Transcript 0:00 [gentle music] On a Tuesday night in April, more than 50 people filled Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley. Not for a concert, for a conversation. The question on the table: What makes Mill Valley Mill Valley? 0:15 Mill Valley is special for me because it's a bunch of people that want to do. 0:19 Everyone here has been, I would say, unbelievably welcoming, but it's not just neighborhood by neighborhood, it's, it's just part of the DNA of the community. 0:27 I'm Franz Strasser-Galvis, editor of the Mill Valley Briefing newsletter, and this is the first episode of Voices of the Valley with a recording from that night at the Sweetwater. 0:38 [upbeat music] Please welcome Joyce Kleiner. [clapping] Thank you, Franz. So I'm gonna jump right in and start with introducing you to our panelists. 0:54 Uh, w- right to my left here is Viri Maxwell. She's lived in Mill Valley for a whopping five years. Uh, she's the founding partner at Galvanize Climate Solutions, a climate-focused investment firm. 1:06 Background in law and energy. Uh, nonprofit board experience, including Clean Energy of America, For America. Sits on the Sweetwater Music Hall advisory committee, so, and that party going on over there- [clapping]... 1:18 where the good food was. And she lives in Mill Valley with her husband and her two children. And she's been here, like I said, five years. 1:26 And then, um, next to her is Tim Ryan, who's lived in Mill Valley for 29 years, and he's a community artist, and Jefferson Award winner, and lives in Homestead Valley. 1:37 He's the creator of the fork sculpture at Janes and Montford, The Fork in the Road. [clapping] Okay. [laughs] He created the fairy doors on Pixie Trail and across the Bay Area. 1:49 And, um, he founded the Hearts Project, uh, which has now produced over, uh, 2,030 hearts- [clapping]... 1:57 metal hearts that have been bent out of the, the metal rims that go around wine, wine barrels, giving them to strangers, um, uh, during and after COVID. Uh, covered, that, and that story was covered by CBS News. 2:11 Uh, and he's just recently retired, uh, from being a senior director of strategic facility planning at San Rafael Public School District. 45 days. [laughs] 45 days, whoa. Okay. 2:24 [clapping] Um, next to, to Tim is Irma Murphy, who's lived in Mill Valley for 26 years. Uh, part of Mill Valley's art community since moving here in 2000. 2:35 Uh, she, with her life partner, Daniel Patrick, and Murphy Productions, she's produced hundreds of musical shows and events across Marin County. 2:43 She's a Billy Award recipient in 2014 with her partner Daniel, publicist for Marin Open Studios, Mill Valley Arts Festival, and Marin Arts Festival, and the executive director of the Ohanelian Center for the Arts in Cascade Canyon, where- [clapping] Uh, I don't think I need to tell you what that is. 3:01 We all know what that is. And then the senior member of the community [laughs] uh, uh, is Raven Twilling. Raven grew up in Mill Valley and graduated from Tam High in 2018. 3:14 She went to Scripps College, and she works at the intersection of policy advocacy and community organizing across Marin County and the Bay Area. 3:23 Um, she focuses on public health outcomes and partnerships with local government, has worked with Mill V- the Mill Valley Community Action Network on local economic and equity issues, and she's headed to law school in the fall. 3:35 What law school, Raven? Um, UC Law SF. It used to be Hastings. Okay, great. Great. Well, okay. Welcome everybody. And these are all people that I'm just meeting tonight. [clapping] So it's gonna be interesting. 3:48 Uh, let's start with just the open-ended question for, for each of you to jump in here. What makes Mill Valley yours? If, if you feel that it is your town, what, what would you say makes it, um, makes it yours? 4:02 Why don't we start with- Tim wants to start [laughs] Anyone who wants to jump in. Sure. Well, first off- [laughs]... uh, uh, can I see a show of hands, who here knows somebody on the panel? Okay, so we're all friends. 4:14 Good. [laughs] All right. Good. So, um, if I say anything that offends you, please tell Brian. Brian, raise your hand. [laughs] 'Cause I don't wanna, I don't wanna hear it. Um- [laughs]... 4:23 I, Mill Valley feels like it's mine when I volunteer. I, I, I try to live a life of service. You know, I, I, I made a... 4:35 I was looking at what all I've done in the past with my volunteerism, and you meet the greatest people, because it's other people who want to do, right? Not just be. 4:47 Uh, Mill Valley is special for me because it's a bunch of people that want to do. And when we do things, we, we run parcel taxes, right? Uh, measure E, vote yes. We, we run bonds. 4:58 Uh, we, uh, have elections that are contentious, and, uh, uh, that have, that have meaning and outcome. Uh, we, we have arts committees and arts, the arts, uh, fall arts festival, the, the film festival. 5:11 All of these take hundreds of volunteers, right? So that's what, how I finally fi- I was at my home. I lived across the street from Komara, uh, pr- preschool, and they were making a parade float. I'd just moved to town. 5:23 I'm like, "You have a parade?" Like, I, I was, "Can I help you?" Like, I didn't even go to the school when I started making floats when I moved here. 5:31 I, I went on to, to be on the committee for I Love a Parade, and, and I've won the grand prize for floats, and it, you know, it's just being a part of, and I'll s- I'll stop. [laughs] I can chime in as the- Okay... 5:44 as the newbie. The newbie. Yeah. Here, uh, you know, I would completely agree in terms of the level of engagement, but also just, like, the cultural enrichment of such a small community. 5:56 I mean, to have the resources that we have here, and by resources I really mean places like The Sweetwater, and The Depot with live music, and the parade in every neighborhood, the block party on, like, every block. 6:09 Mm-hmm. It's pretty, you know, it's really impressive just how engaged everyone is. And I would say- You know, as a, as somebody who was a COVID move here, interestingly, I live about three blocks away, and 6:24 I don't know, there's 12 houses around the one block radius, and four of them turned over during COVID. Mm-hmm. They're all families that moved from San Francisco with young kids. 6:33 And just, you know, the neighbors that have been there for 30 years kind of embracing all of the new families that have come in- Mm-hmm... and, you know, 6:44 making cookies with my kids, and, you know, everyone here has been, I would say, unbelievably welcoming. 