NEWS
Marin Fire scales back valley station
Marin County Fire officials are reshaping plans for a new regional fire station at San Geronimo Commons, backing away from a tall training tower and full headquarters complex after valley residents objected to the project’s scale, noise and visual impact. At a June 8 meeting hosted by the San Geronimo Valley Planning Group, Fire Chief…
How to run the Dipsea at 91
It was a few minutes past 10 on Sunday morning when Lloyd Kahn crested a hill known as Insult. He was shirtless and mustachioed, with a receding shock of white hair, as he trotted up a brambly trail six miles into the Dipsea, the storied 7.5-mile race from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach that is…
The piano man behind Family Music Hour
When Michael McQuilkin found out he was chosen to receive the 2026 Edie Robinson Community Service Award, he was dumbfounded. “I didn’t think it was real for a while,” Mr. McQuilkin, a 74-year-old piano technician and musician from Woodacre, said. “There is such a glut of wonderful volunteer people in this area, and I never…
It’s time to go downtown to get down
Hoping to sustain some of the energy of Western Weekend, the Point Reyes Good Luck Fund is planning a series of “Downtown Getdowns”—block party-style events aimed at boosting a sense of community and excitement downtown. The events will take place on the third Saturday of each month from June through October, from 3:30 p.m. to…
Voters approve parcel tax measures for Bolinas parks and Muir Beach Fire
Voters approved two local parcel taxes in the June primary, renewing funding for fire protection in Muir Beach and public parks in Bolinas. Proposed by the Muir Beach Community Services District, Measure M renews the parcel tax that helps fund fire protection services and emergency infrastructure for West Marin’s southernmost town. The measure sets the…
FEATURES & OPINIONS
The ins and outs of rabbit digestion
A long-running mystery for our tracker group has involved rabbit digestion and pellets. We hear that rabbits employ coprophagy, re-ingesting their scat for a second pass through their digestive system to gain more nutrients out of the tough and fibrous plant materials they eat. Common knowledge from captive rabbits was that the original pellets—the “night…
In the fields, June 18, 2026
With whirring blades, shearers recently clipped the thick wool from the 300 ewes at Jensen Ranch in Tomales. Skilled shearers are in high demand this time of year, as the days grow warm. The ranch hires professionals, who arrive in a mobile trailer, because “it’s incredibly labor intensive. It’s a trade, but also an art,”…
