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Health & Fitness

Mayor's Weekly (Feb 3 - Feb 9)

Novato's Mayor Eric Lucan shares city news, events and meetings on the horizon, and on occasion a few spontaneous thoughts.

On my Mind
This weekend we were all celebrating the downfall of some much needed rain, yet we are still in dire need of freshwater.  After a storm such as the one we had, it can be easy to lose sight of conservation efforts, but that is exactly what we need to be doing.  In fact, just this past week, the North Marin Water District asked the Novato community to voluntarily reduce water usage by 20%.  So where exactly does our water come from?  About 80% comes from Sonoma—mostly the Russian River.  The other 20% comes from Stafford Lake. 

What water conservation efforts do you practice in your household?  I was encouraged to read some of the efforts of Susan Stompe, Novato's Citizen of the Year, in the Marin IJ this past week. One improvement we have made at our house was replacing our toilets with dual flush toilets a few years back.  In fact, we got them for free through a program that was offered by the North Marin Water District and are estimated to save over 5,000 gallons of water per year.  Always looking for more ideas so please share yours below.

Around Town
Boys and Girls Club Coming to Novato – I attended a steering committee meeting on Wednesday for the Boys and Girls Club that plans to open in August of this year at San Jose Middle School.  It was great to hear the progress taking place to get the club up and running.  For more information, visit http://www.petaluma-marinbgc.org/?p=viewpage&id=114

Find out what's happening in Novatowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

15 Anniversary of the Buck Institute – Can you believe the Buck Institute has been in Novato for 15 years now?  I was at the institute on Thursday night for a reception and presentation by the President and CEO of the Buck Institute, Brian K. Kennedy, PhD.  Their mission is simple—to extend the healthy years of life.  Many advances over the past few decades have greatly extended the length of life, but not necessarily the quality of life.  Dr. Kennedy summed things up well by stating that we are basically keeping people sick longer.  We are all fortunate to have the Buck Institute right here in Novato as they continue to research ways to increase the healthy years of life.

Marin Valentine’s Ball – I wrapped up the week by taking my wife Kiley to the Marin Valentine’s Ball.  This was our first time attending the annual event that was started by the late Supervisor Hal Brown, but after this year's event, we might become regular attendees.  We saw many familiar faces and met several new people as well.  This year’s event benefited North Bay Children’s Center, Sunny Hills Services, The Godmothers of Timothy Murphy School, and Whistlestop.

Find out what's happening in Novatowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Week Ahead
Monday:
Streetscape Maintenance Coalition Advisory Committee Meeting – 7:00PM

Tuesday:
2014 State of the City Address
Continental Breakfast – 7:30AM ($10)
State of City Address – 8:00AM (Free Admission)
For more details, click here

City Council Meeting – 6:30PM

Friday:
Valentine’s Day - Remind someone in your life how much you appreciate them.
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