December 2017

Page 1

Season

JOY

of

Teaching, Giving, Celebrating: Stories of Inspiration and Community

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Home makes the holiday.

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25 World Renowned Speakers & Authors - Jack London State Historic Park (Untouched by the recent fires)

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Contents

DECEMB ER 2017

52

Features 48 Teacherland A behind-the-scenes look at the classroom. 52 Turning 200 A San Rafael mission has a big birthday.

64 Making a Difference Organizations that are improving lives need your help this season.

JACK WOLFORD

56 Fire Stories True tales from one of the state’s worst disasters.

8 DECEMBER 2017 MARIN

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Contents 35 Currents Vintage holiday fun, community champions and more. 38 Collectors One Lego collection to rule them all. 40 Q&A Meet Marin’s teacher of the year.

92 Dine An insider’s guide to restaurants and food in the Bay Area. 104 Flavor Holiday spirits at the Buckeye Roadhouse. 106 On the Scene Snapshots from events in Marin and San Francisco.

44 Conversation The founder of the Center for Attitudinal Healing.

Marin Home

79 Go Our expert’s top ski resort picks.

44

83 Calendar A roundup of what to do in Marin and beyond.

42 Reading List Write your way to a better life.

Destinations

S.F. Ballet Nutcracker War Memorial Opera House

83

113 Backstory The renovation challenge in Tiburon. 116 Garden It’s time to think about your soil.

COLUMNS 16 Editor’s Note 18 What’s Inside 146 Looking Back

Art director Rachel Griffiths worked with illustrator Mike Ellis on this fun cover. Check out our giving feature to see where this family is going.

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113

79

LENNY GONZALEZ (TOP LEFT); TIM PORTER (TOP RIGHT); TREVOR CLARK (BOTTOM)

In Marin

Out & About

DECEMB ER 2017

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Join us for these holiday trunk shows

Tis’ the

season

to sparkle

Gurhan December 7th, 12-5pm

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PUBLISHER / EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nikki Wood

Todd Reed

Editorial

December 15th, 4-8pm December 16th, 12-5pm

EDITOR Mimi Towle

Sethi Couture December 21st, 4-8pm

MANAGING EDITOR Daniel Jewett SENIOR WRITER Jim Wood ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kasia Pawlowska SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Leela Lindner COPY EDITOR Cynthia Rubin CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dawn Margolis Denberg, Kier Holmes, Kirsten Jones Neff, Paige Peterson, Matthew Richard Poole, Aaron Pribble, Calin Van Paris, Mark Anthony Wilson

Art ART DIRECTOR Rachel Griffiths PRODUCTION MANAGER Alex French ILLUSTRATORS Mike Ellis, Aleks Senwald

alternative bridal by

t odd r e e d.

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Mo DeLong, Brice Farnsworth, Lenny Gonzalez, Tim Porter, Debra Tarrant, Jack Wolford

Administration / Web CONTROLLER Maeve Walsh WEB/IT MANAGER Peter Thomas DIGITAL MARKETING ASSOCIATE Max Weinberg OFFICE MANAGER Hazel Jaramillo

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Volume 13, Issue 12 . Marin Magazine is published in Marin County b y M a r i n M a g a z i n e I n c . A l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d . C o p y r i g ht © 2 01 7. Reproduction of Marin Magazine content is prohibited w ithout the ex pr e s s e d , w r it t en c on s ent of M a r i n M a ga z i ne I nc . Un s ol icit e d materials cannot be returned. Marin Magazine reser ves the right to ref use to publish any advertisement deemed detrimental to the best interests of the communit y or that is in questionable taste. Marin Magazine is mailed monthly to homes and businesses in Marin County. Marin (USPS 024-898) is published monthly by Marin Magazine Inc., One Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sausalito, CA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Marin Magazine, One Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965.

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MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Advertising ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Debra Hershon, ext 120 | dhershon@marinmagazine.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Michele Geoffrion Johnson ext 110 | mjohnson@marinmagazine.com SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGERS Leah Bronson, ext 109 | lbronson@marinmagazine.com Lesley Cesare, ext 113 | lcesare@marinmagazine.com ACCOUNT MANAGER Dana Horner, ext 107 | dhorner@marinmagazine.com ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR Alex French

Regional Sales Offices WINE COUNTRY Lesley Cesare | lcesare@marinmagazine.com SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Leah Bronson | lbronson@marinmagazine.com NEW YORK Karen Couture, Couture Marketing | 917.821.4429 HAWAII Debbie Anderson, Destination Marketing | 808.739.2200

Reader Services MAILING ADDRESS One Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965 PHONE 415.332.4800 FAX 415.332.3048 SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES subscriptions@marinmagazine.com 818.286.3160 INTERNSHIP INQUIRIES / STORY IDEAS editorial@marinmagazine.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Please send letters to editorial@marinmagazine.com. Be sure to include your full name, city, state and phone number. Marin Magazine reserves the right to edit letters for clarity, length and style. SUBSCRIPTIONS Rates are $12 for out-of-state subscriptions or free for California subscribers. To subscribe, manage your subscription or change your address visit marinmagazine.com/subscribe. BULK ORDERS For information on bulk orders of Marin Magazine, please call 415.332.4800.

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Open Daily 10-6 • 16 Main Street, Tiburon 415.435.1916 • info@getkoze.com /koze.tiburon

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Koze, Tiburon’s exclusive home to three of Marin’s favorite designers: Kathy Kamei, Lynn Tallerico and Amy Nordstrom

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Editor’s Note

Breaking News

Sometimes you have to throw away your best-laid plans and follow where the story leads.

Our December issue was already done but we decided to include a last-minute feature on the fires.

for 2018. For me, this year has felt like a paintball game where I’m not padded or protected. Personal losses aside, the natural disasters presented through our various screens have been relentless. From images of Hurricane Harvey floods to that surreal morning in October when we all awoke to pungent smoke — fires, high winds, earthquakes — Mother Nature has indeed been shaking her tail feathers. And we weren’t imagining it. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, our country has seen 15 separate calamities this year that have each caused at least a billion dollars in damage. However, when the wine country fires took over the airwaves, even those with the most severe disaster fatigue rallied, with stalwart citizens leading the way. On Facebook, I saw that Mo DeLong (our event photographer) started a page to give relief to firefighters. Jen Reidy, who has been featured in this magazine advocating sensible gun legislation, gathered supplies to take north, while many with family and businesses in the wine country kept us updated via the hashtags #SonomaStrong and #NapaStrong on ways to help. As I drove down an eerily dark Tiburon Boulevard in the middle of the day listening to KCBS news, the magnitude of the situation really hit me. “Together we can make a difference” came through my speakers, a message from Stevens Creek Subaru. Next a familiar voice, Jim Petersen from PetersenDean Roofing, was not asking us to buy solar panels, but “with a heavy heart” he asked for support for the people of Napa and Sonoma. The next ad spot was from State Farm, saying they were taking calls around the clock. Tears flowed. I was overwhelmed by the messages from the good people in our community. Raising the

question, “What could we here at the magazine do?” Our December issue was already done but we decided to include a last-minute feature on the fires. Back on Facebook, I saw that frequent contributor Kirsten Neff as actively posting updates on how to help. “Hey there,” I texted her, “any chance you can do a 1,500-word fire story in a week, but that will still have relevance in a month?” Since we send our issue to the printers a few weeks before it reaches readers, covering a moving target like this can be challenging. Neff as up for the task. We decided to get a few personal stories, and one in particular led the two of us to head up to Santa Rosa’s Safari West, to meet owner and now somewhat famous animal rescue hero Peter Lang. By the time we got to Old Redwood Highway, a stone’s throw from Cardinal Newman High School, the smell of smoke permeated the air. We took a right off ark West Road and were confronted with the images of charred homes and cars we had seen on television. In awe of the destructive power of nature, we made our way another 20 miles or so to Safari West to hear Lang’s account of that night. You can read his story and others in Kirsten’s feature story. And thanks to our new owner, Susan Noyes and the Make It Better Media Group, along with our friends at Diablo Magazine and Napa Sonoma Magazine, we have created a Red Cross page on our website that will match donations up to $10,000. Your $200 turns into $400 until it hits $10,000, translating to much-needed help. And one of the best things you can do is head up and support the businesses. Considering it’s the world-famous wine country, there shouldn’t be too much arm-twisting involved.

Mimi Towle, Executive Editor

BLINK INC

I

DON’T KNOW A BOUT you, but I’m ready

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What’s Inside

look at the goals of charities in Marin. What these articles have in common: both reflect the fact that people in the Bay Area are in need. You’ll hear personal tales of survival in Kirsten Jones Neff’s fire story, while Kasia

What these articles have in common: both reflect the fact that people in the Bay Area are in need.

W

E’VE DONE IT — we’ve

made it through another year. But before we move on to 2018, we’ve got one more jam-packed issue for you. We kick off eatures with a story by Tam High teacher Aaron Pribble, who gives us a real in-the-classroom assessment of where we are and where we should be going with education. Then comes a look at one of San Rafael’s most iconic structures. Architecture writer Mark Anthony Wilson tells the tale of one of the more little-known missions, the Mission San Rafael Arcángel, which turns 200 this month. Marin itself and San Quentin both owe their monikers to characters in this story. Our features conclude with a story on the devastating Napa and Sonoma fires and a close

Pawlowska details where your money goes when you give. We encourage you to read both and help where you can. Up front, we’ve got pieces on vintage holiday fun, as well as a look at a local Lego collector, an artistic teacher of the year, an inspirational author and the man behind the attitudinal healing movement that has inspired people like Oprah and Mother Teresa. In Destinations, Matthew Richard Poole lets you in on his three favorite lesser-known ski area choices (plus Lake Tahoe, of course). Poole has done the “hard” work of skiing all over the country: these are his top picks for short lines and epic snow. We hope you enjoy our final issue of 2017. And most of all, we fervently and sincerely hope that as those impacted by the fire begin to rebuild, they find the task healing and their reborn communities as strong as ever.

Daniel Jewett, Managing Editor

Every December we do a story on how the public can give to the charities they love and where that money goes. This year, we decided to try something a little different with the artwork: pick an illustration that would be suitable for the cover but would then, paired with the story, reveal even more, as a two-page spread. Illustrator Mike Ellis got this one just right and we love the New Yorker-esque look it lent to the cover.

BLINK INC (TOP)

GIVING BACK

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Virtuo uoso u

Her family is her priority. Her legacy is their future. Her giving is through Virtuoso. The modern alternative to a private foundation. www.marincf.org 415.464.2507

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P R O MOT I O N

Contributors

Dawn Margolis Denberg, Writer

Bay Area events you’ll want to attend

ICB WINTER ART MARKET AND OPEN STUDIOS

In this issue: Backstory (p. 113) What is your must-have home feature? Folding glass walls. They blur the line between indoor and outdoor living. What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t writing? I’m passionate about home design, so I spend quite a bit of time nesting, but I also enjoy hiking, biking and traveling. But, really, my favorite pastime is just hanging out with family. Where has your work appeared before? I’ve written for numerous publications, including Wired, Parenting and Huffington Post. Additionally, I blog about learning and attention issues for several nonprofits, including Understood.org.

Aaron Pribble, Writer WHEN

December 1–3 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

WHERE

Industrial Center Building (ICB), 480 Gate 5 Road, Sausalito

WHY YOU SHOULD GO

Experience Marin’s premier art market with over 100 artists working under one roof. The 49th annual Winter Open Studios and Art Market in Sausalito’s Industrial Center Building (ICB) showcases local contemporary art in a rare historic waterfront setting. Delicious food from Johnny Doughnuts and Tonayense (serving tacos) will be available to fuel your visit.

COST FIND OUT MORE

Free icbartists.com

Friend us to share and view RSVP Hot Ticket photos at facebook.com/marinmagazine Want to see all the images from our RSVP Hot Ticket events? marinmagazine.com/hotticket

In this issue: “Teacherland” (p. 48) What inspired you to become a teacher? Three months shy of beginning law school I decided I’d find greater happiness and meaning inside the classroom than the courtroom, though I will be forever curious about the latter. What do you enjoy most about teaching in Marin? I especially love our students, who are funny, interesting, thoughtful and curious. What do you like to do outside of the classroom? When I’m not teaching — or lesson planning or grading — I like to play basketball and guitar, swim in the warmer reaches of the Pacific Ocean, and eat delicious food, particularly tacos, burritos and sushi.

Paige Peterson, Writer In this issue: Conversation (p. 44) How did you come in contact with Jerry Jampolsky? I’ve known Jerry since I was 4 years old and called him when I was diagnosed with a brain tumor later on in life. Is there any particularly special message or knowledge that he imparted to you? Before my surgery he told me, “I want you to thank the doctors for their education, for the sacrifices they have made in order to be so well prepared.” Where has your work appeared before? I have written for the National Council on U.S.Arab Relations — whose board I’m on — as well as the Saudi Gazette and the New York Social Diary.

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CONNECT WITH US TOP GRAM

Our top Instagram post in October was by @awesternlens. “For photographers, the summer fog is actually considered a season, ‘fog season,’ and a very specific phenomenon called ‘fog waves’ has become quite the coveted shot,” he says. “The conditions that night (August 16) were perfect for the fog, and smoke from wildfires burning in southern Oregon created a deep red glow in the sky.” Want to see your photo in print? Tag @marinmagazine with your best snap.

1 “Going Green” More than just a rebuild, this Marin home was the first in the country to use a new bamboo framing system. 2 “Close to Town” A vintage Mill Valley home was enough to lure this couple off the mountain. 3 “Little Pieces of Paradise” Writer Daniel Mangin reveals five under-the-radar winery stops.

Santa Contest Check out our #SantasLapMishaps contest on Facebook and Instagram. Got a cute pic of you or your kid(s) reacting to the big guy in the red suit? Tag us and use the hashtag above; you could win a prize. Winners will be selected by December 22.

4 “Shining a Light” Slavery is still happening all over the world, and Mill Valley photographer Lisa Kristine has documented it in her new book. 5 “Local Bounty” Poggio chef Ben Balesteri shares his recipe for buttery black cod.

GET COVERED If you’ve ever thought you’d like to see your art on the cover of Marin Magazine, now is the time to get in the running: for our 12th annual cover contest, we’re seeking work from outstanding painters, illustrators and photographers who live in, show in or create images of the county. One lucky entrant will see his or her art on the May 2018 cover and featured along with the work of several finalists in a story in that issue. The deadline is March 5. To enter, go to marinmagazine.com/getcovered.

JOHN DECKERT (COVER ART)

Last Month’s Top Five Online Stories

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New in Town BODY WORK Need your five senses realigned? Gia DiMatteo, a licensed acupuncturist and massage therapist, has created Resonance Spa & Wellness in Corte Madera, offering numerous holistic and progressive practices, including hydrafacials, sound and salt therapies, and bodywork; resonancemarin.com.

N EW BIZ Owners of dirty cars rejoice: BlueWave Car Wash is now open in San Rafael, and it uses a state-of-the-art water recycling system; bluewaveexpress.com.

E ATS HANG OUT The Commons at the Marin Headlands is a new outdoor space for artists and visitors to meet for social gatherings, engage in public programs and events, or simply take in the view; headlands.org. The historic Gravity Car returns to downtown Mill Valley after receiving a much-needed refurbishing. Depot Plaza.

ThaiTanic Street Food spices up Sausalito by featuring a blend of tropical and nautical elements; it’s the third member of the My Thai family of restaurants; thaitanicstreetfood.com Point Reyes Station introduces Side Street Kitchen, a modern rotisserie. On the site of the erstwhile Pine Cone Diner, this new casual eatery retains all the oldschool diner charm but with an updated, local take; sidestreet-prs.com

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30 Liberty Ship Way, 3rd Floor Sausalito, CA 94965 800. 357.3863 www.ms-research.com Past performance is not indicative of future results. Therefore, no current or prospective client should assume that future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy (including the investments and/or investment strategies recommended or undertaken by Main Street) will be profitable. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that any specific investment will either be suitable or profitable for a client or prospective client’s portfolio. Those risks include the risk of changes in economic and market conditions, the concentration of investments within a portfolio, and the volatility of securities. Certified Financial Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in the U.S.

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the LOOK P RO M OTI O N

A RAINBOW OF SAPPHIRES From noted designer Janet Deleuse, this exquisite necklace embraces multiple hues of 170 carats of gem quality briolette faceted Sapphires. Matching earrings with pave set Diamonds on domed tops complement this kaleidoscopic ensemble for the holiday season. DELEUSE JEWELERS

55 Broadway, Fairfax, CA 415.459.3739 Deleuse.com

AS ITS NAME INDICATES,

this watch will be the winner everytime. A classical, timeless design, the sleek and clean face of the Tissot Everytime singles it out as a very modern watch. The cool minimalism of the face leaves room for some fun experimentation with the bracelet. JULIANNA’S FINE JEWELRY

The Village at Corte Madera, Corte Madera, CA 415.413.0898 juliannasfinejewelry.com

KLOZET BOUTIQUE

Elevated, highly curated California casual women’s clothing.

SHOE STORIES OF SAUSALITO is proud to announce the arrival

of their newest designer, Ron White for Fall/Winter 17. Ron brings sophistication and elegance to the world of women’s shoes by incorporating his striking designs. Available exclusively at Shoe Stories of Sausalito.

SHOE STORIES OF SAUSALITO

Verdad Pleated Wide Sleeve Blouse - $450 Verdad Cigarette Pant in Plaid - $260 Zadig et Voltaire Denim ‘Love Now’ Jacket - $360 Free People Velvet Cecile Ankle Boot - $160 KLOZET BOUTIQUE

30 Princess Street, Suite C Sausalito CA 415.331.5598 shopklozet.com

22 El Portal, Sausalito, CA 415.332.1662 shoestoriesofsausalito.com

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New in Town : S NAP S HOT

Miller Avenue, Mill Valley Miller Avenue has completed the long-awaited Streetscape Project that includes new safety and transportation improvements and green landscaping and makes it easier for the public to support local businesses. Vanguard Properties, a full-service luxury real estate company, opened another Marin office featuring a modern design aesthetic. 352 Miller Avenue, vanguardproperties.com The Rug Establishment offers the interior design and architecture trade high-quality handcrafted rugs and carpets incorporating unique fibers and styles and over 2,000 colors. All products are endorsed by the CARE & FAIR program, which guarantees child-free labor. 27 Miller Avenue, therugest.com Hong Huynh spent 18 years as a popular manicurist in Mill Valley and finally created her own space: Serenity Nail Salon. 384 Miller Avenue, 415.246.7260

Hopalong Animal Rescue, the largest foster-based animal rescue group in the Bay Area, opened a satellite office to better serve Marin foster families. 367 Miller Avenue, hopalong.org

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Have them unwrap your

best gift yet ’Tis the season to be jolly and celebrate with friends and family gathering together for food, drink and merriment. It’s also the chance to give them something unique. Find the right gift for that special person in your life. The following pages have gift suggestions for everyone, including spouses, moms and dads, pets, kids, and co-workers. Make this holiday season your best ever!

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Holiday Gift Guide

ADVE RTI SI N G PROM OTI ON

CAROLINA offers a variety of gift items this season, along with many outerwear options. Featured is this luxurious coat by Derek Lam 10 Crosby. Come by and view the entire Derek Lam Holiday Collection and shop from all your favorite designers this holiday season. 415.381.2554, Mill Valley, carolinaboutique.com

California Collection Why do we live here? Here are three 14K golden reminders: the delicate petals of the California Poppy, the green peaks of Mt. Tamalpais or the majestic arches of the Golden Gate Bridge. 415.459.5808, San Rafael, stephanhill.com

Sofia Jewelry offers you a one stop shop for all the jewelry lovers in your life. From stacking rings to colored gemstones to silver jewelry, come in and find the perfect gift to celebrate the season! 415.388.8776, Mill Valley, sofiajewelry.com

International Orange Spa + Shop, located at Marin Country Mart, is an oasis of privacy and relaxation in a quiet 2nd floor corner of the Mart. IO offers massage, skin care and acupuncture with steam rooms, saunas, a cozy lounge and a beautiful deck overlooking the Ferry Terminal and Mt. Tam. Gift Certificates are available for spa services and our retail shop. Ask us about our special holiday spa packages! 415.563.5000 ext 2, Larkspur, internationalorange.com

Kate Munsch Photography specializes in documentary family, newborn and portrait photography. A unique and personal gift that becomes more valuable with time. Give the gift of photography to someone you love this holiday season. 415.656.8848, Oakland, katemunschphotography.com

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Holiday Gift Guide

ADV E RT I SI NG PRO M OT I O N

Rustic Bakery specializes in handmade baked goods for the holiday season. We offer beautiful gift baskets filled with organic treats, nostalgic decorated sugar cookies, hand cut glazed spiced gingerbread tiles and delicious desserts for your holiday table. Larkspur 415.925.1556, Novato 415.878.4952, MCM 415.461.9900, rusticbakery.com

BoxTrot Gifts: Give your friends, colleagues, and loved ones the perfect gift box this holiday season. BoxTrot specializes in creating high quality boutique gift boxes for the holidays and all occasions. We uniquely curate and thoughtfully organize each of our gift boxes, and deliver them right to your doorstep. 415.891.2113, San Anselmo, boxtrotgifts.com

Kathleen Dughi Jeweler. Our signature jewelry is expertly designed and impeccably hand crafted in our Mill Valley workshop using precious metals, fine diamonds and natural gemstones. Join us December 5 for our Holiday Open Studio, 5-8pm. 415.383.0462, Mill Valley, kathleendughi.com

BSC Culinary has the perfect holiday gift for the home tech and chef in the kitchen. Whether you’re a culinary beginner or an experienced chef, Hestan’s revolutionary Smart Cue Cooking System will change the way you cook using step by step videos. The induction burner continuously communicates with the Hestan Cue recipe app and cookware to ensure perfect results every time. $499. 415.626.6246, San Francisco, bscculinary.com

Fitness Transformation with Terralon Athletics. Show your love with a gift that makes a difference. 30% OFF 8 week Fitness and Nutrition Coaching program. Gift a lifestyle changing exercise and nutrition experience with Helga Taylor, MD and fitness competitor. View program details and Helga’s bio at: terralonathletics. com, helga@terralonathletics.com, 916.225.1783

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Holiday Gift Guide

ADVE RTI SI N G PROM OTI ON

Milvali Salon, shop local and give the gift of beauty a Milvali gift certificate can take care of all your family’s beauty needs. A brow wax or facial, a cut and color for Mom, airbrush tan, body waxing for Cabo? Voted Best One Stop Shop for a reason. 415.388.0988, Mill Valley, milvali.com Sunrise Home. GIVE THE GIFT OF COMFORT THIS SEASON! Our new recliner comes in seven styles and hundreds of fabrics and leathers. Better to give or receive? Quick ship is available… 415.456.3939, San Rafael, sunrisehome.com

MEADOWLARK FINE JEWELRY. Monica Rich Kosann locket allows a women to capture a precious moment to be revealed at a time and place of her own choosing. Sterling Silver and white sapphire $295 to $1,300. 866.924.2210, Corte Madera Town Center, meadowlarkgalleries.com

34 Main is a unique boutique located in Tiburon. Their cashmere sweaters, remarkable jewelry, gorgeous resort wear, handbags, scarves and home accessories will make it easy and fun to get something for everyone on your shopping list this season. 415.271.8431, Tiburon, 34MainStreet.com

It’s time to kick off your shoes and put your feet up. SOXalito has a wide variety of Men’s Woman’s and Childern’s socks to choose from. A Marin favorite for the Ultimate Stocking Stuffer! 415.332.3336, Sausalito, soxalito.com

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Holiday Gift Guide

ADV E RT I SI NG PRO M OT I O N

Ashley Morgan Designs. Immerse yourself in the world of Ashley Morgan Designs. This world is rich with jewel-toned gems, rose cut diamonds, and pieces that glimmer with gold. Finish your shopping by browsing Ashley’s jewelry box, and discover tourmalines elegantly carved into graceful leaves, earrings glittering with pave white diamonds, and delicately textured stackable rings. 415.205.6228 ashleymorgandesigns.com

Give yourself and others the gift of Cryotherapy! Benefits include: Weight Loss, Decreased Pain and Inflammation, Increased Energy and Better Sleep. Get ready for 2018! WholeBody and Localized Cryotherapy and Cryofacials. Gift certificates available. 415.927.1012, Corte Madera, CryotherapyWholebody.com

Give the ultimate gift of wellness this year at Marin’s premiere Pilates studio. Choose gift certificates for packages of private sessions and small group classes to fit any budget. Serving all levels and all ages. 415.326.5130, Mill Valley, fitwisepilates.com

Utility Goods prioritizes functionality, craftsmanship and simplicity above all else. A highly curated shopping experience, where you will find the perfect gift for just about anyone on your list. Best of the County 2017 by Marin Magazine. 415.290.4392 San Francisco, 415.295.7721 San Anselmo, utility-goods.com

Holiday spirit abounds in West End Nursery’s 100 year old Victorian Christmas House. Find the perfect ornamanents and unique decorations for your friends, family, and especially yourself. Get inspired! 415.454.4175, San Rafael, westendnursery.com

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ENCY Esthetics. This holiday season, treat yourself and the ones you love to the gift of indulgence! Gift cards make great stocking stuffers, and services such as HydraFacial, cutting-edge peels, and tailormade skincare treatments are the perfect way to ring in the New Year! 415.324.7151, Sausalito, encyesthetics.com

Holiday Gift Guide

ADVE RTI SI N G PROM OTI ON

Julie Tuton Boutique. Words can’t captivate the energy you feel when you try on the pieces Julie creates by hand in her Mill Valley boutique. Sparkly, Sexy, Elegant, with a comfortable price point for gifting and receiving. 415.871.4236, Mill Valley, JulieTuton.com

The best party game you haven’t played yet is Codenames or its new stand-alone companion, Codenames: Pictures. Games last around fifteen minutes and you’ll have a hard time not replaying it multiple times in a sitting! 415.457.8698, San Rafael, gamescape-north.com

Mill Valley Potter’s Studio. Give the gift of a pottery class. Learn to pinch, coil, build, sculpt, throw on the potter’s wheel and glaze. Adult and youth classes, workshops, private parties, parent/child activities. Gift certificates available. Visit or call! 415.888.8906, Mill Valley, millvalleypottersstudio.com

The FolkArt Gallery The World made by Hand! Stunning artisan jewelry and the best of the world’s contemporary, vintage and antique indigenous folk and tribal crafts. We’ve spent over 25 years developing wonderful relationships with artisans and their families. 415.925.9096, San Rafael, thefolkartgallery.com

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+

lifestyle boutique

AS ONE

WE RISE 800 Redwood Hwy. Ste. 216, Mill Valley, Ca. 94941 | 415.383.3223 | www.evo-spa.com Photo by Karen Wiles

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In Marin

CE L E B R AT I N G T H E PEO PL E , PL ACE S A N D C AU S E S O F T H I S U N I Q U E CO U N T Y

Hed TKTK Halloween time is about more than just dressing up and trick-or-treating. With that in mind, we asked our Facebook friends what their favorite way to celebrate is. Did we miss your favorite? Let us know. KASIA PAWLOWSKA

Holidays Through the Decades We asked our friends at the Anne T. Kent California Room to gather some of their favorite seasonal mementos from our county’s past. Here are their picks.

LAURIE THOMPSON AND CAROL ACQUAVIVA

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In Marin / CURRENTS

Deer Debate In September, the name “Tiburon” was splashed across newspapers throughout the country, and not for the usual upbeat reasons. This time, the tony Marin town wasn’t being exalted as an example of the healthiest or wealthiest — in a grim turn of events, it was the death of two deer by gunshot that drew national attention. The man responsible for the shooting is facing animal cruelty charges WILD MARIN and has admitted to firing at the mother and baby after catching them eating his landscaping. At present, opinion on the matter in the community is split. Many are aghast and heartbroken over the slow death and suffering the animals underwent. Others are fed up with the animals’ foliage-destructive feeding and yet opposed to installing unsightly deer fences. And some are considering far more extreme measures, particularly a small group of Belvedere residents who want to hire a company to dart-tranquilize and surgically sterilize the female native black-tailed deer in the community. In light of these circumstances, Marin Humane and WildCare have shared several pieces of information. The organizations report that the deer population in Belvedere has not grown, that the deer (sterilized or not) will continue to eat the vegetation they can access, and that there’s nothing to prevent other deer turning up when the sterilized animals die. Want tips for deterring deer? Check out our February story on the subject at marinmagazine.com/deer. K.P.

Pine Points Marin is famed for its proliferation of trees. Surprisingly, though, Marin hosts only one native pine: bishop pine, characterized by strongly reflexed (turned backwards) cones down its branches, which reduces squirrel predation and cone damage due to fire. In various places where this pine species grows, like Marin, legends, beliefs and folklore surround the tree. Pine trees are thought to symbolize peace, fertility and winter; many Native Americans, including the Miowk, believed these stately trees stood for wisdom and longevity, and they used pines to treat respiratory conditions and for food and canoe-building. Today pines are valuable timber sources for construction; pine oil’s relaxing scent has become popular in aromatherapy; and smaller grown specimens are sold as Christmas trees. Besides being volatile kindle for wildfires, pines have another less desirable feature: needle drop. Stress from insufficient water, pests and disease, or too much sun can cause excess shedding. And while pines are sometimes considered messy needle-litterers, they continue to be a symbolic tree for Marin and for the holiday season.

