Juneteenth

This past Thursday, our national leaders aligned to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. This historic step represents a new vision of American inclusivity.

It also reflects a new ownership of our collective American History.

Juneteenth is a commemoration of the date (June 19th 1865) that Major General
Gordon Granger delivered, General Order Number 3 in Galveston, Texas, stating that all
enslaved people were free. This was more than two-and-a-half years after President
Lincoln’s issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.

General Order No. 3 states:
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the
Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”
-National Archives News

The celebration of that day became known as Juneteenth in Galveston and other Texas
towns where Black Americans celebrated with parades, pageants, music, prayer and
barbecues.

The post-emancipation period known as Reconstruction (1865-1877) marked an era of
great hope, uncertainty, and struggle for the nation as a whole. Formerly enslaved people sought to find family members that had been sold away, established schools, ran for political office and pushed new legislation. Given the 200+ years of enslavement, such changes were nothing short of amazing. Not even a generation out of slavery, Black Americans were inspired and empowered to transform their lives and their country. Those opportunities would not last, as northern troops moved out of the South and gave rise to the Jim Crow Era and then the Civil Right’s Movement and where we are now as a country and community, growing in awareness, acceptance and honoring diversity.

Juneteenth is a day to recognize the lived experiences of African Americans, It's also a
day for inspiration of what African Americans have contributed to our nation. What we
celebrate as a country, reflects our national values. As we commemorate this now federal holiday, with it we can deepen our understanding of our history, inequities and create a new vision of hope moving forward together.

The above article was written by Tiffany McElroy, Chair of the San Anselmo Racial Equity Ad Hoc Committee.

What's on the June 22nd Town Council meeting agenda?

At their meeting on Tuesday, the Town Council will consider the following items:

As Normalcy Returns, So Should Health Routines

Deferred your own care? It’s time to book check-ups skipped during COVID-19

As Marin County readjusts with the rest of California, local health care providers are encouraging residents to catch up on any health care that had been deferred over the past year due the COVID-19 pandemic.

While sheltering in place was necessary for much of 2020 to curb the virus’ spread, 41% of nationwide respondents chose to forgo medical care during the pandemic, according to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Civic Life and Public Health Survey. Americans skipped mammograms, colonoscopies, blood pressure checks, cholesterol checks, dental work, prescription medication refills, and other routine health care. In addition, respondents put off mental health care, elective surgeries, and attention to new severe health issues.

“As our economy reopens, there is no sector more important to re-engage than health care,” said Dr. Susan Cumming, Medical Director of Quality at MarinHealth Medical Center. “While the pandemic prompted many health care providers to increase telehealth or virtual health care, there is often no substitute for face-to-face visits.”

A major reason for deferred care was concerns about COVID-19 spread, especially for procedures that take place in a hospital setting. With decreasing coronavirus case rates and growing vaccination rates across the Bay Area, doctors are eager to quash remaining concerns about contracting infection within medical settings.

“This is a matter of public health — we’re concerned about an increase in non-COVID related diseases following the pandemic,” said Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County’s Public Health Officer. “There’s a lot of pent-up demand for routine care for common conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and depression.”

Medical and dental offices have employed rigorous COVID-19 safety protocols during the pandemic. High vaccination rates among Marin’s health care providers adds another layer of security. Health care workers were among the first to be offered vaccine when it became available in December 2020.

One of the most crucial areas for care is mental health services. Local providers, including MarinHealth, Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, and Marin Community Clinics, are seeing an increase of patients with issues related to mental health concerns or substance use disorders. Overall anxiety, depression, and suicidality rates have increased. Others are coping with transitioning back to the workplace after remaining mostly at home for the past 15 months.

“Emotional and physical wellness are both extremely important and go hand in hand,” said Pat Kendall, Medical Group Administrator for Kaiser Permanente. “A mental health inquiry should not be put off. Please take the first step and talk to your health care provider or local medical office to help you connect with local options for mental health care.”

Recycling Is a Trip! Fun Video for All Ages

Have you ever wondered what happens with all the bottles, cans and paper in the recycling cart? Why trash in recycling is a problem? Or what's even better than recycling? Meet Dave the Recycling Fairy, the star of Zero Waste Marin's latest videos for young people and their families. Packed with whoa-worthy facts and cool animation, the four-minute clips will soon bring some zero waste magic to our schools. Check them out at https://zerowastemarin.org/schools/school-resources.

