Only in Marin

Puzzling Even in Hindsight

Columnist: Bill Meagher
Dec, 2008 Issue

Bill Meagher looks back on the 2008 comings and goings of businesses in Marin County.

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Of Campaign Money and Newspaper Heartache

Columnist: Bill Meagher
Nov, 2008 Issue

By the time you read this missive, the battle for hearts, minds and sales tax dollars on behalf of the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) commuter system will be reaching the apex of its hype. The claims and counter claims will run neck and neck. The mother’s milk of politics—cash—will flow for everything from mailers to focus groups to lawn signs. And for the fourth time since 1990, North Bay residents will vote on the issue.

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Adding Jobs, P&Ls, Building Buying and Chowing Down

Columnist: Bill Meagher
Special Wine Issue, Oct, 2008

Jobs are coming to Novato. GoAmerica, a 650-employee company from Hackensack, New Jersey, is abandoning the Garden State for Novato. The company, which provides communications services for the hearing impaired, is taking over almost 18,000 square feet on the Fireman’s Fund Insurance campus.
The company was lured to Novato because the Bay Area provides a positive boost for employee recruitment. Novato was also a primo locale, because GoAmerica already has a temporary office set up in Petaluma. Also, Novato has no toxic waste sites—which is a plus when coming from New Jersey.

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Whole Paycheck Woes and Hard Times for Hardware

Columnist: Bill Meagher
Oct, 2008 Issue

Let’s pretend you’re a national grocery chain and you’ve fallen in love with Marin County’s demographics. Now, for the purpose of this hypothetical situation, you have two stores that have become so popular that parking is almost a contact sport. And for the sake of argument, let’s say you have another store being built. Life seems pretty good, you national chain you.

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