6:50 But it's not just neighborhood by neighborhood, it's, it's just part of the DNA of the community, and I think you do see that in all of the civic engagement as well. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. It's really impressive. Irma? Okay. 7:01 So y- just why is it my town? Is that... Well, yeah, what, what... 7:05 [laughs] Yeah, what- Well, I think everyone has, uh, so far has, you know, expressed what I would as well, but I feel like w- when you are downtown as a pedestrian area, I really like the cul-de-sac feeling of this town where you, um, and the concentration right in the downtown of all that you need, as you were mentioning, the market, the m- theater, uh, live music, art, it's all here, uh, the Throckmorton Theater as well. 7:32 So I feel so privileged being able to just walk out my door, 'cause I'm close like you are, and get to know all of you and be able to say hi on the street because it's slowed down enough in this cul-de-sac area where we can stop and say hi to our neighbors and get to know the people at the market and have conversations with them. 7:53 So that small town feeling really appeals to me, um, that I feel like, "Yeah, this is my town." Yeah. You know, um, uh, and I, I recognize people and they recognize me, and we c- can have real conversations. 8:06 And the Depot is, um, because, you know, Paul has really turned that into a, a hub down there for that to happen because you can socialize, the kids can run about, and you can have good food. 8:18 So that's really kind of ep- epitomized, I think, that feeling of w- we're all in the hood, you know, all in the neighborhood, and we know each other. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So that's for me. Raven, how about you? This is... 8:28 Okay, it's on. [laughs] Yeah, it's quiet. Yeah, it is. It feels quiet up here. Um, I would say, I would second what everybody else has shared. We're a very, like, service-oriented community. 8:41 I think that growing up in Mill Valley, it, there was always a feeling of being part of this, like, bigger history- Mm-hmm... here, um, of really amazing people. 8:53 Um, I feel like I remember as a young kid being told that Bolinas was formed out of Berkeley hippies who wanted to, like, be closer to the beach. [laughs] Um, and feeling similarly about Mill Valley, that we were this 9:11 kind of oasis outside of San Francisco for people that wanted to be outside of the city, which still to this day we see, like, lots of families moving from SF to Mill Valley, um, in large part because of the schools and the sense of community and the nature. 9:26 Um, and I think that that, yeah, feeling like you're a part of a community that has a history, um, is what makes Mill Valley feel like it's mine. Yeah. Yeah. 9:39 A lot of people say that sense of history is important, a sen- part of what makes Mill Valley special. Um, okay. So Tim, your hearts. 9:49 Um, someone gave me a heart, uh, one of your hearts when my husband died, and it was a big deal for me. 9:54 It was a very m- it was a really special moment when this friend of mine showed up at my front door with this enormous metal heart, which now hangs right outside my front door. 10:04 So, um, c- let's talk a little bit about, about the hearts and, um, how they, w- how they, 10:12 th- they sprung out of the COVID era, and what did that do, if it did create a sense of community or connection for people? So, uh, Share Your Hearts MV, uh, is the 10:28 tagline on f- Instagram and Facebook. It, it... COVID happened, right? And I'm an artist. 10:35 Uh, I make theater sets, was what I was doing at the time for my art, and theater stopped, and where I was working from home and I didn't know what I was gonna do. 10:44 I, I, I, I remembered I had made one heart, uh, out of a barrel, wine barrel ring, and I had eight rings for a future project. So I went out in my garage, and I, my shop, and I made them, and it took me about 40 minutes. 10:57 I didn't know how to make them. 10:58 I was doing individual bends, and I thought, "I'm just gonna leave these in front of my house with a sign," and the sign says, "Please take one and share your heart with somebody who's struggling," right? 11:09 And a week later, they're all gone. Mm-hmm. And I came home and there was a woman waiting in my driveway. [laughs] And she said, "You know, did you put the hearts out?" And we had masks on, right? Six feet away. 11:19 And I said, "Yes." She goes, "You know, I, I wanna let you know I didn't give mine away. My dog died that morning." Mm-hmm. Right? I'm like, "Well, I gotta do more," right? 11:29 So then I went to Urban Ore, and I bought 14, and I came back, and I handed them out, and one went to a teacher at Edna Maguire, and the principal at the middle school, Ana Lazarini said, "I found 26 rings by the side of the road. 11:42 Do you want them?" She brought them over. I'm now at 50. [laughs] And, and I'm, and I'm just, I'm handing them to people I know. I'm anonymously handing them, ling- hanging them on doors. 11:51 [clears throat] And I thought, this woman, uh, Corey Stevenson said to me, "We gotta ramp this up. Like, dude, we can't just do one at a time. We gotta f- we gotta ramp this up." 12:01 So I found a guy in the East Bay who makes wine barrel furniture and sells rings. So I went over and I bought 100 rings, and I came back, and while I was there, I saw he sold hearts, and I said, "How do you make those?" 12:15 Like, I- H- he says, "If it takes me more than 20 seconds, it's a waste of my time." And he showed me the jig, and I'm like, "I am a factory." Like, I went home, I made 60 that night. [laughs] I was so excited. 12:25 [clears throat] Then I bought 200 more. And then I thought, "I'm gonna invite people to help. I'm gonna make a label for them." You know, so I had, I had... 12:34 I just, on Nextdoor, which is the weirdest, strangest planet on the- [laughs]... right? It's like, I'm gonna put my foot in and hope you don't bite it off. 12:44 [laughs] And, and, and, and people I didn't know came, and they helped. And we were bending hearts, and I was showing them how. And then it was 200 more, and then it was 200 more. 12:54 And then I took piles and I left them in San Anselmo with a sign, "Take one." I put them in front of Taco Joe's. I put them in front of Larry's store. Mm-hmm. I'm now at 2,030, right? 