All pine trees, native and nonnative, provide windbreak, shade, coverage and nutrient-dense seeds for birds and other wildlife. KIER HOLMES Most popular California native pines: • Pinus muricata Bishop pine. The only pine native to Marin. Grows to 40 feet. • Pinus torreyana Torrey pine. The rarest pine species in the U.S. Grows between 25 and 150 feet. • Pinus coulteri Coulter pine. It has the world’s heaviest pinecones, which weigh up to eight pounds each (don’t camp under it!). Grows between 20 and 80 feet. • Pinus attenuata Knobcone pine. This pine has its cones right along the trunk in knobs instead of at the branch ends like most pines. The cones persist for so long that the tree can actually grow around them, making it “the tree that swallows its cones.” Grows between 30 and 80 feet. • Pinus radiata Monterey pine. Fossil evidence shows this pine existed in California 15 million years ago. Also, small stock is used for Christmas trees. Grows between 50 and 100 feet.

Community Champions Local grocery stores are giving back. KASIA PAWLOWSKA

1 GOOD EARTH SCHOOL SCRIP PROGRAM Contact your child’s school to check if it’s already participating in Good Earth’s Scrip Card Program and request a card. Present the card each time you make a purchase at Good Earth and they will give 3 percent of the value of every purchase back to your school. genatural.com 2 MOLLIE STONE’S COMMUNITY CARD Support up to three schools or nonprofits by registering your Community Card with eScrip. Automatically earn up to 5 percent for your causes whether you shop online or in store. As of this year, the program has raised over $400 million. molliestones.com 3 NUGGET MARKETS FIRE RELIEF Nugget Markets’ associates have been working with sister store Sonoma Market to deliver supplies and provisions in the impacted community. To help support all those affected by the Northern California fires, the markets are also accepting donations in-store and will match funds up to $10,000. nuggetmarket.com 4 WHOLE FOODS 5% COMMUNITY SUPPORT DAY Twice a year, a total of 5 percent of the day’s net sales are donated to a local nonprofit organization. Nonprofits that fall under specific categories can apply to participate in this program; all customers have to do is shop on the announced days (they vary by store) to support their charity of choice. wholefoodsmarket.com

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T:9” S:8.5”

Our liver and kidney transplant survival rates are among the best in the country. When you call this city home, you call CPMC your hospital.

cpmc2020.org

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We care for the city that helped you start a new chapter.


In Marin / COLLECTORS

Not Just for Kids

A childhood hobby becomes an adult passion.

I

T’S NO SECRET around the office that our own digital marketing associate Max Weinberg, a 28-year-old San Rafael computer geek, husband and soon-to-befather, is obsessed with Lego. His spare bedroom has been turned into a Lego showroom boasting hundreds of sets that require frequent dusting. Unusual? Maybe, but when you do the research you’ll see the “Adult Fans of Lego,” or AFOL, is a very active and growing community. And when you consider the fact that some sets have gone up in value an estimated 2,230 percent since 2007, collecting makes even more sense. How did he get here? After he let his love of Lego lapse during his teen years — a time AFOLs refer to as the “Dark Ages” — his enthusiasm returned following the release of The Lego Movie. “I got back into the hobby when my friends and I needed to find miniature figures to use as Dungeons and Dragons characters,” he says. Beyond the nostalgia it incites, he finds the hobby great for stress relief and says it appeals to those who like to build, organize and just relax. LEELA LINDNER • PHOTO BY JACK WOLFORD

COLLECTOR Max Weinberg YEARS COLLECTING? From age 4–13, and age 25–present. FIRST PURCHASE? I don’t know what my first Lego set was as a kid, but getting back into it recently, my first large set was the iconic Tower of Orthanc from Lord of the Rings (set 10237). FAVORITE? An old robot from the classic space sets from the early ’90s called Robo Guardian (set 6949). Holding it still fills me with nostalgia. LARGEST SINGLE SET YOU’VE EVER BUILT? Star Wars Death Star (set 10188) that has over 3,800 pieces, and I’ve built even larger custom creations. PRICING? Most sets range from $20 to $200 depending. But right now I have my eye on the new huge Millennium Falcon set ($800), which is totally out of the ordinary and the most expensive set to ever come out. WILL YOU LET YOUR DAUGHTER PLAY WITH THEM? We’ll start her off with the larger Duplo Lego blocks when she’s old enough, and then later, hopefully, she’ll enjoy being creative with our huge collection of Lego.

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PHOTO CREDIT

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In Marin / Q&A

11 QUESTIONS FOR

Barbara Libby-Steinmann Barbara Libby-Steinmann travels the creative road of a fine artist and art educator with vibrancy, passion for fresh ideas and a deep connection and dedication to art in schools. The proof? She was recently honored as Marin County Teacher of the Year and was a top 12 Teacher finalist for California Teacher of the Year. Her gift, beyond SAN GERONIMO her own artistic talent (she was twice a finalist for our own Get Covered art contest), is that she connects all artists — those in her classroom at Bacich Elementary in Kentfield and in the greater community — through her enthusiasm and engagement. KIER HOLMES Did you always know you wanted to be an art teacher? When I was a little girl I would arrange my stuffed animals like a class and I would teach them how to draw or craft. Later, I fell in love with teaching when I was asked to teach an after-school art class in my West Marin community. I then knew that I wanted to create, communicate and share my experiences. I was not shy to take on the hard work it took to become an inspiring teacher and role model.

2

What do you especially love about teaching art to children? I love teaching my students the language of the visual arts, connecting to history, science, social justice, personal views and the world. Also I enjoy seeing my students experience the magic of art as I guide them while they’re creating with their hands, shaping ideas and dreams into sculptures and images that everyone can touch and see.

3

Favorite art technique you teach to kids? Annually I like to plan and direct an event/project that involves and connects my entire student body of 650 to the immediate community. The 2017 Bacich Elementary School upcycling art installation entailed one large art installation per grade level, temporarily installed in different locations around the Bacich campus.

4

Messiest classroom art project? Creating art with kindergartners is messy most of the time; however, messy equals fun and full student engagement. Top of the messy list: papier-mâché, plaster and glitter.

5

If you could bring in a famous artist to your class as a guest, who would it be and why? Eric Carle. My students and I love his books and illustrations. I teach an Eric Carle lesson where students collage animals in an Eric Carle style, out of hand-painted texture paper.

6

Favorite artists? Andy Goldsworthy, Georgia O’Keeffe, Dugald Stermer and Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

7

Where are your favorite places in Marin to paint or sketch? The redwoods on Bolinas Ridge, Wildcat Beach, Ridgecrest overlooking Stinson Beach, and Palomarin.

8

What local museums do you visit for inspiration? The de Young/Legion of Honor museums and the new SFMOMA. I am also a member and participant of Marin Open Studios, and so I visit the local studios of my artist peers to fill my mind and body with fresh artistic energy.

9

Why is art important for young kids? Integrating the arts is the key to a balanced education. The arts motivate and engage students in understanding their inner strengths and abilities to discover what truly inspires them.

10

Would you describe your teaching style? Using a student-focused approach that emphasizes both experimentation and excellence, I invite students to push out the bounds of their own understanding, to follow their natural curiosity while engaging with materials and models.

11

What are the challenges you face as an art teacher? In an ideal world, students would have access to arts education every day. Unfortunately, this is not what a typical public school schedule looks like. Due to funding challenges, arts education is limited or not present at all. m

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MARIN MAGAZINE’S

12 ANNUAL COVER ART TH

CONTEST

BARRIE BARNETT WINNER, 2016

THE DETAILS

CONTESTANTS Winner and

finali ts are chosen from the following categories: painting, photography and illustration.

EXPOSURE The winner will

be featured on the cover of the MAY 2018 ISSUE.

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ARTISTS CALL FOR ENTRIES PHOTOGRAPHY, PAINTING, ILLUSTRATION ENTRY RULES AND REGULATIONS CAN BE FOUND AT MARINMAGAZINE.COM/GETCOVERED. DEADLINE FOR ENTRY IS MIDNIGHT MARCH 5,2018.

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In Marin / READING LIST

Author Talk We sat down with Albert Flynn DeSilver to discuss his new book, Writing as a Path to Awakening: A Year to Becoming an Excellent Writer and Living an Awakened Life. Beginning in January, DeSilver will be offering a yearlong series of workshops in conjunction with this book at Marin Magazine’s Sausalito office. MM: Give us an abbreviated version of your path to poetry. AFD: During my second year of grad school, my teacher (Bill Berkson, also a poet) sent me to an anthology reading for the Norton Anthology of Postmodern American Poetry. And I heard this poem that night, well it was really a line, that caught my attention. The reader was quoting the great Berkeley Renaissance poet Jack Spicer, who said, “The poet builds a castle on the moon/Made of dead skin and glass.” I just thought that was the coolest thing I’d ever heard. MM: And your path to meditation? AFD: Shortly after the reading, a friend invited me to Spirit Rock Meditation Center. He said, “Hey, let’s go to this Monday night thing, this guy Jack Kornfield is giving a talk and you should come check it out.” I’d never meditated or anything. And so we went to that sitting group, and during his talk, Kornfield shared at least three or four poems, and I just saw into this whole sense of writing and poetry as a spiritual kind of gateway. I started meditating soon after, so the love of poetry and meditation became parallel paths from that point forward. That was about 20 years ago. Meditation prepares the mind and sets the groundwork for creativity to happen.

MM: What was your favorite part about being the inaugural poet laureate of Marin? AFD: The Poetry Chair’s a giant chair made out of books that was built by my friend, Todd Pickering, and he designed it so we could wheel it around. We ended up taking it up to Mount Tam, out to Stinson Beach — we just took it all over the place. We would just plop it down and hang out. It was so spontaneous and unscripted, so it was kind of like immersing with the segments of society that were stumbling across poetry. We bought it to the county fair one year and these punk dudes from East Bay came over, and they were sort of making fun of it. But the next thing I knew, they started rapping, and we started writing it down. We ended up writing their raps on balloons and hanging the balloons from the chair. MM: What is it about poetry that grips you more than other genres? AFD: You don’t have to make logical sense with poetry. It’s really driven by heart-sense, or a mysterious kind of prerational, postrational expression that’s about emotionality, and emotions aren’t always rational, they’re not always logical. So poetry becomes that language of possibility, that language of mystery, that language of curiosity and unexpected magic. CALIN VAN PARIS

Local Page Turners Writing as a Path to Awakening by Albert Flynn DeSilver (Woodacre), Sounds True, $16.95. In this book renowned poet, writer and teacher Albert Flynn DeSilver shows readers how to use meditation to cultivate true depth in their own writing. With a mixture of engaging storytelling and practical exercises, DeSilver invites readers to enhance the writing experience through the practice of meditation, while using the creative process to accelerate spiritual evolution. Signed copies now available at Book Passage. Eat Like Walt by Marcy Smothers (Sonoma), Disney Editions, $35. Two decades before the California food revolution, Walt Disney was planning a revolution of his own. The concept of families eating and playing at the same time was an innovation in mid-20th-century America. Eat Like Walt is a culinary tour of Disneyland’s six lands. With food as the lens, Disney’s private and work life are explored, including recipes from his home, his studio and his Magic Kingdom. Appearing at Book Passage Corte Madera December 5, 5:30 p.m. The Art of Flavor by Daniel Patterson and Mandy Aftel (San Francisco, Berkeley), Riverhead Books, $28. Michelin two-star chef Daniel Patterson and celebrated natural perfumer Mandy Aftel are experts at orchestrating ingredients. Yet in a world awash in cooking shows and food blogs, they noticed, home cooks get little guidance in the art of flavor. In this trailblazing guide, they share the secrets to making the most of ingredients via an indispensable set of tools and principles. Appearing in Book Passage’s Cooks with Books series at Alta Restaurant in San Francisco December 9, 12:30 p.m. Reviews by Book Passage Marketing Manager Zack Ruskin.

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To reunite with their families, emperor penguins migrate up to 30 miles across the ice. You just have to make it across the rink.

Now Open Explore the science behind the season and learn how Antarctic penguins survive and thrive in frozen polar ecosystems at this annual holiday exhibit. This year, falling snow flurries, wintry surprises, and an all-new holiday ice rink await! Get tickets at calacademy.org Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org)

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In Marin / CONVERSATION

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Jerry and Diane Jampolsky How a shy kid with a learning disability went on to help many others as a successful author and psychiatrist. BY PAIGE PETERSON • PHOTO BY LENNY GONZALEZ

G

ER A LD “JERRY” JA MPOLSKY’S life story reads like the ultimate self-help book. The boy who was a shy underachiever with a learning disability grew up to be a world-renowned, Stanford-educated child and adult psychiatrist. His Center for Attitudinal Healing (with local centers in the North Bay and Oakland), where he worked with children who had life-threatening illnesses, once merited a visit from Morley Safer of 60 Minutes. When Jampolsky extended this groundbreaking therapy to parents and siblings, his model went global. Mother Teresa applied his principles to her teachings. He even gave Oprah an “aha” moment. Jerry and Diane Cirincione-Jampolsky, his wife and partner, now live on a houseboat in Sausalito. At 92, he’s still writing, still looking forward. Looking back, he sees a story of persistence, destiny — and luck.

Tell me about your childhood. I didn’t realize I was dyslexic because it hadn’t yet been named as a learning disability. I was clumsy and bumped into things. I flunked kindergarten. In first grade I’d raise my hand and give the wrong answer, so I learned not to raise my hand. I was very shy. I was unable to learn to read or write, and rote memory was all but impossible. Meanwhile, I had two older brothers who were very bright and accomplished. What was high school like for you? I began to know that I wanted to go to medical school and then into psychiatry to find out what

made my time as a child so difficult, and try to heal myself and help other kids. What was college like? It was so long ago that you could get into University of California with a D-minus average, so that’s how I got in. But I had to take an English test, which I flunked. I had to take a dumbbell English

course and got a D-minus-minus. The professor said, “Jampolsky, I don’t know what you are going to do in life, but for God’s sake, don’t ever try to write a book.” Of course, I believed him and gave my power away. I didn’t write my first book until I was 50. How many books have you written? Twenty. And how many books have you sold? A little more than 10 million. How did you do in medical school? My grades were so poor that I graduated on probation. But during my internship, a doctor believed that I could make a good doctor rather than a doctor who just got by and barely passed. I didn’t know this at the time, but they were grading the internships. I came out at the top.

Attitudinal Healing is based on the premise that ultimately it is not other people, events or experiences in the past that are causing us to be upset or stressed out. M A R I N D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 45

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In Marin / CONVERSATION

Why do you think that was? I had a good way with patients. I got the right diagnosis for the wrong reasons, because I was a psychic. Oprah said, “That was a transcendent moment for me when you told me, ‘Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could be any different.’ ” Is that the core of Attitudinal Healing? Attitudinal Healing is a unique, cross-cultural and inspired path to love attained by letting go of fear, saying goodbye to guilt, and releasing shame, worry and blame through unconditional love and forgiveness of self and other. Attitudinal Healing is based on the premise that ultimately it is not other people, events or experiences in the past that are causing us to be upset or stressed out. Rather, it is our thoughts, attitudes and judgments about those things that cause our distress. We may not be able to change others. And we know we can’t change the past. But we can change our perceptions of these in the present.

But during my internship, a doctor believed that I could make a good doctor rather than a doctor who just got by and barely passed.

Marius Bosc, Woman Leaning on Blue Cushions

A contemporary ÿne art gallery dedicated to presenting emerging and established local artists 417 San Anselmo Avenue, San Anselmo, CA 94960 Phone: (415) 524-8932 . email: info@destagallery.com www.destagallery.com

How do you personally apply the principles of Attitudinal Healing to the aging process? We see ourselves as works in progress, striving to be in a higher consciousness by doing our best to incorporate and live the principles of Attitudinal Healing and the guidelines in [our book] Aging With Attitude. We strive to make forgiveness and letting go of judgments, guilt and anger part of our daily practice. We do our best to watch what we put in our mouths and what we put into our minds. And you, Diane? We practice meditation daily. We go to the gym five to six times a week for an hour and a half each time. We also start the day with gratitude and seeing inner peace as our only goal. We remain passionate and happy beyond our previous expectations, feeling useful, focusing our lives of service on bringing Attitudinal Healing to people who have requested it around the world. This, by

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UNION STREET

Attitudinal Healing is a unique, cross-cultural and inspired path to love attained by letting go of fear. the way, does not feel like work but pure joy. We find that all of the above works quite well for us, if not always perfectly. And we are happy to say that we no longer have any fears or worries about aging. You say “attitude is everything!” What does that mean? We know that our happiness, and how well we feel we have lived our lives, isn’t determined by the level of our education or by how much money we have or by how many things we have amassed or the job titles or positions we have held or by the number of friends we’ve made or by the experiences we’ve had in the past. Happiness and feeling good about the lives we are now living are most profoundly determined by the attitudes we hold in our minds. In actuality, how we experience everything in our lives is ultimately determined by our attitudes. Therefore, healing our attitudes becomes a major stepping-stone toward enjoying a happy and fulfilling life. What you are writing about these days? Diane and I are working on something about how writing Aging With Attitude together changed our minds about aging. We are now enthusiastically living the second half of our lives with inner peace, happiness, and never-ending creativity, regardless of what may be happening to our bodies. As you know, I am now blind. Is there a new book? I just recently released Poetry and Notes to Myself, the most intimate details of my internal journey. It discusses my move from militant atheism through a spiritual awakening by direct experience. You are now moving toward a century on the planet. What’s different for you now? I choose to laugh more and not take myself and life so seriously; be guilt and judgment free; be free of attacking others or myself; see how I can be helpful to others each day; always choose peace over conflict and make all my decisions based on love instead of fear. m

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GOING OUT of BUSINESS SALE

After 41 years, it is time to close our doors forever! SAVE up to 70% off our entire inventory. Everything MUST go!

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d n a l r e Teach D N A S E L A T E U TR S N O I S S E F N O C O F A M AR I N EDUCATOR BY AARON PRIB

BLE

BY ALEKS ILLUSTRATION

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I am a teacher. After my fifth or sixth year as a social studies instructor at Tamalpais High School I set out to write a book about education that more accurately reflected my experience than what I’d been seeing in movies, reading about and listening to on the radio. Everywhere I turned I seemed to encounter either exposés of un-fireable rubber roomers huddling en masse in empty New York City administrative buildings or cinematic paeans to classroom heroes — Hilary Swank leading her Freedom Writers to the literary promised land. So I resolved to tell a truer, subtler, unvarnished story, something like the Kitchen Confidential of education. Classroom Confid ntial, perhaps. My hope was to improve our education system by humanizing the teaching profession. If readers better understood what it was really like to teach, I figured, they’d be in a better position to influence policy, interact with their children’s educators and override the misleading stereotypes permeating our national discourse. Marin boasts many top-notch schools If readers better understood what that consistently score highly in state and it was really like to teach they’d be in national rankings. That status stems from a better position to influence policy, several factors, including a supportive community, higher-than-average incomes, sound interact with their children’s organizational systems and, of course, good educators and interpret the teachers, not to mention a premium placed misleading stereotypes permeating on learning for its own sake. What’s more, the value of Marin’s homes is directly linked to the our national discourse. performance of its schools. Homebuyers are drawn to the area in part because of elite public schools, which keeps housing prices high and, because of funding laws like Proposition 98, ensures those schools have much-needed financial backing from the state. But the story I set out to tell in my book Teacherland (published in August) focused on the adults in the classroom, those with whom Marin’s sons and daughters spend the majority of their waking hours. And it began, in my mind at least, on the way to work as I found myself in constant “dialogue” with education-related programs on National Public Radio. I came into teaching in the earlier years of President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act and the burgeoning accountability movement, was there as the Department of Education under President Barack Obama announced its Race to the Top grant program, and more recently watched as the Every Student Succeeds Act rolled back much of NCLB’s dictates. All the while my up-close classroom observations have been very different from the views I heard espoused from 30,000 feet above — the latter holding that the way to improve schooling was to tether teacher evaluations to high-stakes student tests. During this time, as I commuted in my Honda Civic back and forth across the bridge, it was not uncommon for me to talk out loud at the radio. Arriving at school, I’d speak with colleagues in the parking lot, on breaks, at lunch and staff meetings, but these impromptu dialogues didn’t feel like enough. How would people outside the profession know what it was really like inside it? Why would people not believe the misinformation they were hearing? As I wrote I began to see a link between education policies and how teachers were represented in popular culture. By painting a more human portrait of teachers, I was hoping to influence policy at both the local and national levels. When you strip away all else, it is clear that three key challenges currently confront the teaching profession: competition, compensation and understanding.

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The first, competition, is perhaps the most controversial aspect and the easiest to misinterpret. Teaching is a wonderful career, but it can feel isolating spending one’s day removed from adults and adult interaction, surrounded only by adolescents — no matter how wonderful those young people may be. If teachers more consistently witnessed their colleagues in action, saw their skillful work and practice, they would surely improve their own, creating a rising tide of good instruction that lifts all boats. In other countries this is common practice; in Japan, for example, it’s called jugyō kenkyū, or lesson study. Teachers collectively plan a lesson, watch one teacher implement it, then as a group debrief on what went well and what could be improved. American teachers, however, spend more hours per day instructing in the classroom than do many of their counterparts elsewhere, so it’s difficult if not impossible to effectively institute “instructional rounds” or lesson study within a normal school day. Creating experimental schools would give researchers, policy makers and educators a way to put lesson study into more consistent practice (which, by the way, was the idea prompting charter schools). Competition also applies to teacher hiring. Raising entry barriers for the profession would mean changing everything from the tests for credentialing teachers to education department curricula to state licensing. In addition to creating a more able teaching corps, higher standards could raise respect for the job. Part of the reason medicine and law hold elevated positions in the occupational hierarchy of our society is that the MCAT, the “boards,” the LSAT and the bar exam are difficult examinations to pass. Yet such tougher criteria seem unlikely in the face of widespread job vacancies that consistently remain unfilled. Ultimately, schools need teachers in the room. One potential remedy for the labor shortage is to raise teacher salaries, which would also make education more attractive as a legitimate long-term career rather than vocational steppingstone. We all want to pursue a higher calling, but we also need to eat. Recently I overheard a local administrator say, “It’s hard to recruit teachers to come to Marin, because it’s hard for teachers to live in Marin,” which aptly sums it up. Marin is in a unique position: schools do pay relatively well here, so our county has become a magnet for teachers across the state. But since not all California towns and municipalities are equally flush with funds, an across-the-board pay raise is about as likely as a radical schedule shift to accommodate lesson study. But most of all, teaching has an image problem — the predicament of being misunderstood. Movies illustrate it perfectly. Here are just a few: Stand and Deliver (1988), Dead Poets Society (1989), Dangerous Minds (1995), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off If teachers more consistently (1986), Dazed and Conf used (1993), and more witnessed their colleagues in recently, The Great Debaters (2007), Fist Fight action, saw their skillful work (2017), Coach Carter (2005), and Bad Teacher (2011). Teachers in these films are portrayed as and practice, they would surely either great or awful — inspiration or deadbeat, improve their own. saint or slouch, hero or zero. Marin County has more than 100 schools employing thousands of teachers. It’s safe to bet a preponderance of them fit neatly within none of those polarities, yet for some reason our collective understanding hasn’t quite grasped that. Rather than typecasting teachers into either/or, we would all benefit from seeing them for who they are: human beings who educate the children of this county so it continues to be the inspirational, progressive, freethinking place we hold dear. This premise is at the heart of my book, which began as a lonely debate with my car radio and yielded some ideas for solutions and positive change. I hope as parents and educators we’re able to look beyond movies and headlines and into the actual classrooms where Marin’s teachers are hard at work. With a few systemic shifts, some subtle and some large, our local schools can continue to improve, along with prospects for the well-being and future of our kids. m

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PHOTO CREDIT

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TURNING

200 One of the least famous missions, and the second to last to be built in Alta California, celebrates a big birthday this month. BY MARK ANTHONY WILSON • PHOTOS BY JACK WOLFORD

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ISITORS TO DOW NTOW N San Rafael can’t help but notice a unique pink Spanish Colonial–style bell tower rising above a plaza along Fifth Avenue, where A Street dead-ends. This is Saint Raphael Church, built in 1919. To the right of it stands a full-scale replica of the original chapel of Mission San Rafael, built in 1949 next to the site where the old chapel stood. Both buildings are now part of the Mission San Rafael historic complex. This site was first occupied by the Spanish in 1817 as a medical sub-mission, or asistencia, of the Mission San Francisco de Asís, across the Golden Gate. This year the Mission San Rafael Arcángel, to use its full original name, is celebrating the 200th anniversary of its founding on December 14, 1817.

Of the 21 missions founded by the Spanish in Alta California between 1769 and 1823, the Mission San Rafael is one of the least well known and was the second to last to be founded (followed only by Sonoma Mission in 1823). Part of the reason for the low profile is that none of Mission San Rafael’s original structures remain. By 1870 their remaining ruins that had survived the influx of new settlers were cleared away to make room for the development of San Rafael’s business district, prompting some historians to call this the most obliterated of California’s missions. But a mission is much more than a collection of buildings, and Mission San Rafael has both a rich heritage stemming from its unusual history and an important modern role in providing valuable services for the local community. M A R I N D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 53

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Opener: Saint Raphael Church. The two Italian bronze doors, installed in 1960, can be clearly seen. This page, clockwise from top: An old postcard; full-scale replica of the original chapel of Mission San Rafael; the church’s bell tower overlooks the city of San Rafael.

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ANNE T. KENT CALIFORNIA ROOM, MARIN COUNTY FREE LIBRARY (POSTCARD)

In the early 1800s the Indian converts at Mission San Francisco de Asís (aka Mission Dolores) were dying at an alarming rate from European diseases. The fathers there thought the infected natives might be better able to heal in a warmer location. So on December 14, 1817, four priests traveled across the Golden Gate to the area where the city of San Rafael is now to found a “healing station,” or hospital for native converts. This asistencia was named for the Catholic angel of healing, San Rafael Archangel (Arcángel in Spanish). The new sub-mission was officially founded by Father Vicente Francisco de Sarría, while the hospital was put under the direction of Father Luis Gil y Taboada, who spoke many native languages and had medical training. The first small chapel on this site was built in 1818 and within the first year, Father Gil and his staff had achieved a dramatic drop in the death rate of their Indian patients, and the population of healthy native converts began to grow. Their sub-mission soon added other functions besides a hospital, and it was granted full mission status on October 19, 1822. By 1828, Mission San Rafael had a total native population of 1,120. That good fortune changed in 1829. A native Miwok convert named Chief Marin and his Indian friend Quentin decided to leave the mission, only to return later to attack it with a group of Indian raiders. The converts living there protected the head of the mission, Father Amoros, from harm, but buildings were damaged in the attack. The structures were quickly rebuilt, and Chief Marin and Quentin eventually returned to the live at the mission and stayed for the remainder of their lives. Their unmarked graves may still be in the Mission San Rafael’s former cemetery, which was paved over decades ago, but their names live on in the names of the county and the state prison nearby. In 1834, Mission San Rafael was secularized by the Mexican government, which issued land grants allowing Mexican citizens to take over much of the mission-owned land. By 1840 only 150 Indians were living on the grounds, and by 1844 the mission was abandoned. The empty buildings were sold for $8,000 early in 1846, but this sale was voided after the United States took over California during the Mexican-American War. Later that year, Captain John C. Fremont used the mission buildings as his headquarters during the conquest and occupation of California by the United States Army. After California became a state in 1850, the abandoned mission buildings deteriorated rapidly. The original chapel was long gone by the time a wooden Gothic Revival church went up in 1861 on the same site (by the early 1900s this building was also gone). In 1870 a larger parish church building was erected on the adjacent site, where the current Saint Raphael Church stands today. Also in 1870 many of the original mission grave sites were removed and the cemetery was closed. In 1889 the Dominican Sisters reopened a former grammar school on the property; the school still operates today. In 1919, a fire destroyed the 1870 parish church, and that same year Sausalito architect Arnold Constable designed the current church, with its distinctive Spanish Colonial tower. The building’s walls are stucco-covered reinforced concrete, an earthquake-resistant material that came into use after the 1906 San Francisco quake. The marble in the church altar is from Carrara, Italy, and an 18th-century painting of Archangel Rafael, by the Mexican painter Juan García Esquivel, hangs on the north wall. The two bronze front doors, made in Italy, were installed in 1960 when Constable’s son Francis designed a large addition at the rear of the church. In 1947 the father and son co-designed the church offices, which remain in use today. Famed media mogul William Randolph Hearst also figured significantly in the history of Mission San Rafael. A devout Catholic, he decided in 1946 to give the Catholic Church $500,000, to be split evenly between the archdioceses of Northern and Southern California. This was a huge sum at that time, equivalent to $10 million today. Out of that fund, $85,000 was used to build a replica of the old chapel on its original site, where it stands now. Historians aren’t sure if the replica is entirely accurate, since only a few sketches and no clear photos of the old building have been found. The replica was built out of hollow concrete blocks plastered over to look like adobe, and it faces in a different direction than did the original chapel, which stood at a right angle to the current structure. m Some information in this article was provided by Theresa Brunner, curator of the Mission San Rafael museum.