Drought Is Here: Marin Water Talks Conservation

Wednesday, June 23 at 1pm on Zoom

Drought is here and it is time to conserve water now. 2020 was the second-driest year in 90 years. In response to our low water supply, Marin Water's board of directors has adopted a resolution declaring initial drought water conservation actions. Conservation is one of our most important tools in preserving our water supply. Marin Water will discuss Marin County's drought situation and how the community can stay informed and make a difference.

Interested in attending? Email sleyland@townofsananselmo.org to register and get the Zoom link.

At the end of 2019, many San Anselmo residents 55 years and older received a Survey for Developing an Age-Friendly Community. The Age-Friendly committee presented these results to the Parks and Recreation Commission and to the Town Council and had planned to release the results in March of 2020. With the pandemic’s arrival we moved into mutual aid and community support programming with the generous help of residents, town leaders and local organizations including Cedars and Good Fairy.

Before we share the 2019 survey results, we want to engage more community members in discussions!

Can you help us to know how the pandemic may have changed your own priorities and concerns?  Please answer our short 3 question survey using this link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AgeFriendlySanAnselmo
Paper surveys will also be available at the library, town hall and the parks and recreation building for those who don't use computers or smartphones. 

Art on the Avenue

The San Anselmo Arts Commission is proud to be sponsoring the art exhibit at 538 San Anselmo Avenue. This month features the work of artist Martha Cederstrom and will run through the month of June.   

For more information about the Arts Commission please visit. http://sananselmoarts.org. 

Town Seeking Members to Join the Capital Programs Monitoring Committee

Capital Program Monitoring Committee – The purpose of the committee is to monitor the implementation of the Town’s capital improvement program, funded by the voter-approved Measure D one-half cent sales tax funds, as well as grant funding, Road Maintenance Fund monies, and General Fund monies. The committee’s charge is to issue an annual public report summarizing the progress of capital improvement projects funded by Measure D, as well as capital improvement projects funded by other sources of Town funding. The committee consists of seven members, representing a wide variety of the community, with a range of skills, knowledge and experience in the following areas:
 
•          Finance (preferably public finance)
•          Engineering and/or construction
•          Public relations and communication
•          Familiarity with various aspects of the San Anselmo Community
 
Two Councilmembers and two designated Town staff liaisons will serve in an advisory capacity only.  The Committee will meet as needed to review projects. There are four seats available.

 To apply, click here.

Drive Clean Bay Area Car Show
June 19, 2-5 PM

There is an Electric Vehicle (EV) car show scheduled for Saturday, June 19, 2–5pm at Bon Air Center.  This free public event is being sponsored by the non-profit Drive Clean Bay Area. Owners will be there to show their EVs and answer questions about making the switch to electric. It's a hassle free way to see the latest models and learn about this exciting transition to zero emission vehicles and superior driving 

Fire-Smart Landscaping

  
Here’s a UC Marin Master Gardener fire-smart landscaping tip for June.
 
It’s time to clean-up and spruce up.  By eliminating or moving combustible items surrounding your home, you can take the first step towards making your landscape fire-smart.  Grab a bucket, a broom and a hand pruner and start these easy-to-do maintenance tasks today:

• Clean-up areas where wind eddies deposit leaf and plant litter along the perimeter of your home. 
• Clear dead debris from flower beds close to the home.
• Rake up wood mulch within 5 feet of the home and move it to another location in your garden.
• Trim dead, damaged and diseased branches and dispose of the material in your green waste bin.
• Move common combustible fire hazards away from the area immediately surrounding your home including brooms, rakes, plastic waste bins, wood furniture, furniture cushions, wood piles, and natural fiber door mats. Move these items as far away from your house as possible – or indoors if a nearby wildfire threatens.

For more information on fire-smart landscaping, visit us at http://marinmg.ucanr.edu/BASICS/FIRESMARTLANDSCAPING/

Help Keep the Flower Baskets In Downtown San Anselmo

Donations are being accepted to help fund this annual community effort

The San Anselmo Beautification Committee has launched its 2021 fundraising campaign to raise funds for the annual hanging flower basket program in the downtown.

There are two ways you can contribute:

1. Donate by visiting the program's GO FUND ME PAGE, or

2.  Mail a check to:

San Anselmo Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 2844, San Anselmo, CA 94979
(please mark check for “baskets”)

BASKETS ARE BEING WATERED WITH WELL WATER!

For more information about the project, contact Nancy Altman at nnaltman@me.com