F R A N K L Y S P E A K I N GA N E W S L E T T E R F O R A N D B Y M A R I N C O U N T Y E M P L O Y E E S

F I R S T Q U A R T E R 2 0 0 8V O L U M E 1 3 • N U M B E R 1

You’ve heard the Beatles sing aboutthe Taxman: “There’s one for you,nineteen for me…if you get too cold,I’ll tax the heat…if you take a walk, I’lltax your feet….” ■ The staff of theAssessor-Recorder’s office is changingthe gloomy image of this governmentdivision, one interaction at a time. Doyou want someone to explain how tofind your property on a parcel map?View a record of survey? Find out

when your grandmother was born inMarin County? See the original deedfor the property you want to buy?Just ask the Recorder’s office. Do youwant to get a list of names and mail-ing addresses of all property ownerswithin a half mile of your house? Givethe Assessor’s office a call. The staffis cross-trained to minimize referringclients to other departments or otherareas within the department. ■

Automated External Defibrillator, betterknown as an AED. The AED contains abattery-powered device that is used torestore a person’s heartbeat after asevere heart attack. ■ If an unfortu-nate event arises and you need toemploy the AED, HAVE NO FEAR. Justopen up the packet and press the ONbutton. The next thing you hear will bea voice that will walk you through thelifesaving exercise. Remain calm andfollow the step-by-step spoken instruc-tions. You may save a life. ■ Theidea to make AEDs readily availableon county property was promoted bycounty Supervisor Susan Adams, aformer nurse. “It had to be the nurse inme, but after I had been in office for afew weeks I realized that there was a

A True LifesaverBy Rick Fraites—BOS

About a month ago a 66-year-oldprospective jury member suddenly col-lapsed in the jury orientation room froma suspected cardiac arrest. Through theuse of cardiopulmonary resuscitationand the application of an AutomatedExternal Defibrillator, the stricken indi-vidual survived. ■ Where would youfind an Automated External Defibrillatorin such an emergency? ■ Countyemergency officials have placed 26units at prominent locations throughoutthe county’s campuses. They are thesmall metal boxes with a glass windowthat are affixed to the walls of the hall-ways. Inside each metal box sits a life-saving apparatus. The box holds an

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Continued on page 11

Outside firms

often solicit fees for

providing services

that taxpayers can

get for free by

calling or visiting

the Assessor-

Recorder’s office.

Have no fear.

Just open up the

packet and press

the ON button…a

voice will walk you

through…

Continued on page 11Supervisor Susan Adams displays the life-saving device.

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Changing…One Interaction at a Time By Connie Siebler and Mike Kelleher—Assessor’s Office

Janet Neal John Rader Mike InfanteNatalie Russell

Joan Thayer, Assessor-Recorder, isproud of her staff. “We have been toldwe have the best customer service ourclients have ever seen. It has alwaysbeen a focus.” The offices experiencesteady contact with people who areconfused about the process of assess-ment, and feel trapped under theweight of their tax obligation. Theseoften tense moments are opportunitiesto extend care and kindness. Assessor-Recorder staff can provide clarityabout intricate tax laws and empower

F R A N K L Y S P E A K I N G

Editorial BoardJoan Brown, Editor-in-Chief, Human Resources,

Civic Center Volunteers, 499-7167Heather Burton, Aud–Cont. Office, 499-6169Jack Govi, County Counsel’s Office, 499-6117Cio Hernandez, H&HS, 507-2848Larry Kay, Public Works, Nicasio Corp.Yard, 446-4421Kelley Litz, H&HS Admin., 20 N. San Pedro Road,

San Rafael, 499-6924Megan Numair, Staff to Editorial Board, Human

Resources, Civic Center Volunteers, 499-7407Joe Spaeth, Public Defender, 499-6321

Design: Rob Roehrick, Roehrick Design Copy Editor: Bill Pryor, Civic Center

Volunteers Photographer: Janice Hughes, D.A.’s OfficeProofreaders: Leslie Miller and Christina

Walcoff, Civic Center VolunteersPrinting: Marin County Printing Services

Frankly Speaking is a quarterly publication for and by Marin County employees. It is accessible with paychecks, on the MINE hompage, and at www.co.marin.ca.us—enter Frankly Speaking in the searchbox. E-mail articles, cartoons, photos, poems, etc., tojbrown@co.marin.ca.us. For articles please identifysubject, your name, and phone number. For photos,include all names and the photographer’s name. Digitalphotos must be shot at the highest quality setting.

Reporter of the Quarter: Janice Hughes

ScheduleArticles Due Publication DateFriday, Feb. 28 Friday, May 9Friday, May 30 Friday, Aug. 15Friday, Sept. 5 Friday, Nov. 7Friday, Nov. 29 Friday, Jan. 30, 2009

F R A N K L Y S P E A K I N G Purpose and Priorities

The Marin County newsletter is intended for internal communication. Thenewsletter will not include partisan or non-partisan political activity, or issuesrelated to labor disputes and grievances.

C O M M U N I C A T I O N •D I V E R S I T Y •R E C O G N I T I O N •E D U C A T I O N •N E W S •F U N •I N T E R A C T I O N

2

Dear Fellow County Workers,

Welcome to 2008!

This should be a challenging and exciting year for all of us.

Major moves for departments within the Civic Center, construc-

tion of our new health campus, ongoing planning for our new

safety center, state budget challenges, increasing focus on climate

change and environmental management in our own operations, and

numerous retirements within our workforce all will add challenge and

intensity to our work lives.

We maintain our commitment to acknowledging and recognizing

individual employees and teams of employees for their hard work and

dedication. Your hard work in all regards has earned the county a

reputation as a business that delivers outstanding customer service, the

life-blood of good government. We’ve received excellent marks in our

two first biennial community surveys as a government and business that

cares well for our constituents.

With respect to external policy, we’ve made a good start in our work

on traffic management and affordable housing. New shuttles and bus

routes, and the “gap-closure” project for our freeway in San Rafael, will

make a big difference for our employees who commute to work. The

Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP, 2005) is already

making a difference on this difficult problem with data that shows an

up-tick in bicycle and pedestrian use.

New housing projects show us how to implement such developments

in in-fill locations, and we are committed to doing more work of this

nature. We are excited about the vision laid out in our new Countywide

Plan passed in November 2007, and look forward to beginning our

work on its implementation.

