Pacific Sun June 5-11, 2019

SERVING MARIN COUNTY

PACIFICSUN.COM

YEAR 57, NO.23 JUNE 5-11, 2019

Cabin Fervor WILL CONSERVATIVE GAYS LEAD THE STATE GOP OUT OF THE WILDERNESS? P4

Spotlight Novato P8 Art, Wine & Music Fest P12 Avi-Ously Delicious P17

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Letters Heroes & Zeroes/Upfront Spotlight: Feature Sundial Arts Music Film Movies Stage Dining Swirl Trivia Calendar Classifieds Notices Astrology/Advice

Publisher Rosemary Olson x315 EDITORIAL Group Managing Editor Stett Holbrook News and Features Editor Tom Gogola x316 Movie Page Editor Matt Stafford Arts Editor Charlie Swanson CONTRIBUTORS

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Design Director Kara Brown Art Director Tabi Zarrinnaal Production Operations Manager Sean George Graphic Designers Jimmy Arceneaux, Kathy Manlapaz, Jackie Mujica CEO/Executive Editor Dan Pulcrano ON THE COVER Santana photo by Marylene Eytier. Design by Tabi Zarrinnaal PACIFIC SUN (USPS 454-630) Published weekly, on Wednesdays, by Metrosa Inc. Distributed free at more than 500 locations throughout Marin County. Adjudicated a newspaper of General Circulation. First class mailed delivery in Marin available by subscriptions (per year): Marin County $75; out-of-county $90, via credit card, cash or check.

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Letters I read in the San Francisco Chronicle today the Trump Administration plans to allow medical staff in the nation to deny treatment to lesbians, gays, bisexual or transgender patients because of religious or moral beliefs held by the health care workers; thus allowing doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, emergency medical technicians, even receptionists to deny care. I thought of my late wonderful lesbian cousin, Denise, who lived in a rural county whose only hospital was religious based, and I wonder if they would have helped her with her ovarian cancer.

So, I turned immediately to Stevie Wonder vinyl and his 1976 “Songs in the Key of Life,” put on side one, cut one and listened to: “Good morn or evening fiends Here’s your friendly announcer I have serious news to pass on to every-body Could mean the world’s disaster Could change your joy laughter to tears and pain It’s that Love’s in need of love today Don’t delay Send yours in right away Hate’s goin’ round Breaking many hearts Stop it please Before it’s gone too far.”

That’s only the first few bars in this remarkable song and album.

One wonders how cruel Trump and his staff are willing to go—my bad, we’ve already seen that in their taking babies from refugee parents while sending the parents back to Central America and keeping their children here in cages.

Robert D. Bock San Rafael

It's a travesty not to sympathize, but empathize with the plight of the many homeless Bay Area residents who have no choice but to live on the streets. I became unhoused in late 2012 following a seizure and subsequent brain injury from a defective airbag. I was working at a popular paint chain as a delivery driver and understandably could no longer perform my duties with epilepsy. I still work, although I've been waiting on a class action lawsuit after my rejection by disability, but these things take lots of time. It's mortifying that I often must be reduced to the status of a filthy beggar if I want things like toothpaste or co-pays for my medication. But if I may cut this violin solo short, the purpose of this letter is to let everyone know that there are few more difficult ways to live, as should be exemplified by this anecdote: Having left my backpack, sleeping bag and coat behind a building with little traffic on Sundays, I found my things had been moved, but nothing was missing. A gentleman from inside the building emerged from the front, and I told him I was sorry to leave my items there, but I was having a lot of pain in my back and knees, so it's difficult to carry all my belongings with me all the time. He said he did not want to just "throw away" these items, as the police had recommended, figuring (correctly) that the owner would come back to reclaim them soon.

To those concerned citizens reading, please treat law enforcement with respect and consideration. It's your only realistic option, and to those who regard police with nothing but contempt, stop. They are necessary to maintain some semblance of law and order.

If you are a member or supporter of law enforcement, try to have a heart.

Tony Good San Rafael

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Heroes &Zeroes

By Nikki Silverstein

“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.”

—J.K. Rowling.

Join the Sausalito Public Library’s annual Summer Reading Program and we’ll bet you’ll find the right book. The program centers on reading challenges for up to age 14.

Participants receive a prize when they sign up and another when they read for 12 hours. Additional prizes are awarded for partaking in fun activities, such as hiking and painting. The program is ongoing; children can sign up now and complete the reading and activities by Aug. 31. This year’s program also features a jam-packed schedule of events for kids, including performances by magicians, cupcake decorating, movies and more. The hoopla takes place on Monday through Thursday afternoons, June 10 through June 26.

Exciting activities and events may be the hook to get kids to the library, but the program is designed to keep them reading. Research shows that children lose reading skills during the summer. Solution: Most Marin libraries have a summer reading program for children. Contact your local branch to find out more.

Multiple search warrants served in San Rafael last week yielded multiple suspects who possessed child pornography. Two men were arrested and others are being investigated with more arrests possible.

Lorenzo Tziquin Tambriz, 30, of San Rafael was arrested for alleged possession of obscene material of a minor. John Cazier Blecka, 64, of San Rafael, was nabbed for alleged sending/selling obscene material of a minor under 18 and possession and distribution of material depicting sex with a minor under 18.

Much of the child pornography trade takes place over the internet, yet the Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s research shows that that less than 5 percent of parents are aware of online sexual exploitation.

Got a Hero or a Zero? Please send submissions to nikki_silverstein@yahoo.com. Toss roses, hurl stones with more Heroes and Zeros at ›› pacificsun.com

Upfront Fred Schein insists being gay and a Republican are not mutally exclusive.

Cabin Fervor Log Cabin Republicans battle transphobia for the soul of the state GOP by Tom Gogola

F

red Schein had seen this before. The Navy veteran left a military career decades ago, after serving with honor for six years and knowing he’d be outed as a gay man if he didn’t. That was during the Vietnam war era of the 1960s and ’70s. This era has its own wars and dividing lines, including the Trump Administration’s highly publicized ban on transgendered citizens from service in the military.

It’s a difficult political and

personal moment for the lifetime conservative and chair of the regional Log Cabin Republicans, which covers Marin, Napa, Sonoma and other Northern California counties. But it’s also a moment of clarity and opportunity for the longstanding gay advocacy organization, whose statewide ranks (265 members across 10 chapters) belie its growing power and influence in the state Republican party.

Founded in San Francisco in the aftermath of an infamous push to

ban gays from teaching in public schools in the late 1970s, the Log Cabin Republicans are the nation’s leading advocacy group for gay members of the GOP—and, as of last year, the only Republican gayrights group in the country that’s been embraced (by and large) by a state party.

As of 2015, the California Log Cabin Republicans are listed as an official volunteer organization within the state party, says Schein, and the state GOP’s »6

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6 Cabin Fervor «4 leadership has seen its upper ranks swelled by gay Republicans since the 2015 move.

“The focus has been to integrate ourselves into the Republican Party,” says Schein, a Mill Valley resident and retired accountant who worked 40 years for the federal government. The object has been to provide effective leadership, he says, while battling homophobia.

“We’ve been successful in California but not successful elsewhere,” says the 79-year-old. “We are very active in the party, and have a number of members on the state Republican board. The vicechairman of the state party is a member of the Silicon Valley Log Cabin Republicans; the state party’s treasurer is a member of the Ventura chapter.

“In the last few years it has become much of a bigger gay top leadership in Sacramento,” he says—all because the party agreed, in 2015, to allow for an LGBTQ volunteer committee to get voted into the party.

Schein says that 75 percent of state Republicans delegates voted that year to welcome the LCR volunteer committee into the party. He highlights twin messages from the high level of support.

“One, it wasn’t 100 percent,” he says with a laugh, “which we hoped for. It did tell us that somewhere above 20 percent of the party is not comfortable with us. On the other side of that, the vote was very telling. Members of our party have a stereotype as mean-spirited, hateful people—that’s one of the bad stereotypes that are given to Republicans, who are often regarded as racists and homophobes. There’s very little opportunity to prove that it’s not true,” he adds. The party’s vote addressed the homophobia question, he says. “It was really quite a moment. And then we moved on.”

