Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for Jan. 18, 2026

Conductor, symphony give outstanding show at COM

I am writing to give a thousand kudos to the Marin Symphony and its new conductor Fawzi Haimor. The recent concert I attended was absolutely delightful, memorable and over-the-top fantastic. The talent and zest of Haimor and the musicians were truly impressive. Carey Bell, the guest clarinetist, played the instrument like I’ve never seen or heard before.

The performance took place in a temporary home at the College of Marin as the symphony’s permanent home is under renovation. Walking through giant redwoods on the campus was a wonderful beginning to a wonderful afternoon. I’d like to hear it all again. Congratulations to Haimor, the musicians and the staff for a spectacular presentation before a sold-out crowd.

— Jane Hartman, San Rafael

Friends of Ross Firehouse focused on civic center plan

As president of the Friends of Ross Firehouse group, I am writing to add context to the article published Jan. 10 with the headline “Firehouse fate will get more review.” It should be mentioned that the cost of the proposed Ross civic center campus plan (which would demolish our state-registered historic firehouse), has ballooned from $14.6 million in 2021 to a projected $29.5 million by the time it is completed in 2030.

The plan will require a large new public bond that could add more than $11 million in interest costs. Total final cost per Ross household (835 parcels in Ross) may exceed $50,000. All that for a plan that does not include a firehouse.

What it does include is $7.7 million in new site costs before a single brick is laid, due to the fact that it wastefully demolishes all existing parking, landscaping, grading, drainage and utilities, not to mention three out of four existing buildings on-site (firehouse, public works and planning/building). It also includes over $5 million in consultant fees for design and project management.

My group believes this unsustainable economic plan will be dead on arrival with Ross voters. Friends of Ross Firehouse has teamed with experienced local public safety architects and contractors to develop an alternative plan to renovate our historic firehouse at a projected cost of $11.2 million.

Town consultants say the historic firehouse can’t be renovated. Belying this claim is the fact that they plan to renovate the adjacent Town Hall building, which was built in tandem with the firehouse in 1927 by renowned architect John White.

The buildings are structurally and aesthetically similar; in fact they share a single listing on the California Historic Registry. John White designed them together as one; they need to be renovated together.

My group has offered to join a public/private working group to further assess the feasibility of our firehouse renovation plan.

— Bob Herbst, Ross

California gun ruling was informed by Supreme Court

In his letter published Jan. 10, Tom Short complained about the recent appeals-court ruling that California’s ban on openly carrying firearms in most of the state is unconstitutional. He included this quote from Judge Lawrence VanDyke: “because openly carrying weapons was a ‘historical practice in the 18th century, it cannot be outlawed today.’” Short called this statement “ludicrous.”

I think the three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit was correctly following the instructions of the U.S. Supreme Court, when in 2022 it ruled in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc., et al. v. Bruen, that the Second Amendment guarantees people have a right to carry a concealed weapon outside the home. Importantly for gun laws in general, they ruled that laws must have a historical precedent dating to 1791 when the Second Amendment was ratified, and in 1868 when the 14th Amendment was ratified, the “equal protection of the laws” amendment.

Prior to that ruling, seven states had restrictions on carrying concealed weapons. Now all states must have a “shall issue permit” process, assuming they require one (29 states allow permitless carry). California requires passing a background check, taking a 16-hour class and more. We will see how this recent case about open carry proceeds, as it is likely to be heard by the entire Ninth Circuit, and could go to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Short offered that if Second Amendment proponents want to preserve the historic status quo, it should be allowed provided they permit the same weapons that were historically permissible at the time. He said they were muzzle-loading muskets and pistols, and he was OK with those. He failed to consider that the firearms the framers of the Constitution were talking about were state-of-the-art guns, and today that means common semi-automatic pistols and rifles.

— John Neuenburg, San Rafael