it over and spread it all over the country. The spread of 420 was so grand that many people still argue over where it comes from.

All Marinites know where it comes from though. 420 is just one cultural identity that represents Marin. All Marin smokers rejoice to the originality of the Marin language and terminology. Through its abstract take on words and prolific culture Marin has created terms, words and ideas to fit into the everyday world and to represent what Marin stands for. Puffing on a joint at 4:20 <am/pm> or on 4/20 is a toast to the Marin way of life and to MarinSpeak.

RIP 08

"Perhaps like me, you thought that Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) gets its name from a favored prey item. And then you may have thought, well, sparrow eat seeds, so.....? Yep, the name comes from their song, which is said to bear a remarkable resemblance to the stridulations of the Meadow Grasshopper (Terres). Found this one today on Mt. Burdell, thanks to a tip from Daniel Edelstein. Taken at 9:30 am, in the area where the Lewisia is found. Enter at the San Carlos trailhead to Mt. Burdell, head west along the fireroad, and then bear right as you go down the hill. Look for the serpentine outcrops on the right and listen for a grasshopper! They tend to stay hidden in the grass unless they are singing. The "song", such as it is, has a few high introductory chips, followed by a distinctive buzz. I liked this photo because of the way it depicts some of the field marks, namely the "flat head" (straight line from the bill back to the crown), white eye ring, orange spot in front of the eyes, unstreaked breast with a little buffy color, and the suggestion of a light crown stripe, better seen in other photos. Cheers, Len"

Editor's note: Mount Burdell is an open space area in Marin County, California, near Novato.  I also saw my first Grasshopper Sparrow in the dry grasslands of Marin County some years back.  And I first located the bird by listening for the buzz, then locating the pale little singer on a distant fence post surrounded by grass.

Brad Breithaupt
Article Launched: 05/13/2008 04:25:47 PM PDT

A reopened California Park tunnel and a flat five-minute bike ride between San Rafael and Larkspur Landing could be a reality before 2010.

Construction on the $25.1 million project is expected to start late this summer.

The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday agreed to seek construction bids for the first phase of work, reopening and repairing the tunnel.

Half the cost of the project is being paid for by the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District, which owns the tunnel and plans to run a commuter train through it; the balance comes from state and federal funds. A bike path will run along the tracks.

The tunnel has been closed since the 1980s when a fire damaged its southern end, causing it to collapse. Further damage was caused by a 1990 fire.

Craig Tackabery, assistant county public works director, said construction could take 14 months.

A 2002 county study estimated that 800 to 1,000 bicyclists and pedestrians would use the path every day.

"It's an old study, before gas hit $4," Tackabery said.

David Hoffman, planning director of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, said that, once completed, the route through the tunnel could make the bike trip from San Rafael to Larkspur faster by bicycle than by car. It can take 20 minutes by car to navigate a circuitous route between downtown San Rafael and Larkspur Landing.

Reopening the tunnel is a "quality of life" improvement that is a centerpiece of bike advocates' hopes of creating a bike "greenway"
Advertisement
alongside Highway 101 through Marin, Hoffman said.

Kinsey added that construction has to begin by August to preserve funding that has been earmarked for the project.

Tackabery said the county may benefit from timing, noting that the economy has made contractors hungry for work and bidding has reduced the cost of construction projects.

Dave Magdanz of San Rafael, another bike advocate, urged the board to also move forward with plans to create a bike path crossing Corte Madera Creek near Larkspur Landing and reopening the long-closed Alto Tunnel to create a new bike path between Mill Valley and Corte Madera.

Zi fain azi, desi nu s-ar spune dupa ora la care m-am trezit. Pe la 7 adica, ca nu-s nici chiar asa de maniac ca si Timea care se trezeste la 5:10 in fiecare dimineata (is curios cine ii celalalt/a maniac/a care se scoala la 5). Oricum am mai dormit pana la 8:15, deci chiar nu se pune.

Am ajuns la birou si am intrat in pita imediat si pana la vreo 13 nu am reusit sa ies sa mananc, desi fata m-a asteptat cam o ora, pe langa faptu ca mi-a facut o favoare si a stat la coada la banca. Am mancat dinnou "breakfast" la Andy's, si de data asta ouale au fost de dimensiuni normale, nu ca si data trecuta cand a ras chelnerita de noi ce oua mici ne-a facut bucataru. Astea is cam "insider jokes" si cam greu sa le povestesc sa le intelegi si tu. La fel si faza cu ambasada care chiar nu ma chinui sa o explic, dar am ras bine.