A COMMUNITY FOCUS

In addition to its colorful history, Mission San Rafael now provides several valuable programs and services in southern Marin. Current pastor Monsignor Romulo Vergara, better known to parishioners as Father Loi, assumed parish leadership in July 2013 and has been actively seeking to make his church a resource for “the integration of the different cultures in this area into the local society,” he says, “in order to create a more cohesive community.” For example, Saint Raphael Church and Mission San Rafael Arcángel work with the Marin Housing Authority to assist the county’s less fortunate, temporarily helping some families with rent, utilities, groceries or obtaining of food stamps. The parish offers immigration counseling and helps recent arrivals get driver’s licenses, and the church hosts regular dinners for homeless people and has volunteers who speak Spanish, Portuguese and Vietnamese providing translation for non-English-speaking residents. The parish has also been sponsoring a number of public events to commemorate the mission’s 200th anniversary, including, since July, a monthly lecture series on the mission’s history (the series concludes this month), as well as a walking tour of historic San Rafael that began at the mission itself. In September and October, the parish presented a historical exhibit about the mission at the Bartolini Gallery in San Rafael, displaying original vestments, artifacts, artwork and photographs. A contest for third-, fourth- and fifth-graders solicited poems, essays and artwork about the mission’s history. And on December 16, at 5 p.m. in the main church building, Archbishop Cordileone of the San Francisco Archdiocese will lead a multicultural mass and reception to cap off these commemorative events. Even though the original structures are gone, the Mission San Rafael Arcángel retains its historic legacy in Marin. “We work on the healing of both the body and soul of our parishioners,” says Father Loi, summing up what he sees as the mission’s most valuable local role. “And we are dedicated to the task of building a stronger community. Even after the old mission buildings were abandoned, that task continued through the generations — as it does today.” saintraphael.com

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Santa Rosa’s Fountaingrove neighborhood was devastated when the Tubbs fire ripped through Sonoma County in the early morning hours of October 9. This image shows homes lost along Rincon Ridge Drive.

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FIRE STORIES As an unprecedented disaster devastated our neighbors to the north, many of us watched from the safety of our screens. Here are tales from seven people who had to act, and act fast. BY KIRSTEN JONES NEFF • PHOTOS BY BRUCE FARNSWORTH

In Marin County we looked out our windows on the morning of Monday, October 9, to discover surroundings bathed in a strange orange glow. We might have heard distant sirens, smelled smoke in the air, or received a text from faraway family, checking on our whereabouts. As the veiled amber sun rose higher in the sky and the smoke and ash began to wash across local neighborhoods, we turned to our televisions and social media to discover the magnitude of what was unfolding next door in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties. “This scale is off the charts. When you look at historic fires we’ve had, it doesn’t even compare in terms of the devastation of property, the environmental loss and the fatalities,” says Marin County Fire Department Battalion Chief and Public Information Officer Bret McTigue. “This was an unprecedented fire. We’ve never experienced anything like it.” In the face of this disaster, Marin County put every single Marin firefighter in the department on duty and deployed eight strike teams (five engines per team) to fight fires across Northern California, including the Nuns, Atlas, Tubbs and Redwood Complex fires, as well as the Bear Valley Fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Marin Fire Agency also took over management of the Highway 37 fire for five days, as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) was overwhelmed. According to the most recent numbers, the multiple fires that ignited in the windstorms across Northern California that night burned 245,000 acres, destroying 8,900 homes and commercial buildings and displacing more than 102,000 people. Most significantly, 43 lives were lost in the three counties. “We spent the entire first 24 hours in lifesaving mode,” says Novato Fire Battalion Chief Jeff Whittet, whose strike team of 22 worked for 10 days straight, some days on 72-hour shifts without a break, battling the Atlas Fire.

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“Total destruction” is how Congressman Jared Huffman, who toured Sonoma and Mendocino in the days following containment, describes what he saw: “The only thing I can compare it to is the footage of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in that it has reduced entire neighborhoods to smoldering ruins, in some cases as far as the eye can see. The FEMA administrator, who sees a lot of disasters, said it is the worst destruction he has ever seen.” According to Marin County Fire Department’s McTigue, it could have just as easily been Marin on that fateful windy night. “It is amazing it was not us. We had the exact same wind events and the same burning conditions,” he says. “We do our best here with the staffing and resources we have, but it is going to take every every single Marin resident understanding they need to take responsibility — reducing [flammable timber and vegetation] fuel, cleaning gutters, creating space and access, and learning what to do to help us to protect their homes in these fires. Really, this is our wake-up call.” So many in Marin have family or friends in Sonoma or Napa. We work, go to school, vacation or own second homes in wine country. The extraordinary mobilization across Marin County arose in part because we are all members of an expansive interconnected North Bay community. According to Katelyn Willoughby-Bagley of the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL), which contracts with both Napa and Marin counties to provide volunteers in case of a disaster and was responsible for the establishment of Marin’s primary evacuation shelter at the Marin Civic Center, “Since opening a fire relief fund on October 9, CVNL has raised almost $160,000 to aid those affected by the fires. In addition, $50,000 in gift cards have been received to date and 3,000 volunteers were deployed in Marin and Napa counties.” She adds that 10,000 people from around the Bay Area are registered online to volunteer. Dozens of charities have received donations of time and money as well. Looking to the future of the region, Congressman Huffman’s concerns are vast. Now that the heroic acts of lifesaving and fire containment are over, he says, it is time to start putting lives back together, rebuilding communities, protecting watersheds, addressing housing shortages, and policing the scams and abuses that come in the wake of a tragedy. Huffman points to the vulnerability of the elderly and immigrants as well as renters who, unlike homeowners, might have little or no insurance, often have no savings, and in some cases will not have a livelihood. “Marin County has been incredibly generous in the immediate aftermath of this crisis, but the need is not fully met, and will not be for a long time,” Huffman says. “The challenge is, can we continue to support our neighbors for the long run?”

SULPHUR FIRE

ESTIMATED STRUCTURES DESTROYED 8,900

POCKET FIRE

ESTIMATED COSTS OF DAMAGE +$3.3 billion FIRE NAME ACRES BURNED

Nuns

56,556

Atlas

51,624

Tubbs

36,807

TUBBS FIRE Santa Rosa

NUNS FIRE

ATLAS FIRE

Redwood/ 36,523* Potter Pocket

17,357

Cascade

9,989*

37 FIRE

Cherokee 8,417* La Porte

6,151*

Sulphur

2,207

37 Fire

1,660

*Not shown on map

San Francisco

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Lauren Krause BELTANE RANCH

WINERY AND BED-AND-BREAKFAST, GLEN ELLEN We host a Sunday night “Farm to Table” dinner series. I cleaned up with my brother, then went to my own home on the ranch, and there was no news of anything, it was just extremely windy. My kids and husband were asleep when I smelled smoke and I just knew in my heart that it was too abrupt. I knew it was a threat. I screamed as soon as I smelled it to get the kids out of the house. I ran to my mother’s, nearby on the property, and screamed at her to get out of the house, but I still couldn’t see where it was coming from. Then, within one or two minutes it was an orange glow, a semicircle from the whole back of the ranch, coming toward us, and there were embers blowing and landing on our roof by the time I got back to my house a couple minutes later. It came on really hot and fast, a wall of fire blowing sideways. The kids went with my mother and my husband and I started spraying down the back of our house, because the fire was right there. My brother arrived and made sure all of the guests in our historic home, our bed-and-breakfast, were out of the rooms. The fire spread so fast it wrapped around the parking lot and some of the guests’ cars burned. My brother gave them his car to evacuate. It burned our barn, our woodshed, and our wine storage with all of our wine inside.

I don’t even know how they all found out but we have so many friends in the area who came straight to help us as soon as they heard, including our friend Chris Landry, who is a fire captain in Oakland and told us what we needed to do, where we would need to spray, because we had so much to protect. We are so lucky. I was double-checking that all of the guests were out of their rooms on the second floor of the farmhouse, and I looked out and I couldn’t believe it, it was horrible, both the horse and cattle pastures were burning the animals into a corner. It isn’t easy to move cattle from a burning corral, but all the animals were rescued thanks to so many who helped us. Most of our vineyard survived, and in our orchard we lost our olive crop, but our trees will recover. There are a lot of ups and downs to the process of recovery. All of the fencing on our property, the electrical at the well for the pump, things like that that aren’t necessarily insured. Now we are faced with removal of outbuildings that burned, farm equipment that burned, automobiles that burned, water pipes that melted, power lines down. It is overwhelming. But our most important historical structures and private homes were spared and we were able to retain our family history. All the animals are alive and well, including our personal pets that we got in the car when we got the kids out. We feel so very fortunate and full of gratitude.

A view across scorched steel and melted glass as a burned-out work truck rests beside the barn at Beltane Ranch. Greenvested contractors gather to help clean the historic ranch house.

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Top image: Cardinal Newman High School students visit the burned home of a friend near their school. A weight set can be seen in the foreground. Bottom image: The Tubbs fire burned this hill on the north side of Safari West wildlife park. Described by fire officials as a “crown fire,� the flames jumped over the valley in which the park sits and continued south. Some embers did fall in the park and were extinguished by the park owner.

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Graham Rutherford

PRINCIPAL, CARDINAL NEWMAN HIGH SCHOOL, SANTA ROSA I was at Lake Tahoe to celebrate my sister’s birthday and my son was at home alone in Windsor and told me what was going on. When I went online to the Press Democrat I saw a picture of Willi’s Wine Bar engulfed in flames, and that is on the corner right near Cardinal Newman and I thought, “that’s not good.” When we got home we tried to get onto campus but of course roads were blocked, but I was able to see a video of the destruction of the front administration buildings and the library and 20 classrooms, so I had kind of an idea of what to expect. But to see it the next morning was pretty shocking. My office was a museum of my personal history from being a child on up, all kinds of stuff important to me, school things, and it was just a flat pile of ashes. But it was remarkable that we didn’t lose all of the school. Trying to process it all and make a plan, I realized it isn’t just us that has had a fire, it is everything around us. The utility poles and lines are all down, burnt up, so when would we be able to come back to campus? We just don’t know. The fires continued all week and the evacuations continued all week. So, you’re on edge, trying to scramble to do something, but you are also worried about, “do we have to move out of our own homes?” We had two teachers who were burned out. Multiple people had to evacuate. About 90 families, onesixth of the school, have lost their homes. A significant number. We wanted to make sure people felt supported. We were trying to get our balance and plan for the school community, but it was constantly shifting. It was chaos. The next week we had a little more time to put some plans together. We were able to set up two sites in Rohnert Park and Windsor to create a retreat experience for the students where they could come together, see each other, write thank-you notes to first responders, give our professional counselors a chance to see who needed particular help. Faculty and staff also got back together as a group at St. Rose Hall downtown, so we got everybody together to restart the school year and talk about working online and remind everybody what we’re doing and how we can’t hold on to how we always did things or prefer to do, but the number one thing is taking care of our students because we understand that the community is the people, it is not the buildings.

Peter Lang OWNER, SAFARI WEST About 10 p.m. Sunday evening our ranch manager who heard there was a fire came up to our home ranch, which is about a mile away from Safari West, and got Nancy and me out of bed, because he knew how urgent it was. We got the dogs and Nancy grabbed a few items, but you know how ladies don’t go anywhere without their purse: Nancy forgot her purse, which tells you something.

ABOUT 90 FAMILIES, ONE-SIXTH OF THE SCHOOL, HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES. A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER. Nancy took our dogs and drove with our ranch manager out through the flames and I followed them. We got down to the property and the sheriff immediately wanted to evacuate everybody, so I just sort of let everybody go and I stayed. We have a lot of spigots and hoses all around the property, which is 400 acres, around 1,000 animals. I used all the hoses I could, connecting them, putting out fires wherever I could put them out, going back and forth around the property through the night. I didn’t need a flashlight because the fires provided all the light I needed. I never wear a hoodie, but for some reason I grabbed a hoodie that night so I soaked it with water and put the hood over my head. It would last about 10 minutes before it would dry out, so I would soak it again. Fires were burning in parts of the hyenas’ area, so I would put the fires out wherever they popped up. The hyenas were a little freaked out. It burned up to the rhinos. And it burned right up to behind our guest tents on the mountain. There was a group of five Nyala antelope up on that side of the mountain and they got burned into a corner. I climbed over the fence and scared them until they jumped over an area where the fire was just one foot high and were able to get away. I used a forklift and moved large piles of wooden posts away from the fire because it was so much fuel. I was looking up at the mountain across the road and watched the whole thing burn, four houses. I had to let my neighbor’s house next door go because it was just too much. I have been around fire, on ranches, but I have never seen anything like this fire. I guess I got lucky, everything started going for me. The big winds died down. It was a small breeze encouraging the fire to creep down the mountainside above us rather than roar down. We lost some vehicles but I was able to save our buildings and all of our animals. At 8:30 a.m one of our employees was able to get through to come up to the park. I was very happy to see him. The fires continued all week, so we were concerned and working on the property. In fact, I was not able to change out of the clothes I put on Sunday night until the following Friday. We talked about when we will reopen. I do not want guests to have to drive up Mark West Springs Road and see all the burned homes and fire devastation. We were planning to open in the spring but we reopened Thanksgiving week due to hundreds of requests to see the animals.

Marie McAlpin FOUNTAINGROVE NEIGHBORHOOD, SANTA ROSA

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IT WASN’T UNTIL WE DROVE UP OUR STREET, SUCH A PEACEFUL CUL-DE-SAC WHERE WE HAD LIVED FOR 15 YEARS, NOW IN RUINS, THAT IT REALLY HIT ME AND FOR THE FIRST TIME I SOBBED. all over the deck, so it was noisy. At 1 a.m. I heard a bang, bang, bang on the front door. My neighbor was outside with her flashlight. The fire was coming from behind our house, so when I went out to the front and looked up I could see flames all across the sky. I woke my husband and grabbed my computer, medicine, and T-shirt and jeans and put them in a bag and that was about it. We hopped in the car and thought we would go down Fountaingrove Parkway, but then there was a new house on fire and it was shooting flames across the road so I managed a U-turn and we went the back way, heading down toward a Safeway parking lot. What would normally take 10 minutes took an hour-and-a-half because you couldn’t see and everyone was converging. I still didn’t have any idea our house would burn. We thought we’d go to IHOP to have a cup of coffee and wait, but no one came to IHOP to open up because the employees’ neighborhoods were burning also. At about 3 p.m. I got the text that my whole street was gone. We went to a hotel and then to my daughter’s house and were not allowed to go back until Saturday. We arrived to go up to our house; we checked in with the National Guard. They were kind and wonderful. They gave us buckets and gloves and masks to sort through the ash. There were so many kind people, volunteers who gave us meals to take up with us for the day, so we had food as we worked. One woman leaned into the car with an envelope that said, “From my home to yours,” and inside was a $100 bill. Such kindness from everyone.

HOW TO HELP As the region turns its attention to healing and rebuilding, how can we

best support efforts to rebuild devastated communities and get Sonoma and Napa residents back on their feet? Over the past weeks a number of organizations have emerged as key players in supporting those who have lost everything: • Redwood Credit Union Red North Bay Fire Relief Fund • Napa Valley Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund • Sonoma County Community Foundation Resiliency Fund

• Rebuild Wine Country which has partnered with Habitat for Humanity • The Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership • Bay Area Firefighters and Families Fund

• Redwood Empire Food Bank • Latino Community Foundation • The Milo Foundation • The Marin Humane Society

It wasn’t until we drove up our street, such a peaceful cul-de-sac where we had lived for 15 years, now in ruins, that it really hit me and for the first time I sobbed. We, and all of our neighbors, lost everything, from the documents and passports, etc., to photos and my grown children’s childhood notes and artwork, things I was getting together to pass on to them. But we are all right. in a situation like this you can’t look back. You just have to look forward.

Guadalupe Maldonado CALISTOGA On Sunday night around midnight my husband’s phone started ringing. It was his mom, telling us about the fires. That night while our two children, 3 and 4, were sleeping we packed our bags and we stood outside looking up at the Tubbs Fire. We didn’t get any sleep that night. We stayed, but the next day we had no power, so we couldn’t get updates on the news. My work at UpValley Family Centers closed that day and my husband works at a winery in St. Helena. It is harvest now, but he couldn’t go to work either. The smoke was really bad, and we were all so anxious. We stayed inside with our children, waiting for text updates from our families and just reading and playing games with our children. There were still no evacuation orders. On Tuesday we decided to stay and sleep in our home, but we had our bags packed up. At 3 a.m. my husband woke me, telling me it was time to leave. There was so much adrenaline. We carried the kids into the car. I went back to check where my daughter was sleeping and saw we had left her Mickey Mouse she sleeps with, so I made sure to grab that. There was a shelter at Napa Valley College, so we decided to go there. My son is always a chatterbox, but as we drove to the shelter he was so quiet I kept asking my husband to make sure he was with us; it was so unlike him, I didn’t think

Former FEMA Director James Lee Witt has been named executive director of the newly formed Rebuild Northbay, a nonprofit established by a coalition of local business and government leaders to raise funds and develop comprehensive plans for recovery and reconstruction of the region. To follow the progress of this organization please visit Rebuild Northbay at rebuildnorthbay.org. Find more information at marinmagazine.com/fires. Also thanks to our partners at Make It Better Media Group, donations made to our special Red Cross page will be matched up to $10,000. To donate, go to marinmagazine.com/redcross.

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he was in the car. We got to the shelter and had no idea what we would do. We felt so vulnerable, like I had my hands tied, seeing the stress level of my kids and nothing I could do about it. My husband and I tried to hide our emotions but when we were evacuated my daughter drew a picture of our happy family and told me, “I want to see you happy, Mommy.” We were so fortunate that our home and our family members’ homes did not burn. I was telling my co-workers today how hard it is to be homeless when you have small children. When the evacuation was lifted and we were finally able to drive home, we arrived in Calistoga and my daughter started clapping. We were all so happy.

Michael Ent PASTOR, THE LIVING WORD CHAPEL, FIRE EVACUATION CENTER, NOVATO

Monday was my day off, so that morning I was getting ready to take my son to high school in Rincon Valley when I received a text from my in-laws. That was when we checked the news and realized Rincon Valley might not even be there. Within short order we wrapped our head around what was going on, particularly when we saw the travel time from Santa Rosa to Novato, which told us the enormity of what was going on as far as evacuations. That was my big clue: they were coming and would need a place to stay. We’ve got space at Living Word, so I thought, well, we’ll turn it into a hotel. I got in the car and went to the parking lot at Vintage Oaks, by Costco and Target, and confirmed my suspicion that that was where people were congregating. So, I handed out every card we had, and I began inviting people to come stay with us. My son and his friend were back in the church and began clearing classrooms, and we had our sanctuary, which was ready to go, and then we put a sign out on the sidewalk. It just said Fire Relief with a red arrow. When I got back from Vintage Oaks, what was following me into the parking lot was almost a caravan of people who were already coming with donations of supplies for the evacuees. We had several tables filled with supplies within an hour-and-a-half, overflowing, so we were very prepared. Wow, it was just very humbling to reflect on that. That first night we had 34 folks, and the next night it was 40, and then it peaked on Wednesday with 70. Volunteers would come and say, “How can I help?” and if I didn’t have anything for them to do at the moment I’d say, “Stick around five minutes and you’ll be busy.” Or I’d say, “Do you have kids? Well, bring ’em and let them play.” We had kids running around laughing, because kids do that, and it was good medicine for everybody. I never used the term victim with the evacuees. I saw on their faces, they were men and women who have a great work ethic and wanted to jump in too. They were cleaning and folding, emptying the garbage. Then it turned into mowing the grass and landscaping. There was one tree that really needed pruning. They helped run the shelter.

The hardest thing was knowing my neighbors were struggling with so much loss. But at the same time, we had created a peace-filled place where they felt safe and had a sense of refuge.

Jennifer Alvarez WINDSOR It was about 2:30 a.m. on Monday, October 9, when my 16-year-old daughter texted me from her bedroom down the hall. She said that our dog was growling. Our dog doesn’t growl, and I felt a shot of adrenaline. Then I smelled the smoke. On my way to her room, I passed the back patio door and saw that the entire eastern horizon was glowing, bright red with bursts of orange flames every time the wind gusted. And the winds were ferocious! The wall of fire on the ridge traveled as far south toward Santa Rosa as I could see. I can only describe my reaction as one of helpless terror. There was no stopping those flames if they came our way. Later I would learn that this was the Tubbs Fire. I spent the rest of the night with my family staring at the fire, ready in case it roared down the hill toward us. There was nothing between us and Tubbs except dry vineyards and trees. In hindsight, we should have packed up the cars

WE’VE GOT SPACE AT LIVING WORD, SO I THOUGHT, WELL, WE’LL TURN IT INTO A HOTEL. that night, but my mind was in overdrive. All I could think was that our stuff didn’t matter if we were dead. My husband began spraying our roof, our barn and the surrounding grass with water. We have two horses, two dogs, and three outdoor cats, and I knew we’d have to leave the cats behind to fend for themselves. My biggest concern regarding evacuating was the horses. I had no idea where I’d take them. Most shelters don’t take livestock either. Besides that, I only had half a tank of gas in my rig, and I wasn’t sure how far we’d have to travel if we left. It was all very distressing. We decided that staying home to fight the fire was the best decision for the horses. Thankfully, the winds did not blow the Tubbs Fire down the hill. We have many friends and several members of our Santa Rosa Pony Club group who lost their homes, horse gear and horse trailers. It’s difficult to see others suffering. It was also difficult to live with the terror for the next several days after Tubbs started. Every time I received a Nixle text, I felt a whisper of panic. Being surrounded by fires that remained at zero percent containment for half the week was awful. We’re grateful to be safe and able to help others. We also took in some adorable goats from Geyserville that were threatened by the Pocket Fire. In this time when our country feels so divided, it’s been heartening to see that when trouble comes, help comes. We’re not divided when it comes to our humanity. People are good. m M A R I N D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 63

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Making a Difference These Marin organizations are improving people’s lives and you can help. BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA • ILLUSTRATION BY MIKE ELLIS

UNDOUBTEDLY, GIVING TO charitable causes feels good. Yet some

PHOTO CREDIT

donors wonder, “Where does my money actually go?” To shine a light on this issue we spoke with more than 30 groups here in Marin, asking them to answer that question in concrete terms. Depending on the organization, your donation will help the underprivileged or provide transportation, nutrition or other kinds of assistance. Of course, any kind of help — whether it’s giving money or giving time — is appreciated by these groups. Read on to see how much impact your donation could have.

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$100 Autistry Studios A $100 gift buys supplies for artists painting dioramas, fine art pieces and character clocks — for example, 53 tubes of acrylic paint, three quarts of gel medium and 12 natural-bristle brushes. autistrystudios.com

MARIN HUMANE In the past year, Marin Humane has found homes for hundreds of animals, taught humane education to hundreds of kids, brought animal assisted therapy (AAT) dogs to hospitals and retirement communities, and provided free pet food and care to hundreds of low-income seniors. Its Animal Services officers have rescued wildlife, reunited lost pets with their worried guardians, and prevented animal neglect and abuse. More than 700 Marin residents volunteered their time with Marin Humane, walking dogs, socializing kitties, keeping kennels tidy and pitching in at fundraisers. And recently, Marin Humane housed hundreds of pets of evacuees during the North Bay fires, free of charge. Marin Humane also sent its highly trained officers to Sonoma County to aid in the search and rescue of animals affected by the fires.

$50 Audubon Canyon Ranch Supplies a schoolchild with colorful and interesting materials to help guide an outdoor experience on the ranch’s nature trails. egret.org Ceres Community Project Nourishes a cancer patient with a delivery of six prepared organic meals. ceresproject.org Halleck Creek Ranch Provides a private therapeutic horseback riding lesson for one rider with special needs. halleckcreekranch.org

Homeward Bound Pays for one night of shelter, food and services for an adult or a child. hbofm.org Marin City Health and Wellness Center Buys healthy snacks for two weeks of facilitated student empowerment meetings at MLK/Bayside and Tam, Redwood and Drake high schools. marincityclinic.org Marin Humane Buys two leash/harness sets so volunteers can safely walk shelter dogs. marinhumane.org Opening the World Many young people struggle with transportation each month. Having access to Clipper Cards

Bay Area Discovery Museum Gives three families discountedaccess memberships. bayareadiscovery museum.org DrawBridge Underwrites the cost for one child to attend DrawBridge art groups for a year. drawbridge.org

Headlands Center for the Arts Lights Headlands’ nine-building campus for a day. headlands.org Hospice by the Bay Supports the Quality of Life Fund, which provides essentials such as a bathrobe for patients who live alone with no family, friends or other resources. hospiceby thebay.org Marin Humane Covers one month of food and medicine for a dog or cat in care. marinhumane.org

Sunny Hills Services Purchases essential school supplies for students at the Irene M. Hunt School of Marin, a program of Sunny Hills Services. sunnyhillsservices.org Warm Wishes Buys five “street packs” filled with a warm cap, gloves, socks, scarf and rain poncho. Each pack contains a holiday card handmade by local schoolchildren. warmwishes.org Youth in Arts Provides one free gallery field trip for a local school group. youthinarts.org

relieves the financial burden and helps them get to OTW meetings and work. Funds buy two Clipper cards. openingtheworld.org SF-Marin Food Bank Create four bags for neighbors enrolled in the Home Delivered Groceries program. Each bag weighs about 26 pounds and is stocked with a balance of nutritious foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein and whole grains. It provides enough food for four seniors or participants with ambulatory issues for an entire week. sfmfoodbank.org

AUTISTRY STUDIOS Autistry Studios is a therapeutic/educational Maker Space entering its 10th year of providing programs and services to teens and adults with autism and other developmental, communication and social issues. The Autistry Core Program offers weekly hands-on “build stuff” workshops for creating robots, dioramas, stop-motion animation and computer projects, via a wide array of tools, including laser cutters, computer-driven routers, band saws, sewing machines, 3-D printers and more. The studio recently launched the Autistry Comprehensive Adult Program, addressing specific individual needs of adult participants in the areas of education, vocation, life skills and physical fitness.

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$500 WHISTLESTOP For 63 years, Whistlestop has helped Marin’s older adults thrive through the power of human connections, aiding over 10,000 people in 2017 alone. The organization supplied 5,892 bags of fresh produce and protein sources to low-income older adults, 92,387 home-delivered meals and 18,418 low-cost fresh meals at Jackson Cafe. Volunteer drivers also transported 13,790 older adults for free to the grocery store and doctor appointments and provided 337,375 rides to older adults and people living with disabilities. New transportation pilot programs were launched with Lyft and Zipcar. With an Active Aging Center, nutrition programs, transportation options, classes and social groups, Whistlestop seeks to enrich the lives of everyone in the community.

$250 ExtraFood.org Equips five volunteers with the tools required — insulated delivery bag, ice packs, ExtraFood apron — to pick up donated food and deliver it to people in need. extrafood.org Hungry Owl Project Pays for one pole camera for monitoring the success of owl boxes in vineyards and on farms and private property. hungryowl.org Marine Mammal Center Provides an X-ray to help veterinarians diagnose animal injuries and illnesses. marinemammalcenter.org

Marin City Health and Wellness Center Provides basic health care for a low-income adult, including a medical exam and dental cleaning. marincityclinic.org

Bay Area Discovery Museum Provides 50 students who are attending subsidized preschools with a free field trip to the museum. bayarea discoverymuseum.org Ceres Community Project Provides three weeks of prepared, nourishing meals designed to support a patient with cancer, as well as two children. ceresproject.org DrawBridge Covers art materials for an entire group for a year. San Rafael–based DrawBridge provides art programs for homeless and other underserved children

in an environment that inspires creativity, joy, self-confidence and hope. drawbridge.org Headlands Center for the Arts Feeds 15 artists with house-made meals for one week. headlands.org Halleck Creek Ranch Provides a full scholarship to a rider-in-need for 18 consecutive weeks of therapeutic riding. halleckcreekranch.org Hospice by the Bay Provides five days of in-home caregiving, providing patients with the option of remaining in their home in their final days. hospicebythebay.org

Hungry Owl Project Installs a barn owl nest box, with a camera inside, to help foster and eventually release orphaned barn owls. hungryowl.org Oak Hill School Buys an iPad to assist with communication and individualized special education goals. theoakhillschool.org River Otter Ecology Project Pays a stipend to one college intern for a summer. Interns gain invaluable skills and experience with field biology, science communication, and the realities of nonprofit work, while contributing to research. riverotterecology.org

SF-Marin Food Bank Covers the cost of fueling up a fleet of 18 delivery trucks for two to three days. Trucks are the lifeline of the Food Bank — without them, donated food can’t be picked up and groceries can’t be delivered to a network of pantries every day. sfmfoodbank.org SchoolsRule Buys a set of early-reader books for a school library. SchoolsRule aims to bridge the gap between state funding and what it actually takes to ensure that all students, in all local schools, have access to the same highquality programs and the same opportunities for success. schoolsrule.org

Marin Humane Buys 10 microchips for dogs, helping make sure they can always be reunited with their guardians. marinhumane.org West Marin Senior Services Provides three round-trip rides from Point Reyes to Marin Community Clinic for a medical appointment. wmss.org Whistlestop Provides 70 home-delivered meals and home safety checks for homebound older adults through the Meals on Wheels program.whistlestop.org

CERES COMMUNITY PROJECT The project engages teens as volunteer chefs who create delicious and nourishing meals for local residents and families in treatment for illnesses like cancer. As the teens learn to cook, they also gain work and leadership skills. Ceres has increased the number of meals delivered to Marin residents by 30 percent this year. The meals provide nourishment at a time when patients are often too ill to shop and cook for themselves. In contrast to fast food or junk food, the nutrientdense meals help ease treatment side effects and reduce malnutrition. The support of the volunteers helps patients feel cared for and less isolated at a frightening time. Starting in 2018, Ceres will participate in a groundbreaking statewide pilot project to study the effect of medically tailored meal delivery services on health outcomes and health care costs.