The Log Cabin Republicans moved on, he says, to address two major civil rights issues facing gays around the country: Homophobia directed at transgendered citizens and service-members, and housing and insurance discrimination directed at gays.

Donald Trump has moved to ban present and future transgendered persons from serving in the military, a move that Schein says has engendered particular upset among some members of his group. He says that between three to five percent of

LCR members are transgendered— including the vice chairperson of Log Cabin Republicans.

The state party doesn’t currently have a formal position on transgender service in the military, or any language about tolerance toward the trans community in its platform. “However, from recent incidents and things that have been coming for some time,” he says, “we support complete acceptance of trans people in all activities, and certainly in the party.” None of that’s part of the Republican state party platform, Schein says.

The Log Cabin Republicans sprung out of Proposition 6, the so-called Briggs Initiative, a 1978 effort to ban gay people from teaching in California public schools. When it was defeated, he recalls, there was an effort to create a formal organization fighting for the rights of conservative gays in the state. Chapters sprung up in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and now the LCR is a well-funded organization with a lobbying office in Washington D.C., staff attorneys and about 30 chapters around the country. And yet with all their firepower, there is not a single openly gay Republican in the state assembly or senate. “We talk about it as Republicans,” Shein says, adding that the discussions center on overcoming stereotypes of the party as being gay-unfriendly.

Schein says that anyone who went to an LCR meeting might be surprised at what they saw and heard. “Most of the time you wouldn’t distinguish us from any other group of Republicans,” he says, except that some of the members are married to one another.

They’re focused on high taxes and government pension problems in Marin County, just like the next conservative, not to mention gun rights in California. “But there were issues, and are issues that we have focused on nationally and in California,” he adds. One of the biggest ones is housing and employment discrimination against gays that’s codified in state laws (though not in California). “In 25 or 26 states,” says Schein, “you can be evicted, or fired from a job if you are gay. It can’t happen here, but it can happen in Texas.”

He says he’s seen some GOP congressmen come around on the issue of housing and employment

discrimination against gays, but doesn’t expect any national legislation to come out of it. There are currently a handful of housingand-employment discrimination cases working their way through federal courts and may wind up at the Supreme Court. “We feel strongly about this issue and have for a long time,” says Schein. “We’re waiting to see where the courts come down on it.”

Yes, there’s something a bit ironic about California gay conservatives fighting for housing and employment rights in a state where California GOP congressmen such as Dana Rohrabacher tells the Washington Post that it’s OK to not sell someone a house because they are gay (Rohrabacher said just that last May).

And even though Gov. Gavin Newsom was lead champion for marriage-equality rights as mayor of San Francisco, GOP challenger John Cox’s support for gay marriage and other issues supported by LCR was enough for Cox to get the organization’s endorsement for governor last year. “Unfortunately, he did not win,” says Schein.

Schein’s tuned in to what some may seen as ironic: Being a gay Republican in the era of Trump, given the administration’s hostility toward trans service-members.

But he says he’s with Trump. “I don’t believe he is homophobic,” he says.

Even as the president has banned trans members from the military, Schein notes that Trump’s ambassador to Germany is a gay man. And, he says that when people ask him, “How can you possibly be gay and a conservative,” his standard response is, “Well, how can you not.” He points out that a lot of LGBT members of LCR are in small business and have to face the same taxes and regulations that other Californians deal with.

And then there’s Peter Thiel, the Silicon Valley founder of PayPal who is also gay and an out-front Trump supporter. “We don’t know about Peter,” he says with a laugh.

“Peter’s a little quirky. When you’re a multi-billionaire, you can be a little quirky,” he adds as he recounts Thiel (and Ann Coulter’s) shortlived political-action-committee called GOProud. “They’re gone,” he says. “They did cause trouble because they would sometimes side with anti-gay people.”

That’s not the LCR’s game, he notes. By way of demonstration, Schein explains his organization’s posture toward a recent proposed reform of the 1964 federal Fair Housing Act to include sexual orientation as a class of banned discrimination.

The LCR opposed the Democratsponsored bill, he says. “There’s problems with it as written. Many members, myself included, feel it’s counterproductive to the LGBT community because of possible quotas. . . . It’s a flawed bill, but the idea of eliminating housing and employment restrictions is something that we support.”

Schein says the LCR doesn’t take a position on an issue unless it directly affects its members. It didn’t, for example, support or oppose cannabis legalization in the state though Schein suspects it’s not an issue with much purchase among his members.

Guns, on the other hand, are another story. “That is a big issue for us,” he says. “Without hesitation, the Log Cabin Republicans are big-time Second Amendment people.” He says this is a big concern among college Republicans he talks to—that California is already too restrictive on gun control. “Several members are very active on this.

I get invited by students to Santa Cruz shooting ranges. I can tell you that Young Republicans in college can shoot—at Berkeley, Davis, Sonoma State. We might even be tighter on gun control than the general party.”

Along with talks to college Republicans, Schein’s given presentations in high schools and at community groups. His organization has worked with P-Flag, he says, a liberal-leaning civil rights group that fights for the rights of gay and lesbian parents—but its efforts are generally mocked or discounted by traditional and left-leaning gayrights groups, he says, especially in San Francisco. But he says the LCR has been vociferous there, and anywhere there’s been bias crimes committed against gays and lesbians. Gay-friendly Guerneville’s been subjected to a rash of antigay crimes over the past year and Schein says he supports hate crime laws to address the crimes.

“We deplore it,” he says of bias crimes, “particularly if it was an

hostility during the Trump era, at Berkeley and at other college campuses where the likes of Coulter have been met with vociferous if not violent counter-protest. He compares college Republicans at Berkeley to LCR members who deal with trans-intolerant elements of their own party. It’s a tough spot to be in. He’s seen how intolerance plays out in the military, first hand.

“I thought of making the Navy a career and I think I might have, but I realized at some point I would have been outed,” he recalls. “I didn’t want to put in 12 years just to be thrown out—people were trying to out me. And I did see young sailors have their lives disrupted or destroyed. It really angered me a lot.

I can still get angry at it.”

He’s angry about the Trumpdriven transgender ban, but Schein is sticking with the GOP. “I talk to the county committees, I travel around the state,” he says. “I like to support the party.” Y

Flashback 50 Years Ago

Don't get us wrong. Not everything is peachy keen in the county. The schools are suffering badly from a taxpayer revolt, accentuated by many adult's disfavor with the excesses of some THIS WEEK youngsters. Marijuana use is growing like the proverbial weed among the very young, indicating if nothing else that there are plenty of households were parents have botched things up. Confirming this, the number of practicing psychiatrists in Marin has multiplied like crazy. . . .

—Editorial, 6/4/69

30 Years Ago

All eyes were on diminutive runner Robyn Root as she pulled off an upset victory over defending champion April Powers in the Sun's twelfth annual Memorial Day 10K.... Monday's THIS WEEK race starts at the College of Marin track, winds its way through Kentfield, Ross and the San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo, then returns to the College. . . The Pacific Sun 10K Race this year hosted its most competitive field yet—the strongest its ever been, says race organizer Kees Tuinzing. More than 3,000 entrants competed for $5,000 in prize money and incentives.

—Greg Cahill, June 2, 1989

20 Years Ago

It's time we confronted the menace on our streets and highways: Honk if you're sick and tired of dodging SUVs piloted by cellphone-toting nincompoops. While their drivers THIS WEEK chatter away, oblivious to other vehicles and pedestrians alike, these bulked-up gas-guzzlers change lanes and bully through traffic with unpredictable abandon. (Surely those gleaming status symbols are equipped with turn signals.) Here's the deal: If you must barrel around town in an urban assault rig, hang up your damn phone and pay attention.

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LGBT population” such as exists in the Russian River population.

“We would certainly focus on that—we’ve done that in San Francisco if we thought they weren’t prosecuted. We are ordinary Republicans and ordinary citizens, and no one would find that acceptable no matter what, whether it’s sexual or racial or whatever.”

Even though they’ve been welcome in the state Republican Party, Schein notes that the welcome mat hasn’t been extended from the traditional LGBT community. “There’s an ingrown understanding in the larger LGBT community is politically liberal.