Dupa dinnou munca patriotica in interesul publicului larg pana pe la vreo 6 cand o venit fata sa mergem in oras. Intre timp a fost si colegutza noastra Natasa in vizita, dar nush ce-i cu ea ca nu-i mai place berea. Trista lumea asta. Lui Tanya a inceput sa ii curga sange din nas si pentru 15 minute asta ne-a fost distractia, o sa atasez poze in curand. Dupa ce a incetat sangerarea :) am luat-o pe jos ca mi-a luat Marin masina sa imi faca starter-ul, no more pushing baby!! si "La placinte", un fel de ritual, dar cu bere :D

In trecut: ziua de ieri a decurs destul de previzibil, in pat, cu tv, bere si filme pe calc. Am renuntat sa mai astept dupa soare si am decis ca e bine si la umbra, daca el nu vrea sa ma incalzeasca, ma bag sub plapuma, macar daca nu e cald e intuneric si tot imi place. Soarele sa traiasca-n lumea lui unde e acoperit de nori.

Iar un moment kodak azi pe strazile pline de farmec ale Chisinaului, dar din pacate tot pe telefon. Nasol cand ai cu ce da n-ai cu ce. Uite am scos poza si am pus-o, poza!

Intrebarea zilei: Cand vii la Chisinau?

Marla Fields and Annan Paterson support a Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit station at Hamilton (Marin Voice, May 7). They envision a reduction of vehicle traffic in the neighborhood. However, it seems more likely that traffic will increase, not decrease.

Fields and Paterson say that kids will be safer, but in fact the stepped-up volume of auto and bus traffic will pose a worse hazard than school children now face. After all, although a train station would deposit some people in Hamilton who might otherwise have driven, it also will draw autos and buses in that currently don't enter the neighborhood.

One of the main talking points of SMART supporters usually is that southbound traffic on Highway 101 will be lessened, in particular through the area between Novato and San Rafael, a corridor plagued by severe backups. So how will Novato drivers get onto SMART? If the station is placed in Hamilton, all those vehicles will channel through Hamilton's two access roads, posing a significant hazard to children as they walk or cycle to school. In addition, Golden Gate Transit's routes will no doubt be altered to bring large and potentially dangerous buses into the neighborhood.

Rather than making kids safe, a SMART station would endanger Hamilton's school children.

Will Meecham, Hamilton resident

How to resolve rail issues

Mike Arnold continues to mischaracterize the state-mandated working relationship between Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit
Advertisement
and the North Coast Rail Authority, a relationship necessary to ensure cooperation between the two governmental agencies that must share the rails (April 7, Marin Voice). Concerns exist about freight's resumption that need addressing, but not by driving a wedge between SMART and NCRA, nor by lawsuit.

Alternative? Two years ago, Novato Councilman Jim Leland offered up an approach to what appeared to be an impasse. Neighboring residents of Todd Road in Hamilton became pitted against the wetlands restoration project because of truck traffic along Todd Road, the project's only access. Leland proposed a process termed interest-based negotiation; stakeholders in a dispute sit down, put their interests on the table and build consensus toward a workable solution. A working group came into being, charged with the task of reaching consensus on an alternate route (including funding) for the trucks. The group's hard work bore fruit from its members' tenacity and mutual respect for each other's interests.

I recommend this approach to the freight issue and request the same exemplary leadership demonstrated by Leland, Judy Arnold and Peter Theran during the Todds Road dispute.

Lastly, NCRA's operator (NWP) is small enough to be exempt from any Environmental Protection Agency regulations on locomotives. However, in SMART's draft supplemental enviromental impact report, NWP proposes using "Non-Road Tier 3" compliant locomotives after operating one year. These locomotives cut in half the particulate matter emitted from conventional ones (Section C.6 page 9 of the report at www.sonomamarintrain.org under "documents"). NCRA and NWP are to be commended for this significant step.

David Porter, Novato

Mac Dre is dead. That is the end of the story.

Next week is her final one with us as principal conductor, and despite what many say, I have rather liked her.

Dick Spotswood's May 4 column on the need for a parking garage at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal made sense, with one exception. He wrote that he worked for 10 years on a bus system that "fed" riders to the ferry. By his admission, the feeder system failed, even when trips were free. Yet in this column and on other occasions, Spotswood asserts that the proposed SMART train would be successful as long as the transfer to the ferry is "seamless."

How can that be? The train will charge a fare, which will make it less desirable than the feeder bus.The train will be confined to tracks and cannot possibly reach as far into the community as did the feeder bus. Many potential riders would need to drive and park at the SMART station, creating two transfer points instead of one.

One can only conclude SMART will bring fewer riders to the ferry than did the failed bus system.