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$2,500 Halleck Creek Ranch Supports the building of two new shelters for therapy horses, allowing them greater protection from the elements. halleckcreekranch.org

THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER In the last year, the Marine Mammal Center rescued and treated 962 marine mammals with the help of more than 1,200 volunteers who recorded more than 150,000 volunteer hours of service. Scientists at the center contributed 16 scientific research papers to peer-reviewed journals and hosted 40 visiting students and researchers from around the world interested in learning from the center’s world-class team of experts. Through its commitment to endangered and threatened species, the center served as a critical partner supporting Vaquita CPR, an international collaboration working to save the most endangered marine mammal, the vaquita, from extinction, and received the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Species in the Spotlight Hero Award for Hawaiian monk seal conservation work. The center engaged more than 120,000 children and adults as visitors at the Sausalito hospital as well as through outreach programs and community events in California and Hawaii.

10,000 Degrees Provides crucial one-on-one financial aid counseling and application completion support for 50 college-going students and their families from low-income backgrounds, reducing their loan debt by 80 percent on average compared to their peers. 10000degrees.org Autistry Studios Provides nutritious lunches for one full month at Autistry Workshops and buys groceries for the Cooking with Gabrielle workshop where students learn to make complete meals. autistrystudios.com

Marine Mammal Center A $1,000 donation covers the cost of one field trip for students participating in the center’s Ocean Ambassadors program for middle schools. This school year, 50 classes from 11 different schools are involved. tmmc.org Marin Center for Independent Living Allows MCIL to purchase a scooter or other adaptive equipment for people with disabilities. marincil.org

Whistlestop Allows 50 nonnative older adults who otherwise may not be able to afford it to take citizenship classes. whistlestop.org

Oak Hill School Updates classroom resources like desks, adaptive chairs, and sensory regulation tools for classroom such as light covers and movement balls. Oak Hill School empowers students on the autism

Opening the World Funds help provide vocational paid internships. OTW serves underprivileged, transitionalage youth (16 to 24) who have struggled with a variety of issues, including physical abuse, homelessness, the foster care and probation systems, and poverty. openingtheworld.org NatureBridge Provides the food and supplies needed to keep tide pool animals living in the intertidal laboratory happy and healthy all year. The mussels, sea stars and anemones help students learn about marine biology and understand the importance of keeping our oceans healthy. naturebridge.org

WildCare Equals a year’s worth of fish to feed WildCare’s resident pelican, cormorants and gulls. wildcarebayarea.org Youth in Arts Gives students in a special education classroom 10 weeks of visual or performing arts activities through the “Arts Unite Us” program. youthinarts.org

MARIN CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING The centerpiece of MCIL’s efforts is to ensure that people can live independently in their own homes (to age in place) safely and with dignity. As our Marin County older adult population (80- to 90-year-olds) continues to grow, we see an increase in the number of older adults on fixed incomes who require essential safety-net services in order to safely age in place. For these seniors, their home is their biggest asset, and MCIL helps give them what they need to continue living in it.

INGRID OVERGARD

$1,000

Dedication to Special Education Provides a Marin County classroom with an “eye gaze” viewer that makes it possible for students without motor abilities to navigate a computer screen using just their eyes. specialed.org

Marin Center for Independent Living MCIL also helps cancer patients; funds provide rental assistance and/or pay medical insurance premiums for qualified clients with a new cancer diagnosis. After such a diagnosis many are unable to work full-time while undergoing chemotherapy and are faced with housing insecurity. mcil.org

spectrum to realize their full potential through innovative educational approaches and social-emotional learning. oakhilltheschool.org

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$10,000+ Audubon Canyon Ranch Provides a true nature experience for 2,000 children, a first for many, by funding transportation to ranch preserves. Schoolchildren walk forested trails, identify wildlife and plants, learn birdcalls, and are inspired to learn more about the natural world around them. egret.org

MARIN CITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER The center was created with a grassroots effort in 2006. In the past year, the center has introduced two new essential health care services for low-income Marin residents: a recovery program for those struggling with opioid and alcohol addiction, and the Marin Family Birth Center near Northgate Mall, which provides midwifery and childbirth and perinatal care. Both programs serve Medi-Cal patients. Two case managers now offer additional services, including housing, transportation and job resources. The center’s youth empowerment programs traveled to Standing Rock and to Cuba, teaching black teens about free speech, advocacy and democracy. In September the center purchased a new Marin City building where over 3,500 patients can be served.

Dedication to Special Education Provides an 84-inch interactive touch screen display to support curriculum and modified

education for children with learning and physical disabilities. DSE is the “PTA” for special education students in Marin and helps 4,000 students annually. specialed.org

Community Resource Center open for eight months, providing clothing, toys, and school and safety supplies for foster children free of charge. marinfostercare.org

Homeward Bound of Marin A $10,000 donation would buy one year of power and water at Mill Street Center, the county’s only year-round adult emergency shelter. hbofm.org

NatureBridge Pays for 50 underprivileged students to attend NatureBridge’s programs in the Marin Headlands. naturebridge.org

Marin Foster Care Association Will keep the doors of MFCA’s

St. Vincent de Paul Society Will provide rental deposits for four homeless families. vinnies.org

BOWERBIRD PHOTOGRAPHY (TOP); MAURA THURMAN (BOTTOM)

$5,000

Autistry Studios Provides five Autistry workstations, complete with a two-year subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud and other industrystandard graphic programs. These advanced tools give students the skills needed for competitive employment. autistrystudios.com

Marin City Health and Wellness Center A $5,000 gift covers expenses for an annual off-site retreat for youth leaders to plan preventive behavioral health

programs for 50 teens. marin cityclinic.org River Otter Ecology Project Purchases a new computer and accessories and starts programs to collect the data that helps agencies and land managers understand how to complete restorations, often targeted to support endangered species. riverotterecology.org Sunny Hills Services Covers eight days of residential treatment at ReStart, a substance abuse

treatment program for lower-income youth ages 13–17 in Marin. sunny hillsservices.org Whistlestop Allows for 454 free rides for older adults to get to vital medical appointments or go grocery shopping. whistlestop.org WildCare Buys a van to transport Wildlife Ambassadors for live animal presentations at schools throughout the Bay Area. discoverwildcare.org

HOMEWARD BOUND In the last year, Homeward Bound of Marin opened Oma Village in Novato with 14 small rental homes for families transitioning out of homelessness. Also, a “housing first” program for homeless families expanded to accommodate 41 people in 10 homes, bringing the agency’s total capacity to 529 people per night. Work also began on the Yellow Hallway program, a transitional housing site for two families, planned by the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael with Homeward Bound providing resident services. Homeward Bound also grew its social enterprise portfolio with rising sales of Wagster Treats, all-natural dog biscuits made by graduates of Fresh Starts Culinary Academy, the agency’s flagship job-training program. The academy continues to thrive, with 85 percent of graduates employed within 30 days of completing the program.

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PROMOTION

marin gives back It takes the efforts of many to make Marin and the Bay Area a better place. As the holiday season begins, many in the community turn their attention to those in need and business owners are no exception. Here at Marin Magazine we would like to take a moment to recognize and highlight the philanthropic efforts of our business partners. Here are some nonprofits and business owners that are giving back to the community. 70 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 M A R I N

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PROMOTION

marin gives back

PHOTO: BLAIR HEAGERTY PHOTOGRAPHY

Horses Connecting Humans to Nature and to One Another Ocean Riders of Marin is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit managing the Golden Gate Dairy Stables in Muir Beach. We provide public programs to the local community and our pro-bono programs bring under resourced youth and adults to the barn. Participants experience the magic of interacting with horses and learn how to become environmental stewards preserving the wildlife and diverse habitat of Marin County. Help us expand our outreach by giving someone special the gift of becoming a “Horse Champion” of one of our wise equine teachers. Each recipient will be listed on our website and receive a letter with pictures of their special horse in action updating them on their horse’s work in our programs.

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Learn more about our Horse Champions and our outreach programs at our website, www.oceanridersofmarin.org. All Horse Champions, their friends and family are invited to visit the Golden Gate Dairy. Your unique Horse Champion gift directly helps keep horses in Marin to the benefit of the community. Pictured: Kathy Johnston*, Maureen Pinto**, Patty Swenson*, [Bo, Tennessee Walker], Leida Schoggen*, Cheryl Bossio* and Judith Forrest*. Ocean Riders of Marin Board of Directors *, Barn Manager** 415.388.7670 , oceanridersofmarin.org, Muir Beach, CA

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PROMOTION

marin gives back

Working Together to Help Older Adults Thrive Whistlestop and BrightStar Care are proud community partners who serve Marin County’s older adults. Each week, BrightStar Care brings free blood pressure, cholesterol and medication checks to Whistlestop’s Active Aging Center. “It’s one of the many ways we give back to our community,” says Lorena Garbarino, BrightStar Care’s Director of Care Management and Community Liaison. “Partnering with Whistlestop allows us to support community members who may not otherwise have access to these potentially lifesaving services. We know we are truly making a difference, and that’s at the very heart of who we are.” Joe O’Hehir, Whistlestop’s CEO adds, “BrightStar Care’s support allows us to deliver

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on our core mission of helping older adults live healthy and engaged lives. It’s not only about providing a service, it’s about helping our participants feel cared for and safe. We’re like a second family to so many older adults, and it’s an honor we cherish. We’re grateful for BrightStar Care’s ongoing partnership to ensure that all of Marin’s residents have the opportunity to age with dignity, independence and grace.” Pictured: Joe O’Hehir, CEO, Whistlestop and Lorena Garbarino, Director of Care Management & Community Liaison, BrightStar Care whistlestop.org, San Rafael; brightstarcare.com, Mill Valley

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PROMOTION

marin gives back

Supporting a New Generation of Professionals Susan Preston founded Professional Program Insurance Brokerage (PPIB) in 1993 to provide insurance programs for businesses requiring special coverage, including beauty salons, laser centers, tattoo shops, and pyrotechnics, to name a few. Over the years, PPIB grew from two employees to a thriving 35-person agency currently insuring thousands of clients.

get through high school, then college, and into successful careers.”

Susan, along with her husband, A lan Preston, believe in helping people in our local communities reach their personal and professional goals. That’s why they decided to make 10,000 Degrees one of the focus organizations for their charitable giving.

“The goal of 10,000 Degrees aligns well with PPIB,” adds Alan, “and we look forward to helping even more local students succeed.”

“10,000 Degrees does an amazing job,” explains Susan, “helping young people from Marin and Sonoma counties

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California’s leading college success nonprof it, 10,000 Degrees helps students from low-income backgrounds get to and through college. In fact, 86% of 10,000 Degrees fouryear college students earn bachelor’s degrees, compared to 31% nationally.

Pictured: Kim Mazzuca, President and CEO, 10,000 Degrees, Alan Preston, Vice President, Susan Preston, President, PPIB 10,000degrees.org, San Rafael; ppibcorp.com, Novato

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PROMOTION

marin gives back

Lights of Remembrance As a longtime supporter of the wonderful work of Hospice by the Bay, Bank of Marin is proud to help shine a light on “Lights of Remembrance.” Throughout December, Hospice by the Bay lights will shine in the communities we serve. Each light represents a tribute to a special person and is a symbolic gesture of love and memory shared with the entire community. Please join us and offer your tribute to those who are lights in your life. Your generous donation for tribute lights provides support for Hospice by the Bay’s compassionate care and vital community grief counseling programs. To make a

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donation: Visit www.hbtb.org, and click on Donate Now or call (415) 526-5500. Though living with a serious illness may seem overwhelming, you are not alone. Hospice by the Bay’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for our patients, their f amilies and caregivers. Pictured: Kitty Whitaker, RN, MS, CEO, Hospice by the Bay and Renee C. Rymer, Market Manager, Bank of Marin 415.526.5500, hbtb.org

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This is how you say it’s going to be okay. Every 8 minutes the American Red Cross responds to a disaster and makes this promise. You can help us keep it.

Donate today at redcross.org

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PROMOTION

marin gives back

Healing the Children: Marin Volunteers Healing the Children Northern California is the regional chapter of a national organization whose mission is to bring high-level specialty care to pediatric patients abroad. The group is led by Evan R. Ransom, MD, a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon with practices in Marin County and San Francisco, and Jessica Richman, BSN, RN, an operating room nurse at Marin General Hospital. Local volunteers are always welcome and have been instrumental in our success. Past mission sites have included Colombia, Thailand, and

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Ecuador. Current efforts are focused on the repair of cleft lip, cleft palate, and congenital ear deformities during an annual mission to Ica, Peru. All procedures are performed pro bono and all staff time and medical supplies are donated. Please visit us online to learn more about volunteering. HTCNorCal.org, SanFranciscoFacialPlasticSurgery.com 450 Sutter St., Suite 1212, San Francisco, CA 655 Redwood Hwy., Suite 250, Mill Valley, CA

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Destinations

T H E L AT E ST LO C A L T R AV E L D E A L S A N D G E TAWAYS PLU S J O U R N E YS A RO U N D T H E G LO B E

MOUNTAIN MANIA

A ski writer’s top four picks for winter getaways.

COURTESY OF WHITEFISH MOUNTAIN RESORT/CRAIG MOORE

BY MATTHEW RICHARD POOLE

Perfect conditions and big views at Whitefish.

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Destinations / GO

Let’s Fly It’s not your imagination: the traffic to and from Tahoe and the Bay Area is getting worse. Way worse. But some clever entrepreneurs have come up with a solution: charter a plane, sell the extra seats, and fly to Tahoe. Better yet, let’s build an iPhone app so you can crowdsource the flight on your phone (genius!). An outfit called Blackbird Air Inc. (flyblackbird. com) is currently offering flights from Sausalito to Tahoe for around $125. Also worth looking into is SurfAir (surfair.com), which offers unlimited flights from the Bay Area to Truckee Tahoe Airport with one monthly fee.

Snowbasin, Utah

I used to live/work at Kirkwood, and Snowbasin is Kirkwood with softer snow (the runs start at 6,316 feet above sea level). A mere 90-minute flight from SFO, 40-minute drive from SLC International, and whoop there it is: 3,000 acres of Mount Ogden awesome — natural bowls, tasty tree runs, and easy hikes that access amazing terrain. And get this: the resort even hired Cordon Bleu– trained chefs, so the on-mountain restaurants offer high-quality food at surprisingly reasonable prices. Add to this small crowds, short lift lines, and a superfriendly staff nd Bob’s your uncle. Here’s a tip: fly Alaska Airlines from SFO and they’ll comp your lift ticket. snowbasin.com

Beaver Creek, Colorado

The first time I skied Beaver Creek I asked a local on the lift “Where is everyone? This place is friggin’ awesome.” He said with five mountains to choose from, this is as crowded as it ever gets, and 20 years later it’s still as blissfully lift-line free. And with the resort’s many improvements — including 10 high-speed lifts, two gondolas, and a Chondola (a chairlift/gondola combination) providing access to 1,832 acres of skiable terrain — it’s now one of my all-time favorite resorts in America. Visualize yourself carving down huge, wide, long, perfectly corduroyed runs, teeth hurting from the wind because you’re smiling so much. Bump runs with zippers so long they’d make YKK jealous. Free warm chocolate chip cookies served daily at 3 p.m. at the base

of Chair 6. The only flaw was no direct flights from SFO, but that’s been solved this year with new nonstop weekend service from SFO to Eagle County Airport on United Airlines. beavercreek.com

Whitefish, Montana

I stopped in Whitefish one warm summer day while on a cross-country motorcycle trip (“I’ll have the elk meatloaf please”) and loved it so much I came back again that winter to ski it. If mega ski resorts aren’t your thing, Whitefish is your thing. This is a skier’s resort, with 88 percent of the trails rated more difficult, most difficult, and oh dear. More than 100 marked trails are scattered among 3,000 acres, but it’s the oodles of bowl and tree skiing that make Whitefish worth the direct flight from SFO. And the fun doesn’t stop when the lifts do. Drop into the Bierstube (“The Stube” to locals, and on my short list of the best dive bars in America) for an après-ski beer and Bierstube Burger, then ask the bartender for a ceremonial ring and you’ll see why I adore this town. skiwhitefish.com

Lake Tahoe, California

After record snowfall last season, most of the Tahoe ski areas have invested heavily in new snow grooming and removal tech, along with gearing up for longer seasons. Mount Rose is shooting for a six-month season this year and invested more than $6 million in new grooming snowcats, snowmaking equipment, and MAGIC, a fully enclosed conveyor surface lift for beginners and children that’s the first of its kind in North America. Homewood has upped its grooming game with the recent purchase of a PistenBully 400 snow groomer, and made finding nearby lodging easier with a new Airbnbpowered booking widget on its website. Still beaming from being voted Best Ski Resort in North America by USA Today, Squaw Valley has pumped millions into snowmaking, grooming, snow removal and a complete overhaul of High Camp, including a new Marketplace that offers healthy (yes, healthy) grab-andgo meals and snacks and coffee drinks. For Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood, the exciting news this season is the new Tahoe Local “Epic” Pass, which offers unrestricted access to all three resorts, seven days a week (excluding holidays), as well as limited access to all of Vail Resorts’ mountains in Colorado and Utah. At $589, it’s a bargain. m

TREVOR CLARK (SQUAW); JON RESNICK (BEAVER CREEK, VAIL RESORTS)

T

HEY SAY JUST do what you love and the rest will come. Well, it came for me when HarperCollins Publishers called me out of the blue one summer day and asked if I wanted to write a guidebook on America’s western ski resorts. For an out-of-work ski bum living in a trailer park in South Lake Tahoe (mommas don’t let your babies grow up to be English majors), it was the golden ticket to yet another year of putting off aw school. Although that guidebook is long out of print, my “Huh. Who knew?” list of ski resort surprises is still very much valid, and it’s probably three places you’ve never visited, with Tahoe thrown in for good measure. If you’ve been to at least one on this list, kudos to you. If you’ve been to two or more, call me — we’ve got some road-tripping to do this winter.

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Clockwise from top: Lake Tahoe views at Squaw Valley; in the trees at Northstar; the gondola at Snowbasin; Beaver Creek.

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Get the Inside Scoop Marin’s Weekend 101 e-newsletter Be the first in the know about all things Marin. Events Parties Shopping Concerts Fundraisers Book signings Wine tastings Fashion shows Movie premieres And more!

marinmagazine.com/newsletters

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Out & About C A L E N DA R / O N T H E S CE N E / D I N E

JULIETA CERVANTES

DANCE

The Hard Nut LISTING Wild ArugulaON SaladPAGE 85

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Calendar

T H E AT E R / CO M E DY / M U S I C / G A L L E R I E S / M U S E U M S / E V E N T S / F I L M

E D I T E D B Y C A L I N VA N PA R I S

cure: Viola, the muse and admirer whose greatest wish is to appear in his next play. Marin Theatre Company (Mill Valley). 415.388.5208, marintheatre.org THRU DEC 31 Beach Blanket Babylon’s Holiday Extravaganza Christmas trees, carols, parodies, spoofs of pop culture and politicians and other phenoms mark this uniquely San Francisco performance. Club Fugazi (SF). 415.421.4222, beach blanketbabylon.com

THEATER THRU DEC 17 The Kipling Hotel Don Reed’s autobiographical solo show invites audiences to 1980s Los Angeles, as he recounts his journey as the son of an Oakland pimp and recipient of a scholarship to UCLA. The Marsh (SF). 415.282.3055, themarsh.org THEATER THRU DEC 2 Ain’t That Rich Creator Kate Robards describes growing up in a Texas town where she tries to keep up with the wealthy despite her low-income status, marrying into the one percent and learning that money can’t buy everything.

The Marsh (SF). 415.282.3055, themarsh.org THRU DEC 9 My Stroke of Luck In this solo show, radiologist Diane Barnes recounts her experience of having a stroke, her path to recovery and more. The Marsh (SF). 415.282.3055, themarsh.org

THRU DEC 10 Small Mouth Sounds A.C.T. brings you a comedy about six urbanites who gather for a silent retreat in the woods, overseen by an unseen guru. Strand Theater (SF). 415.749.2228, act-sf.org THRU DEC 17 Bright Star From Steve Martin and Edie Brickell comes a tale inspired by a true

event: when editor Alice Murphy meets a young soldier just home from World War II, their connection inspires Alice to confront her own past. The Curran (SF). sfcurran.com THRU DEC 17 Shakespeare in Love This romantic tale tells of a young William Shakespeare’s writer’s block, but more of its

THRU JAN 7 Aladdin Disney Theatrical Productions and SHN present the acclaimed Broadway adaptation of the beloved tale of genies and magic carpets. Colorful costumes, opulent sets and wellloved songs make this musical a must-see. Orpheum Theatre (SF). 888.746.1799, shnsf.com THRU JAN 13 A Christmas Story: The Musical The hilarious childhood holiday tale of triple-dog dares, department store Santas, Christmas themes and more. San

Francisco Playhouse (SF). sfplayhouse.org DEC 2–3 Performing Arts Academy of Marin’s Holiday Spectacular Dance, theater and song converge for an evening of holiday cheer. Performers ages 4 to 17 — as well as members of PAAM’s Alta Vista Dance Company — put you in the spirit with timeless melodies, seasonal choreography and showmanship. Showcase Theater (San Rafael). paamarin.com DEC 6–24 The Secret Garden Adapted from the classic children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the musical tells the story, set in the 19th century, of 11-year-old Mary Lennox, who, after being orphaned in India, heads to Yorkshire to live with her reclusive uncle and cousin — and soon discovers their mysterious walled garden. 42nd Street Moon (SF). 415.255.8205, 42ndstmoon.org DEC 8–23 The Jewelry Box This heartwarming story follows a young Brian Copeland

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— playwright and performer — as he hits the “mean streets” of Oakland to find his mother the perfect Christmas present. The Marsh (SF). 415.282.3055, themarsh.org

DANCE THRU DEC 10 The Velveteen Rabbit ODC/Dance presents Margery Williams’ story of a little boy and his well-loved stuffed animal who comes to life, as told through music and dance. YBCA (SF). 415.978.2787, ybca.org DEC 1–10 Fugue A sitespecific performance traverses the city’s Mission District to tell collected stories of people of color, longtime residents and others. Various locations (San Francisco). detour dance.com DEC 7–16 5 on 25: A Celebration for Joe Landini’s 25th Anniversary This December program in honor of SAFEhouse Arts founder and executive director Joe Landini celebrates 25 years of dance. SAFEhouse Arts (SF). safehousearts.org DEC 9–10 Marin Ballet’s Nutcracker A local production of the classic Christmas tale of Clara’s adventures with her toy-turned-nutcracker prince. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.453.6705, marinballet.org DEC 13–30 Nutcracker San Francisco Ballet presents its rendition of the classic tale complete with Victorian costumes, largerthan-life sets and the

excitement of more than 200 dancers prepared to spread holiday cheer to children and adults of all ages. War Memorial Opera House (SF). sfballet.org DEC 14–24 The Christmas Ballet Styles ranging from tap and ballet to swing help bring in the holidays, with fun, classical and cool elements designed to enchant and envelop audiences. YBCA (SF). 415.912.1899, smuinballet.org DEC 15–24 The Hard Nut Enjoy Mark Morris’ modern take on the beloved Nutcracker tale, set to Tchaikovsky’s score as performed live by members of the Berkeley Symphony and the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir. Zellerbach Hall (UC Berkeley). calperformances.org

COMEDY TUESDAYS Tuesday Night Comedy Funnies An evening of hilarity with comedians who make us laugh and think. Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, throck mortontheatre.org DEC 9 Stephanie Miller’s Sexy Liberal Resistance Tour National television and talk radio star Stephanie Miller delivers an evening of ridicule, satire and comedy as a welcome form of political protest. Herbst Theatre (SF). sexyliberal.com DEC 14–17 One in Every Crowd Colin Quinn brings his lauded brand of humorous observation and storytelling

to San Francisco. Strand Theater (SF). 415.749.2228, act-sf.org

SPOTLIGHT

DEC 31 Best of the San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition End 2017 on a comedic note with this annual stand-up competition. Showcase Theater (San Rafael). marincounty.org DEC 31 New Year’s Eve Stand-Up Comedy Show Laugh in the new year with five comedians, dinner, drinks and a hilarious countdown. Osher Marin JCC (San Rafael). marinjcc.org

MUSIC DEC 7 Michelle Schmitt Holiday Benefit Concert Join Michelle Schmitt and her band for an evening of well-loved holiday songs performed to danceable (and nostalgic) effect. The annual show benefits ExtraFood. org. Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, throck mortontheatre.org DEC 8–9 Mayflower Chorus Holiday Show Ignite your holiday spirit with the 55-voice Mayflower Chorus, plus solos and ensembles, as it performs seasonal songs with rich harmonies. Showcase Theater (San Rafael). marincounty.org DEC 9 Kitka Wintersongs Celebrate wintertime with Kitka, a women’s vocal ensemble. The group’s acclaimed holiday program features seasonal music from a wide variety of Eastern European ethnic and spiritual traditions — think Slavic folk carols and Baltic pagan

New Year’s Celebration

F

Seth MacFarlane in concert with the San Francisco Symphony.