And that’s just not true,” he notes, citing data that shows that 20 to 25 percent of gays vote conservative.

“A lot of our LGBT people are in small business and understand small business very well,” he says by way of explaining the support.

College Republicans, he says, have been dealing with their own

“When you can’t hardly walk anymore,

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Grand Avenue is the heart of small town Novato’s downtown.

SPECIAL SECTION: SPOTLIGHT ON

NOVATO

Civic Cutie A Novato newcomer praises her adopted hometown By Tiffany Tchobanian

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’ve been living in Novato for a few years, yet I haven’t taken the time to really explore all that this welcoming town has to offer. I regularly drive by the “historic downtown” sign and wonder what makes this place special.

The city embraces newcomers with a sense of warmth and familiarity.

Novato hosts all the romanticized perks of a quintessential small town—homegrown businesses with a personal touch, mom-and-pop eateries that know your order after

a few visits and echoes of a rich past that can still be recognized in present day establishments.

Despite the small town vibe, Novato has an impressive diversity of attractions.

The epicenter is Grant Avenue in

downtown Novato. The area hosts many of the town’s festivities. The farmers market is a good first stop.

Given its weekday schedule ( Tuesdays 4-8pm from May through September) it attracts a mainly local crowd in search of fresh produce while locals and visitors alike will descend on the annual Festival of Art, Wine and Music (this weekend—June 8-9).

Nostalgia Days (Aug. 2-3), an event showcasing custom classic cars and golden tunes, is also a draw.

The Novato Parks and Recreation

Department holds a free summer concert series on selective Saturday evenings in June, July and August.

Novato City Hall transforms its lawn into an entertainment showcase for “Concerts on the Green” and “Hot Amphitheater Nights” cater to a larger crowd in the Hamilton Amphitheater. Bring a picnic and enjoy cocktails provided

by Novato’s neighborhood sports bar, The Speakeasy, or cool down with shaved ice courtesy of the onsite Kona Ice Truck. »10

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10 Spotlight on Novato «8

Olompali State Historic Park is a weathered testament to Novato’s agricultural and native American roots.

Don’t worry if you’re only in town on weekdays, you’ll still find plenty to do. Spend your day walking down blocks filled with homey eateries and specialty boutiques. Marvin’s Restaurant serves a great breakfast. Kitschy tchotchke and cheeky quotes adorn the walls of this cozy diner. Sit at the counter and watch the chefs flip your perfectly fluffy pancakes on the griddle or bring your dog along for a bite outside.

Love pastries? Check into Dr. Insomniac’s Fine Coffee and Tea for their signature “scuffin,” a savory scone/muffin hybrid. Rustic Bakery, a Marin County staple serving great sandwiches and organic baked goods, is another go-to lunch destination. If you feel like something spicy, ease on down to Carmen’s La Hacienda. I love their margaritas and generous fajitas.

Don’t take a nap yet, though.

Eclectic boutiques like Sage Gallery feature local artists’ hand-crafted jewelry, housewares and other decorative designs. A Sentimental Journey is a vintage lovers dream. I recognized my grandma’s china and was surprised to discover archaic tools used to forge the very streets I’ve been strolling down. Turns out a local dealer travels through Marin and Napa counties in search of

“rusty gold” treasures still found in family barns. I didn’t expect to see artifacts from the Novato History Museum for sale in the antique shop, but it seems these items are not as rare as I assumed.

Speaking of which, the museum is a must-see. The former city postmaster’s home now houses a fascinating collection of 19th century artifacts: locally forged ranching tools, household items and odd tokens of the Victorian era, including an unsettling wreath made of human hair collected by family members over the years.

My quick history lesson (on the heels of a third grade class) really put things into perspective. Now I understand why cattle graze on hillsides of Olompali State Historic Park, which serve as a backyard of sorts to suburban neighborhoods. They are part of an agricultural tradition that spans generations.

Novato’s birth is a classic California tale. The Gold Rush lured East Coasters to put down roots and start a new life. Soon dairy farms, cattle ranches and apple orchards draped the landscape. As a result, the namesakes of many downtown Novato streets such as DeLong, Reichert and Sweetser cultivated this rural, yet surprisingly

metropolitan city. The black and white images in the museum depicting Novato’s transformation over the decades tells the tale well.

While downtown retains remnants of the past, new developments like Vintage Oaks Shopping Center hide all signs of the farms they’ve replaced. Set amongst the many chains and big box stores you’ll find a few locally owned hot spots.

Jennie Low’s has what I think is some of the best Chinese food in Marin County. I like the admittedly Americanized classics: crispy egg rolls served with sweet and sour sauce, orange chicken and chowmein. Tuttimelon’s gelato and frozen yogurt are a required stop.

After making multiple repeat visits, I stopped kidding around and started stocking my freezer with pints of assorted gelato flavors like strawberry fresca, limoncello and orange-chocolate.

For another kind of treat, head to NJ Nails Spa. In addition to colorful and creative nail art, they offer cushy seats and a serene, sterile environment at an affordable price.

Extend your feeling of zen by hopping across the street to my new favorite local hang out: Moylan’s Brewery and Restaurant.

Choose from a broad selection of

deliciously crafted brews. Park at the bar, watch a ballgame and sip on a smooth Celts Golden Ale or a fruity Framboozled. Try the fullbodied Northern California IPA and Orange and Black (named in honor of the San Francisco Giants.) Want to go bigger? Have a Kilt Lifter Scotch Style Ale, it’s my favorite. If you can’t make up your mind, order the sampler.

What sets Moylan’s apart is that it’s more than a brewery. Loyal patrons have made it a second home. Customers have left their mark on the bar by donating personal memorabilia over the years like sporting awards, military ball caps representing various branches of service and treasured Grateful Dead posters. Amn impressive beer can collection rests on the rafters. I love how you can surprise a friend and sign up on the chalkboard to buy them a beer. A nook on the side of the bar hosts private parties and competitive games of darts.

I happily consider Novato my new home. What strikes me most about the small town is the kindness I have encountered.

Whatever establishment I enter, whether I’m there for fun or need to deal with troublesome business, Novato natives impress me with their compassion and sincerity. Y

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Sundial

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THE WEEK’S EVENTS: A SELECTIVE GUIDE

MILL VALLEY History of Art

In 1969, Richard and Ann O’Hanlon converted what had been a dairy farm into a living and studio space, then called the Sight & Insight Art Center, in Mill Valley. Today, the space is known as the O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, and this weekend, the center hosts a 50th Anniversary Open House. Take a tour of the grounds, visit artists’ studios, view works and create your own, listen to live music and savor the iconic Marin destination on Saturday, Jun 8, at O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, 616 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley. 10am. Free. 415.388.4331.

GREENBRAE British Motors

Sports cars don’t get much sportier than the classic English roadsters produced

by Morris Garages. Today, MGs have their own fan clubs, many of which come out this weekend at the 26th Annual MGs by the Bay. The event comes to Marin and features dozens of classic cars from around Northern California on display.

Some are driven daily, others are rarely seen, and others are lovingly restored and carefully customized. Meet vehicle owners and swap stories at the car show on Saturday, Jun 8, at Bon Air Center, 302 Bon Air Center, Greenbrae. 10am. Free. bonair.com.

FAIRFAX Festive Fun

In the small town of Fairfax, community comes first and this weekend's 42nd annual Fairfax Festival and Ecofest shows off that community with organicand sustainable-minded vendors and exhibitors, food, wine, art and live music on multiple stages (the live acts continue through the night in Fairfax's vibrant downtown clubs). The festivities open with the family film night on Friday, with Saturday’s schedule starts with the annual parade that draws out the entire town.

Jun 7 through 9, in downtown Fairfax. Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 10am; Sunday, 11am.

Free. fairfaxfestival.com.

BOLINAS Musical Release

Folk singer-songwriter Mariee Sioux was raised in Northern California and is of native American and Polish Hungarian ancestry, and she returns to Marin to perform a special album-release concert for her hew LP, Grief In Exile. Largely written and recorded in Bolinas, the record is filled with evocative acoustic melodies and emotionally stirring lyrics about the natural world and trials of humanity.