Daniel Sonnet, San Rafael

The Advance's editorial on solving Novato's financial woes shows you're thinking, but not thinking big enough: "Guests at the proposed hotel at Fireman’s Fund could visit North Redwood for shopping and then have dinner in charming Old Town Novato and take in a play or live music at the renovated theater."

Dream on! The target market for Novato hotels is San Francisco and Wine Country tourism "overflow," not Grant Avenue's "charm."

You want "charming?" Try Sausalito, Mill Valley or, San Anselmo. You want restaurants? Petaluma, 10 minutes up the road with the same population as Novato, is a national "foodie" tourist destination boasting over 150 eateries, some solidly in the "Five Star" category.

Novato really needs to "get real" about solving its fiscal challenges.

How does "Novato - The "Gateway to the Wine Country" sound?

Consider what "Old Town" and the North Redwood redevelopment area might look like restored and recreated as the southern terminus of an excursion steam train running north through the Sonoma and Mendocino vineyards and, perhaps ultimately, running eco-tourism excursions through the Eel River Canyon.

This would bring in a lot more in "new money" sales tax revenue and increased property taxes than another supermarket or three feeding off the income of Novatans alone.

This is all a fantasy, though. The city council would never allow the train to blow its whistle, and a steam train without a whistle is like a city council that can't see beyond the city limits.

Bob Cleek

Freight-train fans excited; city replies ‘ho hum

By Tim Omarzu
Managing Editor
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 12:06 PM PDT

The California Court of Appeals is going to review the city of Novato lawsuit that’s holding up repair of freight train tracks in the North Bay. A three-judge panel in San Francisco asked for legal briefs be filed in the First District Court of Appeals.

Supporters of freight trains hailed the news, because the court denies most requests for appeals.

“The last thing you want to do is start popping the champagne before it’s over. But the fact of the matter is, we made our (appeal) request, and two days later, they granted our request,” said Mitch Stogner, executive director of the North Coast Railroad Authority, the target of the city’s lawsuit.

The California Attorney General’s Office filed an appeals court brief in support of the railroad authority. It did so on behalf of the California Transportation Commission.

City manager Dan Keen downplayed the developments, saying, “I would interpret what you heard as optimistic spin. I wouldn’t read anything into it.”

The appeals court will reconsider the injunction that Marin Superior Court Judge James Ritchie gave at the city’s request to stop work on bridge and track repairs on tracks between Lombard and Windsor.

The city argues that the railroad authority hasn’t done adequate environmental review; the railroad authority says the city filed its objection six months after the period for complaints had expired.

The appeals court hasn’t yet set a hearing on the matter; it only asked for legal briefs by mid-May.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008 12:06 PM PDT

The issues surrounding the Railroad here in Novato continue to come up in our local media.

I certainly understand this is a controversial issue, but the most important thing to me is that the public is armed with all the factual information.

A recent newspaper article regarding milk prices quoted Supervisor Judy Arnold as having said, “But someone has yet to explain to me the economics of bringing grain from the central Valley to Novato on a rail that runs north and south. I don’t understand where the savings comes from.”

For the benefit of Supervisor Arnold and the public here is the explanation: First, the railroad tracks split in the same place that Highway 101 and Highway 37 do and the tracks head due east.

This is where the grain will be coming from, places such as Nebraska and Iowa.

Secondly, the economics are very simple: trains are a much more efficient and economical way to transfer freight. A big truck can only bring about 25 tons per load while a train can bring thousands of tons at a time. Not only is this a cheaper way to bring feed here, it will also take a very large number of trucks off the road which will lessen traffic congestion and lower the amount of exhaust that pollutes our air.

The city of Novato prides itself in becoming more environmentally friendly and green; it makes sense to use the railroad to help achieve this.

Third, the economic benefits go well beyond savings for those of us in agriculture. Many goods will be transported by these trains. Jobs will be created in Novato as businesses recognize the value of the efficiencies rail freight will create. The tax base will increase and the city coffers will expand.

For those who would like more detail, and for Supervisor Arnold’s review, please see the letter I sent to the Board of Supervisors on Dec. 10, 2007. Here is the link www.cfbf.com/counties/pdf/railroad.pdf to that letter for anyone who would like to read it.