Carpool Karaoke and Family Guy already know that Seth MacFarlane has some pipes in him. He’s also recorded a duet with Barbra Streisand and released multiple albums. Now the Academy and Grammy Award– nominated singer, actor and director will be taking the stage in San Francisco for the symphony’s New Year’s Eve celebration. Dress up and come watch MacFarlane and the orchestra, led by conductor Edwin Outwater, ring in the new year in style. The event takes place Sunday, December 31, at 8 p.m. at Davies Symphony Hall. sfsymphony.org KASIA PAWLOWSKA A NS OF

incantations. Osher Marin JCC (San Rafael). marinjcc.org DEC 10 Musae This women’s vocal ensemble presents Queen of Heaven, a program of treble-choir classics celebrating Mary and motherhood, including compositions by Palestrina, Brahms, Verdi, Bach, Holst, Libby Larsen and others. Old St. Hilary’s (Tiburon). 415.435.1853, land marks-society.org DEC 12 Marin Symphony Holiday Pops Hear beloved holiday pop classics, traditional

carols and favorite themes from holiday films performed by the orchestra and adult and children’s choruses. Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). marin symphony.org DEC 14–16 Handel’s Messiah The San Francisco Symphony Chorus presents an evening of selections from Handel — just in time for the holidays. Davies Symphony Music Hall (SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org

DEC 16–17 Home Alone with the San Francisco Symphony Home Alone, the 1990 film about pranks, courage and Christmas, is augmented by a live score played by the San Francisco Symphony. Davies Symphony Hall (SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org DEC 16–17 Marin Oratorio Sings the Seasons The 100-voice chorus and orchestra are joined by guest vocal soloists Helene Zindarsian, Stephen Cannon and Nikolas Nackley for a memorable performance of Haydn’s valedictory

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Out & About / CALENDAR Marin Society of Artists Ongoing works in various mediums and styles. 1515 Third St, San Rafael. 415.454.9561, marinsocietyof artists.org O’Hanlon Center for the Arts Art of the Spirit A juried exhibition, through December. 616 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.4331, ohanloncenter.org Petri’s Fine Arts Featuring contemporary works in various mediums. 690 Bridgeway, Sausalito. 415.332.2626, petrisfineart .com

Shakespeare in Love, at Marin Theatre Company, Mill Valley

masterpiece, The Seasons. College of Marin (Kentfield). marinoratorio.org DEC 17 Singers Marin The 30th anniversary performance, “Tis the Season … Peace on Earth,” features special guest Lockwood Barr. Marin Veterans’ Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.473.6800, singersmarin.org DEC 21–24 A Charlie Brown Christmas — Live! Live actors, an animated backdrop and Vince Guaraldi’s timeless music performed by the San Francisco Symphony bring the television perennial A Charlie Brown Christmas to life this season. Davies Symphony Hall (SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org

DEC 24 The Brian Setzer Orchestra Christmas Rocks! Tour Three-time Grammy Award winner Brian Setzer and his 18-piece band come to San Francisco for their 14th annual tour featuring music from the group’s four best-selling holiday albums. The Warfield (SF). 415.345.0900, thewarfieldtheatre.com

GALLERIES MARIN Art Works Downtown Small Works Exhibition A yearly exhibition featuring affordable (and giftable) artworks, through January 5. 1337 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.451.8119, artworks downtown.org Bolinas Gallery A collection of contemporary art by established and emerging artists. 52 Wharf Road, Bolinas. 415.868.0782, bolinasgallery.com

Bubble Street Fantastical works by Daniel Merriam, Evan Chambers and Jeffrey Steorts shown alongside sculptural ceramics by Marge Margulie. 565 Bridgeway, Sausalito. 415.339.0506, bubble streetgallery.com Claudia Chapline Gallery and Sculpture Garden Paintings, sculptures and mixed media works from Northern California artists. 3445 Shoreline Highway, Stinson Beach. 415.868.2308, cchapline.com Desta Gallery Works by Alan Mazzetti, Debra Maddox and more. 417 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo. 415.524.8932, destagallery.com di Rosa Be Not Still: Living in Uncertain Times (Part I) Unfolding in two parts, this unique exhibition addresses current political and

social issues through a diverse collection of art, through May 27. 5200 Carneros Highway, Napa. 707.226.5991, dirosaart.org Fine Art Etc. Featuring a collection of sculptures and paintings by artists from Northern California and around the world. 686 Bridgeway, Sausalito. 415.332.1107, fineart tc.com Gallery Route One Works by Mimi Abers, through December 17. 11101 Highway One, Point Reyes. 415.663.1347, galleryrouteone.org Marin Art and Garden Center Work from New Orleans–based artists David Sullivan and Courtney Egan. 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross. 415.455.5260, magc.org

Robert Allen Fine Art Nature Abstracted Works on canvas from Amy Donaldson, Beatrice Findlay and John Maxon, December 7–January 31. 301 Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.2800, robert allenfineart.co Robert Beck Gallery Early California and contemporary plein air paintings. 222 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo. 415.456.7898, beckgallery.org Robert Green Fine Arts Charlotte Bernström Paintings exploring nature and the peace experienced within it, through January 28. 154 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.381.8776, rgfineart .com Roberta English Art by Cheung Lee, Mayumi Oda, Li Huayi, Ju Ming and Toko Shinoda. 1615 Bridgeway, Sausalito. 415.331.2975, roberta english.com Room Art Gallery Works by both Bay Area artists and major masters; the largest collection in Marin County of Picasso, Chagall

and other greats. 86 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.380.7940, roomartgallery.com Seager Gray Gallery Contemporary fine art. 108 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.384.8288, seagergray.com Smith Andersen North Works by established and emerging artists. 20 Greenfield ve, San Anselmo. 415.455.9733, smithandersen north.com The Blissful Gallery Oils, watercolors and prints by painter Emmeline Craig. 3415 Shoreline Highway, Stinson Beach, 415.868.2787, emmelinecraig.com

SAN FRANCISCO ArtHaus Urban Legends Twelve new paintings by Sausalito artist Carolyn Meyer, through December 30. 411 Brannan St, 415.977.0223, arthaus-sf.com

Caldwell Snyder Gallery Recent paintings by Emily Filler, December 7–31. 341 Sutter St, 415.392.2299, caldwell snyder.com California Historical Society Original artifacts and documents that illuminate Alexander Hamilton’s role in shaping the American legal, economic and political systems, through February 18. 678 Mission St, 415.357.1848, californiahistorical society.org Fouladi Projects Work from Babak Kazemi, Gail Tarantino and others. 1803 Market St, 415.621.2535, fouladi projects.com

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George Lawson Gallery Room for Paper: Works by Gallery Artists, December 14– January 6. 315 Potrero Ave, 415.703.4400, georgelawson gallery.com Gregory Lind Gallery Waver Works by Seth Koen, through December 23. 49 Geary St, 415.296.9661, gregory lindgallery.com Hackett-Mill An eclectic medley of original fine art. 2 1 Post St, 415.362.3377, hackettmill.com Jenkins Johnson Gallery Gordon Parks: Legacy Selected photographs, through December 9. 464 Sutter St, 415.677.0770, jenkins johnsongallery.com John Berggruen Gallery The Waters Sliding Work by Christopher Brown, through December 23. 10 Hawthorne St, 415.781.4629, berggruen.com Meyerovich Gallery Paintings, works on paper and sculpture by modern and contemporary artists. 251 Post St, 415.421.7171, meyerovich.com Montague Gallery A collection of contemporary fine art glass featuring works by Lino Tagliapietra, Dante Marioni, Hiroshi Yamano and Chihuly Workshop. 445A Sutter St, 415.964.4978, monta guegallerysf.com Pier 24 Photography The permanent collection of the Pilara Foundation. Pier 24, 415.512.7424, pier24.org Rena Bransten Projects Candida Höfer: Spaces and Places An exhibition

of photographs that establish setting, through December 22. 1639 Market St, 415.982.3292, rena branstengallery.com Simon Breitbard Fine Arts Fine art presented in a unique — and stylish — homelike atmosphere. 843 Montgomery St, 415.951.1969, sbfineart .com The Midway Gallery Works by emerging artists. 900 Marin St, themidwaygallery.com Thomas Reynolds Gallery Pieces by contemporary painters, most addressing the intersection of realism and abstraction. 2291 Pine St, 415.441.4093, thomasreynolds.com

MUSEUMS MARIN Bay Area Discovery Museum Imagine, create and transform while exploring the unique museum’s ongoing exhibits (Sausalito). 415.339.3900, baykids museum.org Bolinas Museum A Pivotal Decade: The 1970s in Bolinas An exhibit focusing on the creative community boom brought on by an influx of young people in 1970s Bolinas, through December 31. (Bolinas). 415.868.0330, bolinas museum.org Marin Museum of the American Indian A museum celebrating Native American art (Novato). 415.897.4064, marinindian.com Marin Museum of Contemporary Art Contemporary Landscape A national juried exhibition featuring works

Happy Holidays Special occasion updos Make up applications Lash extensions Airbrush Tanning

Gift certificates available Open 7 days a week Mill Valley 415.388.0988 Union Street 415.409.1500 www.milvali.com

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Out & About / CALENDAR Exploratorium Ongoing interactive exhibits exploring science, art and human perception (SF). 415.397.5673, exploratorium.edu Legion of Honor Gods in Color: Polychromy Around the World A look at colorful ancient sculptures from all over the world that do not subscribe to the allwhite “classical” ideal, through January 7 (SF). 415.750.3600, legionof honor.famsf.org Museum of Craft and Design Architectural Pavilions: Experiments and Artifacts Digital and handmade pavilions — freestanding structures — from local, national and international artists, through January 7 (SF). 415.773.0303, sfmcd.org

Nutcracker at War Memorial Opera House, S.F.

in all mediums, December 2–January 7 (Novato). 415.506.0137, marinmoca.org

BAY AREA Asian Art Museum Philippine Art This unprecedented exhibition is one of the fir t in the U.S. to present Philippine art from the precolonial period to the present, through March 11 (SF). 415.581.3711, asianart.org Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive Miyoko Ito Surrealist and pop-inflected iconography, through January 28 (Berkeley). 510.642.0808, bampfa.org

California Academy of Sciences Twilight Zone: Deep Reefs Revealed Explore the unknown expanses of the coral reefs alongside scientists who show off new and rare species found there; many have never been displayed in a public aquarium. (SF). 415.379.8000, calacademy.org Contemporary Jewish Museum Sabbath: The 2017 Dorothy Saxe Invitational Artists from a variety of backgrounds are given the opportunity to delve into the Jewish tradition with an exploration of the Sabbath. All works are for sale, through

February 25. (SF). 415.655.7800, thecjm.org de Young Teotihuacan: City of Water, City of Fire The de Young presents the fir t major exhibition on the ancient metropolis of Teotihuacan — located in Mexico, and one of the largest and most important archaeological sites in the world — in the U.S. in over 20 years, featuring more than 200 artifacts and artworks from the site, through February 11 (SF). 415.750.3600, deyoung.famsf.org

Oakland Museum of California Question Bridge: Black Males An immersive exhibition of intimate videos — woven together and arranged to simulate face-to-face conversations between participants — among a diverse group of over 160 black men across the United States, through February 25 (Oakland). 510.318.8400, museumca.org SFMOMA Robert Rauschenberg: Erasing the Rules A major retrospective featuring an array of works from the artist’s six-decade career, through March 25 (SF). 415.357.4000, sfmoma.org Sonoma Valley Museum of Art Forge and Stone: Works by Contemporary California Women Sculptors, through January 7 (Sonoma). svma.org

The Walt Disney Family Museum Looking Inward: Painting a Journey Artwork from a unique outreach project centered around artmaking activities for underserved seniors, many of whom live with memory disorders, through January 8 (SF). 415.345.6800, waltdisney.org Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Space Brainz — Yerba Buena 3000 An installment from Damon Rich and Jae Shin, through January 28 (SF). 415.978.2787, ybca.org

EVENTS THRU DEC 17 The Great Dickens Christmas Fair Step back into Victoria-era London to celebrate the season in true Dickensian fashion. The lively streets are replete with holiday carolers, pleasant aromas, unique Christmas gifts and even Fezziwig’s dance hall. Cow Palace (Daly City). dickensfair.com DEC 1 Tree Lighting Ceremony Take a trip to the Oakland waterfront for an annual lighting of a 55-foot Mount Shasta fir — 5,000 white lights, 600 ornaments, a bevy of treats and a visit from Santa himself will make this a night to remember. Jack London Square (Oakland). 510.645.9292, jack londonsquare.com DEC 1–3 ICB Winter Open Studios Now in its 49th year, ICB’s annual event invites art-lovers to go inside the studios where more than 100 painters, sculptors, jewelers, photographers and more create their work. ICB (Sausalito). icb-artists.com

DEC 2 Gingerbread House Decorating Fundraiser Grab your family and decorate a magical gingerbread house with the support of a team of pastry chefs, all in benefit of the programs of the Marin Art and Garden Center. Adults are invited to decorate after dark, at a variation of the event featuring seasonal cocktails and excess cheer. Marin Art and Garden Center (Ross). 415.455.5260, magc.org DEC 2 Holiday Art and Craft Sale Enjoy free hot apple cider and gift-worthy wares from local artists. Twentyfive percent of all sales benefi the BelvedereTiburon Landmarks Society. Landmarks Art and Garden Center (Tiburon). 415.518.3685, landmarkssociety.org DEC 2 Journey to Worlds Unknown The Contemporary Jewish Museum’s family gala features acrobatic entertainers, storytellers, and imaginative, interactive activities in support of the museum’s programs, education and other resources. The Contemporary Jewish Museum (SF). 415.655.7843, thecjm.org DEC 2 Union Street’s Fantasy of Lights Celebration Union Street is transformed into a holiday setting where kids can meet Santa, enjoy the sparkling lights and see ponies dressed up like reindeer. Each block will also feature face painters, balloon artists, costumed characters, singers and live

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entertainment. Union Street (SF). sresproductions.com DEC 2–3 Muir Beach Holiday Arts Fair Enjoy the spectacular scenery of Muir Beach while browsing through artwork and colorful crafts from more than 40 local artists hailing from Marin and throughout the Bay Area. Community Center (Muir Beach). muir beachartsfair.com DEC 3–4 Beyond Differences: Spirited Marin Enjoy a festive shopping experience in benefit of Beyond Differences, Boys and Girls Clubs of Marin and Marin Advocates for Children. Studio 333 (Sausalito). 415.256.9095, beyond differences.org

DEC 5 Weis Foundation for Children Holiday Heroes Extravaganza Kids of all ages will have the exclusive opportunity to meet local athletes, gain rare access to the San Francisco Giants’ dugout and batting tunnels and enjoy ballpark fare during this one-of-a-kind holiday celebration. AT&T Park (SF). 650.321.4142, holidayheroes.org DEC 9 Lighted Boat Parade Start your holiday in classic fashion. More than 50 festively adorned boats switch on their seasonal lights for a holiday trip along the harbors of Sausalito. Waterfront (Sausalito). winterfest sausalito.com

DEC 9 Sensitive Santa Event An inclusive "sensitive Santa" event for children with special needs and sensitivities. All Children Academics (San Rafael). 415.516.0482, arnold advocacy.com DEC 9–10 Indoor Antique Market Christmas Show Shop for unique gifts in this old-fashioned collective of more than 70 booths of antiques and collectibles. Highlights include Native American art, antique jewelry, vintage toys and more. Marin Center Exhibit Hall (San Rafael). 415.383.2252, goldengateshows.com

FILM DEC 17–19 The Nutcracker Make like

Marie and allow yourself to be transported into the land of The Nutcracker — as performed by the Bolshoi Ballet — from the comfort of your Larkspur theater seat. Lark Theatre (Larkspur). 415.924.5111, larktheater.net

full of exploration and fun. Bay Area Discovery Museum (Sausalito). 415.339.3900, bay kidsmuseum.org

WALKS & TALKS ONGOING First Tuesday ArtWalk Join the Mill Valley Arts Commission’s monthly stroll through town to view exhibits by local artists. Various locations (Mill Valley). cityofmillvalley.org ONGOING Free First Wednesdays Visit the Bay Area Discovery Museum the first Wednesday of the month for an outing

ONGOING Sunday Hikes on Mount Tam Cap off our weekend with a three- to fivemile group hike up Mount Tamalpais, led by a Friends of Mount Tam volunteer. Various locations (Mill Valley). 415.258.2410, friends ofmttam.org THRU JAN 15 Safeway Ice Rink Welcome the holidays with a turn around this city-centric rink, back for its 10th year. The windows of Macy’s and a towering tree make a skate in San Francisco a can’t-miss activity. Union Square (SF). unionsquare icerink.com

DEC 2 Dharma Talk Open Secret and Vajrayana Foundation Dharma Talks share how to integrate Tibetan Buddhist practice in your life. Lama Sonam Tsering Rinpoche — a Nyingmapa master in the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism — will start the series with a Q&A. Open Secret Bookstore (San Rafael). 831.708.8821, vajrayana.org DEC 17 Mushrooms at Indian Tree Join a ranger to identify an array of mushrooms, while learning about the unique role of fungi in local ecosystems. Indian Tree (Novato). 415.893.9508, marin countyparks.org

The natural beauty of the course presents a spectacular backdrop for your outdoor ceremony and our gorgeous salons and outdoor terrace are the perfect choice for your reception, rehearsal dinner or bridal shower. Intimate or grand, informal or lavish, The Clubhouse at Peacock Gap provides a beautiful setting to begin your happily ever after.

333 Biscayne Drive • San Rafael, CA 94901-1599 • 415-453-4910 • peacockgapclubhouse.com

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Marin Matters

LO C A L PEO PL E M A K I N G A D I FFE R E N CE

Q&A with Michelle Schmitt

Get Involved Top five volunteer opportunities this month.

1

What first drew you to ExtraFood Marin, and how long have you been contributing to its efforts? My best friend, Heidi Krahling, who owns Insalata’s and Marinitas in San Anselmo, introduced me to ExtraFood because of my interest in giving back and my ability to raise money for good causes. I’d been involved with Meals on Wheels San Francisco for a long time, but wanted to do something in my own community. That was five years ago.

2

Precisely what is it that you do for them? And what do you get out of it? Nine years ago, I started a benefit concert to celebrate my turning 50 years old in a positive way. Getting food to people in need seemed like a good thing to do. Since then, 100 percent of all proceeds from my music go to assist various organizations in San Francisco and Marin that help the homeless, the LGBTQ community, food banks, Shanti Project, anti-bullying organizations and various drug rehabilitation programs. Why do I do it? It makes me happy.

Give Back

➤ YOUTH IN ARTS Support the gift of creativity by helping young artists find their voices and express their visions. Your donation goes toward classes, scholarships and performances. youthinarts.org

3

Do you perform in benefits outside of Marin? Next year, I’ll do a widely publicized concert at Eglise Saint-Eustache, one of only two churches in Paris, France, that welcomed people suffering during the early days of the AIDS epidemic. This amazing church also started a soup kitchen that is still active today. This concert, and my upcoming record St. Mary’s, will be part of my 60th birthday.

4

What inspires or motivates you to do these concerts? I grew up in Detroit in a big family and, as the oldest, I always felt a strong sense of responsibility. While raising my sons around a lot of affluence here in Marin, I taught them that economic grace comes with responsibility. We do it in our family business, BMW of San Francisco, and we do it in our family life. I love grand gestures that help people, but all acts of kindness matter. My husband of 40 years, two sons, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, granddaughter and future grandson all remind me every day of how lucky I am. I know that all the gifts I have been given are for a reason, and it is my job to put them back out into the world in whatever way I can.

➤ CENTER FOR DOMESTIC PEACE Let’s help end domestic violence and abuse. Contributions fund support groups, emergency shelter and hotline access. centerfordomesticpeace.org

➤ ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY OF MARIN COUNTY Your tax-deductible donation provides those in need with food, shelter and a chance for a better life. vinnies.org

1Does your Marin business or organization have extra food? Donate your excess to ExtraFood.org, an organization helping to end hunger in Marin. You can also volunteer in other ways, such as being a food runner. extrafood.org 2Have a car and a caring soul? Help West Marin Senior Services by giving rides to elders who can’t drive. Provide access to health care and holiday shopping while also helping seniors live full lives. wmss.org 3Every child counts. Volunteer with Marin Foster Care Association and join one of the fundraising, holiday or grant writing committees. marinfostercare.org 4Give the gift of reading thorugh Experience Corp Marin, where you can be a literacy tutor for San Rafael schoolchildren grades K–3. ec4marin.org 5Feed body and soul. Project Open Hand needs volunteers to shop, prepare or deliver meals in S.F. to those less fortunate. openhand.org

➤ WILDCARE Assist the ongoing efforts to teach respect for the area’s wildlife and to heal orphaned and injured wild animals. discoverwildcare.org

➤ TO CELEBRATE LIFE Donate to this dedicated organization whose vision is to help fund emergency and direct cancer services. tocelebratelife.org PHOTO CREDIT

The San Anselmo singer/songwriter is back December 7 at the Throckmorton Theatre for her ninth annual charity benefit. Audiences love her soulful vocals and the fact that 100 percent of proceeds go to ExtraFood.org.

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All Seasons

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LOCAL • SEASONAL • SUSTAINABLE 415-383-9355 201 Seminary Drive, Mill Valley, CA 94941 www.allseasonscatering.com

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Dine E DITE D BY MIMI TOWLE

CORTE MADERA

Geronimo pizza

Janet Abrahamson and Pat Townsley

What’s Hot

Pizza to Tap Into

The community-focused Creekside Pizza & Taproom has hit downtown San Anselmo with gusto. Hospitality veteran Pat Townsley and Marin-based chef Janet Abrahamson teamed up to transform the old True North Restaurant into a 40-tap draft and pizza slinging saloon. Choose from a variety of organic salads, hot sandwiches and classic American pizza with gluten-free and vegan options. Designed as a family-friendly restaurant, the warm atmosphere, ample beer selection and big screen TVs make it a popular hangout for catching the big game or just enjoying a pie. WHO Pat Townsley and Janet Abrahamson of Creekside Pizza & Taproom WHAT A Pizza Partnership To Celebrate WHERE SanAnselmo 638 San Anselmo Ave, 415.785.4450 creeksidesa.com b $$ D

BENISSIMO Italian “Benissimo” means “really, really good” in Italian. Aside from the daily 4 to 6:30 p.m. happy hour, (drinks $3 to $5, small plates $5 to $7.50), the menu offers a large selection of pizza, pasta and large plates, like cioppino, fresh fishes of the day, T-bone steaks and the signature Benissimo Burger or portobello burger. Specials include all-day happy hour on Mondays, no-corkage Tuesdays, Wednesday night martinis, and live music on Thursdays. 18 Tamalpais Dr, 415.927.2316, benissimos.com s $$$ S D º BLUE BARN GOURMET American The first Marin outpost of the S.F.-based eatery has proven very popular. The menu includes customizable salads, toasted sandwiches, soups and more, prepared with locally harvested produce and proteins. Try the Jersey cow milk gelato from Double 8 Dairy of West Marin. Corte Madera Town Ctr, 415.927.1104, bluebarngourmet.com b $$ S Í LD º

BOCA PIZZERIA Italian This Italian-inspired pizzeria utilizes Northern California’s bounty of seasonal ingredients and showcases local microbreweries and wine country’s boutique varietals. The menu includes large selections of appetizers to share, organic salads when available, pastas, local free-range poultry and meats, desserts and Neapolitan-style pizzas with house-made mozzarella. 1544 Redwood Hwy, 415.924.3021, bocapizzeria.com s $$ Í C LD º CAFE VERDE California This revamped cafe offers wraps, paninis, salads, tea and more nearly all day long. Enjoy any of these items inside or out on the patio and be sure to inquire about the German and Belgian beer samplers. 502 Tamalpais Dr, 415.927.1060, cafeverdemarin.com b $ Í BLD º IL FORNAIO Italian This upscale Italian restaurant franchise’s menu offers, aside from the pizzas and pastas, a variety of salads and carb-free entrées. 223

LEELA LINDNER

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MARIN JOE’S Italian This Marin mainstay has been around for over 50 years. Choose from a menu of soups, salads, seafood, mesquite-grilled or sautéed meats and a plethora of pasta options. For a fun addition to your dining experience, order the Caesar salad — the server will prepare the dressing at your table. Not looking for a meal? Enjoy a drink and hear local musicians at the well-known piano bar. 1585 Casa Buena Dr, 415.924.2081, marin joesrestaurant.com s $$ S C LD PACIFIC CATCH PanAsian The well-priced menu features freshly caught items and Pacific Rim-inspired small or main plates, including wasabi bowls filled with white or brown rice, veggies and a choice of chicken, beef or fish (cooked or raw). Pacific Catch is successfully modeled after the Paia Fish House on Maui, down to the chalkboard menu and Hawaiian music. 133 Corte Madera Town Ctr, 415.927.3474, pacificcatch com s $$ S Í C LD º THE COUNTER California/American Customers can build their own salads and burgers with fresh ingredients. Burgers are made with allnatural Angus beef, turkey, chicken or bison. Gluten-free options and a vegan veggie burger are available. The restaurant also has patio seating, an airy kick-back vibe, and a popular happy hour (give the adult

milkshake a try!). 201 Corte Madera Town Ctr 415.924.7000, thecounterburger.com s $$ S Í LD º VEGGIE GRILL Vegan/ Vegetarian Veggie Grill is a fast-casual restaurant chain that celebrates the veggie by offering a variety of hot sandwiches and burgers, entree salads, bowls, home-style plates, shareable sides, organic teas and housemade desserts prepared with vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts. 147 Corte Madera Town Ctr, 415.945.8954, veggiegrill.com b $ S Í LD WORLD WRAPPS Wraps Owners Keith Cox and Matt Blair have revamped this 21-year-old “fast food” joint to feature healthy and flavorful items like a Hawaiian poke wrap and a tahini tofu summer roll that’s vegan-friendly. Exotic housemade beverages include boba tea, mango lassi and Vietnamese iced coffee. 208 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.3663, worldwrapps.com $ S Í LD

K AT H L E E N D U G H I J E W E L E R

Corte Madera Town Ctr, 415.927.4400, ilfornaio.com s $$ S Í C LD BR

JOIN US FOR OUR HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE, DECEMBER 5TH 5-8PM

11 B e r n a r d S t r e e t Mill Valley 415.383.0462 w w w . k at h l e e n d u g h i . c o M

ZINZ WINE BAR Wine Bar Cindi LaRaia has taken over Three Birds Wine Bar in Corte Madera renaming it Zinz Wine Bar. The quaint neighborhood space offers weekly events like all-day happy hour on Tuesdays and build your own flight Wednesdays. 207 Corte Madera Ave, 415.927.9466, zinzwinebar.com b $$ Í º

(415) 892-8244

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Out & About / DINE GREENBRAE

King Salmon Marocchino

• SCOMA’S OF SAUSALITO Italian The Scoma’s boat fishes seasonally, going out from Pier 47 and is approved for salmon and Dungeness crab resulting in fresh catches year-round. The menu regularly features whole crabs, chowders, grilled fish and house specialties. 588 Bridgeway, 415.332.9551, scomas sausalito.com s $$ C LD FAIRFAX 123 BOLINAS California Created by four friends wanting to showcase seasonal fare in a relaxing, intimate environment, this cozy, one-room eatery offers locally brewed beer, small-production wines and seasonal food along with the view of Bolinas Park through the floorto-ceiling windows. 123 Bolinas St, 415.488.5123, 123bolinas.com b $$ S Í D º BAREFOOT CAFE American Chef Tony Senehi prepares fresh Californian dishes made with local, organic ingredients, from sustainable sources. A popular brunch location, neighbors and tourists come to this quaint restaurant in the heart of Fairfax for everything from their eggs benedict to panna cotta dessert. 1900 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.460.2160, barefootcafe.com b $$ S BLD

FRADELIZIO’S Italian Fradelizio’s blends Northern Italian cuisine with Californiainspired healthy fare using the freshest ingredients possible. 35 Broadway Blvd, 415.459.1618, fradelizios.com b $$$ S LD BR GRILLY’S Mexican If you’re looking for a quick, fresh meal, Grilly’s is an easy and delicious stop. Pick up a couple burritos and the much-loved chicken taco salad and you have a lunch or dinner to please the whole family. 1 Bolinas Ave, 415.457.6171, grillys.com $ S Í C BLD IRON SPRINGS PUB & BREWERY American Choose from an extensive beer list, and enjoy your selection with an ale-braised barbecue pork sandwich, prawn tacos or the house-ground chicken bacon cheeseburger. 765 Center Blvd, 415.485.1005, ironspringspub.com b $$ S Í C LD º

MAS MASA Latin American and Mexican Chef and owner Patrick Sheehy and co-owner William Eoff ocus on the ancient technique of corn nixtamalization, utilizing organic, non-GMO heirloom corn varieties. The kitchen is 100 percent gluten-free and beer and wine lists highlight local California microbreweries and wineries. 31 Bolinas Road, 415.529.5444, eatmasmasa.com s $$ S Í LD SORELLA CAFFE Italian Run by sisters Sonia and Soyara, Sorella, which means “sister” in Italian, serves fresh Italian food with a northern influence. Customer favorites include the cioppino, butternut squash ravioli and Pollo alla Sorella. Another highlight is the giant wheel of Grana Padana cheese. And if that isn’t enough, stop by for live music every second and fourth Thursday of the month, as well as accordion music every Friday and a piano, bass

and drums combo every Saturday. 107 Bolinas Road, 415.258.4520, sorellacaffe.co b $$$ S D TAMAL Mexican Set in the former space of The Sleeping Lady, this contemporary Mexican restaurant serves a plentiful selection of tapas and tequilacentric cocktails. 23 Broadway, 415.524.8478 s $$$ LD VILLAGE SAKE Japanese Lucky for Fairfax, beloved former Sushi Ran chef Scott Whitman and talented Marin-based restaurateur partners have opened an Izakaya — a Japanese style community pub — on Bolinas Street. In this compact space you’ll find maki rolls and skewers, plus sake and craft beers. Closed Tuesdays. 19 Bolinas Road, 415.521.5790, villagesake.com b $$$ Í D

VICTORIA BAKERY & CAFE Italian Victoria Bakery & Cafe in Bon Air has added lunch to the menu. Savory options at this Italian confectionary, specializing in wedding cakes, include paninis and puff astries filled with Swiss Gruyère. 292 Bon Air Shopping Center, 415.461.3099, victoria bakerymarin.com $$ Í BL

LARKSPUR DON ANTONIO Italian Antonio Volpicelli, of Don Antonio in Tiburon, has taken over the old Fabrizio space and filled it with more traditional Italian cuisine. The menu offers an assortment of classic dishes like gorgonzola gnocchi, veal parmesan, carbonara and an extensive wine list. Guests are welcome to enjoy any one of these items on the spacious outdoor patio. 455 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.3332, donantoniomarin.com b $$ Í LD BELCAMPO MEAT CO. American The goods at this meatery are delivered from the certified-organic Belcampo Farms near Mount Shasta, dedicated to practicing a holistic approach to pasture management. Try the lamb burger banh mi or the daily meat board. Marin Country Mart, 2405 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.448.5810, belcampomeatco.com b $$ Í LD BR EL HUARACHE LOCO Mexican The menu has gained quite a following for the authentic Mexico City dishes. From mini huaraches

(filled corn masa cakes) to the foot-long huarache with two salsas, crema, queso fresco and two toppings of your choice, you’re sure to get a true taste of a homemade Mexican meal. Marin Country Mart, 1803 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.925.1403, huaracheloco.com b $ S Í BLD EMPORIO RULLI Italian Renowned for its Northern Italian specialties and treats, the Larkspur location (there are four others) is a favored spot for lunch as well as coffee and a sweet treat. 464 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7478, rulli.com $$ S Í BL FARM HOUSE LOCAL California This downtown Larkspur gem is sure to please with simple, healthy food in a warm, cozy atmosphere — both inside and outside on the covered patio. The seasonal menu follows what is fresh and local with dishes such as fluffy omelets stuffed with local meats, cheeses and vegetables. 25 Ward St, 415.891.8577, farm houselocal.com b $$ S Í BL FARMSHOP California Located in the Marin Country Mart since 2013, Farmshop Marin has quickly become a top spot here in the county. Indoor and outdoor seating available. Marin Country Mart, 2233 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.755.6700, farmshopca.com s $$$ S Í C LD BR New FISHER’S CHEESE + WINE American Marin Country Mart gets a new cheese-inspired

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GIA RISTORANTE ITALIANO Italian Fabrizio Laudati, along with co-chef Stefano Guasco, has brought his Italian style to Marin. Previously Laudati owned four Italian restaurants in San Francisco, including Bella Trattoria and Panta Rei. The menu features simple, authentic dishes with a modern twist from the Lazio region of central Italy. 286 Magnolia Ave, 415.891.3979, giarestaurant.net b $$ Í LD LEFT BANK RESTAURANT French This corner spot on Magnolia Avenue rates high with locals. Those with a small appetite (or budget) can opt for happy hour appetizers (3 to 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close, Monday to Friday), most priced under $7. 507 Magnolia Ave, 415.927.3331, leftbank.com s $$$ S Í C LD BR MARIN BREWING CO. American Grab a cold beer made on site and pair it with fish ’n’ chips — in this case fresh cod dipped in Mt. Tam pale ale batter, served with steak fries and homemade tartar sauce — or another item from the all-American menu. Marin Country Mart, 1809 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.4677, marinbrewing.com b $$ S Í LD º

PERRY’S American The San Francisco mainstay has a location across the bridge in Larkspur, bringing with it its wide selection of salads, steaks and comfort favorites like French onion soup. Replacing the Lark Creek Inn, the skylights bring in plenty of natural light and an expanded bar is ideal for sipping the restaurant’s famed bloody mary’s. Valet parking is offered and brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays. 234 Magnolia Ave, 415.927.1877, perryssf.com s $$ LD º

Wish I could skip the ‘‘ shopping crowds this season!’’ Beauty. Simplicity. Creativity. The elegance of clean, modern design. Free gift-wrapping. Attentive, experienced sales staff. All this plus thousands of handcrafted designer gifts for your home and tabletop, wearable art, jewelry, and much more await you at Terrestra in downtown Mill Valley. Featuring the largest-in-USA selection of fine leather goods from Mywalit of Lucca, Italy.

