Pacific Sun

The Wetlands That Time Forgot

"I look at tidal wetlands as about as close to magic as you're ever going to get when you're dealing with sea-level rise," says Will Travis, executive director of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. "All wetlands are wonderful for flood protection. They soak up floodwater and they absorb wave energy. And they actually sequester carbon. I know of nothing else that fits both categories: reducing greenhouse gases and adapting to the impacts of climate change that we ca...

Black Like Me

"One of the first observations made by myself in my frequent walks through Mill Valley," he wrote, "was that it is a city of many looks. For example, there are the 'what are you doing here' looks, the 'hey look at that looks, the 'maybe if I smile he won't shoot' looks." [Calvin Scott] described the "confused" look as one where the passerby "doesn't know whether to spit at me or run." Yes, there were also friendly looks. "And, of course," added Scott, "the just plain old 'nigger' look." The f...

The Call of the Mild

"Walking these types of dogs is difficult," [Ed Schreiber] says - and dog parks are an inadequate solution for many huskies. A few years ago, the Schreibers heard about a clinic to train dogs to pull scooters, and signed up. The sport had gained traction in Southern California, and was just catching on in the Bay Area. It wasn't hard to train their dogs, [Andr]ée says. They initially attach them to a tire to get them used to pulling, and teach them some basic commands. Sled dogs catch on quic...

Soil's Well That Ends Well!

I visited American Soil and Stone, in San Rafael, and talked with the manager, Doc, to ask him what Marmites can do to boost their soil's microbial life. (If you're from Detroit, you have to meet Doc. Ask him about his career as a filmmaker in the '70s working on motorcycle movies in Michigan...) "We recommend that homeowners do a soil test," says James "Doc" King. "They can do a small one themselves or send out a baggie full of soil to a lab." He recommends visiting www. soilandplantlaborato...

Won't Get 'Fooled' Again

You write hundreds of songs - or, at least, I have - and throw 'em against the wall and every once in a while, one of 'em sticks. Some of them, it takes a year or two [to write], you know? You struggle with them and hack and hew to get it just right," says blues singer and guitarist [Elvin Bishop] when asked about his 1976 smash hit "Fooled Around and Fell in Love," which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. "I was out walking around and spotted a white guy playing the blue...