Point Reyes Light Volume Lxx No
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INSIDE: Plastic straw ban • Bear scat • 5G • Youth vaping • Box Show WEST MARIN’S PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING $1.50 POINT REYES LIGHT VOLUME LXX NO. 30/POINT REYES STATION, CALIF. SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 Ruling may prompt Marin to drop golf plan By Teresa Mathew suming process.” “That doesn’t seem ad- Should Marin County visable for the county to lose a case next month take on if, at the end of the regarding its purchase of process, we’re not able to the San Geronimo Golf acquire that land,” he said. Course, it will not only The Trust for Public relinquish control and Land, which bought the upkeep of the course, but embattled 157-acre proper- may well drop all plans for ty last November for $8.85 the property. million with the under- Max Korten, director of standing that the county Marin County Parks, said would purchase it for con- an adverse ruling from the version to a park, said last court would likely require week that it does not plan the county to undertake a to own the property indefi- California Environmental nitely. Teresa Mathew Quality Act analysis “not “If the court rules Bagpiper Dan McNear serenaded a picnicking crowd during the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin's just for acquisition, but all against the county, we will potential projects on the have no choice but to ex- annual harvest moon celebration, "Piper on the Ridge," last Sunday. Participants young and old walked to a clearing site—and that would be a at the peak of Mount Vision to watch the sun set and a nearly-full moon rise. very expensive, time-con- Please turn to page 8 in short-term rentals has How many visitors spend supported the argument by Seashore bill the West Marin Chamber the night—still guesswork of Commerce—which has vehemently objected to the passes House By Anna Guth measure that proposes to of available data from the proposed tax increase—that By Anna Guth reation Area. increase the transient oc- National Park Service or a hit to hoteliers and short- The vote followed How many visitors to cupancy tax in West Marin the county, that number is term rental operators is The United States unanimous approval by the coastal Marin spend the has oft cited that just 3 per- mere guesswork. unfair. The group has said House of Representatives House Committee on Natu- night? The conversation cent of tourists are over- The claim that 97 per- on Tuesday night passed by ral Resources on Sept. 5. around November’s ballot nighters. Yet in the absence cent of visitors do not stay Please turn to page 10 a voice vote H.R. 6687, the “Today, Congress is reaf- bill introduced this month firming longstanding policy by Representative Jared and decades of diligent ef- Huffman and co-sponsored forts by the park service,” Heartwood shifts to homeschool program by Utah Republican Rob- Rep. Huffman said on the ert Bishop, which directs floor on Tuesday. “[The bill] public funding in Janu- the White Hill Open Space but still has a group of 100. By Anna Guth the Interior Department honors repeated federal ary after the organization Preserve and spearheaded Heartwood’s five- to continue to authorize promises that ranches and Heartwood Educa- that managed its charter by Lagunitas School par- member governing board ranching in the Point Reyes dairies of the Point Reyes tional Collaborative, the ran into trouble, launched ents after that district formed a nonprofit in National Seashore and the National Seashore would be Waldorf-inspired pro- this school year as a home- shuttered a Waldorf pro- April focused on raising northern reaches of the gram formerly known as school collaborative. gram in 2014, lost around Golden Gate National Rec- Please turn to page 9 WISE Academy that lost The program, located in 60 students since last year, Please turn to page 6 HEAVY ZUCCHINI CONTEST EXTENDED! You have until Sunday, September 30 to send us a photograph of your child and homegrown zucchini (include age, town and weight of zucc.) Email [email protected]. Grand prize: $75. 