With our mutual dedication to this work, we are confident that 2008

will indeed be a good year. Thank you so much!

Sincerely,

Charles McGlashan

President, Board of Supervisors

Charles McGlashan

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Oops! Regretfully, in the last issue, two of the photo contest winners wereprinted with mismatched credits and locations. Thanks again to Todd andDave for their exceptional shots.

Village Street Parking by Todd Lando (Fire)Riomaggiore, Italy

Tranquil Waters by Dave Bernardi (DPW)Halls Harbor, Nova Scotia

In Memoriam�

On November 5 Deputy Public Guardian Edward (Ned) Kroeger passed awayafter a lengthy illness. Before joining the Public Guardian’s Office, Ned worked formore than 25 years as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for Community MentalHealth. Ned was known for his kindness, compassion, and a sense of humor thatcould boost the office even during the most difficult cases and hardest times. ■

Toby Olsen, Court Services Supervisor, passed away in November. For more thanten years Toby contributed her great ideas, energy, and dedication to Marin’s justicesystem. ■ She will be missed by her many friends and colleagues in the Court. ■

In December, Bill Cyders passed away unexpectedly while visiting his family inOregon. During his 20-year tenure with IST, he was a leader on many technologyprojects, including the county’s first website and the development of the MINE. After retiring two years ago, he worked with the H&HS and the Registrar ofVoters. According to IST Director Dave Hill, Bill was a smart problem solver, a compassionate provocateur, and an extremely hard worker. ■

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By Steve Petterle—P&OS

Excuse me for interrupting, but it’snot my fault. I’ve developed thehabit from calling too many voice-activated telephone systems. Forexample, when I dial 5-1-1 tocheck on my morning commute,here’s what I get: “Welcome to the Bay Area’s 5-1-1. Main Menu.I can give you information on traffic, public transportation,TransLink or more choices. Saywhich you’d like or press 0 fortouch tones. To hear a completelist of what’s available, say ‘whatare my choices.’ You can alsointerrupt me or say ‘help’ at anytime. Now, what can I get you?”At first, I waded through the entire24-second message because Ididn’t want to be rude—and Iwanted to know my options. Thenext time I listened only until Ireceived permission to interrupt.From that point, I quickly becameout of control. Ultimately, Istopped waiting for permissionentirely—I just interrupted when-ever I wanted. ■ I can’t say that I’m proud of my newfoundpractice, particularly when I callthe county’s automated generalinformation line at 499-7000. The county greeting is far morefriendly than 5-1-1 and othervoice-activated telephone systems.It’s shorter, too. As a result, I feelmore uncomfortable interrupting.It often takes me two or maybethree attempts. Finally, when I dointerrupt, I really don’t feel goodabout it. ■ I suppose there’ssomeone I could talk to about thismatter—someone who wouldlisten and then give advice. Butevidently my attention span is nowsomewhere less than 24 seconds.I’m not sure that I could sit stillwithout interrupting. ■

PERSPECTIVE

PE T T E R L E’S

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Have you seen the yellow signs sprin-kled throughout the streets of Marin?Big yellow signs saying GET READYMARIN! What is it that we need to getready for, you might ask. In a 1995Grand Jury report about disaster pre-paredness in Marin, the single mostimportant finding was “most residentsin Marin County are not prepared todeal with a major disaster.” The moretraining, skills, and supplies communitymembers have, the more capable theywill be of assisting themselves andothers in the event of a disaster. ■ OnSeptember 29, 2007, the Marin CountyFire Department, in conjunction withother fire agencies throughout Marin,and the County of Marin Board ofSupervisors, supported the countywidelaunching of the “Get Ready!” pro-gram. ■ To help prepare our commu-nity membersfor self-relianceand helpingfamily andneighborsduring anemergency, the“Get Ready!”program is a two-hourcourse that canbe taken eitherat a participat-ing location oron-line. ■

“GET SMART!” disaster professionalssay the most important thing we cando is be prepared to survive for 72hours in our homes. This first line ofdefense, called “Shelter in Place,” will save the most lives. To help youprepare, the Marin County FireDepartment training teaches youwhat to do before, during, and aftera regional disaster. ■ GET TRAINED!That’s all it takes—two hours. You oweit to your family. You owe it to yourneighbors. You owe it to your commu-nity. You owe it to yourself. ■ GETREADY! Sign up now for the “GETREADY!” Disaster PreparednessProgram by visiting the website:www.GetReadyMarin.org, or callingthe Marin County Fire Department at 499-6717. ■ Be Smart. BePrepared. Get Ready! ■

Get Ready Marin!By Kellie Moore—Fire

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L to R: Aaron Jarvis, Bill Roberts, Ben Ghisletta, Rick Racich, and AlishaBranning

This van wasn’t painted, it was wrapped, in huge sheets of vinyl heat-treated to make the images per-manent. It shows a striking illustration of a storm drain leading to a creek that contains fish and egrets

with a backdrop of Marin’smountains. Larry Laino at thecounty garage provided spacefor the project. MCSTOPPP staffwill use the van for field work.Thanks to the support of DPWDirector Farhad Mansourian,Marin County Storm WaterPollution Prevention Program(MCSTOPPP) staff is now “driving home” their messageon creek care throughout Marinwith this latest acquisition.

MCSTOPPP staff L to R: Howard Bunce, Gina Purin (sitting),Jennifer Lueder, and Terri Fashing

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onFires!By Kellie Moore—Fire

The more than 15 fires in SouthernCalifornia last fall are still vivid in ourmemories, and most of all for the MarinCounty firefighters who were dispatchedto battle them. ■ On October 21, 2007,the Marin County Fire Department sent a strike team of five engines with twoleaders; the Tamalpais Fire Crew wasled by Fire Captain Specialist Tim Walshand Fire Apparatus Engineer GrahamGroneman. Overhead positions (respon-sible for personnel, financial, or campmanagement) were held by DeputyChief Rich Lopez as Operations SectionChief and Fire Apparatus EngineerBreanna Buchanan as Facilities UnitLeader. Fire Engineer Paramedic EricScovel, as Field Observer, was assignedinitially to the Magic Fire, then was sentto the Poomacha Fire. AdministrativeServices Officer Phoenicia Thomas wasassigned to the Harris Fire as EquipmentTime Officer. Fire Marshal Scott Alberwent to the State Office of EmergencyServices as a Public Information Officer.