I believe that both freight and SMART will benefit from each other and work well together. There is no need for anyone to try to drive a wedge in between two organizations—SMART and NCRA—which can work together to achieve the mutual goal, which is the best use of the tracks. Both NCRA’s 1989 enabling legislation and SMART’s 2002 enabling legislation mandate the restoration of both passenger service and freight service on the Northwestern Pacific Railroad line. Assembly Bill 2224 by Joe Nation states, among other things, “The district (SMART) shall work with the NCRA, the (Federal Railroad Administration), and any of its successor agencies to achieve safe, efficient, and compatible operations of both passenger rail and freight service along the rail line in Sonoma and Marin Counties.”

As such, one could interpret Supervisor Arnold’s recent request of the SMART Board to take a public stand against the resumption of freight service as contrary to state law.

If freight and SMART work together, general track maintenance would then be shared by two companies instead of just one having to foot the whole bill.

I think this is a great opportunity for Supervisor Arnold to show her leadership and join the agricultural and business communities in supporting freight service.

Both Novato and Marin will reap the economic benefit.

Dominic Grossi is President of the Marin County Farm Bureau.

Boala râsului
de Marin Sorescu

"Florian: fute-o!
Florian: sau n-ai bani?
Pitic: am bani
Pitic: da plm
Florian: nu ti se scoala?
Pitic: mah inca se scoala
Pitic: da noah...
Pitic: ce rost are...
Florian: ba viata ii curva, ai bani, se scoala... eu nu vad problema
Florian: da eu am fo plecat 3 luni de zile
Pitic: )
Pitic: aia-i problema
Florian:  poate
Florian: si la mine ii curva viata, am bani si se scoala sa stii... ba se scoala cam prea des... da nush cum, tot ea ma fute
Florian: viata adica
Pitic: ))
Pitic: trutru
Florian: cata profunzime
Florian: Disclaimer: imi rezerv dreptul de a folosi aceasta discutie pe blogul meu personal. pup!
Florian: :D
Pitic: )))
Florian: te-am spart exact ce am vrut... acuma am iar despre ce sa scriu in plictiseala mea absoluta
Pitic: looooooooool
Pitic: aia da treaba
Pitic: da bah daca tot te plictisesti
Pitic: de ce nu vii la oradea
Pitic: definitiv
Pitic: )
Florian: hmmm"

Si ce e cu creatura asta ciudata? E simplu, a decis in urma cu 3-4 ani ca viata de la "oras", e prea aiurea si ca el vrea la "mare". Si ciudatul a mers la mare, dar nu s-a mai intors. A lasat prieteni, familie, o viata "usoara" si a ales sa iubeasca. A fost totul perfect, un vis in slip, cu bere si cu ... nisip. Visul s-a terminat si ciudatul s-a trezit. Un pic cam brusc!

Raspuns: eu sunt naspa: pentru ca mint; pentru ca nu stiu sa apreciez ce am decat dupa ce l-am pierdut (la feminin suna mai FAIN); pentru ca ma multumesc cu putin si cu ce am; pentru ca nu invat din greseli; pentru ca nu invat din greseli (repetitie intentionata!); pentru ca nu am ambitii; pentru ca aleg drumul mai greu doar ca mi-e mai usor asa; pentru ca nu stiu sa-mi cer iertare; pentru ca sunt prea incapatanat; pentru ca las pe maine ce pot face azi; pentru ca renunt prea usor; pentru ca sunt egoist; pentru ca sunt omul plajei!

Azi: o zi plina dinnou. de aici poti sa nu mai citesti daca nu te intereseaza viata mea. Ca si viata ta, si viata mea e o rutina (asta am citit-o in biblie): trezit de dimineata, sms la persoana mea, un pic de exercitiu fizic (nu rade de-te drequ - chiar fac), dinti, dush, sters la pruna, (tu poate mai si mananci), impachetat laptop, pus alarma la usa (da ma este si la Chisinau alarma, mai ales la Chisinau!) si lucru. Doar ca la lucru stres rau, e greu cand nu lucrezi o sapt si vin toti calaie pe tine, adica pe mine. Tot ma intreb cand o sa termin cu faza asta cu adica pe ... Oricum am mancat cu persoana mea, sau am avut ceai/apa/suc/bere/prigat cu putza (pulpa) si dinnou la lucru. Cred ca azi am vb la telefon cat vorbeste maica-ta cu maica-mea pe fix, dar nu-i bai ca-mi place cand vad ca lucrurile se rezolva si au o finalitate.

Hmmm si de ce am zis ca iar o zi plina? nush poate pt ca am plecat de la lucru pe la vreo 17:40 si am mers la bere cu Natasa, care a venit de la Ungheni, Marin si Iura. Ma rog la bere... Natasa si cu mine ce-am mai baut bere ca Marin a baut Prigat cu putza (cu putza?, da cu putza), pe terasa la Andy's. Las ca maine poate o facem de oaie si dezvirginam palinca... sa vezi atunci ce blog imi trag, sau nu.