13:05 And there's two stories I love about the hearts, and then I'll stop. But I took a handful into the city mid-COVID. I'm fully masked, and you know the mural alley between 17th and 18th and Mission and Valencia? 13:19 I forget the name of it off the top of my head. Anybody remember? Balmy. Balmy. And I set them up, and I put a sign that said, uh, you know, "Please take a heart and share it with somebody who's struggling." 13:32 And I hear a loud noise scraping, and I look over and it's cur- a person without a home dragging a garbage bag, and they sit down behind me. And I thought, "I'm fully masked. I don't wanna have a conversation. 13:44 I'm just gonna leave." I get to the end of the alley, I turn around, and I... They're rearranging my display, 'cause I clearly had done it wrong, right? [laughs] I got in my truck, and this, 13:56 you know, person who's sleeping on the streets and having some issues and eating out of garbage cans was carrying my hearts. I thought, "What do I do?" I said, "You know what? 14:05 I'm gonna circle around the block and I'll buy them back." I come around the block, he has two left. He's walking down the street. [laughs] He's handing them out. [laughs] Right? 14:14 I had a woman reach out and say, "I'm going to my kid's wedding. Can I get three hearts?" And I'm like, "Sure, come on by." I'm like, cool, I'll get a picture of a bride with a heart. This is really good. 14:25 Two weeks later, no picture. And I texted her, I'm like, "Well, how was the wedding? Hint, hint, give me a picture, lady." And she's like, [sighs] "My truck caught on fire. It burnt to the ground." 14:37 She sent me this camper shell on the side of the road, flamed out. "I lost the wedding dress, all the decorations, all the wine, all the food. The only thing that survived was the hearts." 14:47 [laughs] And they were on the beach, and that's what they used as their altar. Oh. Right? So they ended up in people without homes. They've ended up in the hands of Oscar winners, of elected officials, of recent widows. 15:01 Mm-hmm. Of people coming home from just tragedy, right? Uh, befalling them. You don't know the impact of sharing your heart. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Whenever anybody asks me f- for a heart, I make them take two. 15:14 One to keep, one to share. That's a great story. [clapping] Um, I'm gonna jump over to you, Raven. You left to go to college, and then you came back, and I'm wondering how that affected the way you see Mill Valley. 15:30 Um, did you bring a new perspective back to Mill Valley? But also, did you find yourself comparing other places to your home? And, uh, um, does it, uh, has all that affected how you see Mill Valley now? Yes. 15:43 [laughs] Okay. Um, a lot. We'll talk about that a little bit. I didn't go that far- Mm-hmm... I will say. I went to LA, so can't say I was out of California. 15:51 Um, that being said, I think that having time away from Mill Valley certainly helped me appreciate it a lot more. Mm-hmm. Um, I think that's a very common experience for kids that grow up here. 16:05 Um, it often feels a bit like a bubble, and I think that it's 16:10 super common to hear kids complaining about, you know, there's not enough to do, and, um, wishing that they were in a more active, like, city, like San Francisco or elsewhere. 16:21 Um, and then I think as soon as they leave, they realize how much there actually is to do here, if you just stop and look around. Mm-hmm. Um, and that was definitely my experience. 16:34 Also, just meeting people from other communities and, like, I spoke, when Franz, um, saw me at a city council meeting, I was talking about bringing friends from college back to Mill Valley, and how that was such a special experience to get to show them all the little spots we have. 16:52 Whether it's, like, the depot, or going out to Stinson Beach, or, um, you know, walking in Cascade. There are all these really special places. Mm-hmm. 17:00 And when you see it through the eyes of somebody who has never been here, it really kinda shows you- Yeah, yeah... like, how, how special, um, our community is. Yeah, I've been hearing that a lot lately. 17:12 I've been, uh, uh, Kathy, um, Kathy King the other day said this to me, and some friends that are traveling across the country said that they realize how lucky they are to be from Mill Valley, uh, because there's so much 17:25 that, like, you're proud of when you go out there and start thinking about it. And, uh, and also just how grateful you are for all the natural beauty and the arts and stuff. 17:35 And jumping to the arts, I'm gonna, I'm gonna jump ahead. Um, let's see. I wanted to... Okay. Mill Valley has a lot of, of, uh... 17:48 I'm gonna, I'm gonna throw this to you, Irma, 'cause Mill Valley has a lot of institutions, and, um, a lot of, a lot of organizations, institutions, art institutions, service institutions, and so on. 18:00 And, um, do you think that since you're, um, you're the head of, uh, you're the, uh, executive, um, at, um, uh, O'Hanlan, do you think that that speaks to the community, um, that people are building here? 18:14 And how important do you think the institutions are to make Mill Valley a strong community? Oh, thank you for that. Uh, but I do have to respond to your thing about the kids going away and coming back. 18:25 My son only went to Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz, and he came back, he said, "It smells so much better here." [laughs] He said, "No other place smells as good." I don't know if you notice the smell, but anyway. 18:38 [laughs] So yeah, I'm really, um, s- amazed by how many arts organizations and how active the arts are in Mill Valley. 18:46 You know, that's the thing about why I would say I never have to leave, uh, Mill Valley to, to get all, all my needs met because, you know, the Marin Theatre Company being a world-class theater, um- Mm-hmm... 18:57 the musical theater that we have, uh, at Throckmorton Theatre is just stunning. The Mill Valley Library, I see the Mill Valley Library represented here. The amount of, uh- Yeah... 19:08 author talks and, um, programming that they do is exceptional. 