It was a long two

weeks of battling

fires, winds, and

conditions that

some may never

experience again in

their careers.

This home was saved from the first flash of fire at the Harris Fire in San Diego. The firefightershad removed photographs, family memorabilia, etc., but unfortunately, several hours lateranother fire came through. The house was lost, but the possessions were saved.

Members of the Marin County 'Tam Fire Crew' ready to takeaction on a spot fire at the Poomacha Fire in San Diego.

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Keeping Our Bay Healthy in 2008By Gina Purin—DPW

The Marin County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (MCSTOPPP)encourages every Marin resident to do any one of the following on a regularbasis. Help the 3,000 miles of creeks in Marin that drain into the bay andocean. The Bay Area Stormwater Managers Association publication provides:

Five things you can do for the bay

1. Pick up at least one piece of litter every day—there’s plenty outthere. Litter left on streets can flow to storm drains and straight into the bay.

2. Get back to basic soap—not antibacterial soap for hand washing.Avoid soap products with the active ingredient triclosan, a registered pesticidethat accumulates in the bodies of humans and ultimately in fish and can betoxic to aquatic organisms.

3. Use flourescent light bulbs—reduce your energy consumption byusing compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) or Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs).Dispose of them safely at the household hazardous waste facility so that mercury doesn’t find its way to the bay. In Novato, call 892-7344. In allother areas of Marin, call 485-6806 or go to www.marinrecycles.org.

4. Get rid of your fat the right way—cooking fat, that is. Don’t pourcooking byproducts like fats, oils, and grease down indoor drains including disposals, instead place in the trash. Call 1-800-SAV-R-Bay or your local sanitation district.

5. Oil and water don’t mix—a single oil change, dumped into a creekor storm drain, can pollute almost 16 miles of creek. If you change your ownoil, recycle it at one of Marin’s 12 free locations. Go to www.mcstoppp.orgfor a list of free recycling locations or call 499-6528.

from homes, ripped burning siding offhouses, and used well-placed hose lines to protect structures before theyignited.” ■ The strike team returnedon November 4, and most of the over-head personnel went home, too. It wasa long two weeks of battling fires,winds, and conditions that some maynever experience again in their careers.Not much more than a week later, in anticipation of more severe SantaAna winds, the Marin County FireDepartment received requests foranother strike team of engines, as wellas a dozer strike team, to report to aSouthern California staging area, sothey loaded their equipment andheaded south again. They ended upfighting the Malibu fire that started twodays after Thanksgiving. This also wasa large fire, involving 4,900 acres and53 homes, but less dramatic than theOctober firestorms several weeksbefore. ■ Battalion Chief Thompsonsaid, “The performance of Marin’s firepersonnel confirmed that we are doingthings right; the many hours of training,the money spent on equipment, and thehiring of personnel all paid off.” ■

■ About a week before the SouthernCalifornia fires began, the fire depart-ment was gearing down and beginningto say good-bye to the over 60 seasonalfirefighters who joined us this 2007fire season. Instead, some of these indi-viduals were sent south to help in thesuppression efforts there. ■ Their firstassignment was to save as many homesas possible in a designated area. Forthe next 48 hours the firefighters’ adren-alin kept them going as they workedtheir way through neighborhoods similar to those in the hills of Marin. The entire time they kept in mind theirpersonal safety and departmental mission of “providing the highest levelof life and property protection throughaggressive fire control, integrated pre-hospital care, fire prevention,public education, and emergency management.” ■ Battalion Chief Tim Thompson said, “The battle to getpeople out and save homes went onthrough the night and the next day.Each engine company engaged the fire at structures in various levels of fireinvolvement, making tough saves. Theycut burning decks and eaves away

5

Oil SpillResponseBy Michael Frost and Liz Lewis—DPW

On a foggy November 7 morning, thecontainer ship Cosco Busan collidedwith the Bay Bridge, spilling 58,000gallons of oil that impacted shorelinefrom Stinson Beach south to OceanBeach and San Francisco Bay fromRichmond to Hunter’s Point. More than1,000 people responded to the incident,including more than 450 federal, state,regional, and local agency officials,and volunteers from Marin County. ■

The county activated the EmergencyOperations Center to manage dailycoordination with local jurisdictions,preparation of media releases, manag-ing a public information hotline, andposting updates to the county website.They also had a staff member at theIncident Command Post in SanFrancisco to facilitate response effortsamong local agencies, and state andfederal authorities. Among thosedepartments involved in the protectionand clean-up efforts were MarinCounty Fire, the Sheriff’s Department,Public Works, and Parks and OpenSpace. Their efforts included extensivecoordination with other local fire andpolice departments and with state andfederal agencies. The county’s UrbanSearch and Rescue (USAR) water rescueteam conducted reconnaissance surveysand assisted with the placement offloating booms to contain the oil. “We

focused on the next phase of spillrecovery, which was monitoring forand focusing on hot spots as theyarose. ■ The county staff involved in this operation are too numerous tomention but their collective effort wasan essential factor in successfully pro-tecting Marin’s sensitive and prizedwaterways. ■

Contractors deploying oil absorbent booms

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Chris Snyder (Fire) helping volunteer withprotective gear.

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had the training, the material, andthe command structure in place priorto the oil spill. Our county’s teamresponse was awesome,” explainedPublic Works Director and USARCommander Farhad Mansourian. ■

Marin’s clean-up and monitoringefforts focused on protecting sensitivecreek and marsh ecosystems at BolinasLagoon, Las Gallinas Creek andmarshes, Corte Madera Creek andmarshes, Bothin Marsh and SeminaryMarsh in Mill Valley and their sur-rounding harbors. ■ The MarinCounty Fire Department, BolinasVolunteer Fire Department, and theSouthern Marin Fire District providedincident-specific training to over 100residents who then assisted with oilspill clean-up at Marin beaches. This training effort was spearheadedby Julia Barnes, a Public WorksHazardous Materials Specialist, andPhoenicia Thomas with Marin CountyFire. ■ State and federal officialscalled for the demobilization of nearlyall protective operations on December20. Efforts from that time forward

Craig A.Lindquist,MD, PhD,has recentlybeenselected toserve as thenew med-ical directorfor theDepartmentof Healthand Human