PICCO California Popular since its inception, Picco has a seasonally driven menu featuring items such as risotto (made every half hour) that keep patrons coming back. 320 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.0300, restaurantpicco.com s $$$ S Í C D PIZZERIA PICCO Pizza This upscale parlor offers Californiainfluenced Neapolitan pizzas, cooked in a wood burning pizza oven. Fresh mozzarella is pulled in-house and the menu also features organic salads, a daily soup and Straus Dairy soft serve ice cream. 316 Magnolia Ave, 415.945.8900, pizzeriapicco.com b $$ S Í LD º POSIE Dessert This hip artisan ice cream shop opened by Kyle Caporicci, former pasty chef of Michelinstarred Commis, is making a name for itself with its seasonal flavors and homemade glutenfree cones. For lunch, meticulously prepared open-faced tartines

Wish granted.

30 MILLER AVENUE ON DEPOT PLAZA ■ 1-888-808-GIFT

MONTHLY

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20 OFF SHOWS

Anne et Valentin L.A. Eyeworks BEVEL Blake Kuwahara JMM GRO & More! Visit us online @ RIMSandGOGGLES for info or to RSVP

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restaurant and retail shop by Kiri Fisher. Expect a unique selection of fromage and wine as well as hot dishes like meatballs with creamed kale. 2201 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.779.2201 fisherscheese.com b $$ Í LD BR

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Out & About / DINE

• SERVINO RISTORANTE Italian Chef and owner Angelo Servino highlights organic ingredients in an array of rustic Italian dishes, including house-made pastas, wood oven pizzas, and seasonal specialties. Located on the bay in Tiburon, Servino also prides itself on itsextensive sustainable seafood program. 9 Main St, 415.435.2676, servino.com s $$$ S Í C LD BR º Pesce Spada Mediterraneo

and Instagram ready pastries are featured. Menu changes weekly, closed Mondays. 250B Magnolia Ave, 415.891.8395 $L RUSTIC BAKERY California This homegrown bakery is known and loved the world over. In fact, Pope Francis famously requested Rustic Bakery flatbread and crostini when he visited the United States in 2015. Bread that’s baked fresh each morning in addition to granola, cookies, muffins and croissants make this a local staple. 1139 Magnolia Ave, 415.925.1556; 2017 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.9900, rusticbakery.com b $$ S Í BLD BR

MILL VALLEY

THREE TWINS ICE CREAM Dessert Neal Gottlieb started Three Twins Ice Cream in San Rafael in 2005 with a mission to make delicious and affordable ice cream using organic ingredients only. Today, flavors like strawberry balsamic vinegar and lemon cookie are widely loved and recognized. 2231 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.8946, threetwinsicecream.com $ S Í LD

BALBOA CAFE MILL VALLEY California The San Francisco institution has become a place to see and be seen in Mill Valley, especially after 142 Throckmorton comedy nights. Menu includes Niman flatiron steak, braised beef brisket risotto and classic burgers. 38 Miller Ave, 415.381.7321, balboacafe.com s $$$ Í LD BR º

WISE SONS Bagels The popular Jewish deli, Wise Sons, has opened it’s fourth outpost at the Marin Country Mart. The bagel shop includes classic favorites like hot pastrami, matzo ball soup and lots of homemade shmear. 2227 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.878.3354, wisesonsdeli.com $$ BL BR

BOO KOO Asian This locally owned restaurant creates healthy meals that blend equal parts California Fresh with Southeastern Asian inspired street food. With a new chef and recent expansion of the restaurant, they’ve ushered in a vibrant bar with wines and kombucha on tap as well as one of the best

craft beer offerings in town. Vegan, GF and vegetarian friendly menu. 25 Miller Ave, 415.888.8303, eatbookoo.com b $ S Í LD BUCKEYE ROADHOUSE American Oysters Bingo, baby back ribs and Chili-Lime “Brick” Chicken are a few of the satisfying, comfort-food menu items that have made this classic roadhouse a favorite since the ’30s. The warm, dark-wood bar with red leather booths is a popular spot for cocktails, conversations or a light meal. 15 Shoreline Hwy, 415.331.2600, buckeyeroadhouse.com s $$ C LD BR BUNGALOW 44 American One of Mill Valley’s neighborhood hot spots,

featuring contemporary California comfort food, signature cocktails, fine wine, and one-dollar oysters from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day. 44 E. Blithedale Ave, 415.381.2500, bungalow44.com s $$$ S Í C D CAFE DEL SOUL California Healthy options become addicting ones at this Tam Valley eatery. Once you stop in for the deliciously fresh Hummus Yummus wrap, you’ll have to return to sample the Chipotle Sun Goddess Rice Bowl. A casual lunch spot and great for takeout, Cafe del Soul now offers a range of quinoa options. 247 Shoreline Hwy, 415.388.1852, cafedelsoul.net $ S Í LD EL PASEO American Todd Shoberg is joining the team as executive chef at this awardwinning eatery in the heart of downtown Mill Valley. Built from Mount Tam railroad ties and brick in 1947, El Paseo was restored by owner Sammy Hagar in 2009. Now boasting a full liquor license, the new Passage Bar and a new chef at the helm, this Marin gem is ready to rock. 17 Throckmorton Ave, 415.388.0741, elpaseomillvalley.com s $$$ Í C D FRANTOIO RISTORANTE Italian This 6,000-squarefoot eatery is centered around the in-house olive press, which produces a special blend popular with locals. For special occasions and private parties, reserve the olive-press room. The popular weekday happy hour starts at

4:30 p.m. 152 Shoreline Hwy, 415.289.5777, frantoio.com s $$$ Í C LD º GRILLY’S Mexican Grilly’s is an easy and delicious stop. Pick up a couple burritos and the much-loved chicken taco salad and you have a lunch or dinner to please the whole family. 493 Miller Ave, 415.381.3278, grillys.com b $ S Í C BLD BR HARMONY Chinese Enjoy a lighter take on Chinese at this restaurant, nestled in the Strawberry Village. The barbecue pork bun is filled with house-made roasted meat in a savory sauce, and signature prawns are wok seared with scallions. Pair your pick with wine, beer or tea and be sure to check out the weekday takeout lunch special. Strawberry Village, 415.381.5300, harmony restaurantgroup.com b $$ S LD INDIA PALACE Indian Known as “that great restaurant in the Travelodge,” India Palace is a favorite with the takeout crowd; eating on site is also a treat. 707 Redwood Hwy, 415.388.3350, india palacemillvalley.com b $$ S LD JOE’S TACO LOUNGE Mexican Joe’s serves up fish tacos, burritos and enchiladas as well as more unusual items like Mexican pizza, tofu tostada and crab tostadas. Colorful interior and quick service make this a fun, easy stop. If there are too many unsupervised kids for a peaceful meal, takeout is easy too. If you stay, grab a selection of hot

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PIAZZA D’ANGELO Italian Family owned for over 35 years, Piazza D’Angelo evokes a traditional trattoria dining experience. Enjoy a variety of house made pastas, meat and seafood dishes, wood fired pizzas, and gluten free offerings with organic and locally sourced ingredients. 22 Miller Ave, 415.388.2000, piazzadangelo.com s $$ S Í C LD BR º

THE PLANT CAFE California The cafe offers healthy food made from local, organic ingredients. Stop by for a California-inspired meal, raw organic juice, a diet-supplementing smoothie or a delicious dessert. Strawberry Village, 415.388.8658, theplantcafe.com b $$ S Í BL BR

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PIATTI RISTORANTE AND BAR Italian The staff rides itself on capturing the warm and welcoming atmosphere of a traditional Italian trattoria. Get a table by the window or on the outdoor deck for a truly exceptional view right on the water. Peruse the impressive selection of Italian wines to accompany your rustic seasonal meal. 625 Redwood Hwy, 415.380.2525, piatti.com s $$ S Í C LD BR

PLAYA Mexican Drawing inspiration from travels and the fresh, flavorful cuisine served on the playa, Peter Schumacher and Bill and Vanessa Higgins, have developed a menu that blends locally sourced, organic and sustainable ingredients with a bar highlighting a selection of exceptional tequilas and mezcals. 41 Throckmorton Ave, 415.384.8871, playamv.com s $$ Í D

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MILL VALLEY BEERWORKS American Known for handcrafted beers, imported and local microbrews and house-made kombucha and root beer, this popular downtown Mill Valley neighborhood brewery is also a full-blown restaurant. Choose from a large selection of small plates, including king oyster mushrooms, roasted potatoes and grilled squid, and a small list of large portions like confit rabbit. 173 Throckmorton Ave, 415.888.8218, mill valleybeerworks.com b $$$ D BR

PIZZA ANTICA Italian This Italianinspired restaurant in Strawberry Village offers much more than impeccably prepared thin-crust pizzas. The seasonal dishes are created with local ingredients and include chopped salads, housemade pastas, and meat, fish and fowl entrees, such as the Tuscan fried chicken and roasted pork chop. 800 Redwood Hwy, 415.383.0600, pizzaantica.com b $$ S LD BR º

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sauce bottles from the wall and find your perfect match. 382 Miller Ave, 415.383. 8164, joestacolounge.com b $$ S Í BLD

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December 3: High School | January 6: K-8th Grade Independent K-12, Day and Boarding | 415.258.1905 | sandomenico.org

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CHIANTI CUCINA Italian This cozy eatery features an array of Italian and American choices, including a long list of pastas; try the house-made ravioli cooked up by chef Edgar DeLon. 7416 Redwood Hwy, 415.878.0314, chiantinovato.com b $$$ S Í D º

Beignet at Salito’s, Sausalito

biryani and basil garlic nan. Try the thali menu (offered at lunch), a selection of several Indian dishes served at once. 24 Sunnyside Ave, 415.384.8241, prabhindiankitchen.com b $$ S Í LD SHORELINE COFFEE SHOP American Tucked away in a parking lot at Tam Junction, this coffee shop is a funky diner with a smalltown feel. Check out the mix of Mexican and traditional breakfast fare. 221 Shoreline Hwy, 415.388.9085 b $$ S Í BL BR SOL FOOD Puerto Rican This Marin favorite has opened in Mill Valley, still serving up everyone’s favorite Puerto Rican cuisine. The line can get long, but the food is well worth it. 401 Miller Ave, 415.380.1986, solfoodrestaurant.com $$ S BLD

TAM TAM RAMEN Pan Asian Ramen options and more as in bao sliders, wonton nachos and pan-fried gyoza made fresh to order, with sushi and salads from Whole Foods and Urban Remedy in the graband-go cooler. For those dining in, opt from an array of sake, beer and wine to complete the meal. 745 E Blithedale Ave, 415.381.3900, genjiweb.com $$ LD THE WHISK + SKILLET American This daytime eatery in Strawberry Village serves all-day breakfast and lunch with plenty of egg options to choose from and Equator coffee to boot. Lunch options include soups, sandwiches and salads. 125 Strawberry Village, 415.380.1900, whiskandskillet.com b $$ BL THEP LELA Thai This jewel is tucked away in the back of Strawberry Village. Diners come

for the tasty kee mao noodles, pad thai, fresh rolls and extensive bar menu. It’s also a great place for lunch. 615 Strawberry Village, 415.383.3444, theplela.com s $$ S Í LD URBAN REMEDY Juice With a selection of juices, snacks and bowls including plenty of gluten-free, grain-free, and low-glycemic-index options, this is a popular stop. Raw desserts round things out. Try the namesake salad or give the cashew milk with cinnamon and vanilla a shot to see what Urban Remedy is all about. 15 E Blithedale Ave, 415.383.5300, urbanremedy.com $$ Í BLD VASCO Italian Whether you’re at a table, the bar or the back counter, you can expect an intimate and tasty dining experience in this one-room trattoria. Try one of the pasta dishes or thincrust wood-fired pizzas.

106 Throckmorton Ave, 415.381.3343, vasco millvalley.com s $$ S D

NOVATO BOCA PIZZERIA Italian Enjoy authentic pizza prepared with fresh mozzarella made in-house daily and tomatoes imported from Italy. Other menu items include grilled rosemary chicken sandwiches and braised beef short rib pappardelle. Enjoy weekly specials, such as 50 percent off all wines by the bottle on Wednesdays and half off raft beers on Thursdays. 454 Ignacio Blvd, 415.883.2302, bocapizzeria.com b $$ S Í C LD BOCA TAVERN American Bring a date or celebrate a special event at this classic steak house, which features wholesome American fare. Favorites include the mac ’n’cheese croquettes, hanger

HILLTOP 1892 California In a historic country estate in Novato with sweeping views, enjoy classic favorites with a California flair. There’s a private banquet room for special events. 850 Lamont Ave, 415.893.1892, hilltop1892.com s $$$ S Í C LD BR º HOPMONK TAVERN American The beer garden–styled outdoor patio and live music is what keeps fans coming back to this Novato brewhouse. Weekly events include country line dancing and open mic nights with an ample selection of beers on tap to wash it all down. 224 Vintage Way, 415.892.6200 hopmonk.com s $$ S Í C LD MARVIN’S RESTAURANT American Voted “Best Breakfast in Novato,” this spot is known for serving up generous portions of Americanstyle breakfast and lunch fare at a great value. The corned beef hash, benedicts and superb service attract a consistent crowd all year round. 1112 Grant Ave, 415.892.4482 $ S Í BL

RUSTIC BAKERY California Organic pastries, breads, salads and sandwiches are on the menu here, including daily seasonal specials. Try the Marin Melt — Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam and Point Reyes Toma cheeses grilled on honey whole wheat, served with dressed baby greens and crisp apple slices. 1407 Grant Ave, 415.878.4952, rusticbakery.com b $$ S Í BLD BR THE SPEAKEASY American There’s nothing like the comfort of a solid burger and beer when you’re kicking back and watching the game, and the Speakeasy provides you with just that. In addition to the 10 beers on tap, you can go beyond traditional pub grub with treats like a deconstructed salmon salad. 504 Alameda del Prado, 415.883.7793, thespeakeasynovato.com s $$ LD BR º

SAN ANSELMO BAAN THAI CUISINE Thai Known for its mango sticky rice, this restaurant is committed to bringing their customers fresh, local and seasonal food. Warm up with the tom kha soup or stave off he heat with a lychee iced tea. 726 San Anselmo Ave, 415.457.9470, baanthaimarin.com b $$ LD COMFORTS CAFE American Established in 1986, Comforts has a cozy sit-down patio and serves breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch. A large take-out section offers fresh bakery items, seasonal salads, soups, sandwiches and even entrees for dinner at home. Besides the

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steak and duck-fat fries. 340 Ignacio Blvd, 415.883.0901, bocasteak.com s $$$ S Í C LD º

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famous and popular Chinese chicken salad, other winners are the stuffed pecan-crusted French toast, flavorful scrambles, Chicken Okasan ( nicknamed “Crack Chicken” by fans) and wonton soup. 335 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.9840, comfortscafe.com b $$ S Í BL BR CUCINA SA Italian Formerly Cucina Restaurant and Wine Bar, the ownership team of Donna Seymour and Kevin Hansmeyer renovated, renamed and reopened the restaurant in December 2015. This cozy space features homemade pastas, wood-fired pizzas and Italian wines. A large part of the menu is vegetarian and gluten-free friendly. 510 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.2942, cucina-sa.com b $$ Í D FARM BURGER American This burger chain is known for 100% grassfed meats and something that’s not nearly as commonplace – alcoholic milkshakes. So if you want to put a little tang in your dessert, try one of their golden state cider floats or a mission hard root beer. Other fares include a pastured pig banh mi, a superfood salad, as well as a lil farmers menu for kids. 882 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.785.4802, farmburger.net b $$ S Í LD FLOUR CRAFT BAKERY California The artisan pastries, fresh bread, desserts, specialoccasion cakes and lunch items are all gluten- and peanut-free, with dairy-free and

vegan options available. Customer favorites include the cacao nib and walnut coffee cake, flourless hazelnut fudge brownies, and the signature granolas. 702 San Anselmo Ave, 415.453.3100, flourcraftbakery.com $ S Í BL INSALATA’S Mediterranean Award-winning chef Heidi Krahling offers Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes prepared with delicious produce and artisan meats.120 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.457.7700, insalatas.com s $$$ S C LD BR L’APPART RESTO French French specialties, local favorites and a $35 three- course prix fixe menu are served up in an energetic yet sophisticated environment. Check out the live music on Thursdays. Open 6 days a week for dinner, Monday Saturday, and open for lunch Friday - Sunday. 636 San Anselmo Ave, 415.256.9884, lappartresto.com b $$ S Í LD BR New MADCAP Fusion Chef Ron Siegel has opened his first solo venture in the heart of San Anselmo. Madcap artfully fuses California and Japanese cuisine, creating colorful dishes that are bold, balanced and bright. 198 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.453.9898, madcapmarin.com b $$$ D MARINITAS Mexican The sister restaurant of Insalata’s continues to flourish for creative Latin cuisine in Marin. This is not your

typical south-of-theborder spot. 218 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.454.8900, marinitas.net s $$ S LD BR TACO JANE’S Mexican Taco Jane’s new full bar features a robust tequila and mezcal selection. Its regional Mexican cuisine includes Oaxacan mole, fish tacos and vegetarian options. Black Gold salsa arrives with complimentary chips and is created using charred blackened tomatoes and roasted chilis. Live music Thursdays and enclosed patio seating all year round and happy hour from 4:30 to 6, Monday through Friday. 21 Tamalpais Ave, 415.454.6562, tacojanes.com s $$ S Í LD BR

VALENTI & CO. Italian This bright and cozy space is the ideal environment for authentic Italian dishes made with local ingredients. A seat at the chef’s table gives a prime view of the open kitchen. 337 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.7800, valentico.com b $$$ D

SAN RAFAEL AMICI’S EAST COAST PIZZERIA California A wide array of thin-crust pizzas, freshly made pastas and salads are the ticket here, along with flame-roasted lemon chicken wings, for dine-in, takeout and delivery. Gluten-free pizza crust is available. 1242 Fourth St, 415.455.9777, amicis.com b $$ S Í LD º

ARIZMENDI BAKERY California A workerowned bakery cafe, Arzimendi prides itself on high-quality local ingredients. Visit any time of day for coffee and pastries, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and thincrust sourdough artisan pizza. 1002 Fourth St, 415.456.4093, arizmendisanrafael.com $ S Í BLD BR BEST LIL’ PORKHOUSE American For a selection of authentic Southern appetizers, smoked ribs, pulled pork, outstanding wings, sliders and homemade barbecue sauce, head to this barbecue joint just off Highway 101. The vibe is honky-tonk and the bar boasts two pool tables and several televisions always tuned into the latest

sporting events. Opt for a “Stina,” the famous pomegranate/jalapeño margarita. 2042 Fourth St, 415.457.7675, bestlilporkhouse.com s $$ S C LD BR º GREEN CHILE KITCHEN Mexican Don’t let the name fool you; while green chilies are present on the menu, many other varieties are also featured. From the organic, house made, blue corn tortillas to the red chile chicken wings, this restaurant located in downtown San Rafael offers a cornucopia of hues and flavors. 1335 Fourth St, 415.521.5691, greenchilekitchen.com b $$ S LD LA TOSCANA RISTORANTE & BAR Italian Family owned and operated since 1985, La Toscana has completed an extensive

• ROBATA GRILL AND SUSHI Japanese Robata translates as “by the fireside”; fittingly, food here can be cooked on an open fire and served in appetizer-size portions to pass around the table. Or simply order your own sushi or entree from the menu. 591 Redwood Hwy, 415.381.8400, robatagrill.com b $$ S LD

Poke Red Tuna

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Out & About / DINE interior and exterior renovation, transforming an already popular San Rafael gathering spot into a place for any occasion. The menu features classics like gnocchi and carbonara and an ample selection of wine. 3751 Redwood Hwy, 415.492.9100, ristorantelatoscana.com s $$$ S Í C LD º LAVIER CUSINE LatinFusion Free-range meat and fresh seafood is the focus at this authentic Latin-fusion eatery in San Rafael run by Gabriela and her husband Guillermo who hails from Yucatan. Try the plantain and panko crusted cheese sticks to start and follow that with the popular puffy fish tacos with slaw and black beans. Brunch is served on weekends until 2 p.m. 1025 C St, 415.295.7990, lavier latinfusion.com b $$ S LD BR º LE COMPTOIR French The owners of San Francisco’s Gamine have opened their second restaurant, this time in the heart of San Rafael. The bistro serves up traditional French favorites like beef cheeks bourguignon and onion soup gratinée in a chic and cozy setting. If you’re planning to go, call ahead. 1301 Fourth St, 415.454.5454, lecomptoirsr.com b $$ Í C D LOS MOLES Mexican Nestled right in the middle of Lincoln Avenue, Los Moles offers traditional pueblo Mexican cuisine, with — you guessed it — a variety of different moles to enhance your dish. Offering brunch, lunch, dinner and party options, Los Moles’

menu includes enmoladas, tacos, pollo al horno, carne asada, flan and much more. Don’t miss Taco Tuesday night for all you can eat tacos. 912 Lincoln Ave, 415.453.5850, losmoles.com s $$ LD BR º MAGNOLIA PARK KITCHEN American This American bistro features lots of farm-fresh salads and sandwiches to choose from. The outdoor patio is well suited for sipping a glass of wine or enjoying a signature fried chicken bomb sandwich. 1016 Court St, 415.521.5591, magnolia parkkitchen.com b $$ Í C BL MCINNIS PARK GOLF CLUB RESTAURANT American Grab a meal prepared by chef Chris Harman before or after hitting the driving range (or even without picking up a club). Outdoor seating is popular, as is the full bar, with a selection of premium Scotches, small-batch bourbons and more than 50 wines from California vineyards. McInnis Park, 415.491.5959, mcinnis parkgolfcenter.com s $$$ Í C LD RANGE CAFE American With floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the grand Peacock Gap lawns, the Range Cafe is the perfect place for comforting American classics with an elegant twist. This inviting lunchtime cafe with its ice-cold lemonade and refreshing chardonnays makes a great dinner spot once the sun sets. 333 Biscayne Dr, 415.454.6450, rangecafe.net s $$ S Í C BLD º

ROCKETROLL Japanese There are plenty of fusion restaurants around, but not many that blend Mexican and Japanese favorites. Rocketroll, however, offers everything from a spicy tuna rice bowl, to yellow fin tuna and salmon sashimi sushi burritos. Smoothies like the avocado fresher round out the menu. 1109 Fourth St, 415.866.0537 $ LD SAN RAFAEL JOE’S Italian A Marin institution famous for sophisticated yet casual Italian fare since 1947. The dining room, with a friendly atmosphere and seating for 240, is great for large parties, and the roast sirloin of beef and Fettuccine Joe’s are sure to please. 931 Fourth St, 415.456.2425, sanrafaeljoe.com s $$ S LD º SOL FOOD Puerto Rican Fast becoming a Marin legend, Sol Food whips up traditional Puerto Rican dishes just like the ones owners Sol Hernandez grew up eating. Favorites include the bistec sandwich, mofongo and fried plantains, but anything tastes good with a dash of the signature hot sauce, also for sale by the bottle (as is the lemon-garlic salad dressing). 901 Lincoln Ave, 415.451.4765, sol foodrestaurant.com $$ S BLD STATE ROOM BREWERY American Formerly the Broken Drum, State Room Brewery has ditched the pizza house vibe in favor of an elegant 1930s-era stateroom. Many beers are made on-site and all drafts

are available in sizes from half pints to takehome growlers; beer flights are also available. The gastropub’s menu, created by Chef Ed Vigil, changes seasonally and includes a buratta cheese BLT and sashimi grade tuna poke. 1132 Fourth St, 415.295.7929, stateroombrewery.com s $$ LD TERRAPIN CROSSROADS American This waterfront restaurant and music venue presents fresh food and local talent. The menu includes salads, savory dishes and wood-fired pizzas plus a wide selection of beers, wines and cocktails. Come for the food, stay for the music. 100 Yacht Club Dr, 415.524.2773, terrapin crossroads.net s $$ Í C D BR º TOMATINA Italian Tomatina takes a modern approach to traditional Italian recipes. Offering housemade pasta, pizzas and signature piadine: fresh, hot flatbreads topped with cool salads, ready to fold and eat. 5800 Northgate Mall, 415.479.3200, tomatina.com s $$ S Í LD º UCHIWA RAMEN Japanese When owners Benson Yang and Kevin Fong decided to open Marin’s first ramen shop in 2014, they weren’t sure what to expect. Three years later, Uchiwa remains loved by ramen enthusiasts for its rich broths and fresh noodles. Vegetarian and vegan options available. 821 B St, 415.991.3693, uchiwaramen.com b $$ LD

URBAN REMEDY Juice With delicious juices, snacks and bowls including plenty of gluten-free, grain-free, and low-glycemic-index choices, this is a popular spot. Raw desserts round things out. Try the vegan Caesar salad or give the cashew milk with cinnamon and vanilla a shot to see what Urban Remedy is all about. 1904 Fourth St, 415.786.8011, urbanremedy.com $$ Í BLD VIN ANTICO American Vin Antico, “where passion meets the plate,” serves seasonal marketinspired cuisine like stone-oven-baked flatbreads, handmade pastas and organic salads, all innovatively prepared. The kitchen is open to the dining room and there’s a full bar with artisan cocktails. 881 Fourth St, 415.721.0600, vinantico.com s $$ S C LD º VN NOODLE & GRILL Vietnamese Located in Montecito Plaza, the restaurant’s robust menu features standard Vietnamese fare including a wide selection of rice plates, pho and of course, iced coffee. 421 Third St, 415.306.4299 $$ LD WHIPPER SNAPPER RESTAURANT California/Caribbean Owner/chef Bill Higgins serves tapas, sangria and reasonably priced organic dishes. The California-Caribbean lunch and dinner cuisine blends local farm-fresh ingredients with Latin flavors. Be sure to try the popular fish tacos, Cuban “cigars” and chocolate bread pudding. Available for parties

and special gatherings and the restaurant has a back patio for alfresco dining. 1613 Fourth St, 415.256.1818, whipsnap.biz b $$ S Í C LD º YET WAH Chinese Named for the founder’s wife (“Yet” refers to the moon, “Wah” to brightness), this beloved mainstay has a traditional Chinese menu and daily dim sum. Expect live music in the Kung Fu Lounge. 1238 Fourth St, 415.460.9883, yetwahsanrafael.com s $$ S Í LD