Intrebarea zilei: De ce sunt eu pizda de om?

Fratilor va spun cinstit,
Orasul m-a nenorocit,
Hai sa ne mutam la mare,
O tara de orase goale!

"Pitic: da bah daca tot te plictisesti
Pitic: de ce nu vii la oradea
Pitic: definitiv
Pitic: )
Florian: hmmm"

P.S. - Mi-am luat Geaca de blugi (tot aluzie Vama Veche)

I'd never played or even heard Mahler 9 before monday, and as someone who thought he quite liked Mahler, it came as a bit of a blow to find that this piece is pure madness. Not just the usual self-indulgence of Mahler, but stark staring mad; running down the street in your underwear waving an axe mad. A caustic member of the viola section said that it's only a short step from writing music like this, to locking your daughter in a cellar for decades and having 7 children by her, and there may be something in what he says.

The first piece is a percussion concerto by Christopher Rouse , and it's rather good fun. Basically a racket,  but  it seems well written, and  it's nice to see the  percussion section having to work for a living for once!

The concert is being broadcast on radio 3, but not live I don't think.

Staff Report
Article Launched: 05/06/2008 12:23:30 AM PDT

Marla Fields and Annan Paterson

A SONOMA-MARIN Area Rail Transit train and trail station in Hamilton will benefit children in the following important ways:

- A Hamilton SMART station will reduce local car traffic. Many of Hamilton's 8,000 residents are within walking and biking distance to the proposed rail station. That means fewer cars will pass by the schools on their way out of the neighborhood to enter the freeway.

Additionally, nearly 2,000 employees are located about a half mile from the station site. A survey by Q&A Research Company determined 41 percent of employees would commute to work by SMART three or more times per week. The number of new cars added from outside neighborhoods is a small fraction of the total station user base, so the net effect will be to reduce traffic near the schools.

- Reducing neighborhood car traffic increases safety for children. Statistics from SMART's environmental impact report reveal the biggest threat facing our children who walk and bike is being hit by cars. In the United States, from 2000 to 2007, roughly 4,000 kids under 15 were killed and 300,000 injured by cars and trucks while walking or riding their bikes. During the same period, there were zero deaths to children under 11 by all U.S. commuter rail. (National Highway and Traffic Safety Analysis Administration and Federal Rail Association Office of Safety Analysis database.)

- Children will have a safe route to school. Hamilton children need never cross railroad
Advertisement
tracks when going to school. Due to the existing neighborhood design, the Safe Route to School plan will take children over a small bridge.

- SMART will greatly improve cycling conditions. SMART's 70-mile pedestrian and cyclist pathway will take kids off dangerous shared road paths and encourage more kids to safely participate in a healthy, zero-emission lifestyle.

- SMART rail is clean. The SMART train will lead to net reductions in criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases due primarily to the decrease in car traffic (EIR 3.5.5). The new clean diesel technology that these European railcars will employ is described by Scientific American as "nearly as green as hybrids." SMART trains will use ultra-low sulfur fuel and highly effective particulate traps, resulting in the same amount of particulate matter as a single car, as described in SMART's "clean train" white paper No. 6.

- A Hamilton station means trains move slowly through the Hamilton neighborhood. Instead of passing through quickly, trains would slow to 20 mph as they approach the station.

- A Hamilton station will allow teachers and some families to arrive to school safely and reliably. The Novato Charter School in Hamilton draws families from Southern and Central Marin, Sonoma County and Northern Novato. They will be able to use rail or the bicycle pathway to commute. Additionally, many teachers commute daily from Petaluma and points further north. Federal Rail Association Office of Safety Analysis statistics prove that riding in commuter rail in the United States is 67 times safer per passenger mile than riding in a car.

Kalvin Platt, acclaimed green-community architect and former director of Harvard's Land Development Graduate School of Design, has endorsed the Hamilton SMART station "as a unique opportunity to transform a major portion of Novato into a sustainable community providing benefits of reduced auto trips, less traffic, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and energy use."

The IJ editorial board and the Greenbelt Alliance also have endorsed the Hamilton SMART station as the logical choice.

We encourage Novato families to let their council members and school administrators know that they want a Hamilton SMART station - for the kids' sake.

Marla Fields is a task force leader for Safe Routes to School, chairwoman of the Curb Your Carbon Global Warming Educational Program and a Hamilton resident. Annan Paterson is a Novato mother, grandmother and educator who has worked at Hamilton area schools as a school psychologist. She is active in local government and nonprofit boards.