Services. ■ Dr. Lindquist has servedas Medical Director of the county’sHIV/AIDS Specialty Clinic since 1990.He was at the forefront of the county’searly response to the AIDS epidemicand was instrumental in bringing manyclinical trials to the Specialty Clinic,increasing access to emerging therapiesfor patients with limited resources andlimited treatment options. Most recently,he has provided leadership in planningthe integration of the public health clin-ics, as the various programs prepare to

H&HS Announces New Medical DirectorBy Deb Mullaney and Jami Ellerman—H&HS

co-locate to the Health and WellnessCampus in 2008. ■ Throughout hisyears of service to the county, many co-workers have been lucky recipients of avariety of organic fruits and vegetablesgrown on his farm in Sonoma County.One of his many interests is in thepreservation and trading of heirloomseeds (vegetablesofinterest.typepad.com) and sharing, with great humorand wit, tales of their origins. ■ Dr.Lindquist’s expertise, vision, and lead-ership will be key factors in assuringthe success of the county’s efforts todeliver exceptional health care to ourgrowing community. ■Dr. Craig A. Lindquist

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“We had the

training, the

material, and

the command

structure in

place prior to

the oil spill.

Our county’s

team response

was awesome.”

You’ve probably seen him speedingalong tracks and trails, in parks andshopping malls. His feet skim theground and his arms pump. His hipshave that funny roll. His name isGarland Murphy (H&HS). He is a com-petitive Race Walker. Race Walkingprovides the same cardiovascular bene-fits as running, with only one-third theimpact! Not bad for a sport that’s easyon the joints, light on the wallet, andrequires no equipment except shoes.And Race Walking has been anOlympic event since 1905. At age 60,Garland is the Northern CaliforniaRace Walker Alliance Program’s(NOCRAP) Most Outstanding RaceWalker of the Year. Go Man Go! ■

They’veknown eachother sincehigh school,been in lovefor twoyears, andon December7, 2007Michael andLiza Purtellwere marriedin the pres-

ence of their parents, by our very ownmarriage commissioner Michael J.Smith, in a civil ceremony here at theMarin County Civic Center. The glow-ing bride is the former Liza Castaneda(H&HS). They are happily expectingtheir first bundle of joy in June. ■

We love the good news. Long Truong(Courts) and wife Phuc Nguyen wel-comed baby Hayley Hy Truong bornOctober 25, 2007. David Truong(Courts) is Hayley’s uncle. ■

Niccolo James Machotka Farley arrivedwith clockwork precision at 9 p.m. on October 23 for a masterful debutperformance! And the applause meterwas not able to register Jim Farley’s(Cultural Services) and DanielleMachotka’s excitement. Let’s offer a deserved standing ovation to the new proud parents. ■

One door closes and a new one opensas Tom Vasgird’s (Aud-Cont.) wife,Marion, received a Special EducationTeaching credential in December.Marion began the program two yearsago at Sonoma State University. Nowthe real work begins. ■

Though they had been anticipating thestork’s delivery, Deborah Lewis (PD)and husband David Williams only hadseven hours notice that they would bemeeting their adopted newborn son ata Placentia, CA hospital on October 14,2007. Corey Eugene Williams arrivedhome with his parents in San Franciscotwo days later. Congratulations,Deborah and David! ■

A mother couldn’t be prouder.Kathleen Suhrke’s (CDA) talented sonJason is not one to let anything get inthe way of his show biz dream. This21-year-old graduate of Petaluma HighSchool took extensive training in actingand production in the Bay Area, cre-ated his own independent productioncompany, acted in and was involvedwith several local productions, andmoved to Hollywood. Since then, hisacting and production credits includeWeeds, Heroes, and Fallen Angel. ■

Helen Steppler (HR) has a new grand-son! Hayden Miles Steppler was bornNov. 7, to Helen’s son, Kevin, and hiswife, Kathy. Hayden is Helen’s thirdgrandson and joins cousins Owen, 2,and Dylan, 6. ■

Anita Erola (HR) has a humorousmemoir in the newly published NovatoPoetry Farmer’s Almanac, Volume III.Volumes I and II are available at theNovato Library. Poets meet the firstWednesday of each month at Dr.Insomnia’s Coffee in Novato to share,read, and support one another. ■

O D D S & E N D S B y T o m V a s g i r d

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Suzanne Bourguignon (DPW) marriedJeff Harding on October 7 in a red-wood grove at the CYO Camp inOccidental (western Sonoma County).Two weeks later, Suzy and Jeff spent aglorious honeymoon in New Zealandwhere they enjoyed many days ridingtheir bikes and having great adven-tures on the South Island, traveling ina rented campervan they lovinglynamed “Bertha.” Both changed theirlast name to Chen-Harding at the startof the new year, honoring Suzy’smother’s maiden name, Chen. ■

Cheri Brannon(Courts) visitedthe GalapagosIslands inOctober. Shesailed, snorkeled,hiked, beachcombed, andshared spacewith all of theGalapagos creatures for two weeks. ■

How many of us can describe a familyvacation as a magical experiencebeyond expectations? RichardLanghals (Assessor) along with wife,Wendy, and daughters, Kelsey andKylea, did it all. The Langhals familydelighted in a fall Caribbean cruiseon the Disney Magic. They visitedHemingway’s former sanctum, swamwith the sharks, visited the GrandCaymans and Cozumel, ate rum cake,and created memories to be treasuredfor a lifetime. Rich, we’re all happy foryou and your family. Now about thosesharks you swam with? ■

Please e-mail theinformation fromyour department to the Odds & Ends columnist, Tom Vasgird, at tvasgird@co.marin.ca.us.