Sioux and her band perform Grief In Exile in its entirety and welcomes folk-rock duo Parting Lines on Sunday, Jun 9, at Bolinas Community Center, 14 Wharf Rd., Bolinas. 7pm. $10-$20. 415.868.2128.

—Charlie Swanson

Ryan Meyer

Oakland-based artist and writer Jenny Odell discusses her book, How to Do Nothing, on Saturday, Jun 8, at Pt Reyes Books. See readings, pg 20.

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Photo courtesy Novato Chamber

Crowds go wild for the live music lineup at the Novato Festival of Art, Wine & Music.

ARTS

Homegrown Festival North Bay traditions come together in Novato Festival of Art, Wine & Music By Charlie Swanson

F

or many in the North Bay, the summer doesn’t start until the Novato Festival of Art, Wine & Music commences each June in the northern Marin town. This year’s installment of the 36-yearlong tradition features artisans, musicians, culinary crafters and winemakers taking over

downtown Novato on Saturday and Sunday, June 8-9.

Presented by the Novato Chamber of Commerce, the free festival has grown from humble small-town beginnings into one of the largest street parties in Marin, encompassing several blocks and drawing more than 80,000 visitors over the weekend.

It’s also one of the most beloved festivals in Marin.

“It’s a festival that is very familyfriendly, even with young kids, and at the same time there’s lots going on for adults,” says Novato Chamber of Commerce CEO Coy Smith. “It’s a clean, good-old hometown event.”

Over the years, the hometown fun has expanded with an ever-rising

profile of musical performers, and the Festival was named “Best Music Festival” in the most recent Pacific Sun Best Of Marin readers’ poll.

“In the last five years, we’ve put more effort into our music lineup,” says Smith. “The music is a big draw now.”

This year’s musical highlights will again garner praise, as the lineup is stacked with top Bay Area bands. Opening the event on Saturday is up-and-coming dark-folk outfit Younger Youngest, veteran rock ‘n’ roll trio the Beer Scouts, genre-bending wine country band Sonoma Sound Syndicate, California country star Victoria George, and headliners Soul Section and Danny Click & the Hell Yeahs.

Sunday keeps up the beat with retroswing band Strangers in Paradise and grunge-tinged blues rockers THICC opening the day. With “swampytonk” group Miracle Mule, Novato’s own James Harman, Marin-based Brad Curtis Project and headliners Foreverland and Wall Street.

Pairing with the lively music is a selection of North Bay wineries and breweries, including wines from Trek Wine and Mantro in the Novato local's booth, Jacuzzi Family Vineyards, Cline Cellars and CabCorp, a Novato-based business importing wines from Chile, Argentina, Australia and Europe.

The festival’s selection of art and handmade crafts offer something for every taste, with jewelry, pottery, posters, photography and more on hand, including North Bay favorite Cindy Fox, aka the fish artist, whose sought-after original works depicting High Sierra trout and other species has become a staple of both the flyfishing and art communities.

For the kids, the festival offers everything from bungee jumping to rolling around in giant inflatable balls on the water and playing in the bounce houses and the giant pirate ship.

Even with visitors coming to the festival from as far away as the Oregon border, it’s also an annual tradition for Novato natives. “We notice that a lot of people come back to this festival again and again over the years,” says Smith. “It’s like a homecoming for them.”

The Novato Festival of Art, Wine & Music happens on Saturday and Sunday, June 8-9, on Grant Avenue between Redwood Boulevard and Seventh Street in downtown Novato.

Sat, 10am to 7pm; Sun, 10am to 6pm.

Free admission. novatochamber.com.

MUSIC

Cooking with Music KC Turner puts Novato on the map By Charlie Swanson

I

t may not be obvious to the commuters speeding through Novato on Highway 101, but there’s an oasis of live music among the big box stores located on Vintage Way in the HopMonk Tavern, where regional

and nationally-touring acts have routinely stopped in for intimate concerts in the tavern’s Session Room and on the patio where an outdoor stage dominates the beer garden.

Much of the music coming to

Novato is thanks to independent concert booker and promoter KC Turner, who keeps himself busy by running KC Turner Presents. This summer, KC Turner Presents hosts its sixth annual Cookout Concert Series at HopMonk with top-notch

Blame Sally and Peter Mulvey perform in the Cookout Concert Series on Sunday, Jun 9, at HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way, Novato. Doors, 5pm. $28-$35; $18 meal ticket. All ages.

Kcturnerpresents.com.

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Nancy Escovedo

Mexican-American rock star Alejandro Escovedo comes to Novato this month for a cookout concert.

bands and performers appearing in the beer garden on select Sundays through the summer.

“It started off as a fun idea, bring the grill, book some shows,” says Turner. “It’s turned into a really special event, probably my favorite thing to do every year.”

Originally from Missouri, Turner moved to the North Bay in 2005, living in Novato until 2010 when he moved to San Francisco. It was while living in Novato that he first forayed into organizing live shows.

“I found myself always driving to San Francisco to perform open mics,” he says. “There was really nothing happening in Novato.”

Turner’s first shows were open mic events at Finnegan’s Marin in Novato. “Nobody came at first,” he laughs. “But, it began to snowball and became a community event.”

He began working with HopMonk Tavern at their Sonoma location, then moved operations to Novato shortly after that spot opened in 2012. Over the six years of the Cookout Concert Series, the shows have evolved from casual get together into fully produced concerts. “We’ve really upped the ante to make it a professional venues,” says Turner. “That’s so we can get better names to play there a make it a more legit stop on a tour.”

With an eye toward folk and indie-rock, the Cookout Concerts are boasting big names all summer with guitar master Alejandro Escovedo playing with a full band on June 16 and Texas-based “Titan of the Telecaster” Bill Kirchen performing on Jun 30 with several former Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen bandmates including Bobby Black.

Other confirmed shows include Americana duo Birds of Chicago on July 21, jazzy ensemble Charlie Hunter & Lucy Woodward Trio on Aug. 11 punk-meets-folk coheadlining concert with John Doe and Robbie Fulks on Aug. 25, and many more.

“I feel like the lineup is the strongest yet,” says Turner. “And we’ve got the grill going.”

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Godzilla defends his crown in this summer’s biggest monster party.

FILM

The Lizard King Godzilla: King of the Monsters starts with running and screaming, then kneeling and praying By Richard von Busack

W

hat’s killing the cinema, #448 in a series: not enough exclamation points in titles, a clear proof of lack of confidence. And bring back shiny subordinate clauses. Dracula: Prince of Darkness has far more heft than plain old Dracula. The very title of Godzilla: King of the Monsters makes up for Michael Dougherty’s bewildering direction. The “who, what and why” isn’t just out the window, it’s over the hills and far away. Sizable info dumps are required because of links to Godzilla (2014), and there’s more cast than

anyone knows what to do with: Sally Hawkins and David Strathairn stand around like guests who don’t know anyone at the party.

Raymond Burr was injected into the American version of Ishiro Honda’s original Godzilla, King of the Monsters!

(1956; note the exclamation point).

“Steve Martin” returned for the 1985 redo, in which the camera closes in on red sleepless eyes, as if Martin had had a long, hard 30 years since first he saw Godzilla. The suggestion of PTSD is back, with paleobiologist Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) waking up from the familiar nightmare of

a giganotosaurus trampling San Francisco. Farmiga is a favorite tragedian, a woman of constant sorrow who never wears out that mood. Her Emma lives with her daughter Madison (Millie Bobby Brown) who takes the traditional kaiju role of the plucky schoolkid in short pants who understands things the adults fail to take into consideration.

Emma is working with Alan Jonah (Charles Dance), a wealthy eco-terrorist bent on freeing the world’s chimera. Dance is the one who, sighting Godzilla, says, “Long live the king,” as if something were dying

inside of him as an actor. It seems counterintuitive to free monsters after one stomps your son, but we get an explanation. Farmiga has one of those effective mad-scientists speeches that starts logical and ends up fanatic. Meanwhile she finds herself re-encountering her estranged ex husband Mark (Kyle Chandler), recruited by the world’s monstermonitoring organization MONARCH. The animism is crazy. Like any other religious picture, Godzilla: King of the Monsters has some dogma that has to be swallowed whole, like a crane choking down a frog. Earlier versions suggested that the ever-regenerating beast was more than just a raging monster unleashed by the atomic age...that he was indeed beyond good and evil–a living warning against destroying the planet with nuclear war and pollution.

