NEWS
Park rangers amp message
Law enforcement rangers in the Point Reyes National Seashore will soon be sporting new language on their uniforms and vehicles, part of a nationwide change that has sparked concern among some visitors and retired rangers. The National Park Service has set a December 2027 deadline for updating the familiar uniform for law enforcement rangers—a collared…
Council sides with fishing at Duxbury
Ahead of an October vote by the California Fish and Game Commission that will determine the future of fishing at the largest shale reef in North America, an agency that assists in shaping state coastal policy has given its input. The California Ocean Protection Council late last month urged the commission not to ban boat…
State marks Drake’s landing
International dignitaries and local maritime historians gathered at Due West Market in Olema last week for a plaque dedication of California Registered Historical Landmark #1061: The site of New Albion. It represents the first California-registered historical landmark in West Marin since 1935. The landmark, mounted outside the market, commemorates Francis Drake’s 1579 anchorage in…
Rachel Naomi Remen, maker of healer’s art
Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, a pioneer of complementary and alternative medicine who co-founded a cancer help program at Commonweal in Bolinas, died on Aug. 8 at her home in Concord. She was 88 years old. For decades, Dr. Remen guided patients and young doctors through a more humanistic approach to medical care. She designed The…
Exhibit makes space for Indigenous wisdom
On a recent Thursday afternoon inside the Point Reyes Library, Elissa Simons stood before an audience and sang a traditional Coast Miwok weya. Her soft voice filled the light-drenched room as her elderberry clapperstick, handcrafted by her father, kept rhythm. At the end, she called out, “Ohhh,” and the enthused audience called back, “Ohhh!” The…
Park and its partners give update on grazing plan
In a webinar last Wednesday, spokespeople for the Nature Conservancy, the Point Reyes National Seashore, and the Department of the Interior offered updates on their cooperative stewardship plan that seeks to improve wildlife habitat and water quality while protecting cultural sites in the park. The presentation came amid the final phase of a short-term grazing…
Resiliency team seeks public input
The West Marin Community Resiliency Team, a partnership between the San Geronimo Valley Community Center and West Marin Community Services, is surveying residents to identify the health topics, services, and events most important to West Marin. “The feedback will help shape future health fairs, workshops, and outreach efforts so they’re better aligned with what the…
FEATURES & OPINIONS
“The Portrait of a Lady,” with notes by Philip Horne
I don’t know what possessed me, but I ordered a copy of Henry James’s “The Portrait of a Lady” from Amazon. I was duly punished. The book that arrived had this disclaimer on what would ordinarily be the copyright page: “Originally published in 1881, this work is in the public domain. No copyright claim is…
Nature Notebook, August 20, 2026
The full moon of Thursday, Aug. 27 coincides with a partial lunar eclipse. As the moon rises in our skies that evening, the eclipse will begin at about 7:39 p.m. and reach its peak at 9:12 p.m., completing the cycle just after midnight. As always, we hope the fog clears for us to see this…
Let me count the ways
It was with disbelief and dismay that I read that the witch hunt against West Marin Medical Clinic continues. As a patient since 1986, I’ve shared some thoughts with the state medical board, and I hope you’ll find the time to do the same. How do I rely on the clinic and its director, Dr.…