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Liza Purtell (HHS), Michael Purtell, Michael Smith(Treasurer-Tax Collector), and Liza’s Mom

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Far Right: Garland Murphy, Race Walker of the Year

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The Chen-Harding’s wedding day

Cheri Brannon in theGalapagos

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One Book One Marin By Nancy Davis—Library

What if everyone in the county read the same book at thesame time? This is the idea behind One Book One Marin.The notion is that discussions and events based on the bookbring together members of the community, encourage theexchange of ideas, and enrich the reading experience. Thisproject is sponsored by the Marin County Free Library, otherMarin libraries, Dominican University, the Marin EducationFund, Friends of the Marin County Free Library, and localbookstore Book Passage. ■ Administrative Librarian PatHarper describes how the book is chosen: “Our criteriainclude a living author who either lives in Marin County orwho writes books with settings in our area. The book must

be available in Spanish as well as English. It must be a bookthat we believe will launch discussions and appeal to a widerange of people. Last year’s “one book” was Daughter ofFortune, by best-selling Marin author Isabel Allende. ■ Thisyear’s selection is Saving Fish from Drowning, by Amy Tan.Says Pat, “We selected Saving Fish from Drowning becauseit explores many issues relevant to Marin County residents,including cultural differences and the effects of internationaltravel on travelers and the countries they visit.” ■ In Tan’s

2005 novel, 11Americans on an ill-fated art tour findthemselves deep inthe Burmese jungle.Cultural misunder-standings and aseries of hilarious situations lead to their kidnapping by a renegade jungletribe. The tribebelieves that one ofthe members of thegroup is the messianic leader who will save them from thebrutal Myanmar government. Satirical and entertaining, thenovel comments seriously on the ironies of modern life and isespecially relevant given recent political unrest in that area.■ Numerous events are planned to accompany the readingof the book. A highlight will be an evening with Amy Tan at Dominican University on May 6. Discussion groups andprograms relating to the setting and themes of the novelwill be held at various sites around the county. ■ Join yourfriends, neighbors, and co-workers in reading, thinkingabout, and discussing Saving Fish from Drowning. Keep up to date on events by checking the website atwww.OneBookOneMarin.org. ■

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Administrative Librarian Pat Harper holds a copy of AmyTan’s Saving Fish from Drowning with Librarians EvaPatterson, Damon Hill, and Kathleen Fitzhugh Remitz.

My Most Influential Book By Norma Johnson—Courts

Knowing there are avid readers with divergent tastes and inhonor of One Book One Marin, Frankly Speaking decided toask book lovers of the county which book has influencedthem the most and why. ■

Here are some responses:

“Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach,” saidHeather Giusti (Courts). “It’s a daily reading that helped mesee ‘all of the little silver linings’ there are, even when thegoing can get rough. It influenced me to see the positivesover the negatives and to ‘keep it real.’" ■

“Keep the Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell,” saidJedediah Learned (Assessor). “It reminds me that for all ourefforts and ambitions, economic and social progress contin-ues at an astonishingly languid crawl; it’s actually prettyhilarious.” ■

“A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean,” said MarkBrown (Fire). “It describes Norman’s search for answersabout himself and those he loves, and he finds that not allquestions can be answered. Sometimes you have to rely onyour own faith about yourself and your loved ones.” ■

“The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer,” said DavidNicholson (DPW). “It induced a major paradigm shift in mythinking.” ■

“The Secret by Rhonda Byrnes,” said Jeri Stewart (DPW). “Ithas changed the way I think and feel about my life. Believingin the ‘Law of Attraction’, as has been done for millennia,connects each of us deeply to our true selves, to that whichis meant to be ours, to whom we are meant to be.” ■

“The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell,” said DrusillaDavis-Miller (Library). “It reminds me how little things canhave a very big consequence.” ■

“To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee,” said Linda Aldrich(Library), Audrey Andrus (DPW), and Rose Sibeto(Assessor). “After I read this book, I hoped that when I grewup I would be as good a person and a parent as AtticusFinch, and that I would always remember to walk a mile inanother person’s shoes before I judged them,” said Linda. ■

“The Holy Bible,” said Simone Rivers (Probation), MichaelMartin (Assessor), Sheri McConnell (Courts), and BettyJackson (Probation). “In it I can find everything that I needfor life, balance, peace, and happiness,” said Simone. ■

The notion is that discussions and events based on the book bring together members of the community,

encourage the exchange of ideas, and enrich the reading experience.

8Services. Members of this dynamicteam are Diane Beetham RN, PHN,Clinical Services Administrator inPublic Health; Christine Stipp RN, PHN,Immunization Program SupervisingPublic Health Nurse; Sharayn ForkelRN, PHN; Linda Metz RN, PHN; JackieJew RN; Linda Mariscal RN, PHN; supported by Evelyn Colindres, DeeGosha, Pru Kerr, Janet Greenwood,and Yzaida Miranda. ■ The teamcollaborates with community groupsand other county departments to pro-vide protection for children and theirfamilies against measles, mumps,polio, diphtheria, chicken pox, andthe flu. They handle approximately120 calls per month, 90% of whichare related to adult and children’simmunizations, travel vaccinations,flu shots, and TB testing. Many callersneed information that can only beprovided by one of the nurses in thedepartment. The staff is extremelyprofessional and very responsive tothe needs of all its clients, spending asmuch time as is necessary to answerquestions and comfort those who are

anxious or fearful about receivingshots, especially children. ■ An audit was performed by the State ofCalifornia Immunization Branch inconjunction with the Centers forDisease Control when it visited theImmunization Clinic a few monthsago. It gave the group outstandinghonors for their excellent service and business practices, citing it as a model clinic for the State ofCalifornia. ■ Team SupervisorChristine Stipp said, “They are atremendous team, and they areincredibly dedicated and committed to providing service. Each memberseems to know what the other is think-ing, which enhances their ability towork cohesively and get the job donequickly and efficiently.” ■ TheImmunization Clinic is located at 910D Street, San Rafael, where childhoodand adult immunizations, travel vacci-nations, flu shots, and tuberculin skintests are provided at low or no cost onTuesdays and Fridays from noon to4:00 p.m. For further information, call415-473-6891 or 415-473-6007. ■

The Team ofthe QuarterBy Jennifer Walter—Treasurer/TaxCollector’s Office

This quarter’s outstanding team is thePublic Health Nursing ImmunizationDepartment of Health & Human

Front Row, L to R: Dee Gosha, Evelyn Colindres, Yzaida MirandaMiddle Row, L to R: Christine Stipp, Jackie Jew, Pru Kerr, JanetGreenwood Back Row, L to R: Linda Metz, Diane Beetham, SharaynForkel Not Shown: Linda Mariscal.