The actual battles are highly satisfactory, even if no one gets to shout, “Destroy all monsters!”

Happy moments include Godzilla swimming up to glare through a lab’s undersea window; he glows with bioluminescence, like a pissed-off cuttlefish. Even more unnerving is the triple-headed King Ghidorah.

“Sounds like gonorrhea,” says Bradley Whitford, there to add some peculiar commentary to the situation in a MONARCH control room.

Ghidorah’s heads don’t just bob at random like a marionette’s head, as in the old days; here they sync up with each other, and they’re able to scowl viciously. Meanwhile the 500foot pterodactyl Rodan knocks over a Mexican town like a hurricane.

(Quetzalcoatl, is that you?) By contrast the mammoth Mothra is clearly on the side of the angels, a glowing Tinkerbelle to Godzilla’s Peter Pan. All credit to Ken Watanabe reprising his role as Dr. Ishiro Serizawa from Godzilla (2014). He gives the beast all reverence: “We must keep our faith in Godzilla.” Serizawa gives the grimmest warning a Japanese scientist can possibly give in a kaiju: “This is a dangerous path!” Insincerity does not dwell in Watanabe, and his final contact with Godzilla is quite touching, a tribute to the dramatic underpinnings of the better Toho studio movies. If it's sometimes hard to tell which MONARCH base we’re at, what city we’re in and which direction the monsters are coming from, at least we always know the proper attitude to approach Godzilla: on our knees.

‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ is playing in wide release.

Aladdin (PG)

By Matthew Stafford

Friday Jun 7-Thursday Jun 13 Aladdin (2:08) Disney de-musicalizes itself in Guy Ritchie’s live-action remake about a princess, a sorcerer and a street urchin; Will Smith speaks Genie.

Ask Dr. Ruth (1:40) Lively documentary portrait of the indefatigable author, Holocaust survivor, Israeli sniper and worldrenowned sex therapist.

Before Stonewall (1:27) Acclaimed and eye-opening 1984 documentary examines the history of homosexuality in the U.S. from the 1920s to 1969’s era-changing Stonewall riots; Rita Mae Brown narrates.

Bharat (2:46) Sweeping epic looks at 60 years of Indian history through the eyes of a free spirit and his family, from 1947 independence to the present day.

The Biggest Little Farm (1:31) Documentary follows an LA couple as they reinvent their lives by creating a 200-acre utopia of orchards, animals and over 200 crops.

Booksmart (1:45) Coming-of-age comedy about two high school brainiacs who make up for lost time (not to mention drinking, drug use and strong sexual content) the night before graduation.

Brightburn (1:30) A creepy little kid turns out to be a marooned extraterrestrial with a busted flying saucer and plenty of attitude.

Cervantes: The Search (1:20) Documentary follows a squad of scientists and historians as they search España for the long-lost bones of Don Quixote’s chronicler.

Dark Phoenix (1:54) The X-Men are back and battling their very own Phoenix, who’s been dazed, confused and downright dangerous since a run-in with a mysterious cosmic force.

Echo in the Canyon (1:22) Documentary tribute to the Laurel Canyon troubadours who created the California Sound in the mid-’60s; Brian Wilson, Michelle Phillips, John Sebastian and many others reminisce.

Enlightenment Guaranteed (1:48) German comedy about two very different brothers who bond during an unlikely vacation at a Japanese monastery.

Free Trip to Egypt (1:38) Documentary follows a Muslim entrepreneur as he crosses the U.S. in search of Islamic-fearing Americans he can break bread with on a free trip to the old country.

Ghost (2:08) Supernatural romantic comedy thriller stars Patrick Swayze as a murdered ghost looking after his unwary widow (Demi Moore).

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2:11) Crypto-zoologists Ken Watanabe and Vera Farmiga take on not only the Big G but bro behemoths Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah!

Heavy Water (1:35) Documentary focuses on surfin’ sensation Nathan Fletcher and other members of the cowabunga community as they search for the perfect wave.

José Neto: The Man Behind the White Guitar (1:30) Documentary celebrates the Brazilian guitarist, his life and career and the marvelous music he’s made with the likes of Flora Purim and Harry Belafonte.

Late Night (1:42) TV talk show superstar

Emma Thompson gets a dynamic dose of sisterhood when she hires Mindy Kaling as her first female staff writer.

Ma (1:50) Horror flick stars Octavia Spencer as a lonely singleton who invites local teens to hang out in her basement…as long as they don’t go upstairs.

Men in Black: International (2:00) People in black Tessa Thompson, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson and Chris Hemsworth are back and battling a turncoat as well as the usual array of Martians.

The Mustang (1:36) A Nevada convict gets a new lease on life when he joins his prison’s wild horse training program; Bruce Dern plays the regulation old-coot trainer.

Poms (1:31) Rambunctious Diane Keaton shakes up her new retirement community when she recruits Pam Grier, Rhea Perlman and Jacki Weaver for a cheerleading squad.

Red Joan (1:41) Judi Dench stars as a retired secret agent running from her troubled, conflicted past; Trevor Nunn directs.

Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story (2:22) Martin Scorsese’s impressionistic documentary focuses on Dylan’s 1975 cross-country tour with such backup singers as Joan Baez, Allen Ginsberg, Joni Mitchell and Bette Midler.

The Secret Life of Pets 2 (1:26) Yet more insights into what your pooches and pussycats do when you’re out of the house; Dana Carvey and Tiffany Haddish lend voice.

Shaft (1:51) MIT grad John Shaft III (Jessie T. Usher) teams up with his street-savvy dad and grandpa to take down a Harlem heroin dealer; Richard Roundtree and Samuel L. Jackson costar, of course.

The Souvenir (1:59) Incisive character study of a fledgling filmmaker and the fraught relationships that threaten her dreams; Joanna Hogg directs Honor Swinton Byrne.

The Spy Behind Home Plate (1:38) Documentary portrait of Moe Berg, the brainy multilingual major league catcher who spent WWII as an OSS agent undermining the Nazis’ A-bomb project.

The Tomorrow Man (1:34) Quirky romance with Blythe Danner and John Lithgow scaling the obstacles wrought by their distinct personalities in search of love.

200 Motels (1:38) Rambunctious, irreverent faux-rockumentary joins Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention on a dreamscape of a cross-country tour; Ringo Starr and Keith Moon cameo.

Wonders of the Sea 3D (1:40) Join the Cousteau family on a dazzling threedimensional deep dive among the colorful sea creatures of Fiji and the Bahamas; Arnold Schwarzenegger narrates.

Woodstock (1:36) Insightful documentary looks at how the legendary three-day rock concert encapsulated the social and political upheavals of its era, the summer of ’69 in particular.