SAUSALITO ANGELINO RESTAURANT Italian An authentic Italian restaurant with handmade pastas and seasonal antipasti, showcasing cuisine of the Campania region for over 20 years. 621 Bridgeway, 415.331.5225, angelino restaurant.com s $$$ S BLD ARAWAN THAI Thai After an 18-month closure due to a fire, this Sausalito favorite has reopened to enthusiastic reviews. Favorites like the Prawn Arawan with yellow curry are back on the menu as well as $10 lunch specials. 47 Caledonia St, 415.729.9395 $$ LD AVATAR’S Indian If you’re on the hunt for innovative Indian fare, head to Avatar’s. Sip masala chai sweetened with brown sugar in this casual, one-room restaurant, ideal for a quick lunch or dinner. 2656 Bridgeway, 415.332.8083, enjoyavatars.com b $$ S LD

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BAR BOCCE American Food just tastes better on a bayside patio with fire pits and a bocce ball court. Order one of the sourdough bread pizzas and a glass of wine and you’ll see why this casual eatery, overseen by Robert Price of Buckeye and Bungalow 44, has become a local favorite. 1250 Bridgeway, 415.331.0555, barbocce.com s $$ S Í LD BARREL HOUSE TAVERN California Stop by Barrel House for great local food enhanced by fantastic bay and city views. The relaxed urban setting is a perfect match for the barrel-aged cocktails. 660 Bridgeway, 415.729.9593, barrelhousetavern.com s $$$ S Í LD º CIBO Cafe Located in a historic brick building on Sausalito’s main drag, this is a great place to a sip a quick cup of coffee outdoors. The menu offers tarts, croissants, cookies, paninis and soups. Every dish is made from scratch with local and seasonal products. 1201 Bridgeway, 415.331.2426, cibosausalito.com $$ S Í BL COPITA Mexican Chef Joanne Weir serves up fresh Mexican fare in the heart of downtown Sausalito. The everchanging menu is gluten-free, and the in-house tequila bar offers over 100 varieties and fantastic cocktails. Dine at the bar or on the outdoor patio for great people-watching. 739 Bridgeway, 415.331.7400, copitarestaurant.com s $$ S Í LD BR

DARIO’S RESTAURANT Italian/Mediterranean Dario’s, a 40-year-old pizza joint in Sausalito is shaking things up by adding a new menu with a Mediterranean flair. In addition to the thin crust pizzas, you can now order items like lamb meatballs, chicken schwarma and falafel wraps. 2829 Bridgeway, 415.332.6636, darios sausalito.com b $$ Í LD DAVEY JONES DELI American Stationed in the New Bait Shop Market, Davey Jones Deli offers houseroasted sandwich meats, healthy condiments and local, organic vegetables; the deli serves sandwiches, veggie-wiches, wraps and salads with vegetarian, vegan and meat-lover options. Because the sandwiches are so generous, this easy stop is great during a day of boating, biking, hiking, and general adventuring around Marin. Gate 6 Road, 415.331.2282, daveyjonesdeli.com b $$ S Í L F3/FAST FOOD FRANCAIS French Owned and operated by the owners of Le Garage, F3 serves brunch, lunch and dinner featuring “Frenchified” American comfort food. A rotating menu includes items like the Quack burger (Duck confit, black pepper chèvre, lettuce and red onion marmalade). Enjoy with a side of Brussels sprout chips or pommes dauphines (tater tots). 39 Caledonia St, 415.887.9047, eatf3.com s $$ S Í LD BR

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Out & About / DINE creamed corn. Happy hour weekly from 2–4 p.m. 60 Fourth St, 415.663.0303 sidestreet-prs.com b $$ Í LD º

Squid Ink Bucatini

SAN FRANCISCO /EAST BAY

• CONTRADA Italian Chef Jason Tuley (formerly of Picco in Larkspur) brings his own creativity to classic Cal-Ital cuisine. Expect dishes like crispy fingerling potatoes, beef brisket and pork shoulder meatballs, made complete with a decadent dessert selection. 2136 Union St, 415.926.8916 contradasf.com b $$$ Í D BR º

LE GARAGE French Escape the tourist crush for an indulgent meal right on the water. The atmosphere is animated with light French music (à la Amélie), and the much-adored croque-monsieur is authentic. Indoor or outdoor seating. 85 Liberty Ship Way, 415.332.5625, legaragebistro sausalito.com b $$$ S Í BLD BR POGGIO Italian Executive chef Benjamin Balesteri creates Northern Italian fare using fresh and local ingredients. Private dining rooms above the restaurant

can accommodate larger parties (10 to 150 guests). 777 Bridgeway, 415.332.7771, poggiotratoria.com s $$$ S Í C BLD SALITO’S Seafood In a well-known location on Richardson Bay that was most recently home to Paradise Bay. Salito’s features a new look and casual ambience. Enjoy a Nick and Nora’s Cocktail Special or a signature dish, including whole roasted Dungeness crab, house-made kettle bread served with Straus butter and sizzling iron skillets of mussels. 1200 Bridgeway, 415.331.3226, salitoscrabhouse.com s $$$ S Í C LD º SEAFOOD PEDDLER RESTAURANT AND FISH MARKET Seafood The fish is bought daily from local fisherman and recipes are adjusted to incorporate the freshest catch. 303 Johnson St, 415.332.1492, seafoodpeddler.com s $$$ S Í LD BR º

SEAHORSE Italian The spacious dining area, accompanied by a dance floor and stage, make Seahorse ideal for celebrations large and small. Enjoy a modern twist on classic Tuscan coastal cuisine while grooving to the nightly live music and entertainment. 305 Harbor Dr, 415.331.2899, sausalitoseahorse.com b $$$ Í C LD BR º SUSHI RAN Japanese Sample small plates just big enough to share before enjoying some of the best sushi the Bay Area has to offer; the prices don’t deter the herd of enthusiasts who line up nightly to partake. Just stopping by? The wine, cocktail and sake lists keep even the pickiest barfly satisfied. Reservations are required in the main room. 107 Caledonia St, 415.332.3620, sushiran.com s $$ Í LD TASTE OF THE HIMALAYAS Himalayan Popular for lunch and dinner, enjoy authentic

food from a faraway region. 2633 Bridgeway, 415.331.1335, sausalitotasteofthe himalayas.com b $$ S LD New THAITANIC STREET FOOD Thai Sausalito gets a new Thai spot from the owners of My Thai in San Rafael and Novato. The nautical-themed restaurant offers Bangkok street favorites like Sriracha wings, pad Thai and barbecued meats. 1001 Bridgeway, 415.331.8007 thai

tanicstreetfood.com $$ S Í LD

WEST MARIN New SIDE STREET KITCHEN American Sheryl Cahill, owner of Point Reyes Station House Cafe, opens her newest venture a few blocks down in the former Pine Cone Diner. The fast-casual eatery with chef Aaron Wright (formerly of Tavern at Lark Creek) at the helm serves up favorites like rotisserie chicken, smoked oysters and

SERPENTINE American There’s a new owner/ Chef at the recently reopened Dogpatch favorite Serpentine. Tommy Halvorson (formerly of Chez Panisse, Bix and Gary Danko) has taken over and is putting his own Southern spin on the menu. Honey Fried Chicken is a standout on the lunch and dinner menu as is the revamped cocktail selection. 2495 Third St, SF 415.252.2000, serpentinesf.com s $$ D BR

KEY TO SYMBOLS s b $ $$ $$$ S

Full bar Wine and beer Inexpensive (entrees $10 or less) Moderate (up to $20) Expensive ($20 and over) Kid-friendly

New

The restaurant has opened within the last six months.

Update

Í C BLD BR º

Outdoor seating Private party room Breakfast, lunch, dinner Brunch Happy hour

A major renovation to the restaurant or menu, or there is a new chef.

These listings are not intended to be a full review of the business, rather a quick guide to some of the most popular restaurants in the county. For more restaurant listings, visit us online at marinmagazine.com/dine.

MIKE NORQUIST

JOINERY American The owners of Mill Valley Beerworks opened this rotisserie in the former Wellington’s Wine Bar space earlier this year. The restaurant features craft beer, burgers and other hearty, seasonal fare in a communal setting. 300 Turney St, 415.766.8999, joineryca.com b $$ Í LD

CRAFTSMAN AND WOLVES American This contemporary pâtisserie is located in San Francisco’s Mission district. Here, pastry-whiz William Werner serves egg-filled muffins known as the Rebel Within, bonbons, coffee and many other sweet and savory baked goods. 746 Valencia St, 415.913.7713 craftsman-wolves.com b $$ Í BL

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PR OMOT I O N

adlib MARIN ADVERTISERS SPEAK U P

RONDA PRIESTNER, OWNER AT FITWISE PILATES AND WELLNESS FitWise Pilates offers privates, duets, unique barre classes, small custom-tailored group equipment classes, and postural assessments with correctional programs to help clients achieve and sustain their goals. Our instructors are hand-picked experts in their field and provide the highest-caliber teaching and curative strategies. Our contemporary approach applies scientific research with practices in biomechanics, rehabilitation and athletic performance enhancement. Briefly describe your business philosophy. We believe that Pilates is more than just another exercise, it is a modality of wellness that creates lasting changes in your body and brain patterns that keep our clients coming back. We feel Pilates should enhance joy. Yes, our standards are high and our elite teachers are the very best in the Bay Area, but that does not translate to them being intimidating nor haughty. Whatever your fitness level, age, size, injury and/or background, our studio is a warm, nurturing and welcoming environment where you can focus on self-improvement and optimal fitness. What makes your work worthwhile? Clients come into my studio with a wide range of goals and I love to positively impact their lives by helping relieve pain and improve balance, endurance, fitness and mind/body connection. My clients move better and have an improved quality of life, which makes us feel very successful. What makes your business stand apart from the other studios? We are a small, female-owned-andoperated business. Unlike chain studios and corporate health clubs, we have established roots in our community and strive to create a positive impact. FITWISE PILATES AND WELLNESS 38 MILLER AVENUE, SUITE 19, MILL VALLEY, 415.326.5130, INFO@FITWISEPILATES.COM, FITWISEPILATES.COM

S E N D

& BOUNTY

T I D I N G S

BEAUTY

O F

Looking for a gift this holiday season that’s sure to impress? Give the gift of Stags’ Leap. Choose from a selection of impressive gift sets available in a range of price points. To receive your personalized recommendation or to place your order please email: gifting@stagsleap.com. The acclaimed wines of Stags’ Leap Winery are also the perfect corporate gift. Delight all of your clients and co-workers with wine gifts that require no introduction. Learn more at: stagsleap.com/corporate-gifts.

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Out & About / FLAVOR

Holiday Spirits

T

Two festive cocktails from Buckeye Roadhouse. HERE A RE OBVIOUS dishes and drinks that signal the holi-

days — pecan pie, sweet potato anything, mulled wine, hot apple cider — but you can also celebrate the season in a more subtle way. Looking for inspiration? Glance at Buckeye Roadhouse’s menu. The iconic eatery, marked by the distinct neon sign glowing on the side of Highway 101, features quintessential California cuisine served in a warm old-world setting. Known for dishes like Oysters Bingo, the restaurant also boasts an equally impressive drink menu. Here, bartender Jason Sims shares two popular, yet nuanced, holiday cocktails. Those worried about using raw egg are encouraged to try aquafaba, which often replaces egg whites in many sweet and savory recipes; essentially it is the liquid in a can of chickpeas but is also sold on its own. Aquafaba has a wide range of emulsifying, foaming, binding, gelatinizing and thickening properties. Cheers! buckeyeroadhouse.com KASIA PAWLOWSKA

RECIPES

Pearfection

Aperol–Hendrick’s Gin Fizz

Ingredients 2 ounces pear-infused vodka ¾ ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur 1 ounce fresh lemon juice Rosemary sprig

Ingredients 1¾ ounces Aperol ¾ ounce Hendrick’s Gin 1 ounce fresh lemon juice ½ ounce simple syrup ¾ ounce aquafaba or 1 egg white Soda water Strip of grapefruit peel, curled To Prepare 1 Pour the Aperol, gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and aquafaba or egg white into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. 2 Shake vigorously, more than usual if using an egg white, to ensure it is mixed thoroughly with the other ingredients. 3 Strain into a chilled highball glass containing ice cubes. 4 Top off with soda water. 5 Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

DEBRA TARRANT

To Prepare 1 Pour the vodka, St-Germain and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. 2 Shake vigorously. 3 Strain into a chilled champagne coupe glass. 4 Serve up, garnished with a rosemary sprig “stirrer.”

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P R O M OT I O N

the DISH EAT, DRINK AND BE ENTERTAINED

PMS 5815C/139C 90% 70%

5A

Enjoy wonderful dim sum delicacies day and night, hand crafted each day using the freshest seasonal selections of fine local ingredients and paired with premium sakes, imported Asian beers, and superb California wines. Join us in our dining room or visit our take-home store for quick meals or full menu items to go. Full service catering available. HARMONY RESTAURANT

Strawberry Village, Mill Valley, CA 415.381.5300 harmonyrestaurantgroup.com

A block away from the Rafael, Vin Antico for pre movie oysters, or small bites after the movie. Our chef’s counter is specifically designed for dinner and a show. Lunch and dinner. Happy Hour Mon-Fri, full bar, private dining space. Speakeasy will reopen Winter of 2017. VIN ANTICO

881 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 415.721.0600 vinantico.com

bar and grill

RangeCafe Bar and Grill, located on the course at Peacock Gap Golf Club, offers a delicious array of dining options. Enjoy weekend brunch and seasonal specials or stop in for Happy Hour drinks and appetizers. All our dishes are prepared fresh and sourced from local ingredients.

Visit the Seafood Peddler for the freshest seafood Marin has to offer, shipped in daily from the east coast to West! Enjoy the view indoors or enjoy our beautiful fl wer lined patio. Come enjoy our daily Happy Hour (including weekends) from 4:00 to 7:00PM.

RANGECAFE

333 Biscayne Drive, San Rafael, CA 415.454.6450 rangecafe.net

SEAFOOD PEDDLER

303 Johnson Street, Sausalito, CA 415.332.1492 seafoodpeddler.com

Consistently voted “Best of Marin,” Comforts offers fine city and homestyle food. Our menus change frequently to refle t what is fresh, local and in season. We offer breakfast, lunch, weekend brunch, as well as take-out and catering services. The holidays are around the corner - let Comforts provide you with an easy and delicious holiday feast! For more information, contact Comforts Catering. COMFORTS

335 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, CA 415.454.9840 comfortscafe.com

Sitting atop the Bay with unobstructed views, Scoma’s delights with incredibly fresh, creative food and warm, personal service. We offer steaming whole crabs, hearty chowders, clams, perfectly grilled fish and specialties. Seasonal offerings and perennial favorites keep the menu as lively as the daily catch. SCOMA’S SAUSALITO

588 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 415.332.9551 scomassausalito.com

Spend only $35 for a $50 dining certific te from participating restaurants with this icon. Go to marinmagazine.com/dineout and save 30% on meals.

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On the Scene

S N A P S H OT S F R O M S P EC I A L E V E N T S I N M A R I N A N D S A N F R A N C I S CO

E D I T E D B Y DA N I E L J E W E T T

Jim Lazor Jr., Jim Lazor and James Lazor III

Bill and Sue Federighi, Kathleen Woodcock and Rich Schneider

Hal Sherley, Frankie Baxter, Carole Sherley and Pat Hunt

• AWARDS BANQUET Lifehouse celebrated some of Marin’s best at the Embassy Suites in San Rafael on September 29.

Heidi Kuhn and Labib Kopti

• ROOTS OF PEACE The San Rafael–based organization held a special event September 21 at the Walt Disney Family Museum to help continue efforts to eradicate land mines in Vietnam.

Nancy Dow Moody, Heidi Krahling and Ann Elias

MO DELONG (ANGELS); RICHARD WHEELER (LIFEHOUSE); DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY (ROOTS OF PEACE)

• ANGELS BY THE BAY The gala benefiting the Marin Center for Independent Living returned for its 10th year October 14 at the Meadow Club in Fairfax.

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Maja Kristin and Brent Thomson

Tamra Stern and Mara Conner

• MVFF PARTY Guests enjoyed wine and small bites at Mill Valley’s Seager Gray Gallery, followed by some short films, October 12 in celebration of Marin Magazine’s fourth annual MVFF Guide.

MO DELONG (MVFF PARTY); DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY (PARKS)

• PARTY FOR THE PARKS The S.F. Parks Alliance brought together more than 600 guests at Stern Grove on September 16 to celebrate and raise funds for Let’sPlaySF.

Caroline Brinckerhoff, Liz Farrell and Sophie Hayward

Matthew Goldman, Jessica Foung, Josselyn Eckleston and Catherine and Brian Kwong

TO SEE MORE EVENT PHOTOS VISIT MARINMAGAZINE.COM/HOTTICKET M A R I N D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 107

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Season’s Greetings

Now accepting Winter consignments Open Mon–Sat 10 –5 Consignment Hours: Tues –Sat 10 –3 EncoreConsignment.com 11 Mary Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 Next to Whole Foods 415.456.7309

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When Your Aging Parents Need Your Help, You’ll Need Ours SM

A Unique Approach to Help Families Manage Parents’ Declining Memory, Function, and Quality of Life Terri Abelar, CEO

Aging Solutions, Inc.

Call us for a complimentary 30-minute consultation

415.324.5088 agingsolutions.com

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Willard Dixon, Still Life with Blue Ornament, 2014; photo: courtesy the artist

For sales and art-placement services, visit sfmoma.org/artists-gallery

marin dance theatre

Sophie Artistic Director: Margaret Swarthout

December 16th, 2017 1:00pm and 5:30pm $40 General, $32 Students & Seniors, $10 Teddy Bear Tea Party after the 1pm Show

and The Enchanted Toyshop

Marin Dance Theatre (415) 499-8891 • www.mdt.org • Facebook

A Holiday Ballet For The Whole Family

Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium, San Rafael, CA Tickets call: Marin Center Box Office (415) 499-6800 www.marincenter.org

Choreography by Lynn Cox

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11 Chaparral Lane, San Geronimo Offered at $2,150,000 | 11Chaparral.com

36 Knob Hill, Point Reyes Station Offered at $2,350,000 | 36KnobHill.com

Live amongst the tranquility of the outdoors with the luxuries of a modern home on 4.2 acres at 11 Chaparral Lane in Skye Ranch, San Geronimo. Custom built green home features lux master suite, second bedroom w/ loft, detached guest house and 2 car garage.

Unbelievable opportunity in the pastoral hamlet of Point Reyes minutes from the Point Reyes National Seashore and less than an hour from SF. Build your main home and telecommute or escape on weekends to your sanctuary. 6 acres and 6 bedroom septic. Canter the olive orchards or swim with your horse through the pond. After riding, enjoy the dramatic sunset play of light. The ranch perfectly complements the organic gourmet culture of Point Reyes.

Lotte Moore

Sarah Kowalczyk

415.412.7471 lotte@mcguire.com CAL BRE# 01744042

415.464.7484 sarah@mcguire.com CAL BRE# 01742287

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATE

#1 Team in Marin for McGuire Top producers 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 Marin Top Agent • Marin Platinum Group • Luxury Networking Group • Top 1% in agent volume county-wide

Toni Thomas

McGuire Real Estate Top Producer

“Toni came highly recommended by friends and she has exceeded all expectations. Toni helped my wife and I buy our first home, educating us tremendously about the entire home buying process. We continue to rely on her sound advice and hope to utilize her services for all our future Bay Area real estate needs.” - Vincente de Baca and Jarah Euston

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATE

415.351.4661 | tthomas@mcguire.com | Cal BRE# 01356103

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Marin Home FRO M TO U R S A N D M A K EOV E R S TO D ECO R AT IV E D E TA I L S A N D R E A LTO R I N S I G H T S

R E N OVAT I O N

AGAINST THE CLOCK Racing to complete a refresh before the birth of their second child, a Tiburon family discovers they like the renovation challenge. BY DAWN MARGOLIS DENBERG • PHOTOS BY TIM PORTER

This home was lived in for 50 years by the architect who designed it. The new owners felt it was time for some updating.

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Marin Home / BACKSTORY

W

HEN STEPH A NIE Cohn

Rupp and her husband, Scott Rupp, relocated from San Francisco to Tiburon in late November of 2013, they knew the home they’d purchased had good bones despite feeling dated. “It was designed by an architect who lived in it for 50 years,” Scott says. Some of its original details, including vaulted beamed ceilings and a massive brick fireplace, transcend time. But previously state-of-the-art amenities now felt obsolete. So the Rupps, no strangers to remodeling, agreed to slowly transform the space. Before moving in, they focused on simple cosmetic stuff uch as new paint and flooring. Bigger changes would have to wait. With a baby on the way and a 2-and-a-half-year-old already in tow, getting mired in major construction just didn’t seem prudent.

But shortly after moving in, the couple realized that living in a home with decadesold appliances can be, well, challenging. “You had to kick the refrigerator door to get it to shut,” Scott recalls. “And the old electric stove wasn’t great either.” So after much deliberation, they decided to take on the kitchen remodel ahead of Stephanie’s due date. Walls came down and windows got moved to optimize the home’s fabulous bay views. Then came new cabinetry, quartz countertops and, finally, all new kitchen appliances. “Construction went on through mid-June,” Scott says. “And Charlie was born on June 27.” Living through additional renovation with a preschooler and an infant would intimidate some — heck, probably most — but the Rupps don’t spook easily. And, after a short break, the renovations continued. This time the Rupps focused on remodeling the home’s guest bathroom.

Up next, a more ambitious project involved reconfiguring the upstairs bedrooms and baths. “We took what was a loft area and walled it in to create a defined bedroom for our sons,” Scott says. “Then we borrowed space from both of their closets so the kids could have their own bathroom.” They also gutted and expanded the footprint of the home’s master suite. Finally, the couple tackled the outdoor space, tearing out old bushes, plants and pathways and reinventing the area as a flat grassy yard where their children now run and play. “I’m an impact investor, and we try and live this in our own lives,” says Stephanie. “So, to save water, we made the decision to use artificial grass.” All told, these renovations took nearly four years to complete. But the Rupps have zero regrets. “It wasn’t always easy. But it was definitely worth it,” Scott says. m

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THE DETAILS WHERE THEY LIVE The Del Mar neighborhood in Tiburon WHAT THEY OWN A five-bedroom (previously four), three-bath contemporary home CONTRACTOR Amick Construction of Petaluma CABINET DESIGNER Thom Harrison of Sausalito’s AlterECO FAVORITE DETAIL “We love the kitchen, the view from there, how great the space is for entertaining and being able to take in the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.” —Scott Rupp

Opposite: A semiopen dining room. This page, clockwise from top: New paint, new floors paired with the original fireplace; the lightflooded master suite; a serene space to soak away daily stresses; the new kitchen; the Cohn/ Rupp family enjoying their backyard.

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Marin Home / GARDEN

Dirty Secrets

Top ways to improve your garden soil.

BY KIER HOLMES

Gardeners know that dirt is and should be treated like, well, dirt. We also know that dirt is not synonymous with soil, and it is typically what winds up under fingernails and what’s tracked in by shoes — essentially dead soil. Soil, on the other hand, is a living ecosystem and we should give it the reverence it deserves because we know that healthy soil produces vigorous leaves, healthy crops and an abundance of flowers. With that said, here are top ways to boost your soil and reap the benefits.

THE GOAL Strive to build up the existing soil so that air, water and nutrients are easily accessed by plant roots. Adding organic matter to the mix is a superior way to give roots more opportunity to penetrate soil. Test Time Learn what’s in your soil and you’ll discover whether organic material or nutrients/fertilizers should be added or if the pH should be altered (you can purchase a soil test kit at your local garden store). It is important to test before starting a new garden or if your garden’s health is declining. Much About Mulch Enrich your soil with a layer of mulch to help conserve moisture, add organic matter and suppress weeds. Got You Covered Consider planting a cover crop that includes vetch, clover and fava beans over bare winter soil, then cut it down and chop it up directly into the soil. This process loosens the soil, transfers the nitrogen from the atmosphere into the soil and adds significant organic matter. Cover crops also protect soil and control weeds in the off-season. Like Us Soil has the same basic needs as we do: food, water, air and shelter. But unlike us, soil always needs nitrogen because nitrogen feeds plants and soil organisms. Good sources of nitrogen are manures and green grass clippings added as amendments. Do’s and Don’ts Avoid digging, walking on or rototilling wet soil, especially clay, because it compacts the soil structure and squeezes the air out, leaving limited room for root growth or for organisms to breathe. Worm Business Instead of breaking your back digging, add worms and let them do the hard work while you are sheet mulching (putting a layer of material like cardboard over an area to kill weeds before planting). Worms leave nutrient-dense manure castings and help aerate the soil. The Basics For most purposes, add a complete organic fertilizer and apply as recommended. Organic (not synthetic) is best because the nutrients and minerals occur naturally.

IN THE FIELD “I use cover crop SCM120, ordered from Peaceful Valley Garden Supply in Grass Valley,” says Allison Krivoruchko, a Marin Master Gardener and soil expert. “I plant it in October and then cut it down at the end of March when the cover crop flowers are 50 percent in bloom, then put compost over it for a month before planting.” She also recommends using compost tea from Harmony Farms once a month during the growing season.

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THE SPIRIT IS

WINTER THE EXPERIENCE IS

ALAIN PINEL

Throughout the Bay Area and Northern California — from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe, Carmel to Wine Country — our level of service is second to none.

APR.COM Over 30 Real Estate Offices Serving The San Francisco Bay Area 866.468.0111

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THE ADDRESS IS

MARIN THE EXPERIENCE IS

ALAIN PINEL

SAN FRANCISCO $7,450,000

ROSS $5,500,000

KENWOOD $4,310,000

1750 Taylor Street #405 | 3bd/4.5ba Patricia Lawton | 415.309.7836 1750Taylor.com

110 Winding Way | 5bd/5ba Donna Goldman | 415.458.3500 110WindingWay.com

301 Adobe Canyon Road | 3bd/3.5ba Valerie Castellana | 415.533.9211 SonomaKenwoodEstate.com

SAN FRANCISCO $3,300,000

SAN RAFAEL $2,980,000

SAN FRANCISCO $2,475,000

3 Russian Hill Place | 4bd/3ba Patricia Lawton | 415.309.7836 3RHPlace.com

58 Bret Harte Lane | 5bd/5.5ba Donna Goldman | 415.458.3500 58BretHarteLane.com

1051 Alabama Street | 4bd/3ba C.M. Foo | 415.706.6550 Modern-Mission.com

SAN RAFAEL $1,999,999

SONOMA $1,849,000

SAN ANSELMO $1,495,000

21533 Hyde Road | 3bd/3ba Mark Stornetta | 707.815.8749 MStornetta.apr.com

102 Humboldt Avenue | 4bd/2ba Kimberly Hering | 425.699.1617 102Humboldt.com

81 Bay Way | 4bd/3ba Jonathan Marks | 415.307.0505 SanRafaelOasis.com

APR.COM

A

Over 30 Real Estate Offices Serving The Bay Area Including 6 Offices in Marin County 415.755.1111

O In

Square footage, acreage, and other information herein, has been received from one or more of a variety of different sources. Such information has not been verified by Alain Pinel Realtors®. If important to buyers, buyers should conduct their own investigation.

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THE ADDRESS IS THE

WORLD THE EXPERIENCE IS

ALAIN PINEL

KÃœSNACHT, SWITZERLAND

HOLT, UNITED KINGDOM

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

LuxuryPortfolio.com | WEB ID: HXST $12,027,491

LuxuryPortfolio.com | WEB ID: TEFW $7,846,860

LuxuryPortfolio.com | WEB ID: AVHD $4,267,215

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

BRYANSTON, SOUTH AFRICA

PARIS, FRANCE

LuxuryPortfolio.com | WEB ID: LVDY $3,483,692

LuxuryPortfolio.com | WEB ID: INWC $989,309

LuxuryPortfolio.com | WEB ID: JKTJ Price Upon Request

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

MARBELLA, SPAIN

SANTA PONSA, SPAIN

LuxuryPortfolio.com | WEB ID: BNNV Price Upon Request

LuxuryPortfolio.com | WEB ID: PSIY Price Upon Request

LuxuryPortfolio.com | WEB ID: ESMB Price Upon Request

APR.COM Over 30 Real Estate Offices Serving The Bay Area Including 6 Offices in Marin County 415.755.1111

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THE LOCATION IS DOWNTOWN MILL VALLEY

THE EXPERIENCE IS ALAIN PINEL

We are incredibly grateful to be part of such a supportive and vibrant community. Best wishes from all of us at Alain Pinel Realtors®.

APR.COM

A

Over 30 Real Estate Offices Serving The Bay Area Including 6 Offices in Marin County 415.755.1111

O In

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THE LOCATION IS MARIN THE EXPERIENCE IS ALAIN PINEL

A Note of Gratitude During This Holiday Season A sincere and heartfelt thanks to those who referred us to friends, neighbors, and family in 2017, making our year bright. We are deeply appreciative of our good fortune and for your friendship and support. THANK YOU!