19:12 Of course, lots to do with the donations of the Library Foundation being able to support such high-class and, and amazing, uh, talent that comes in there, the storytelling. 19:24 So, um, and then, you know, we have art galleries around. Uh, Ohanlon is a nonprofit in, up Cascade at 616. We're a nonprofit. We have classes. 19:34 Uh, but it's not a commercial gallery, which is one of the special things about it because we have commercial galleries downtown, but in our gallery, everyone can submit something to a show. 19:45 You may not get in, but you can submit. Uh, no, uh, we have... So it's, it's a wonderful place for exposure for new artists to be seen. Yeah. And, um, so we have, uh, literary, uh, uh, theater, all of it right here. 20:01 So I think it, in addition to the natural environment and the great restaurants, and the arts are really an attraction I would think. Mm-hmm. And, uh, it's why I'm here and why I don't ever have to leave. Yeah. 20:15 Um, but, um, we have the whole package and- Do you think that though all of that builds community, having those institutions, particularly the arts now since we're talking about that? Do you think it builds community? 20:28 Yeah, I think it's... We have the first Tuesday Art Walk, which is another thing that the Arts Commission does. So that's certainly building community because everybody comes out. 20:36 They all go to the different locations, get to see people and, uh, artists that they love, that it, it's a community gathering. 20:45 Um, one thing that we also do is have art talks where people could come and listen to artists speak, and other people can give questions directly to them. So the arts do build community that way. And, um, 20:59 and it's, it's engaging, yeah, certainly. Um, I'm trying to think, 'cause it's all arts. It's not just the visual arts that are here. Mm-hmm. Music, 21:08 I mean, you got Sweetwater right here, which world-class music coming here as well, and it's, yeah, we're really blessed. Mill Valley, that's my home. Yeah [laughs]. Anyway, yeah. Yeah, yeah. 21:20 I'm, I'm gonna jump over to you here now, Viri, and ask you, like, um, why did you choose Mill Valley, and what, what made you decide about Mill Valley, and what's keeping you here? Well [laughs] 21:37 Dramatic pause. [laughs] Um, well, I'm from Northern California. I'm from outside of Davis. Mm-hmm. Uh, my husband is actually from San Rafael, and we lived in San Francisco for many years. 21:49 He refused to contemplate moving to Marin- Mm... because it felt like failure. [laughs] To move towards home was really- Oh, no... he was, he was really dug in on that. 22:01 Um, no, but, but, uh, I'm only kind of joking that's really how he felt. Uh, I grew up in nature. Mm-hmm. I grew up on a farm. And I, I mean, San Francisco was cold and urban for me. Mm-hmm. 22:17 And so I really, you know, was, had long sought a place like Mill Valley where you could be much closer to nature, be warmer- Mm-hmm... have great schools, all of the things we've already discussed. 22:31 Um, you know, and I will say we had several friends that already lived here, but I... 22:38 You know, I think when you don't live here, you actually don't appreciate the richness of all of the things we have just been discussing. 22:45 And, you know, I cared a lot about if we were gonna leave the city, moving someplace that was walkable. 22:52 Um, and I commute to San Francisco every day, so I also wanted a place where I could not get in my car on the weekends. And, you know, I would say if you constrain that way, Mill Valley is kind of it. Mm-hmm. 23:06 I mean, there's not a lot of other choices, not that it's not a great choice. But, like, if you are really- Mm-hmm... you know, if you're prescriptive about those things- Mm-hmm... Mill Valley is the only place- Mm... 23:17 that is like that, you know? And so we were very fortunate when, you know, not that many houses come on the market that are within walking distance of downtown. Um, so no, I think, you know, 23:29 aside from our very low rate, 30-year fixed mortgage- [laughs]... we even, even setting that aside, we will never leave. Yeah. You know, that's, that's a g-... You brought up a good point. 23:42 Um, the physical, the f- the f- the, the ability to be physically in your town and moving around. 23:47 And, um, I wanted to talk a little bit about the, the importance of physical gathering places and especially because we lost them during COVID. I mean, even the outdoor spaces just didn't feel safe for a while, you know? 24:03 Everybody had masks, so there was an animinity, animinity, am I saying that right? Um, to it. And, uh, so I wanted to get... Maybe all of you could jump in a little bit on this. Like, 24:17 w- like, how valuable do you think having the physical space to gather in is? And do you feel like we lost some of that, um- And as a result of COVID, it hasn't come back yet? 24:30 Or do you feel the opposite, that people are embracing it, like, with gusto because they missed it? I can jump in with just an initial thought on that with one huge shout-out to whoever is making Miller Nights happen. 24:44 Mm-hmm. Because I, when we moved- Mm... there was still m- like, much more of an effort to have the streets closed- Mm-hmm... and people be able to be outside around the plaza. Mm-hmm. 24:55 And, you know, I r- I mean, obviously COVID was not magical, but, uh, you know, just h- having, like, even more open space around the Depot and in that area I thought was really wonderful. Mm-hmm. 25:10 So I am delighted by the push to attempt to bring that back- Yeah... even in a small way, because I do think that... 25:18 Yeah, I mean, I'm sure everyone here has been at the Depot on, like, those popular nights where it is just wall-to-wall. Whoo. I mean, which is very fun, kind of scary, just, like, it is a sea of people- Mm-hmm... 25:33 because everyone wants to come out and enjoy. And so I do think continuing to, like, push ourselves, and I think, you know, Sweetwater thinks about this too, like, to create more spaces that are- Mm-hmm... 25:44 both inclusive, but also, you know, have the space that everyone can come and be together and enjoy each other, and enjoy live music, and participate in all this. 25:52 Do you think we appreciate, um, do you think we appreciate it more because we lost it for a while? Absolutely. Yeah. For sure. Yeah. Um- Can I add something really quick? Yeah. 26:01 So I work with high school students in Marin, and I go to Tam High often, um, and work with students there. 