Amazing Grace (G)

•

Bharat (NR) The Biggest Little Farm (NR) Booksmart (R) Brightburn (R) • Cervantes: The Search (NR) The Chaperone (NR) Dark Phoenix (PG-13)

•

Echo in the Canyon (NR)

•

Ghost (PG-13) Godzilla: King of the Monsters (PG-13)

• •

Heavy Water (NR) José Neto: The Man Behind the White Guitar (NR) Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake (NR) • Men in Black: International (PG-13) Red Joan (R)

•

Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story (NR) The Secret Life of Pets 2 (PG-13)

•

Shaft (R) The Souvenir (R)

•

The Spy Behind Home Plate (NR)

Tolkien (PG-13) • The Tomorrow Man (PG-13)

•

200 Motels (R) The White Crow (R) • Wonders of the Sea 3D (NR) Woodstock (NR)

Fairfax: Fri-Sat 1, 4, 6:55, 9:50; Sun-Wed 1, 4, 6:55 Larkspur Landing: Fri, Mon-Wed 6:50, 9:50; Sat-Sun 12, 3, 6:15, 9:30 Northgate: Fri-Sun 9:30, 11:05, 12:40, 2:15, 3:50, 5:25, 7, 8:25, 10:05; Mon-Wed 11:05, 12:40, 2:15, 3:50, 5:25, 7, 8:25, 10:05 Playhouse: Fri 3:45, 7, 9:45; Sat 12:45, 3:45, 7, 9:45; Sun 12:45, 3:45, 7; Mon-Wed 3:45, 7 Rowland: Fri-Wed 10:20, 4:20, 7:20, 10:30; 3D showtime at 1:20 Lark: Fri 6:40; Sun 10:45; Mon 8:40; Tue 12:10; Thu 4:20 Regency: Fri-Sat 10:40, 12:55, 3:10, 5:25, 7:45, 10; Sun-Thu 10:40, 12:55, 3:10, 5:25, 7:45 Northgate: Fri-Wed 11:25, 3, 6:30, 10 (in Hindi with English subtitles) Rafael: Fri 6:15, 8:15; Sat-Sun 2:15, 4:15, 6:15, 8:15; Mon 8:15; Tue, Thu 6:15; Wed 6:15, 8:15 Northgate: Fri-Wed 11:45, 2:25, 5:10, 7:50, 10:30 Sequoia: FriSat 2:10, 4:45, 7:30, 9:55; Sun 2:10, 4:45, 7:30; Mon-Wed 4:45, 7:30; Thu 4:45 Northgate: Fri-Wed 10:15pm Lark: Tue 6:30 Lark: Mon 4:40; Tue 10; Wed 2 Fairfax: Fri-Sat 12:15, 3:15, 6:30, 9:30; Sun-Thu 12:15, 3:15, 6:30 Larkspur Landing: Fri, Mon-Wed 7, 10; Sat-Sun 11:45, 2:45, 3D showtimes at 6, 9 Northgate: Fri-Sun 11:15, 12:35, 2:10, 4:55, 6:25, 7:45, 10:35, 3D showtimes at 9:50, 3:30, 9:15; Mon-Wed 12:35, 2:10, 4:55, 6:25, 7:45, 10:35, 3D showtimes at 3:30, 9:15 Rowland: Fri-Sat 10, 12:50, 3:40, 6:40, midnight, 3D showtime at 9:30pm; Sun-Wed 9:10, 11:50, 2:30, 5:10, 7:50, 3D showtime at 10:40pm Rafael: Fri 7, 7:30 (star Jakob Dylan and director Andrew Slater in person); Sat 12:15, 4:30, 6:30, 8:30; Sun 2:30, 4:30, 6:30, 8:30; Mon 6:30; Tue, Thu 5, 8:30; Wed 6:30, 8:30 Rafael: Thu 7 (screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin in person) Fairfax: Fri-Sat 12:40, 3:35, 6:45, 9:35; Sun-Wed 12:40, 3:35, 6:45 Larkspur Landing: Fri, Mon-Wed 6:40, 9:45; Sat-Sun 12:15, 3:20, 6:30, 9:40 Northgate: Fri-Sun 9:45, 10:35, 12:50, 3:55, 5:05, 7:15, 10:25, 3D showtimes at 1:50, 8:20; Mon-Wed 10:35, 12:50, 3:55, 5:05, 7:15, 10:25, 3D showtimes at 1:50, 8:20 Rowland: Fri-Wed 9:35, 12:40, 3:50, 7; 3D showtime at 10:05pm Regency: Thu 7 Rafael: Mon 7 (filmmakers Richard Michael and Barbara McVeigh and musicians José Neto & Company in person) Lark: Sat 1 Fairfax: Thu 4, 7 Northgate: Thu 4, 7, 10, 11; 3D showtimes at 5:30, 8:30 Rowland: Thu 4, 6:50, 9:40, midnight Lark: Fri 10; Mon 6:45; Thu 12:30 • Poms (PG-13) Regency: Fri 5, 10:15; Sat 11:50, 5, 10:15; Sun-Tue 11:50, 5; Wed-Thu 11:50 Rafael: Tue 7 Fairfax: Fri-Sat 12, 12:30, 2:20, 2:45, 4:50, 5, 7:15, 9:40; Sun-Wed 12, 12:30, 2:20, 2:45, 4:50, 5, 7:15 Larkspur Landing: Fri, MonWed 6:30, 9; Sat-Sun 11, 1:20, 3:40, 5:30, 7:50, 10:10 Northgate: Fri-Sun 9:35, 10:55, 12, 2:30, 3:35, 5, 6:10, 7:30, 10, 3D showtimes at 1:15, 8:35; Mon-Wed 10:55, 12, 2:30, 3:35, 5, 6:10, 7:30, 10, 3D showtimes at 1:15, 8:35 Playhouse: Fri 4:30, 6:45, 9:15; Sat 12, 2:15, 4:30, 6:45 9:15; Sun 12, 2:15, 4:30, 6:45; Mon-Thu 4:30, 6:45 Rowland: Fri-Sun 9:30, 10, 10:50, 11:45, 2, 4:15, 6:30, 8:45, 11; Mon-Wed 9:30, 10, 11:45, 2, 4:15, 6:30, 8:45, 11 Northgate: Thu 6, 8:45, 11 Regency: Fri-Sat 10:50, 1:40, 4:30, 7:20, 10:05; Sun-Thu 10:50, 1:40, 4:30, 7:20 Rafael: Fri 4:15; Sat 3:30, 5:45; Sun 1:40 (filmmaker Aviva Kempner in person); Mon-Thu 5:45 Regency: Fri-Tue 2:20, 7:30; Wed-Thu 2:20 Regency: Fri-Sat 12, 2:30, 4:50, 7:10, 9:30; Sun-Thu 12, 2:30, 4:50, 7:10 Lark: Wed 7:30 Lark: Fri noon; Sat 8:45; Sun 5:15; Mon 2:05; Tue 8:15; Thu 10 Rafael: Sat 2 (marine conservationist Sebastian Nicholls in person) Rafael: Sat, Wed 8; Mon 8:30

We have omitted some of the movie summaries and times for those that have been playing for multiple weeks.

Showtimes can change after we go to press. Please call theater to confirm.

CinéArts Sequoia 25 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley, 388-1190 Century Cinema 41 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera, 924-6506 Fairfax 9 Broadway, Fairfax, 453-5444 Lark 549 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur, 924-5111 Larkspur Landing 500 Larkspur Landing Cir., Larkspur, 461-4849 Northgate 7000 Northgate Dr., San Rafael, 491-1314 Playhouse 40 Main St., Tiburon, 435-1251 Rafael Film Center 1118 Fourth St., San Rafael, 454-1222 Regency 80 Smith Ranch Rd., Terra Linda, 479-6496 Rowland 44 Rowland Way, Novato, 898-3385

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Movies

• New Movies This Week

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Ed Smith Photography

Sandy (Chelsea Holifield, third from the right) and the Pink Ladies sing about ‘Summer Nights’ on Mt Tam.

STAGE

Mountaintop Musical ‘Grease’ is the word for this year’s Mountain Play By Nicole Singley

S

cenic vistas and unpredictable weather aren’t the only things you’ll find on Mt. Tam this weekend. Back for its 106th season, the Mountain Play invites you to take in the view and a show atop the county’s tallest peak, where adventurous audiences congregate each summer to partake in this century-old tradition.

It’s a family-friendly, all-day affair complete with picnicking and Champagne (bring your own or buy it there, both are common practice) and a pre-show costume contest. Be sure to dress in layers, though, the 4,000-seat amphitheater offers ample space, but little cover from the elements.

This year those who make the trek

will find a high-energy rendition of Grease, one of the longest running shows in Broadway history. The production follows Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey’s original storyline, but incorporates additional songs from the eponymous hit film, including the crowd-pleasing finale “You’re the One That I Want.” (Try not to sing along—I dare you.)

It’s an age-old story steeped in upbeat tunes, stifling machismo and late 1950s Americana: boy meets girl; they fall in love; boy downplays feelings to look cool in front of friends; identity crises ensue; everyone breaks into song and dance. Cue happy ending.

But beneath the surface, Grease is more than a feel-good high school

musical. It tackles heavy-hitting themes like peer pressure, teenage rebellion, self-discovery and sexuality in the rock-and-roll era.