Dennis Naranche 415.793.3646 dnaranche@apr.com License # 00751765

Barbara Warren

415.218.6511 bwarren@apr.com License # 01119756

APR.COM Over 30 Real Estate Offices Serving The Bay Area Including 6 Offices in Marin County 415.755.1111

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SONOMA STRONG

$4,310,000

301 Adobe Canyon Road

Exquisite 4.6+/-acre estate property, pure luxury, elegantly furnished, located among world-class vineyards. Ideal for primary or secondary residence. This planation-style home is located on a gated, fully fenced, secluded property. 3 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, spacious office, chef’s kitchen with shaker cabinetry & top-of-the-line appliances. The expansive and breathtaking level grounds have impressive entertaining areas, a heated-salt water, azure swimmer’s pool surrounded by stone pavers, an adjacent canopied pergola and your own 3+/-acre vineyard with both chardonnay and merlot grapes. This beautiful property is surrounded by nature and enjoys the quiet solitude only found in private estates. SonomaKenwoodEstate.com

Valerie Castellana 415.533.9211 valerie@apr.com

APR.COM Over 30 Real Estate Offices Serving The Bay Area Including 6 Offices in Marin County 415.755.1111 Square footage, acreage, and other information herein, has been received from one or more of a variety of different sources. Such information has not been verified by Alain Pinel Realtors®. If important to buyers, buyers should conduct their own investigation.

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IS I T T I M E TO M OV E A LONG?

11 Morrison Rd. | Ross | 5+BD/3.5BA

171 Prospect Ave. | San Anselmo | 3+BD/3BA

Offered at $2,525,000 11Morrison.net

Mt. Tam View Price upon request

Dave Dupont 415.867.6611 | Renee Brunner 415.465.2455 Vance and Anna Frost 415.459.5900

Vanguard Properties is one of the leading brokerages in the Bay Area, currently ranked among the top three brokerages in San Francisco. We are also one of the

180 DeBurgh Dr. | San Anselmo | 4+BD/3BA

108 Howard Dr. | Tiburon | 5BD/3BA

Offered at $1,979,000 180DeBurgh.com

Offered at $2,450,000 vimeo.com/234176016

Kevin Kearney 415.297.3874 | Stacy Hart 415.244.8785

Debra Despues 415.875.7418

fastest growing real estate brands in Marin & Sonoma Counties.

FORWARD THINKING RE AL ESTATE

Ridge Rd. | Tiburon | Buildable Lot with Views

388 Bretano Way | Greenbrae | Buildable Lot

Offered at $2,900,000

Offered at $975,000

Steve Dickason 415.419.7180 | Gina Hawk 415.497.4967

The Bowman Group 415.717.8950

16 Golden Gate Ave. | Belvedere | 3+BD/3BA

32 Willow Lane | Sausalito | 3+BD

Price upon request

Offered at $1,150,000

Dave Dupont 415.867.6611 | Renee Brunner 415.465.2455

Joe Burns 415.450.8855

280 Rose Ave. | Mill Valley | Almost 4 Acres

195 Fairway Dr. | San Rafael | Approved Plans

If you’re looking to buy or sell, let me connect you with a Vanguard Properties real estate professional in Marin that best matches your needs and style.

Kevin Patsel

Marin Sales Manager

415.758.6801

kevin@vanguardmarin.com vanguardproperties.com BRE #01486075

Offered at $2,495,000

Kevin Kearney 415.297.3874 | Stacy Hart 415.244.8785

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Offered at $2,995,000

The Bowman Group 415.717.8950

11/6/17 2:11 PM


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2017 It’s been a great year, looking forward to next!

110 Idlewood Road | Kentfield Represented Buyer and Seller

23 Brookside Drive | San Anselmo

Represented Buyer

30 Meadow Ridge Drive | Corte Madera Represented Buyer

320 Woodland Road | Kentfield Represented Seller

27 Presidio | Novato Represented Buyer

440 Goodhill Road | Kentfield Represented Buyer

Bitsa Freeman

415.385.8929

bitsa@vanguardmarin.com BRE# 01143971

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BURLINGAME

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GREENBRAE

NOE VALLEY

PACIFIC HEIGHTS

POTRERO HILL

UPPER MARKET

WEST PORTAL

11/6/17 2:29 PM


WE WORK WITH ALL STYLES...

AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AS WE GO. Team O’Brien TOP REALTOR TEAM IN MARIN COUNTY LIC #01832087 415.342.1968 TeamOBrienRE.com teamobrien@zephyrre.com

The O'Brien Team: Parents, Coach & Dynamic REALTOR® Team. We thank you for our many accomplishments this year. We look to success in 2018 with determination and passion.

UPDATE YOUR HOME BEFORE YOU SELL! I helped transform this classic 1957 fixer into a warm, move in ready home that attracted multiple offers! Renovating and making the necessary updates to your home before you sell will help your property reach top dollar.

I am thankful that a number of families have entrusted me with the renovation, marketing, and sale of their homes. I am ready to guide you through this process!

Steve Ussery

REALTOR® | LIC #01301124 415.328.4175 SteveU@ZephyrMarin.com HomesofMarin.net

ZephyrRE.com | 415.496.2600 BURLINGAME

1126 Broadway, Suite 8

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GREENBRAE

350 Bon Air Center #100

NOE VALLEY

4040 24th Street

PACIFIC HEIGHTS

2523 California Street

POTRERO HILL 1542 20th Street

UPPER MARKET

2282 Market Street

WEST PORTAL

215 West Portal Avenue

11/6/17 2:29 PM


11 Caddy Court OFFERED AT $2,695,000 5+ | BED 4 | BATH 3.5 | PARKING

A stunning luxury lifestyle property nestled in the quiet enclave of the Marin Country Club. The beautifully landscaped grounds and open spaces allow for resort living every day. Entertaining in the grand indoor areas, taking a splash in the pool or spa, enjoying a game of Bocce with friends over a glass of wine or unwinding in the master bedroom are the essence of living at 11 Caddy Court. 11CaddyCt.com

Spiro Marin Spiro Stratigos & Dorothy MacDougald Broker Associate LIC #01220864 | LIC #01951209 415.225.6412 | 415.385.4258 SpiroMarin@ZephyrMarin.com www.SpiroMarin.com

WE CARE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY

Over the past five years,

Zephyr and its agents

have contributed to more than

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charitable organizations.

other

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Wishing you and your Family Health and Happiness Over the Holidays and Throughout the New Year! 1 2 0

8

DOMAIN Andrew Roth

REALTOR® | LIC #01373928 415.786.6548 andrew@domainsanfrancisco.com www.domainsanfrancisco.com

DENISE GOERTZ

THE FACES YOU KNOW

NOW AT ZEPHYR ZUZANA VOLNY

DARCY ELMAN ZephyrRE.com | 415.496.2600 BURLINGAME

1126 Broadway, Suite 8

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GREENBRAE

350 Bon Air Center #100

NOE VALLEY

4040 24th Street

PACIFIC HEIGHTS

2523 California Street

POTRERO HILL 1542 20th Street

UPPER MARKET

2282 Market Street

WEST PORTAL

215 West Portal Avenue

11/6/17 2:33 PM


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Happy Holidays from the Choulos Group! Marin for Generations. Luxury Estates. GoldenGateLuxuryHomes.com

Alexander V. Choulos

415.601.7609

av.choulos@ggsir.com CalBRE# 01969799

SARAH NANCY BUTLER (415) 868-0717 | DRE #01258888

Casa Suenos On the tranquil waters of the Seadrift Lagoon rests a double-wide lagoon house affectionately called “Casa Suenos�. This home is the perfect Seadrift retreat. The home features 120 feet of waterfront decks perfect for preparing for paddle boarding. There is a guest house completely separated from the main house with kitchenette too. Wonderfully beachy and casual, this is the summer house that you get to enjoy year round. 187 Dipsea Road, Seadrift Lagoon, Listed for $3,495,000

Conveniently Located in Stinson Beach

3470 Shoreline Highway, Stinson Beach, CA 94970, oceanicrealty.com

Specializing in Sales, Vacation Rentals, and Property Management in Stinson Beach.

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$3,195,000

Luxury Resort Lifestyle

7 Pheasant Court

San Rafael

7PheasantCt.com

Thank you to all of my wonderful clients who have entrusted me with one of the most important financial and emotional decisions of their lives. It is a joy to work with such incredibly smart, creative, accomplished, and passionate people. 2017 YTD stats—13 sales for $24,640,000—Most important: 100% happy clients. Here is what they have to say: “That’s fantastic, thank you so much, Kenton. You’ve been incredible to work with. Yes, thank you and we will definitely be referring any and all of our friends or colleagues your way if they are looking in Marin! You’ve been so awesome!” ANDREW & LAUREN—PURCHASED IN LARKSPUR

“Beautiful! Thanks again for leading and orchestrating. When you need references, please let me know. You deserve a 5 star rating for truly above and beyond service.” R O N & K AT E — P U R C H A S E D A N D S O L D I N L A R K S P U R “Come on Real Estate Gods and shine thine light upon us. Woo hoo!!! Thank you. Nice! That is fantastic! Awesome! Just finishing the move-in and settling, we love it!” M AT T & S A R A — P U R C H A S E D I N L A R K S P U R “Awesome! Thank you so much, Kenton! Thank you again for your patience, advice and everything you’ve done in this whole process. Hard to believe—wow. We are excited to close tomorrow (a St. Patrick’s Day miracle!). M AT T & A N N E - M A R I E — P U R C H A S E D I N C O R T E M A D E R A

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Kenton Wolfers

415.609.5138

kenton@sothebysrealty.com

CalBRE# 01180952

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$2,750,000

56 Oak Knoll Drive

Gorgeous Nearly-New Spanish Med Built in 2007

San Anselmo

Wow! Built new in 2007 but looks and feels like it was just yesterday! Gorgeous Spanish/Med perfectly perched on a sun-soaked 1¹ acre + parcel at the entrance to Sleepy Hollow. Sparkling solar heated pool, sprawling protected patio for outdoor entertaining with outdoor natural gas BBQ, overlooking the gorgeous park-like grounds with 24 fruit trees, roses, veggies, vineyard and vintage barn. Inside, enjoy high ceilings and a wood burning fireplace in the huge great room—kitchen/dining/family room combo with over 2900 sq ft of total living area. Tall 8 ft doors open to magical views of Mt Tam & the Sausalito hills, with natural light for days. Cool A/C inside when needed, which is rare due to 2x6 wall construction and extra insulation. Walk-in wine cellar, extra storage, two car garage and more complete this unmatched residence at a great price!

Ted Strodder 415.377.5222

ted@gomarin.com GoMarin.com CalBRE# 01057081

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Camara

&Nadine

Selling Sausalito and Southern Marin Recently recognized as one of the “Best Real Estate Agents in California”*

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Thanks to our loyal clients for your trust and support!

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79 George Lane, Sausalito Sold $3,050,000

296 Greene St. Mill Valley Sold $2,000,000

480 Sausalito Blvd, Sausalito Sold $1,525,000

62 Lincoln Dr., Sausalito Sold $1,200,000 (Represented Seller AND Buyer)

3 Mystic Ln., Novato Sold $965,000 (Represented Buyer)

204 Buchanan Dr., Sausalito Sold $1,399,000 (Represented Buyer)

121 Lincoln Dr., Sausalito Sold $1,116,000

830 Olima St., Sausalito Sold Off-Market $1,240,000 (Represented Buyer)

76 Crescent Ave., Sausalito Sold $2,037,500

202 Valley St., Sausalito Sold $2,080,000 71 Oakcrest Dr., San Rafael Sold $800,000 622 Sausalito Blvd, Sausalito Sold $2,751,000 (Represented Buyer) 214 4th St., Sausalito Sold $2,200,000 519 Bonita St., Sausalito Sold $2,400,000

411 Main St., Sausalito Sold Off-Market $1,050,000 (Represented Buyer) 38 Platt Ave., Sausalito Sold $1,400,000 225 Foster Ave., Kentfield Sold $1,532,400 (Represented Buyer) 177 San Carlos Ave., Sausalito Sold $2,800,000 (Represented Buyer)

31 Willow Ln., Sausalito Sold $995,000 806 Butte St., Sausalito Sold $1,210,000 104–106 Glen Dr., Sausalito Sold $1,220,000

4 Timothy Ave., San Anselmo Sold $1,325,000 122 Lower Anchorage Rd., Sausalito Sold $755,000 (Represented Buyer) 4 Cypress Pl., Sausalito Sold $632,000 4 Turtle Rock Ct., Tiburon Sold $4,350,000 (Represented Seller and Buyer) 414 Richardson St., Sausalito Sold Off Market—$1,650,000

1

110 4th St., Sausalito Sold $865,000 146–148 Buchanan Dr., Sausalito PENDING, Listed at $1,600,000 424-A Locust St., Sausalito PENDING, Listed at $950,000 571 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley PENDING, Listed at $1,595,000

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94–96 Glen Dr., Sausalito PENDING, Listed at $1,350,00

* REAL Trends America’s Best Real Estate Agents in California

Consistently one of the Top Real Estate Teams for Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty Camara & Nadine are one of the few Diamond Certified agents in Marin!

Camara Scremin 415.902.7183

c.scremin@ggsir.ccom CalBRE# 01270273

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Nadine Greenwood

415.203.7050

n.greenwood@ggsir.com

CalBRE# 01332210

11/2/17 10:26 6:14 PM 11/6/17 AM

Marin-Chris


Thank you to my loyal clients for your business in 2017! Wishing you all the best for this holiday season and 2018! Your sales helped the following charities: Home for a Home, Save the Children, and Red Cross.

Sold

51 Castlewood Drive, San Rafael

124 Laurel Grove Avenue, Kentfield

35 Main Drive, San Rafael

14 Riviera Manor, San Rafael

6 Tomahawk Court, Novato

9 Fernwood Way, San Rafael

450 Bella Vista Avenue, Belvedere (Represented Buyer)

12 Cottonwood Drive, San Rafael

104 Cypress Avenue, Kentfield

72 Baywood Avenue, Ross In Escrow

271 Knight Drive, San Rafael

Active

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/17 6:14 PM

50 Beach Drive, San Rafael Co-listed with Lori Saia Odisio

Christine Christiansen, MBA

415.259.7133

christine@sothebysrealty.com ChristineChristiansen.com CalBRE# 01393098

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Inverness Magical Setting, Water Views, 1.49± acre 4

BEDS

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$1,545,000 15DrakesViewDr.com

Rick Trono

Broker Associate 415.515.1117 r.trono@ggsir.com LivingMarin.com CalBRE# 01045523

Coming Soon!

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BATHS

122 Stanford Way, Sausalito

$475,000 SAUSALITO

3

BEDS

Price TBD FAIRFAX

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BATHS

580 Bolinas Road, Fairfax

Brian Byers

415.602.7915

b.byers@ggsir.com BrianByers.com CalBRE# 01386695

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TeamMcNa


/17 6:25 PM

Timeless Appeal with Water Views 94 San Carlos Avenue, Sausalito. Nestled in the heart of the banana belt area sits this circa 1928 iconic charmer. Offering a lot size of over 9,000 sq. ft. with level lawn and garden area, this 3 bedroom, 3 bath home offers privacy and idyllic Sausalito living.

$2,495,000 94SanCarlos.com

Experience Sausalito’s Finest! 63 Bulkley Ave, Sausalito. Stunning 3+ bedroom, 3.5 bath contemporary home overlooking the SF Bay, Angel Island, and the Sausalito harbor. Built in 1993, this multi-level, over 4,000 sq. ft., tastefully appointed home boasts both sophistication and charm. Situated within the heart of the banana belt and just a short distance to nearby attractions. Two-car attached garage, wine/storage room and convenient in-home elevator.

$4,200,000 63Bulkley.com

Christina&Karla TeamMcNair SELLING SAN FRANCISCO TO SONOMA

Christina McNair 415.613.5563

c.mcnair@ggsir.com CalBRE# 01183576

Karla Farrell 415.828.1584

k.farrell@ggsir.com CalBRE# 01372896

HomeInMarin.com

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PARAGON REAL ESTATE GROUP

Wishes Everyone a Very Happy New Year Filled 1

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300 DRAKES LANDING RD., SUITE 120, GREENBRAE, CA 94904 415.805.2900 | PARAGON-RE.COM

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with Peace, Love and Laughter 4

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We want to offer a very special thanks to all of our clients and colleagues who have helped make this our best year yet. It’s because of all of you that Paragon Marin has experienced more than 20% growth year over year in sales volume.

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A SELECTION OF PARAGON MARIN’S GREAT LISTINGS FROM 2017

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$4,450,000

The Crown Jewel | Stinson Beach

2.

$4,450,000

Magical Craftsman in the Redwoods | Larkspur

3.

$3,750,000

Breathtaking Bay Views | San Rafael

4.

$3,200,000

Private Oasis with Exceptional Views | Kentfield

5.

$3,050,000

Grand & Gated | San Anselmo

6.

$2,895,000

Magnificent Victorian Masterpiece | San Rafael

7.

$2,500,000

Magical Retreat | Bolinas

8.

$2,300,000

Private & Peaceful | San Anselmo

9.

$2,200,000

Waterfront Marina | Larkspur

10.

$2,010,000

Classic View Cottage | Sausalito

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$1,953,700

Creative Maybeck | Mill Valley

12.

$1,700,000

Expansive Ocean Front Views | Dillon Beach

13.

$1,605,000

Indoor-Outdoor Living | Mill Valley

14.

$1,530,000

Charming Pointe Marin | Novato

15.

$1,515,000

Modern Mt. Tam Views | San Rafael

16.

$1,470,000

Panoramic Views | San Anselmo

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$1,400,000

Contemporary Farmhouse | Fairfax

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$1,270,000

Light & Bright | Corte Madera

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$1,140,000

Unsurpassed Luxury Living | Novato

20.

$1,100,000

Exceptional View Home | Mill Valley

21.

$1,050,000

Light Filled in Lincoln Hills | San Rafael

22.

$802,000

Spacious & Sun Drenched | Petaluma

23.

$710,000

Desirable Spinnaker Point | San Rafael

24.

$615,000

Carefree Condo Lifestyle | Novato

25.

$289,500

Urban Light Filled Living | Oakland

11/6/17 10:13 AM


COLDWELLBANKERLUXURY.COM

Activity in 2017 Seller Representation: 41 Bret Harte Road, Greenbrae 88 Bret Harte Road, Greenbrae 135 Marina Blvd, San Rafael 427 Riviera Circle, Larkspur 127 Surrey Lane, San Rafael 207 Murray Ave, Kentfield

Buyer Representation: 7 Circle Drive, Ross 778 St. Francis Ave, Novato 746 Plaza Hermosa, Novato 18 Margory Court, Novato Coming Soon: 678 Chetwood Ave, Oakland

Success is cultivated by the clients’ trust that you and your team will get the job done. My heartfelt thanks to my team and all the Buyers and Sellers that shared my confidence. Your dreams fulfilled are my goals. Wishing you Peace and Prosperity for 2018.

Angela R. Pennino Curley

Marin’s first NFL mom. I treat all my clients like celebrities. 415.518.2656 | Angela.Curley@cbnorcal.com | www.homeNmarin.com Cal BRE #01825521 ©2017 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker Logo, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury logo are service marks are registered or pending registrations owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. CalBRE License #01908304. This information was supplied by Seller and/or other sources. Broker has not and will not verify this information and assumes no legal responsibility for its accuracy. Buyers should investigate these issues to their own satisfaction. If your property is listed with a real estate broker, please disregard this postcard; it is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers. Real Estate Licensees affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are Independent Contractor Sales Associates and are not employees of NRT LLC., Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC or Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.

COLDWELLBANKERLUXURY.COM

108 ELDRIDGE AVENUE, MILL VALLEY | $2,695,000 | MVDreamHome.com Impeccable remodel with views, sun and gorgeous finishes. Level lawn, garden, fenced yard and garage. Incredible attention to detail.

Kimberly Strub

415.218.4255 kstrub@cbnorcal.com | KimStrub.com CalBRE #01402651

100 MEADWOCROFT DRIVE, SAN ANSELMO | $1,295,000 homecb.com/100-meadwocroft-drive Iconic Morningside charmer, remodeled single level, 3 bedrooms plus office.

Lita Collins

415.515.5006 LitaCollins1@gmail.com | LitaCollins.com Cal BRE #01890947

©2017 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker Logo, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury logo are service marks are registered or pending registrations owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. CalBRE License #01908304. This information was supplied by Seller and/or other sources. Broker has not and will not verify this information and assumes no legal responsibility for its accuracy. Buyers should investigate these issues to their own satisfaction. If your property is listed with a real estate broker, please disregard this postcard; it is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers. Real Estate Licensees affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are Independent Contractor Sales Associates and are not employees of NRT LLC., Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC or Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.

© O

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Make A Great Move in 2018 You Deserve The Difference

Jennifer A. Palacio Professional Real Estate Services

jenniferknowsmarin.com

International President’s Circle Member of Top Agent Network Direct: 415.601.3130 jennifer.palacio@cbnorcal.com 511 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. Greenbrae, California 94904 Cal BRE #01208501 Š2017 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker logo, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury logo are service marks registered or pending registration owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. CalBRE License #01908304.

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Privacy, Views and Elegance in Ross Built in 2007, this Tuscan style estate offers a great balance of classic and contemporary architectural details and styling. Stunning 4BR/3.5BA situated on a large 1.27± acre lot. Features include a formal living room, formal dining room, chef’s kitchen with gas range and double ovens, an open family room and spacious bedrooms. This home was built with the highest quality of construction. The terraced backyard offers a great sense of privacy. Mt. Tam and Ross Valley views.

Offered At $3,250,000

Ray Bakowski (415) 608-7806

Quintessential Mill Valley Beauty Magical 3BR/2BA home is situated on approximately 1/3 of an acre! Though surrounded by towering redwoods, it is bright and airy. Entertain with a sprawling redwood deck that faces Old Mill Park. The recently remodeled kitchen features SS appliances. Both baths have been lovingly updated, the unique floor plan offers a large loft that can be used for office or entertainment room. Steps away from Old Mill School, and downtown shopping.

Offered At $1,600,000

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Michele Affronte (415) 798-0236

Luxury Living at Stonetree Golf Club Come experience luxury living at its finest at the prestigious Stonetree Golf Club! Nestled above the 15th fairway, this immaculate, 4,630± sq.ft. 4BR/3.5BA European style contemporary home features high ceilings, an open floor plan, commercial kitchen appliances, three fireplaces, and a large climate controlled wine cellar. Private gated community.

Offered At $1,885,000

Jennifer Kuschner (415) 497-7022

Indian Valley Home with Gorgeous Acreage Absolutely dreamy property with wow factor and privacy. Feels like a slice of paradise with the beautiful fenced in pool area, huge lawn, gorgeous landscaping, huge area with raised beds, plenty of room for horse or build an ultimate playground. Tucked away in back of the house you’ll find a carport for three vehicles for a car collection, game room, you name it. Too many amazing features to list, this is a must-see home!

Offered At $1,425,000

Colleen Cornell (415) 215-6346

11/6/17 3:13 PM


Beautiful Home on Large Lot

Stunning Sonoma Beauty This stunning one level Ledson home is being offered for the first time in the East Side Estates. Situated in cul-de-sac location boasting 2947+/- sq.ft. and sited on a .27+/- acre lot. It has a large usable living room with fireplace, spacious kitchen with Wolf cooktop and a family room with fireplace that opens to a private manicured backyard great for entertaining. Large master suite with fireplace. Three-car garage.

Offered At $1,400,000

Kathleen Seibel (707) 484-9280

San Anselmo Vintage Charmer Oozing with charm, this 1925 Vintage 3BR/3BA cottage sits on a private cul-de-sac close to downtown San Anselmo. Updated and expanded over the years, this spacious single level home boasts hardwood floors, separate dining room, and family room. Garage, new sewer lateral, fire place, level yard. Excellent private location & room to add your personal touch. Award winning schools. Close to town, hiking, biking & more.

Offered At $995,000

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Jurg Spoerry (415) 246-2835

Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind home in the sought-after area of Novato. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms with 2159± sq. ft. desirable lay out situated at the top of a cul-de-sac . Privacy, views and nature like setting on 1.22± acres Dividable lot per the city of Novato. (Buyer to independently verify). Quick one minute jump to the freeway and smart train. Close to shops, hiking, restaurants and transpiration.

Offered At $1,100,000

Kristie Martinelli (415) 412-4720

Elegant and Sleek Floating Home Truly elegant and bright floating home with two bedrooms and two baths. Located on the quiet side of the dock with stunning Mt. Tam views. Very modern kitchen with stainless appliances. Both Baths are updated beautifully and the floors throughout are dazzling. Sit by the wood burning fireplace and watch the boats go by.

Offered At $699,000

Michele Affronte (415) 798-0236

11/6/17 3:14 PM


Looking Back

DATED 1995

In 1995, the largest fire in Marin’s history ravaged Point Reyes National Seashore. BY JIM WOOD

S

conflagration befell Marin County 22 years ago, almost to the day. “All reports indicated the Mount Vision Fire started just after midnight on Tuesday, October 3, 1995,” West Marin journalist Dave Mitchell recalls. “And due to winds and dry conditions, it burned fiercely for five days.” Fortunately, no lives were lost, but 45 homes were destroyed and 12,534 acres of the 71,000-acre Point Reyes National Seashore were scorched. In comparison, the smallest of the four fires that recently struck Napa and Sonoma counties, the Pocket Fire, burned 17,357 acres. Yet unlike with fires to the north, the cause of 1995’s Mount Vision fire was quickly known. “Four teenage boys had illegally camped on the mountaintop,” Mitchell notes, “and although they carefully buried their campfire’s ashes under dirt and rocks, two days later smoldering embers burned through the forest floor and a gust of wind sent sparks into nearby bishop pines.” According to Mitchell, the boys turned themselves in and faced many hours of community service, but not prosecution. “It’s impossible to calculate the misery of those who lost their homes, their belongings and sometimes their pets,” Mitchell adds. “A few moved away and did not return. Most, however, soon began rebuilding.” m

Due to winds and dry conditions, it burned fiercely for five days.

COURTESY OF RICHARD BLAIR

Big Burn

IMIL A R TO RECENT wildfires in Sonoma and Napa counties, a major

146 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 M A R I N

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158 PROSPECT AV ENUE SAN ANSELMO

At the end of a long, oak lined driveway in the exclusive neighborhood of Winship Park, is a gated estate property built for a lumber baron. With a mainly flat lot of over one acre, this home of nearly 5,000 sq ft is a short walk to the charming town of San Anselmo with its’ many restaurants, cafes and award winning schools. As one would expect the house lends itself to entertaining on a grand scale. In the living room, a south facing wall of windows opens out onto a large deck which boasts a dramatic view of Mt Baldy. The large stone patio around the beautiful secluded pool and in-ground spa, adjacent to the master and guest suite (with steam room) provide a resort-like experience. The main floor features the formal living and dining room; a den or family room; a huge master suite with a sumptuous spa-like bathroom and an enormous walk-in closet; off the gourmet kitchen is a walk-in larder and an au pair suite. With a fully functional main floor single-level living is made a reality. Located upstairs are two more bedrooms and a bathroom with the possibility of adding another. The lower level features a guest suite with a newly remodeled bathroom, steam room that leads out to the pool area, a home office and utility room. The garage provides for 3 car parking and features an additional storage area, a workshop/potting room and WC.

COLM M. GL ASS Esq.

415 - 8 4 5 -2 9 6 5 Colm.G la s s@evus a .com w w w.SanAnselmoProspect.com BRE #01489472

COMPETENCE

EXCLUSIVITY

SO N O M A • CAST RO • SO U T H B E ACH • SAUSA L I TO • TA H O E

PASSION

• PARK CIT Y

©2017 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principals of the Fair Housing Act. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. If your property is currently represented by a real estate broker, this is not an attempt to solicit your listing.

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10/30/17 1:39 PM


SOMEWHERE BETWEEN

attitude & altitude. The snow-capped Lost Sierra is your destination for family winter fun away from the crowds. Be our guest throughout the winter in the Lodge at Nakoma and you’ll avoid Tahoe’s gridlock. Whip down our tubing hill and experience Altitude, Nakoma’s new recreation center with heated pool, climbing wall, game room, bistro and more.

WINTER GETAWAY FROM $149 PER NIGHT All the amenities an active family craves are yours to explore at Nakoma. We invite you to stay at our new mountain modern lodge and discover life inspired by sustainability, harmony with nature and the adventuresome spirit.

NAKOMA JUST 4 5 SCENIC MILES NORTH OF TRUCKEE N A KO M A R E S O R T.C O M • 8 7 7. 4 6 2 . 5 6 6 2 S H A R E D OW N E RS H I P F R O M T H E $ 5 0 ’S , R E SO RT H O M E S I T E S F R O M T H E $1 0 0 ’S M O U N TA I N - M O D E R N H O M E S F R O M T H E $ 3 0 0 ’ S T O O V E R $ 2 M I L L I O N This advertisement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase to residents of any state or country where registration is required and is not yet complete. Photo by Vance Fox, courtesy of Mark Tanner Construction. All offers subject to availability, please visit us online for full details and descriptions.

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11/6/17 2:40 PM


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