26:07 And I will say that, like, a common sentiment among young people in Marin, and Mill Valley more specifically, is that they want more, like, youth-centered spaces to gather. Mm-hmm. I've heard this for a long time. 26:21 Um, yeah. I think that's been- Yeah... a common thing. Yeah. Um, and I totally appreciate that, and I hear them. And as someone who also i- is a young person, and was even younger [laughs] before- [laughs]... 26:34 um, in Mill Valley. That's how it works. [laughs] It happens. I know. It's so weird how that happens. 26:38 [laughs] Um, I, I was just thinking about the Depot as, when I was in middle school even, and how the Depot was this t- total hub for, like- Mm-hmm... middle school and high school students to hang out. 26:49 And even if some of us were getting into mischievous- Mm-hmm... troublesome things, we had this safe space to do that and to hang out. Mm-hmm. And that's so unusual. 27:01 I think there are so many people that grow up where they can't, like, walk around when it's dark out and feel- Yeah, yeah... 27:06 totally safe being a middle school student, and knowing that, like, people around you care about you, and you're in your community or in your home and you're safe. Yeah. And that is such a unique part. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 27:18 Can I add, I, I, wanna wonder if Old Mill Park is ever part... I mean, no one's mentioning that. I mean, I know th- when the kids were like, "It's called the dark park." 27:27 [laughs] But, um, you know, do people not hang out there? I mean, I, I don't feel any loss of space. Mm-hmm. Um, probably, again, if I could just put a plug for Ohanlon Center. Yeah. 27:36 Uh, it is on two and a half acres, and it is a sanctuary, and people are all invited to come up there and, and explore the grounds. 27:43 And it's like, during COVID, uh, that had a similar thing, because no one was coming and I had the place to myself. Mm. And it was magical, you know, in a way. But we do have these little enclaves of- Yeah... 27:54 natural spaces. Yeah. Okay. Okay, T- Tim, go ahead. Yeah. Well, um, how many of you guys went to the Founders Day, uh, parade and event? Did you go? We had a, we had a, we, we got some acknowledgement. Not, you did too. 28:07 We had, yeah, a pres- presence in the parade. I actually had live goats, uh, march- Live goats. Okay [laughs]... march. The neighborhood association asked me to make a float. Yeah. 28:16 And I called my friend who grew up there and I said, "What?" Uh, uh, you know, I have this, I'm, I have a brand now evidently, that I do community arts. [laughs] People need to make a piece. "What'll it be?" 28:26 And she said, "Goats." "Oh, okay." So greatest of all time, right? I live in Homestead Valley Community, and I had 75 people make goats, and then we actually had live goats march, and it was amazing. 28:39 I, I will say I missed, I love Larry's parade 'cause you can throw candy. [laughs] There's a whole scene, right? There's no more candy. Oh, shh. No more candy. Or handing candy. 28:49 What I know is we're handing candy with a toss. And, uh, it, it, uh, the, the joy of the parade, uh, it was ha- hampered because every kid was like, "Where's my candy?" as I went by. [laughs] Yeah. Yeah. 29:04 So did, so do you think that it helped build community, build back community? Do you think that it was a strengthening experience, the Founders Day? 100%. Yeah, I do. It was a complete build. So many people came out. 29:12 Yeah. So many people came out. Yeah. And, and you would think of mid, a midyear parade- The cake was amazing. Did you feel that they were hungry for it? 29:16 Like, it, after the COVID and everything, it's like they're hungry to get back together and celebrate as a community. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. 29:23 And I, you know, as, as s- as to spaces, there are so many meeting spaces here, Homestead Valley Community Center, Tam Valley Community Center, that, um, are flourish. Uh, Creekside Fridays. 29:34 Um, you know, there's a lot of places that... Mm. I have an event at my house, uh, once a month, April to September. Pre-COVID I was 53, 60 people. Post-COVID I was 25. Mm. 29:46 Last Saturday, Tucker was there, we had 50 people, right? Mm. So it's, it's growing back up again. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Um, so let me see here. Uh, Viri, I wanna ask you this. 29:59 Through the lens of your work, um, what looks strong here and what looks fragile? [laughs] That's a, I think, a controversial one, at least. Well, let's just dip our toe in. Yeah. 30:12 I mean- We don't have to go all the way in. I mean, I feel, you know, we are- Blessed to live in this magical place that is surrounded on one side by very high wildfire risk- Mm-hmm... 30:24 and on the other side by sea level rise. Okay, you got it right. 30:28 [laughs] Uh, so I do think that, uh, there are things we all need to think about as a, as a community, and there's people here who are working, you know, very hard on that from a entrepreneurial angle and, and from a civic angle as well. 30:46 Um, but I think, you know, the reality is, is a lot of the kind of best protection that we can all participate in- Mm-hmm... is actually really, like, community-level protection. Mm-hmm. 30:58 Um, you know, there's a lot of, there's a lot of work that has gone into this where, you know, home hardening against things- Mm-hmm... like this on a single home basis don't actually tend to do that much. [laughs] Okay. 31:10 It needs to be community-level efforts. Yeah. Um- Yeah, we learned that from, uh, Pacific Palisades. Yeah. Yep, yep, and so, you know, we're, 31:18 as a community, we're gonna need to invest in it, and frankly, you know, there's gonna be real trade-offs. Yeah. I think the, the trade-offs are important to acknowledge. Yeah. 31:29 Um, sometimes I, I wonder, I'm gonna throw this out to people that have lived in Mill Valley a long time particularly, if we're a victim of our myths a little bit. 31:38 Like, um, do we have mythology about Mill Valley, what it used to be like, that kind of has impacted the way we see it now, even though some of those things never really were here [laughs] in the first place. 