Does it succeed? The conclusion is controversial at best, and it’s an interesting choice of material amid the burgeoning “Me Too” movement.

To the Mountain Play’s credit, a few minor changes mitigate some outdated characterizations and questionable language.

Director Jay Manley helms a youthful cast who prove up to the task, with noteworthy performances

by Anya Absten as sharp-edged Rizzo, Scott Scholes as wannabe rock-star Doody, Philip Percy Williams as “Teen Angel” and Chelsea Holifield as goody-two-shoes leading lady Sandy

D. Talent is in no short supply. (Extra credit to all for continuing undaunted by opening day’s rain-slick stage.)

Ken Rowland’s clever set and Michelle Navarre-Huff ’s nostalgic costumes provide an attractively retro aesthetic. Vocals suffer from inconsistent mic levels, washing out some lines and solos and turning ensemble pieces into walls of garbled sound. The cast’s enthusiasm prevails nonetheless, and Nicole Helfer’s choreography keeps things lively and fun. ’Grease’ runs Sundays through June 16 at the Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre.

801 Panoramic Hwy., Mill Valley. 2pm. $20–$45. 415.383.1100

DINING

Mideast of Eden Avi Cohen’s curried tuna is pretty much heaven on earth by Tom Gogola

T

he curried tuna salad at Avi-ously Delicious is so simple in its preparation, you’d swear there’s some secret ingredient that Novato chef and caterer Avi Cohen’s not listing on the plastic tub of the stuff: Tuna, celery, red onion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, pepper and salt.

Anyone could throw those ingredients together in the home kitchen—but just try to replicate Cohen’s recipe. It’s downright sublime, if not mysterious.

How does he do it?

“Whenever you see labels of any

kind,” says Cohen, “tuna, lemon juice, etc., the secret is how much of the items you put in. A little more, a little less, and it’s not the same thing.” It’s an ethic that’s part and parcel of a catering business where everything is weighed by the teaspoon to exacting standards.

“It always comes out the same,” he says, “and people like it that way.”

Cohen’s been running his catering business since the mid-80s, when he emigrated from Israel with his wife, Nancy, a North Bay native who was then teaching English in Israel. He worked as a pastry chef in his home

country for about 10 years and worked as a pastry chef locally, too, before deciding to do some catering on the side that featured his Middle Eastern and Mediterranean recipes.

He catered small events in Marin to positive reviews and in short order the events got bigger until one day he realized, “Hey, wait a minute, you’re missing something here.”

And thus Avi-ously Delicious Catering was born in 1992. He’d been plying his wares before then at the epic San Rafael farmers market and again, started out small. “When

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Avi Cohen’s Middle East-inspired dishes have won over three generations of Marinites—and counting.

we first started, we had six or seven items that we introduced to Marin County people. Now we have almost 85 items there. Everything just grew and grew and grew.”

His business expanded to where he’s got a bustling kitchen in Novato and a full-time crew of four or five workers, and he’s jammed with two or three catering events every weekend that are heavy on the weddings and bar mitzvahs (Cohen’s equipped to dish out kosher and non-kosher fare).

He loves the farmers market and goes every week for a connection with Marinites that’s three generations and counting of customers lining up for his product. Another in-the-tub highlight worthy of a long wait is Cohen’s tzatziki, which he’ll serve at catered events with lamb chops and tahini. It’s a garlicky and dill-spiked classic yogurt sauce that’s positively addictive. Popular catered dishes include his pistachiocrusted salmon served with pomegranate glaze; lamb kebabs prepared Mediterranean style and served with that tasty tzatziki, and basbousa, a semolina chocolate cake that’s infused with rosewater syrup.

“When I see the lines at our booth,” he says, “50 or 60 people on line for two or three hours straight—for me, that’s the greatest satisfaction of all. And, when we have a sitdown dinner and I see the plates coming back empty, there’s nothing better than that.”

None of the dishes are Israeli, per se, he says, given that “there’s no such thing as Israeli cuisine, because in Israel there are people from about 70 countries. When they came to Israel, everyone bought their own speciality, which is why they call it a melting pot.”

At 72 years old and a grandfather with a 2-and-a-half-year old on his knee, Avi’s got no interest in opening a restaurant, despite years of pleading from Marinites wise to his fresh and flavorful offerings. He raised a family in Novato and would just as soon go to the movies, try a new restaurant himself, or spend time with his model trains, his favorite hobby. A restaurant? Are you kidding?

“It’s like committing yourself to almost a life in prison,” says Cohen with an effusive chuckle. “With catering, you can pick and choose, you can schedule a vacation. With a restaurant, you have to be there every day. That’s not for me. I like my freedom.” Y

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VenturePad, Marin’s Premier Coworking, Meeting space, and Entrepreneurship Center • For solopreneurs, small teams, telecommuters, start-ups, work at home professionals • Open and dedicated desks, meeting rooms (4-30 capacity), phone booths, café • Over 300 members, 80 advisors and professional service experts on call • Book a tour, get a free day pass • Day pass, memberships, meeting rooms bookable online at venturepad.works Call Chris at 415-309-0331 for more info.

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Guerneville’s Porter-Bass is on the slow road to riches

Find our rotating craft beer menu on untappd

vidence, quite tangible evidence, of the Bass family’s commitment to the principles of biodynamic farming isn’t hard to find. Just a few minutes into a short stroll through the Port-Bass vineyard, I step right in it.

In a fresh cow patty, that is, and how perfect is that? Luke Bass takes the opportunity to explain that cows are central to the farming philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, the father of biodynamic agriculture, so he’s glad they finally got one.

She’s just one brown cow, but her contributions to the fertilization program here have been impressive.

Luke’s parents came out west from upstate New York around 1980—a little late for the back to the land movement, but with a somewhat upgraded business model. They wanted to work on the land in two ways: his father established an architecture studio, and his mother, until five years ago, was the chief tractor driver for the vineyard, says Bass. They bought an old farm that looks carved right into the sylvan hills south of Guerneville, but it’s the other way around—first, the forest was carved out in the 1800s. Then, a family planted grapes just in time for Prohibition. Much of the topsoil washed away into the Russian River long ago, says Bass, so it’s a struggle to get a thousand dollars worth of grapes out of some parts of the vineyard, even after treating them to several thousand dollars more worth of compost. “When I hand this over to my son, it will be more healthy and more vibrant,” Bass says. He takes the long view: “Maybe he’ll get rich!”

Tastings at Porter-Bass are by appointment only and are held in the shade of a walnut tree, with mismatched patio chairs and a wood slab over two barrels. So, what does a ramshackle setup in the woods, native yeast fermentation and no new barrels buy you? Well. PorterBass 2016 Chardonnay ($40) is the kind of Chardonnay that California Chardonnay detractors do somersaults for when they don’t know it’s California Chardonnay. It’s 100 percent malolactic fermented, but the lemon-lime acidity, tangy kiwi fruit and native microbial actors only shrug a bit toward caramel aromas, dominated by dried lemon blossom. Their 2016 Pinot Noir ($50) shows woodsy spice, with a barge of black cherry and plum paste fruit steered by a stony hand of minerals.

The 2015 Zinfandel ($40) is a “take that, Zin haters” kind of Zin, enticing with lingonberry and olallieberry fruit, green peppercorn, and finishing fresh and firm—tangible evidence that this winery’s practices are yielding even more pleasant results.

Porter-Bass, 11750 Mays Canyon Rd., Guerneville. By appointment only.

Tasting fee, $15. 707.869.1475.

By Howard Rachelson

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What is California’s state mineral?

2

A female bovine with a calf is known as a what?

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3

Can you name two of Mark Twain’s greatest novels, whose titles contain “The Adventures of …”?

4

True or False: According to The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a baby born in the U.S.A., to any resident, legal or not, is automatically a U.S. citizen.

5 Give the two-word name

Thu 6⁄6 • Doors 7pm ⁄ $27–32 • All Ages

Jackopierce + Chapell

for the largest instrument in an orchestra's string section.

Fri 6⁄7 • Doors 5:30m ⁄ FREE • All Ages

N BA Finals Game 4:

Golden State Warriors vs Toronto Raptors

6 A 1964 Act of Congress

declared what alcoholic beverage to be America's official distilled spirit?