Winners AllBy Angela Nicholson—H&HR

Human Resources’ Division of EqualEmployment is enthusiastic about theresponse by county employees cele-brating state recognized HeritageMonths. ■ The biographies of 16influential Hispanic individuals wereposted on the MINE Sept.15 to Oct.15to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Monthand were followed by a quiz. Fifty-four employees who scored 100% onthe quiz were awarded two tickets to Tango Buenos Aires at the MarinCenter. ■ From an additional draw-ing, Raymond Anciaux (H&HS), MaryAnn Gallardo (DPW), Gail Wiemann(Library), Gregorio DeLuna (DCSS),Cecilia Castaneda (H&HS), AnthonyKwong (H&HS), Teresa Leon Varela(DA), Mirta Cuevas (H&HS), MarleneCornejo (Treas/Tax), and JosieCeniceros (PD) won prizes whichincluded the soundtrack to the movieMambo Kings, CDs by Celia Cruz,

posters of a reproduction of an art-work by Judith Baca, and a children’sbook, Harvesting Hope. ■ InNovember, employees celebratedAmerican Indian Heritage withanother quiz also found on the MINE.In a drawing of the 67 employeeswho scored perfectly, NayeemLokhandeala (H&HS), Libby Pope(H&HS), Pamela Cringle (Aud-Cont.),Karen Kindig (H&HS), Alisia Lellis

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L to R: Pamela Cringle, Gail Wiemann, Karen Kindig, Yzaida Miranda, Marlene Cornejo, andJosie Ceniceros

(Sheriff), Martha Kassin (Library),Raymond Anciaux (H&HS), FrediBloom (Probation), and KerryLivingston (Library) won prizes whichincluded American Indian pottery,Hogan and Mesa sand paintings, CDsby Buffy Saint-Marie, and The Art of American Indian Cooking. ■

Congratulations to all the winners, andkeep your eyes open for upcomingHeritage Month celebrations. ■

October

Hispanic Heritage Month

November

American Indian HeritageMonth

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E M P L O Y E E S O F T H E M O N T HE M P L O Y E E S O F T H E M O N T H

A 12-year veteran of Public Works’Communications Division, RalphMedsger has a vast knowledge of electronics and excels at putting it togood use. He was instrumental in theimplementation of the Marin EmergencyRadio Authority (MERA) system whichconducts county public safety and otherradio communications. Ralph is anexpert in the arcane world of radiotrunking, simulcasting, microwavetheory, T-1 lines, voters, routers,repeaters, antenna propagation, anddiagnostic programs. His genuineconcern for emergency services opera-tions makes him invaluable to the effec-tive operation of MERA. ■ Ralph candiagnose complex technical problemsover the phone, working with techni-cians at remote locations. ■ Ralph’sgreatest attributes are his infectious andunwavering positive attitude and calmdemeanor. Never without a smile, he isalways available to provide advice andassistance on any technical problem.Congratulations and thank you. ■

By Michael Frost and Liz Lewis—Public Works

Word Processing Operator MarinaCassimus has dedicated 12 years of service to the Marin County ProbationDepartment. Marina started with thecounty as a Legal Clerk and within ayear was promoted to Word ProcessingOperator. ■ The tasks of a wordprocessor can be hectic, with time pressures and detailed work in largevolumes. Marina’s extreme accuracyand speed in completing her duties are greatly appreciated by probationofficers she serves. She is cheerful andhandles the stress of the job with a smile and a sense of humor. Marina iseffective in accommodating the needs of the courts, probation officers, andattorneys. ■ She credits SenatorMilton Marks for her inspiration to workfor the County of Marin and believesthat, while employed by Senator Marks,she gained her attention to detail andability to achieve goals. Marina’s orga-nizational skills and the admiration ofher coworkers make her an outstandingchoice for Employee of the Month. ■

By Gretchen Melendy—Probation

In her role as a Bilingual Child WelfareWorker, Rosie Hernandez (H&HS)investigates allegations of child abuseand neglect and provides emergencyresponse services to children and fami-lies in Marin. For more than three years,Rosie has handled this challenging andemotionally draining work with poiseand compassion, finding good solutionsto difficult problems and giving supportto clients. She provides exceptional ser-vices to the Marin Latino Community.Rosie generously shares her time andenergy with several work groupsfocused on improving practice standardswithin Children and Family Services, is amember of H&HS’s cultural competencecommittee, and leads a committeedevoted to highlighting the outside inter-ests and activities of her fellow employ-ees. ■ Rosie brings a natural warmthand smile to this difficult work everyday. She epitomizes the kind of personwho strives to improve the lives of thosearound her, and has a tremendouspositive impact in countless ways. ■

By Heather Ravani—H&HS

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Bie Dellosa’s extraordinary contributions as Senior Systems Support Analyst in ISThave earned her the distinction of Marin County’s Employee of the Year for 2007. Bie is responsible for maintaining critical databases, tracking thousands of records,and performing hundreds of file transfers. She is a dedicated “behind-the-scenes”employee who keeps important county operations flowing along. The honor bringsBie a $1,200 award, an engraved clock, flowers, and recognition by the Board ofSupervisors. Previous winners include Pat Cunningham (DPW), Mischon Martin(P&OS), Catherine Condon (H&HS), Ron Johnny (H&HS), Liz Lewis (DPW), PhoeniciaThomas (Fire), Claudia Asprer (H&HS), and Marilyn Cannon (Aud-Cont).

2 0 0 7 E M P L O Y E E O F T H E Y E A R — B I E D E L L O S A

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David Cloutman(Library):“Majoring inPhilosophy. It gaveme an educationthat I use to betterunderstand myself,and all of my experiences, both professional and personal.”

Carlo DiMesio(Sheriff): “Devotionto my family, consisting of mywonderful wife,Rosemarie, andour four children.For me, they give life purpose andmeaning.”

Phyllis Gray(Assessor): “Thebest idea I everhad was to marrymy husband, as he is the only onewho will put upwith me!”

Liz Clark(Treas/Tax): “Imanaged a BetaProgram in soft-ware developmentthat was manuallybased. I thought,‘this is odd.’ So, I set up a website;now it’s all internet based.”

Roving ReporterBy Connie Siebler—Assessor’s Office

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March is International Idea Month.What’s the best idea you have ever had?

HaikuBy Bob Beaumont—DPW

Shimmering night skyBoundless worlds I’ll never touchFill my eyes with stars.