2 POINT REYES LIGHT September 27, 2018 Reyes are looking to us to be progressive West Marin candidates's forums in ad- In brief [and have] environmental policies, so they vance of November's election kick off this adjust pretty quickly.” When Samantha Friday in Stinson Beach, where the three POINT REYES LIGHT Sachs first opened Pump Espresso Bar in men—two of them longstanding incum- West Marin businesses Forest Knolls three years ago, she started bents—running for two seats on the fire off stocking compostable straws. But over ahead of plastic straw ban protection district board will speak at the the last six months she has turned to paper community center at 7 p.m. On Tuesday, Editor: Tess Elliott By Teresa Mathew instead. “The truth about compostable Oct. 2, the four candidates running for General Manager and Photographer: David Briggs plastics is even facilities made for that can A new California law will ban plastic three seats on the Bolinas-Stinson Union Reporters: Anna Guth and Teresa Mathew only take so much,” she said. “People tend straws in restaurants, but many School District board will address ques- Reporting intern: Sasha Landauer to complain a tiny bit about paper because Administrative Assistant: Michael Rafferty establishments in West Marin have beat tions in a forum sponsored by the League it softens, but I think that just means it’s The Point Reyes Family Album: Art Rogers it to the punch. Starting in 2019, straws of Women Voters at 6 p.m. in the school doing its job—for the most part, people are West Marin's Past: Dewey Livingston will only be distributed on request in the library. Finally, PTSA presidents at Shore- Copy Editor: Wade Holland happy about it.” But sustainability can be state, the first in the United States to ban line Unified School District are collaborat- Calendar: Tess Elliott hard to source, and doesn’t come cheap. restaurants from voluntarily handing out ing to host two forums for the candidates Contributors: Barry Smith, Loretta Farley, “When it comes to plastic, you’re talking Elliott Kolker, Jennifer O'Keeffe and Carlos Porrata. plastic straws. Full-service restaurants will running for the board. The first will starts about a penny, whereas when it comes to The Sheriff’s log is adapted by Tess Elliott from the be bearing the brunt of the law, as fast-food at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 8 in the small paper you’re talking five,” Ms. Sachs said. Marin County Sheriff’s Office Press Log. restaurants, delicatessens and coffee shops gym at West Marin School; the second She hopes the new state ban will bring will be exempt. In his signing message, takes place in Tomales, at 6 p.m. on Mon- Published by the Point Reyes Light, LLC, a about a greater demand for—and thus a Governor Jerry Brown said the law was an day, Oct. 15 in the high school auditorium. California limited-liability company owned and greater supply of—paper straws. Other operated by Tess Elliott and David Briggs, P.O. important environmental step. “Plastics, in West Marin restaurants where the new law Box 210, Point Reyes Station, Calif. 94956. all forms—straws, bottles, packaging, bags, will likely apply—Side Street Kitchen, the request only, said Sheryl Cahill, who owns etc.—are choking our planet,” he wrote. Tel: (415) 669.1200 Station House Café and Hog Island Oyster both Side Street and the Station House Box 210 Point Reyes Station, Calif. 94956 When environmentally minded fourth- Company, for instance—have already Café. At the Station House, which has a 12781 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. #5, Inverness graders Viola Seda and Reese Patton began stopped carrying plastic straws. John full bar, straws are offered more freely, Email: [email protected] a campaign to encourage businesses in Web: www.ptreyeslight.com Finger, co-owner of Hog Island Oyster but they are compostable, not plastic. “It’s West Marin to stop using plastic straws last Company, said that although the law may a retraining of the public and their needs Copyright 2018 by the Point Reyes Light. Under summer, they discovered that a number federal law, all rights reserved to this newspaper, govern his restaurants in San Francisco or as much as it of businesses,” she said. of establishments had already switched including advertising, are reserved by the PRL. Napa, the business has been using paper “Anything that’s so deeply inculturated to compostable or paper straws in recent (UPS 436-860). Adjudicated a legal newspaper straws since 2014 and only issues straws on takes time.” She was concerned, however, April 26, 1949, by Superior Court Decree No. years. Christian Caiazzo, owner of Toby’s request. And in San Francisco, Hog Island that there were so many businesses exempt 19307. Published each Thursday, for $70 a year, in Coffee Bar, has carried compostable straws is starting to experiment with hay straws. from the straw ban. “Let’s hope they get to Point Reyes Station. Periodicals postage since the beginning of the year. He said paid at Pt. Reyes Station, CA. “Plastic is a great material, lasts forever, that part soon,” she added. Richard James, that while some out-of-towners wanted Postmaster: Send change of address to but using it for single use doesn’t make a who runs the local environmental blog “something they’re used to,” he has found Point Reyes Light, Box 210, PRS, CA 94956. lot of sense,” Mr. Finger said.