31:53 Um, do you feel like that myths c- traditions and tales and, and stories about ourselves are important, but they can also hold us back sometimes, I think. 32:03 Does anybody have that feeling that our myths might be holding us back a little bit? I think I know a lot of people who wish it were like the good old days in a way. Mm-hmm. 32:12 But that's, uh, I, I was saying that, um, Tim and I represent the boomers up here, you know, but some people say it, it's, it's not like the old days, you know. But I, I, I have no complaints personally at all. 32:25 I mean, um, so I, but I, I think there's some, might be a couple people in the audience who might have something [laughs] to say about it. No? Um, [laughs] but you know, like, like the old Sweetwater or whatever it was. 32:38 Mm-hmm. You know, like that kind of thing. Um, things always constantly change and evolve, um, and it's never like it used to be anyway, so, um, but I do hear that from some old-timers. Um. Mm-hmm. 32:49 I find often, so I worked for the Mill Valley School District for seven years. I was the director of maintenance and operations, and, uh, Kurt Vonnegut said, "Nobody likes to build... Nobody... 32:59 Everyone wants to build new. Nobody wants to maintain." Right? And when people would arrive here at the school district, they felt history started the day they got here. 33:09 [laughs] And so they would should all over me, you know? "You know what you should do? You know what you should do?" It's like, "No, don't should me." So I, I find that there's this, the affordability, right? Mm-hmm. 33:22 We're never gonna get further from the centers of finance and monies. We just aren't. We're never gonna get uglier, uh, so we are going to attract people, uh, who can't afford the prices of homes that are here now. 33:35 So there's this history that it used to be this cheap place where you went to get away. It was where you took the, the ferry to get on the train to go to your hunting lodge- [laughs]... is what Mill Valley was, right? 33:48 Mm-hmm. Uh, Tam Valley, where I, where I owned a home, and wish I had never sold, right? So it, it, the affordability is a history piece that I think is holding us back as we think, "Oh, it should be like it was." 33:59 Well, it is never, it's not. Mm-hmm. And it's never going to be. Yeah. Right? Yeah. I mean, I, I, I, that was obviously gonna have to come up in this panel, like the, the affordability thing. Um, so, uh, the question is, 34:12 um, are the things that make Mills- Mill Valley special also the things that make it unaffordable for a lot of people, and are we, are we in danger of losing some of the things that make Mill Valley special because people can't afford to build? 34:28 What particular... I, I don't, I'm gonna, I'm gonna jump back to you again, Irma, because of your arts experience. Are we losing... 34:34 And, and, uh, of course, uh, I wanna talk to you too, Raven, about this because I wanna talk about young people not being able to afford to come back. So let's start with, uh, with, with are we losing 34:46 our artists because they can't afford to live here? And I mean, okay, so just jump in on that. 34:53 Well, I don't know the statistics on it, but, but definitely is not affordable for most people who are trying to make a living with their art. 35:00 So most of the artists that are here do other things as well, and they have to do other things as well to, to be here. 35:08 Um, and so I think it does shape the, um, the environment where, uh, if I can go back again to the, the, the good old days, as it were, and it was an artist enclave, as it was in Sausalito, where the artists could afford to live here, and they bought up all, or they lived in all the cold shacks that were just summer shacks. 35:28 Mm-hmm. And, uh, that's where they got established by being able to suffer through the cold winters without... 35:34 So, um, it started as an artist colony with a lot of pe- the artists that were here, and certainly it's not that any longer. Um, and, uh, I think affordability is, is definitely hampering- Mm-hmm... 35:47 our ability to keep at least artists that are starting out. Yeah. Yeah, that are not established. So Raven, I mean, um, you love it here, and I'm assuming that you don't own a home yet. Shockingly, no. 36:00 Yeah, so, um, does that, does that bother you? 36:02 Do, do you worry that, that when it, when you're finished with law school and you maybe wanna come back, are people your generation not gonna be able to return because they can't afford to? 36:13 Definitely, and I think there was, I, I don't know where this, where I read this, but I did come across a statistic that was something along the lines of, like, the vast majority of young people that grow up in Mill Valley will not be able to afford to move back here. 36:27 Mm-hmm. I think it's sad because this is a place that is really, like, close to my heart. Um, and I have so much appreciation for the childhood that I got to have growing up over in Tam Valley. 36:42 Um, and I would love to give that to my kids down the line. Um, I hope my mom never sells her house, and I'll just, like- [laughs]... move right in down the line. [laughs] But yeah. I mean, I think it is... 36:59 It's a hard reality for a lot of people to face, and I think it also contributes to a lot of the pressure that young people feel in growing up in Marin. 37:10 Because if they ever want to continue living the lifestyle that they have been offered by their parents or caregivers, they're gonna need to make a lot of money. Mm-hmm. 37:18 Um, and that feeds into a lot of the, the competitive, you know, going to the top colleges and becoming- Mm-hmm... high, working in high-paying industries. Um- Mm-hmm... so I think that feeds into some of that culture. 37:32 Yeah. And Viri, I've got a question for you around that, 'cause, um, uh, you know, a lot of, lo- there's a lot of talk about people like teachers not being able to afford to live here. Now, I have another question. 37:44 My question is, do they wanna live here? [laughs] I'm not sure if teachers actually wanna go to the grocery store [laughs] that their parent, that their children's parents are shopping in- [laughs]... 37:53 'cause they might get, you know, like, "Oh my God." But, uh, I wanna know if you've had any conversations with teachers about the feeling that, that... 38:02 'Cause, you know, w- back quite a long time ago, it was really common to have the police and teachers and stuff all living in the community, and that's just not happening anymore. 