Network of CareBy Lisa Sepahi—H&HS

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children 0–5 years of age. TheBehavioral Health site is a resource for individuals, families, and agenciesconcerned with mental health. Theportal for these and other sites can beaccessed via www.networkofcare.org.Each site features a searchable direc-tory of services and an extensivelibrary of articles on many subjectsrelated to Aging, Children, andMental Health. There is also informa-tion on insurance and links to local,state, and national resources. ■ Thesite also provides a tool for trackinglegislation, along with an instant e-mail message capability linking youto your local lawmakers. The siteoffers a unique opportunity for usersto create a personal health recordfolder which can help you keep trackof medical information, articles savedfrom the library, and a list of favoriteor frequently viewed services. ■

Network of Care has also formed apartnership with 211, the toll-freeinformation and referral line to ensureinformation provided is up-to-date andaccurate. Together, the two servicesoffer a wealth of information andguidance on how to access the manyservices available in the county. ■

Program Manager Nick Trunzo, in the Division of Aging, visits theNetwork of Care website.

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Ever wonder how to find information onservices available in Marin and werenot sure where to look? A solution is athand through Network of Care (NOC),a virtual one-stop information shopoffering a directory of available servicesand resources. NOC is a consortium ofindividual net sites, each dedicated to a specific area of service. For Marinthere are NOC sites for Kids, BehavioralHealth, Seniors, and Children, Youth,and Families. ■ The Kids’ site is aresource sponsored by First 5 Marin,and offers resources for families with

Eight million American women areliving with heart disease, and over400,000 have heart attacks each year.Heart disease is the number one causeof death for American women; it killssix times as many women as breastcancer. Some of the risk factors forheart disease include smoking, dia-betes, high blood pressure, obesity,and a sedentary lifestyle. ■ Althoughchest pain is the most common symp-tom, women are less likely than men tofeel chest pain during a heart attack.More women than men experiencesymptoms such as back pain, nausea,or fatigue. Because women oftendescribe their chest pain as pressure,tightness, or an ache, it is important to take milder chest pain seriously. It

may feel like discomfort in the centerof the chest that lasts for more than afew minutes and may come and go.Some other common symptoms includeshortness of breath, sweating, andpain in one or both arms. Since manylifesaving treatments work best if givenwithin the first hour, early detection is important. Learning to recognizesymptoms and get help quickly couldsave your life. This Valentine’s Day,take care of your heart by learning thesymptoms of heart attack and reducingyour risk factors for heart disease.Your loved ones will thank you. ■

Women, Take Care of Your Heartthis Valentine’s DayBy Julie Van Winkle—H&HS

Although chest

pain is the most

common symptom,

women are less

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feel chest pain

during a heart

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taxpayers with information that mayhelp them find ways to address theirproblems and ease their anxieties.Walk into any of the offices and youare likely to be welcomed by a smilingface and a kindhearted attitude.Among others, Cam Norton orVictoria Cascio may greet you in theAssessor’s office. In the Recorder’soffice you might find Diane Wishnakor Don Wylie asking how they canhelp. In the Business/Personal Propertyoffice, Jodie Hawley or GeorgiaClima may assist with your propertystatement. ■ The customer serviceapproach is very proactive; staff exer-cises every opportunity to inform tax-payers of the financial breaks writteninto California tax laws. You may seeMike Rakitnichan at the front counter,patiently guiding a new propertyowner through a series of perplexingsupplemental tax bills. Carolyn Schuchassists people over 55 who are lookingto downsize their properties and carrytheir tax base to their new residence, if they meet certain conditions. DianeFredericks and Sheila McBrien sendout claim forms for a homeowner’s

exemption that can provide a $70annual savings for properties used as a primary residence. PeggyGreenland assists homeowners inqualifying for tax relief from propertiesdamaged by fires and flooding. BruceAbbott will gladly get you started indoing genealogical research throughthe birth, marriage, and deathrecords. Linda Driskell may get youstarted in a parcel combination. GloriaSweeney will help get the recordstraight when you move your boat toMarin County. ■ The county's strate-gic plan was the guide for an initialCustomer Service Committee, whichwas active for several years. After ashort hiatus, the committee restartedwith a new focus and membership.The current Customer Service SteeringCommittee operates under an openforum format and comprises employ-ees Shane Blair, Gail Drury, PhyllisGray, Bob Halligan, Greg Ingrassia,Jed Learned, Wendy Patterson, GregPryor, Mike Rakitnichan, David Siebe,Connie Siebler, Kathy Tobin, andAssistant Assessor Rick Langhals.Volunteers for the committee comefrom every division in the department.They conducted a survey to get anidea of what their fellow workers were

Changing cont’dFrom front cover

concerned about, and set up subcom-mittees to address these concerns. Theycurrently offer phone etiquette tips viae-mail, and accept nominations for aquarterly “STAR Award.” They areworking to improve the accessibilityand ease of use of the internal depart-mental database and documents. Theyworked with Mark Pioli to improve thedepartment’s website. They are stan-dardizing office policy, publishing adepartmental newsletter, and revisingthe confusing verbiage on assessmentnotices sent to the Marin County property owners. They revamped the“phone tree” so that callers get to thecorrect person to answer their ques-tions and address their concerns moreeasily. There is even a “green” com-mittee, headed by Shane Blair, whichis working on sustainability and lessen-ing the department’s impact on theenvironment. ■ Times are changing,and the Assessor-Recorder’s image asthe bad guy is crumbling, at least inMarin. Imagine, if John Lennon hadexperienced the level of courtesy theAssessor-Recorder office provides, hemay have sung a different tune: “If youneed some help, come in and seeme...! I’m the taxman. I’m as nice ascan be…!” ■

need to distribute AEDs at key locationsthroughout the county’s campuses. I knew of other public facilities thatalready had the AED device placed at key locations and lives had beensaved,” said Supervisor Adams. ■

Mike Giannini, Emergency MedicalOfficer for the Marin County FireDepartment, and former CountyAdministrator Mark Riesenfeld quicklyjoined the effort to move the conceptthrough the necessary process andensure that the county purchased themost reliable and cost-effective productavailable. ■ Although it took almosttwo years to receive final approval and funding, Supervisor Adams said,“Having that available AED to save thisperson’s life was proof positive that ourefforts were well worth it.” ■

Lifesaver cont’dFrom front cover

During Marin County’s Second Annual Bi-National Health Week, residents received health screenings,learned about nutrition, oral health, immigration issues, and access to children’s health insurance.Participants were offered flu shots, as well as readings for blood pressure, body mass index, andanemia. These events were led by a team of Marin County Health and Human Services (H&HS) staff,some of whom are pictured here, from L to R: Barbara Goodman and Brian Waterbury check in with Rayana Egea and Haley Mears at West Marin’s Bi-National Health Week Event at the PointReyes Dance Palace last October. Marcos Hardman (center) represents one of the many communityorganizations; he is a case manager from the Marin AIDS Project.

