Volunteering at WildCare is a rewarding experience

In Marin, nature is part of our identity. We are a county of mountain bikers, surfers and hikers. We have a long tradition of conservation and care deeply about preserving open space. What makes Marin special, however, isn’t that it is undeveloped. True beauty comes from the fact that it is wild — home to elk, giant salamanders and elephant seals. We need to protect Marin’s wildlife just as fiercely as the open space they inhabit.

A great way to start is by volunteering with a wildlife rescue organization. Working directly with animals gives a concrete sense of making a difference. It’s not choosing a reusable straw to save a hypothetical sea turtle; it’s making a meal for the injured otter in the next room. Animal welfare becomes personal.

I elected to volunteer my time at WildCare’s wildlife hospital in San Rafael. My shifts are the highlight of my week. Not only do I go home knowing I made a difference, I get to enjoy the intimate beauty of wildlife up close.

I’ve seen how light shines through a warbler’s near-translucent flight feathers, peered into the canny eyes of a great horned owl and watched a badger sniff dog-like at its cage.

Volunteering at WildCare also introduced me to incredible people.

The staff is knowledgeable, passionate and always willing to answer questions. My fellow volunteers are an eclectic, friendly crew who show up every week because they care.

I encourage everyone in Marin to spend at least one “Baby Season” volunteering at WildCare. It will change your relationship with nature, strengthen ties to your community and deepen your love for the remarkable place we call home.

— Lindsey Allen, Novato

Costly Alto Tunnel proposal provides too small a benefit

I am writing in response to IJ political columnist Dick Spotswood’s commentary published Feb. 25 with the headline “Cost analysis of cyclist proposals must pencil out.” His thoughts regarding the proposal to reopen Alto Tunnel for cyclists and pedestrians is spot on. It is time to stop wasting public funds on endless studies for a project that appears to defy economic and environmental logic.

I consider it fundamentally bogus to argue that competitive federal, state and regional grants are “free money” that we must “use or lose.” These are our state and federal tax dollars. The real question is how to spend them for the greatest public benefit.

By my calculations, the estimate of those who say reopening the tunnel could cost $100 million is realistic. Consider the scale: Caltrans approved $20 million for everything associated with the bike path on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. That was open-air, roadside construction. The Alto Tunnel is over 2,000 feet of subterranean reconstruction directly beneath private homes. Considering that, I think $100 million is a floor, not a ceiling.

Furthermore, the environmental clean-up will be substantial. The tunnel was blasted through the Franciscan Complex geological layer. It is known for naturally occurring asbestos, mercury and heavy metals. Combined with a century of railroad industrial waste (including creosote, oil and soot), I expect the mitigation costs will be significant.

If we truly care about the climate, we must look at the opportunity cost. That same $100 million could fund a utility-scale solar plant capable of powering 15,000 Marin homes. Over 30 years, such a plant would save over 4 million tons of carbon emissions. The tunnel, by comparison, would save a few tens of thousands.

If our goal is a greener Marin, let’s invest wisely and provide substantial benefits to all of Marin, not to a few bicycle enthusiasts.

— Roy Fray, Corte Madera

Stop asking schools to get by with less every year

When is enough enough? California and Marin schools appear to be being defunded, ignored and left with less each year. I have to wonder how we got here, even though our children’s education is one of the most important times in a child’s life. And yet, here we are with annual cutbacks leaving school funding bordering on abuse, and no permanent solutions are in sight.

Here in Marin, schools have high standards of education. Yet, each year schools survive with less and less. We need to somehow reverse this trend and find solutions to fund and invest in our children’s future — and not accept another year of unacceptable cutbacks.

— Sandra Macleod White, San Rafael

Doctor cheers Corte Madera push to restrict tobacco sales

I applaud Corte Madera Town Council members for exploring a pathway to end tobacco product sales permanently in their town (“Corte Madera explores tighter tobacco restrictions,” March 5). Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in America, with an economic toll estimated by University of California at San Francisco researchers at $550 per resident across Marin County in 2009.

I had the good fortune to work with Corte Madera resident Doug McConnell for over a decade to improve cardiovascular health through tobacco control advocacy. Mr. McConnell died in January. I last saw him in October, just hours before the Tiburon council voted to end tobacco product sales permanently.

Mr. McConnell was delighted to hear of this major advance forward in tobacco control, and expressed his hope to speak in support of a similar effort in Corte Madera. He is missed, but his aspirational goal can still be achieved.

Preliminary data after Beverly Hills ended tobacco product sales reveals that the smoking prevalence fell nearly 50% from around 6% in 2019 to 2.9% in 2023. I believe that a Corte Madera direction to town staff to adopt the strongest possible ordinance and end the sale of all tobacco and nicotine products would enshrine the city as a leader across both Marin County and the entire nation to curb tobacco’s deadly toll.

— Dr. John Maa, San Francisco

Commentary on e-bike safety for kids hit the mark

I feel compelled to write a note of appreciation for the Marin Voice commentary by Mark Phillips published March 12 with the headline “Learning rules about e-bikes is important for parents.”

His plea that parents need to know the laws around electric-assist bicycles and e-motorcyles can’t come at a more crucial time here, given the proliferation of near-silent, fast-moving class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes.

Like Phillips, I too had a disturbing and concerning experience near Center Boulevard in San Anselmo.

Some months ago, while turning onto Madrone Avenue off of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, I found myself suddenly surrounded by a group of several young teenagers on e-bikes who began circling my moving vehicle while laughing, shouting and banging on my doors and windows.

Fortunately, I did not panic. I did not try to speed away or slam my brakes, any of which could certainly have caused injuries. Then, when the joke was apparently over, the boys dispersed and quickly sped away.

But dangerous road games are no joke, and parents need to accept responsibility, educate their kids on the rules of the road and enforce the need for safety and respect for others.

— Noel Robertson, Fairfax

We need better candidates to run for president in future

I had to chuckle when I read the recent letter from Stewart Johnson, who wrote that he could not understand how a majority of U.S. voters could have been convinced to support President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.

I think he has it wrong. It appears to me that a majority did not believe in then-Vice President Kamala Harris, his opponent.

In my view, Harris was unable to articulate her positions and had difficulty answering the easiest of questions.

Going into future elections, I would hope each party could nominate competent candidates that we would feel comfortable to represent us at home and on the world stage.

I think the Republican Party has a stable of qualified candidates, however I am not convinced Democrats have yet found people that would represent us well going forward.

Democrats need to work hard over the next two years to move away from the fringe elements and give us solid people that appeal to the moderate middle class.

I would hate to see the next election won by the person people dislike the least. Let us find two winners that make us proud no matter which way the election goes.

— Mike Allen, San Rafael