38:12 I wanna know if you talked to the teachers about it at all, and what do they say, and what's their attitude about it? Well, I can maybe... I have a couple of anecdotes on this. I have two kids. 38:24 One is in preschool and one is in kindergarten at Old Mill. Um, but for my preschooler, you know, the two teachers that, um, that teach his class, they commute from quite, like, shockingly far away. Mm-hmm. 38:42 Um, you know, both of them have an hour commute each way. Uh, and I, I will say, like, that kind of, you know, that was... 38:53 Well, I don't wanna say it was shocking to me, 'cause obviously it's not given all the things we've talked about. Mm-hmm. But it was, you know, I don't know, sl- I guess depressing. Mm-hmm. 39:03 Um, because I feel like we want, whether they want to be in the community or not [laughs] We want those people in our community. Yeah. 39:11 Um, and you know, and I think the affordability crisis in this country and in the microcosm that is Mill Valley is very real. Um, you know, I'd say 39:23 it's interesting, our next-door neighbor is, is just finishing a ADU project, and she's actually, um, like, interviewing tenants right now, and she really wants it to be a teacher or a first responder in the community and is, like, you know- Mm-hmm... 39:38 working hard to develop that, um, to find the right person. And, and, uh, y- I mean, the demand for- Mm-hmm... a new ADU- Mm-hmm... three blocks from downtown is, you know, like, absolutely insane. 39:56 So I guess what I would say is that tells me people absolutely wanna live here- They do... and they're, they're not embarrassed to rub elbows with their students, uh [laughs] and their patients- Tim, you were j-... 40:05 and things like that at Mill Valley Market. Yeah. But, but I would say, you know, I think we have a long way to go in terms- Yeah... of building housing here. Yeah. 40:12 Tim, you- So I can tell you, teachers 100% wanna live here. Okay. Um, I, I... [applause] Thank you. I found my ADU through HR at the Mill Valley School District 40:25 with my landlord, who only rents two school district employees at half the rate. Wow. Yeah. Um, my front home that is the main house has two teachers in it, and their three kids, and I'm in the back. 40:40 And my landlord was a school board member and likes the screening of teachers, 'cause they're all live scanned and th- you know, whatever. [laughs] So we're, we're not gonna be a problem, right? Yeah. 40:51 But it's unique, but I'm in a situation that I think can be replicated, that we have, uh, a landlord who has the ability to help subsidize. You know, I would not... I'm having a bloom. 41:05 I'm having a little bloom with my, with my art, and I'm getting some awards, abba dabba da. None of that happened without her- Mm-hmm... and him. None of that happened, so. 41:16 Well, we're getting close to the end, so I kind of, I think I'm gonna have to skip ahead a few cards here. Um, and say... Okay. W- uh, my question here now is for you, Raven. 41:31 What does, what does the version of Mill Valley your generation actually want to look like? Um, I mean, obviously I can't speak for my whole generation. [laughs] You can't? 41:44 Um [laughs] You mean you don't have them all on, like- Um. We used to say Speedo, but that's just, that make, that really dates me, doesn't it? [laughs] Oh my God, I can't believe I said that out loud. Okay. 41:56 [laughs] I, I think, I think that people, like the, the students I work with from Tam specifically want to see a Mill Valley that is more inclusive and more equitable, whether that's in the form of, like, affordability for housing or, like, the way that our social dynamics operate in Mill Valley. 42:19 Like, this is a super white community. We are right next door to Marin City, which is predominantly Black and brown people. Mm-hmm. Um, and when you go to Tam, like, you can feel that there, there are-... 42:34 class and race distinctions, and I think that people want to feel more connected to other people in their community. Mm-hmm. 42:43 And that requires a more equitable community where, like we've already talked about, people can actually afford to live here and exist in the spaces that we all frequent. 42:52 So I think that's something that they would really like to see. Um, and 42:59 I think also just a continuation of a lot of the great things that are already happening, and getting to see those things sustained, whether it's, like, the parades that we have or, like, the Nights on Miller or concerts at Sweetwater. 43:11 Like, seeing the things that are beautiful parts of Mill Valley- Mm-hmm... um, being able to continue on. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Um, so, uh, Viri, what does a resilient Mill Valley look like 20 years from now? 43:35 Oh, that's a tough one. I mean, I could say the middle school will be in a different spot, but that's controversial. [laughs] Uh-oh. Um, I won't, I won't say that. I won't say that. Third rail. [laughs] Yeah, exactly. 43:44 I won't say that. Um, just to liven things up a little bit. Um, 43:49 you know, I, I, I mean, listen, I do suspect that we, uh, ad- and this won't be in 20 years, this'll be in the next few years, you know, I mean, we will do, like, w- way more thinning on Tam and things like that. 44:04 I do think kind of the landscape around here may change a little bit- Mm-hmm... um, uh, to protect people's homes. 44:11 I also very much hope that we will build more housing in the areas that it makes sense to do, not right on the water. Um, you know, so I hope that we find a way to essentially, um, cluster 44:27 more density in places where it makes sense- Mm-hmm... while also, uh, creating more buffer zones [laughs] between us and- Yeah... 44:35 [laughs] and some of the physical risks, so that we can preserve the heart of this community, um, and the way we all want to see kind of the good things maintained, and hopefully improve some of the areas where we do need to get better. 44:47 Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Well, we're, we're almost out of time, so here's my last question, if you guys can jump in with something really short. Um, 10 years from now, what would make you say that Mill Valley got it right? 