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Ursula Floden Library Asst. II, LibraryNathan Kelly Library Asst. II, LibraryMary Poor Sr. Clerk/Typist, H&HSVladimir Matyurin Accountant I, Aud-Cont.Hanna Pepper Mental Health Nurse Pract., H&HSCamille Bosworth Deputy Public Defender II, PDAnthony Milani Child Welfare Wkr. II, H&HSNoah Bruce Mental Health Pract.-Biling., H&HS Rebecca Ng Supervising Environmental Health Spec., CDAViviana Greene Environmental Health Spec. I, CDALee Lancaster Group Counselor I, ProbationYuliana Valenzuela Group Counselor I, ProbationRoderic Cannon Sr. Programmer Analyst, ISTJodie Hawley Assessment/ Record Tech. I, AssessorMichele Kinnamon Librarian I, LibraryCaleb Jones Road Maintenance Wkr. I, DPWSteven Ditlevson Road Maintenance Wkr. I, DPWNick Codiroli Road Maintenance Wkr. I, DPWSharon Parks Eligibility Worker I, H&HSHeidi Nakamura Eligibility Worker I, H&HSLealya Thomas Principal Planner, CDAMichael Edwards Microbiologist I, H&HSMilagros Maldonado Child Welfare Wkr. II Biling., H&HSLillian Jang Sr. Clerk/Typist, H&HSAlison Clayton H&HS Program Coord., H&HSEric Newburn Comm. Tech., DPWCarmen Lienkaemper Library Asst. I, LibraryCarly Bonnell Eligibility Wkr. I, H&HSErika Martinez Library Branch Aide II, LibrarySharon Marrero Sr. Clerk/Typist, H&HSMelanie Doyle Library Tech. Asst. I, LibraryJackie Bamford Member Svs. Tech., RetirementLee Hamovitz Assessment/Record Tech. I, AssessorJohn Sanchez Park Ranger, P&OS

Farewell to Retirees!Brion Reed Bldg. Maintenance Wkr. III, DPWDennis Mc Queeny Sheriffs Captain, Sheriff Mary Hyams Supervising Child Support Officer, CSDorothy Martin Admin. Svcs. Associate, DARebecca Johnson Sr. Environmental Health Spec., CDASylvia Harris Librarian I, LibraryElizabeth Mac Quarrie Eligibility Wkr. III, H&HS Catherine Moreno Eligibility Supervisor, H&HSCrandon Losee Child Support Division Accountant, CSYun Bin Hsu Sr. Accounting Asst., ProbationJames Flageollet Chief Deputy Counsel, Co. CounselCynthia Barnard Supervising Environmental Health Spec., CDAEunice Mc Carthy Library Assistant I, LibraryClifford Mellen Assessment/Record Tech. II, AssessorCharles Hsu Ag./Wts. & Meas. Insp., Ag./Wts. & Meas.John Childers Asst. Assessor-Valuation, AssessorCarol Starr Director of County Library Svcs., Library

&WELCOMEFAREWELL !

Welcome to New Employees! Listed in order of hire date from September 9 to November 6, 2007

Go Green! By Art Brook and Saaid Fakharzadeh—DPW

On September 11, 2007, the Board of Supervisors approveda one-year Green Commute Pilot Program, which went intoeffect on October 7, 2007. The program pays $4 daily to amaximum of $20 a week to regular-hire employees whocommute to work by public transit, vanpool, carpool, bike,or walking. The $4 is part of the employee’s income and isincluded when calculating retirement pay. ■ In the first payperiod of the Green Commute Program, 272 employeesregistered and 222 participated. In the two following payperiods, we reached highs of 383 registrations and 252participants. We encourage you to register and participatein this program if you have not already done so, to helpreduce traffic congestion. ■ As you may have noticed,construction on the Route 101 High Occupancy Vehicle LaneGap Closure in San Rafael is well underway, and starting in2008, Segment Four, from downtown San Rafael to NorthSan Pedro Road, moves into full roadway construction mode.Highway lanes will be narrowed and realigned due to con-struction activities, thereby reducing already strained capaci-ties. By focusing on green commuting (transit, shared riding,bicycling, and walking), we can make a difference throughour personal actions. As little a reduction as 10% in trafficvolume can make a tremendous difference in traffic flow. ■

In the near future, the county plans to reward those makingthe greatest contribution to green commuting with variousprizes. Register and participate as a Green Commuter to bein the running! Go to the MINE bulletin board and look forGreen Commuting Registration and Participation. ■

Employees display theirmusical talents during a

jam session at theAnnual Employee Craft

Fair on November 13 inthe Civic Center Café.

L to R: Steve Morse,Jeanene Gibson, John

Wilson, Bob Fagan,Bene DaSilva, Pat Echols,

and Jim Selmi

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Mary Anne McDonough, DA Victim Witness Coordinator,received a Children's Champion Award for her work with theJeannette Prandi Children's Center at a semi-annual event at theFalkirk Mansion in December. She was presented the award byDistrict Attorney Ed Berberian.

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The 2007 Marin County Fair, Aquatic Adventures, captured arecord 31 individual achievement awards, including 15 first place awards.It was also one of four fairs to receive a special featured program awardfor cultural marketing with its multi-cultural International Day celebratingglobal cultures and diversity. Congratulations again to all involved.

Calling AllPet Lovers!

Now is the time to submitshots of your dearlybeloved four-leggedfriends, amorous reptiles, or any varietyof non-human speciesyou share your homewith. The call is for vari-ety and humor. Printedphotos or digital pictures(high resolution) arewelcome and should besubmitted to JaniceHughes, c/o DA’s Office,rm. 130, Civic Center, orjhughes@co.marin.ca.usby February 22. Selectedshots will be published in the Second QuarterFrankly Speaking anddisplayed in the CivicCenter Cafeteria.