Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for July 24, 2022
Square dancing shows at Art & Garden Center
I enjoyed the article on the Marin Art & Garden Center (“Marin Art & Garden Center earns historic designation,” July 8). I liked being reminded of some of its history. I had forgotten that it was the site of the Marin County Fair before the Civic Center was built.
My family moved to Marin in 1957 when my father retired from the U.S. Army and I was 7 years old. I grew up in Mill Valley.
My parents were avid square dancers, and of professional quality. Every year during the 1960s, they and their clubs would put on performances and demonstrations at the center. My mother displayed her bonsai trees and fancy flower arrangements there as well, so I am fondly familiar with the Art & Garden Center during that time when I was a teen.
I’m happy that it is now preserved on the National Register of Historic Places.
— Lou Judson, Novato
Pump ocean water to interior desal plant
I am writing in regard to the rather comprehensive chronology of reduction in water supply in the West by the Los Angeles Times published in the Marin IJ on July 18 with the headline “Experts’ water alerts went unheeded.” It is obvious from reading the report that trying to tap into someone else’s supply of water is futile. All existing water supply is taxed to the max.
Perhaps Marin and Sonoma counties should join together and build a desalination plant that could provide all the water we need in our two counties. The water could be processed and put into our existing reservoir system. It may even enhance the flow of water in our creeks and rivers.
A desalination plant doesn’t need to be built on the oceanfront. The water needs to be pumped from the plant to someplace anyway, so why not pump the water from the ocean to the desal plant somewhere in an interior area and then to the reservoir?
— Dean Moser, Novato
MMWD should consider cost of running dry
I am writing in regard to the article published July 17 with the headline, “Deep look at complex water supply options.”
In the article, Marin Municipal Water District Director Cynthia Koehler is quoted as calling for a poll of MMWD customers regarding the potential cost of the different potential solutions. Marin Conservation League member Larry Minikes called for transparency in publishing estimated costs. In my opinion, those are good ideas. But I do hope that, in both cases, the estimated cost of completely running out of water is included alongside the estimated costs of the solutions under consideration.
Considering the cost of running dry might make expensive solutions like a desalination plant more palatable. I would think that our Coastal California community can afford it. Nobody wants to pay more than historical rates, but the alternative of running out is even less desirable.
— William Adkison, San Rafael
Congress should reenact federal weapons ban
The Texas legislative committee investigating the Uvalde shooting blamed multiple failures for its ineffective initial response. Conspicuously absent from the legislators’ report is the abysmal failure of Texas state legislators to ban AR-15 weapons and multiple-round magazines. Too deep in the hearts of Texans lies a culture of complicity by classifying these weapons of war euphemistically as sporting rifles.
Had Texas emulated Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s 10-year federal ban on semi-automatic weapons for nonmilitary civilian use, the murder of 19 innocent Uvalde children and their two teachers would have most certainly been prevented. Since Texas won’t, our Congress should reenact Feinstein’s protective prohibitions.
“Pro-life” legislators should support such a bill to save lives. It is an urgent matter of life or death.
— Dr. Edwin Zinman, Sausalito
Parking at the fair was too expensive, unorganized
While recently published letters are spot on in assessing the costs associated with this year’s Marin County Fair, the parking situation was not mentioned. This year felt different than in the past. I entered a gauntlet of cars being charged $20. Working with the attendants was slow and the lines were not kept even.
Parking at the San Rafael event was definitely better than driving eight hours to Disneyland to be saddled with those expensive entry fees. But for a local county fair, that’s too much. I would not want to be a budget-conscious parent shelling out that much for what was supposed to be an affordable community event.
— RG Langenhan, San Rafael