45:01 So whoever hasn't spoken most recently. Emma? I, I wanna back up what she was saying about equabi- uh, uh, being equitable and having a little bit more color in our town- Mm-hmm... 45:12 would be really, w- we would have been made it, right? And that's gonna be an economic thing, and, uh, and, and an invitation in making people feel welcome and included here. 45:22 Um, it can only make us stronger and a better place. So, um, I, that would make me feel really good. We have to build the unsexy. Mm. The infrastructure. Mm-hmm. 45:32 We have water pipes that were installed by steam engines and mules, and those things were investments at the time. 45:41 We have got to invest in the ugly, the underground that you don't see, the new electrical distribution you don't see, the new gas you don't see. But if we don't do that, folks, it's gonna, it's gonna bite us in the butt. 45:56 I like that answer. [laughs] The, the not sexy stuff is the important stuff that nobody wa- it's not a gl- it's not glorious, and nobody wants to do not glorious, but it's important. 46:06 And so anyone else wanna jump in with any last thoughts about Mill Valley that you wanna share? What, what would... If Mill Valley was a model for other communities, what would you point to? 46:20 This is, this is what Mill Valley is doing right, and this is what I'd like to see other towns model. Right now, or 10 years? Well, let's say, let's say right now. Let's end on a positive note. Okay. 46:29 Let's talk about what we're doing right now right. Okay, let's th- a couple of you guys throw in with that. I mean, listen, I think everything we've talked about tonight, I think the arts in the community, we're... 46:42 To me, I feel like we're crushing it on that. Um, so I love that. I do also think the, you know, e- embrace of nature here, we... 46:53 I mean, I, I don't know anyone who lives in Mill Valley that's not out enjoying it, and I think those things- Mm-hmm... um, you know, we're really, uh, we're, we're at the tippy top on. Mm-hmm. Anyone else wanna jump in? 47:07 Yes. We have PASS, which is, uh, an organization that brings sports to kids that learn differently and have dev- developmental delays. We need more of that. 47:16 We, uh, their, their motto is live in kindness, and I gotta say that that idiot that cuts you off in traffic- [laughs]... maybe they're rushing to get the cancer medicine for their spouse at home. Mm. Right? 47:29 If we can just live in kindness, if we can live in acceptance and kindness, this whole pl- uh, people will stop driving like idiots, right? [laughs] Because we, we, they're in... We're not in their hurry, right? Mm-hmm. 47:42 But we also don't need to be their obstructions. Yeah. Yeah. Any last thoughts? Well, I was just thinking about that pedestrian thing I was talking about before, the b- bike. Miller Avenue's great for bikes now. 47:53 We could, I, I'm not supposed to talk about what we could improve, but bike ability and, and people, um, maybe even having no cars downtown for every once in a while. Yeah. Yeah. Does anyone got a second on that? Yeah. 48:04 [laughs] Yeah. Um, because, you know, like, they, they do that in the city in, in Golden Gate parking areas. Yeah. They block it out and the cars can't be there. 48:10 So, uh, we do a little bit of that, I mean, as far as we, um... Just don't build more parking spo- places- Mm-hmm... and then, and less cars. Okay. 48:18 Well, uh, I think we're, we're actually gonna run over, so I'm gonna, I'm gonna wrap it up there, and I think we got some questions, so. Oh, no. Yes, hi. We have, we have some questions. 48:28 Um, and I'm gonna read them out more as, as comments 'cause I think that's mostly what they are. But, [clears throat] first of all, we have Charlie Wilmeth, who I, I met the other day. 48:36 He points out, um, the Community Housing Foundation and the various city partnerships that, that help subsidize affordable workforce housing. 48:45 So Charlie, please feel free to chat to people after- afterwards about, about this. Um, Vicky, uh, who also had coffee... Pretty much most of you guys have had coffee with me at some point. 48:55 Uh, she says, "I love that you sang the part, uh, of the Mill Valley song, Irma." [laughs] Um, and of course, maybe we should all sing it together at the very end. Yeah. I mean, how many places have their own song? 49:04 I have my, I have my four-year-old singing, "That's my home." 49:08 Um, anyway, she says, "Of course, the woman who wrote and performed the song, Rita Abram, had to move from Mill Valley because as a creative she could no longer afford to live here." 49:17 You know, and, and I think Vicky points out, you know, we need to celebrate the arts in our town without creating... How can we do that without creating the spaces that they can afford to, to live in? 49:27 So Vicky, I'll just leave that in the room 'cause I think we've talked about this. Then, uh, Bonnie Powers is here, uh, owner of The Poet and the Bench store just up the road. 49:35 Um, and she says, "You know, we as business owners, we help create this unique character of the village. 49:40 How can we amplify these voices so we can bring more people from other places into town for engagement and cultural and creative placemaking?" And we'll end it on, um, council member Steven Burke's question for Tim. 49:53 Tim, did you have a hand in the Hooters banner in the front of the Whole Foods on Miller Avenue? [laughs] What's up, buddy? Uh, I, I can neither confirm or deny. 50:05 [laughs] But anyway, uh, thank you so much, um- Thank you, everyone... to the panel. Thank you so much. This was great. [clapping] And thank you, Joyce, for moderating this great discussion. Yay. 50:23 [clapping] [outro music] That was the panel discussion recorded live at Sweetwater Music Hall the night we launched The Briefing. 50:31 The theme music for Voices of the Valley was composed by Jaime Morales and recorded at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music under the guidance of Mill Valley native Matt Levine. 50:43 If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review on your favorite podcast app. It's a small thing, but it helps your neighbors find this show. 50:52 And if you want the reporting behind the conversation, subscribe to the Mill Valley Briefing Newsletter for free at millvalleybriefing.com. I'm Franz Strasser-Galvis. Thanks for listening. 51:06 [outro music]