7 One Portuguese King, four French Kings and eight English Kings all had the

same five-letter first name. What was it?

8 Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening starred in what Oscar-winning 1999 Best

Picture about a depressed suburban father with a mid-life crisis?

9

What percent of Americans rate their financial situations as “good” or “excellent?” (Ends with 6.)

10 What country won its independence (with help from the USA) after

breaking off from Colombia in 1903?

BONUS QUESTION: Math and sports: In a basketball game, Steph Curry hit two-thirds as many 3-pointers as he did free throws (foul shots), and two-thirds as many free throws as he did field goals, for a total of 36 points. How many of each shot did he make?

Answers on page

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Din ner & A Show

Kevin Russell & Some Jun 8 Dangerous Friends

Beautiful Blues 8:00 ⁄ No Cover

Rivertown Trio with Jun 9 Julie Bernard

on the BIG SCREEN Fri 6⁄7 • Doors 9pm ⁄ FREE • All Ages

feat. members of Soul Ska Sat 6⁄8 • Doors 10am ⁄ $12–14 • All Ages

Fri

Sun 6⁄9 • Doors 5pm ⁄ $17–20 • All Ages

Sun

La Psicotropical

Little Folkies Family Band Summer Concert Moonalice & Jerry's Middle Finger

Thu 6⁄13 • Doors 7pm ⁄ $14–17 • All Ages

Marcus Rezak Ft

Members of The Disco Biscuits Fri 6⁄14 • Doors 8pm ⁄ $19–22 • All Ages

Neon Velvet

Sat 6⁄15 • Doors 11am ⁄ $17 • All Ages

The Music of Grateful Dead

Special Bluegrass Father's Day Celebration

Maria Muldaur & Buzz Buchanan

(JG B Drummer) Performing Classic Jerry Garcia Band Shows from the 70s, 80s, & 90s

www.sweetwatermusichall.com 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley Café 388-1700 | Box Office 388-3850

Lunch & Dinner 7 Days a Week

Sat

Sun

Sat 6⁄15 • Doors 8pm ⁄ $25–30 • All Ages The Garcia Project with

You’re invited to the next Trivia Cafe team contest on Tuesday, Jun 11, at Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael. 6:30pm. Free with prizes. Have a great question? Send it in with your name and hometown, and if we use it, we'll give you credit. Contact howard1@triviacafe.com.

Outdoor Dining Sat & Sun Brunch 11–3

Fabulous Harmonies 5:00 ⁄ No Cover

Paul Thorn Band Jun 28 Dinner Show 8:00

BBQs on the LAWN 2019 H Father’s Day H

Tommy Castro Jun 16 & The Painkillers

Special Guest Lipbone Redding

Our First “All Irish” BBQ Jun 23 Shana Morrison and Sun

Jerry Hannan with The Mad Hannans

Our Annual Beatle Q with Jun 30 The Sun Kings Sun

Thu

H 4th of July Weekend H

Jul 4 The Zydeco Flames Fri Peter Rowan Jul 5 Annual Bluegrass Birthday Bash Sun

Jul

7 Paul Thorn Band Reservations Advised

415.662.2219

On the Town Square, Nicasio www.ranchonicasio.com

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Trivia Café

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Calendar Concerts Jackopierce Texas duo of Jack O’Neill and Cary Pierce celebrate 30 years of harmonious acoustic folk-rock. Jun 6, 8pm. $27-$32. Sweetwater Music Hall, 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley, 415.388.3850.

Mariee Sioux Folk singer-songwriter plays an albumrelease show for her new LP, “Grief in Exile.”

Jun 9, 7pm. $10-$20. Bolinas Community Center, 14 Wharf Rd, Bolinas, 415.868.2128.

Monophonics Bay Area band plays a signature brand of psychedelic soul, with openers the Crooked Stuff. Jun 8, 7pm. $20-$25. 19 Broadway Nightclub, 17 Broadway Blvd, Fairfax, 415.459.1091.

Clubs & Venues Fenix Jun 6, Sean Parnell and South County. Jun 7, Daniel Castro Band. Jun 8, ZZ Tush. Jun 9, Soul Power. 919 Fourth St, San Rafael, 415.813.5600.

HopMonk Novato Jun 6, Amanda Addleman and Groove Center. Jun 7, the Soul Jah Family Band. Jun 9, 6pm, Blame Sally and Peter Mulvey. 224 Vintage Way, Novato, 415.892.6200.

Iron Springs Pub & Brewery Jun 12, Koolerator with Barry Sless. 765 Center Blvd, Fairfax, 415.485.1005.

Marin Country Mart Jun 7, 6pm, Friday Night Jazz with the Bill Belasco Quintet. 2257 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur, 415.461.5700.

Menke Park Jun 9, 5pm, Tim Hockenberry Trio.

Redwood and Corte Madera avenues, Corte Madera, 415.302.1160.

19 Broadway Nightclub Jun 5, the North 101 Band. Jun 6, Book of Birds with Lakeville. Jun 7, Angelex. Jun 9, Hunter & the Dirty Jacks. Jun 12, Michael Skinner & the Final Touch Band. 17 Broadway Blvd, Fairfax, 415.459.1091.

Osteria Divino Jun 6, Grant Levin Duo. Jun 7, Eric Markowitz Trio. Jun 8, Nicholas Culp Trio.

Jun 9, Parker Grant Trio. Jun 11, Ken Cook. 37 Caledonia St, Sausalito, 415.331.9355.

Panama Hotel Restaurant Jun 6, Pardon the Interruption. Jun 11, Panama 3. Jun 12, Schuster and Bay. 4 Bayview St, San Rafael, 415.457.3993.

Papermill Creek Saloon Jun 7, Isaiah Mitchell and Mark Boylan. Jun 8, Just Friends. Jun 9, 6:30pm, Papermill Gang.

1 Castro, Forest Knolls, 415.488.9235.

Peri’s Silver Dollar Jun 6, Blue Light Cheap Hotel. Jun 7, HowellDevine. Jun 8, Fairfax Festival afterparty. Jun 9, the Sam Chase. Jun 11, Jake

Hammerslag and friends. Jun 12, Liquid Green. 29 Broadway, Fairfax, 415.459.9910.

Rancho Nicasio Jun 8, Kevin Russell & Some Dangerous Friends. Jun 9, 5pm, Rivertown Trio with Julie Bernard. 1 Old Rancheria Rd, Nicasio, 415.662.2219.

Sausalito Seahorse Jun 7, Up Beat. Jun 8, TRIP and friends. Jun 9, 4pm, Orquestra Vibrason. 305 Harbor View Dr, Sausalito, 415.331.2899.

Sweetwater Music Hall Jun 8, 10:30am, Little Folkies Family Band.

Jun 9, 5:30pm, Moonalice and Jerry’s Middle Finger. Jun 11-12, Crossroads Music School. 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley, 415.388.3850.

The Tavern on Fourth Jun 7, Smiling at Strangers. Jun 8, Steady Eddy & the Shakers. 711 Fourth St, San Rafael, 415.454.4044.

Art Opening MARIN Robert Allen Fine Art Jun 6-Jul 31, “Works on Paper,” group exhibit features art from Susan Adame, Larry Gray, Victoria Ryan and Kazuko Watanabe.

Reception, Jun 6 at 5:30pm. 301 Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.2800.

Comedy MarINSANITY Be a member of the studio audience when Marin TV’s standup comedy show tapes a new episode. Space is limited. Jun 10, 6:30pm.

Community Media Center of Marin, 819 A St, San Rafael, cmcm.tv/marinsanity.

One Degree of Separation Comedians take a look at depression and share humorous and insightful stories of hope, happiness and triumph. Jun 7, 8pm. $17.

Throckmorton Theatre, 142 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley, 415.383.9600.

Events

Novato Festival of Art, Wine & Music Long-running event includes handcrafted art, regional and imported wines, gourmet foods and live music on two stages. Jun 8-9, 10am. Free admission. Downtown Novato, Grant Ave, Novato, novatochamber.com.

O’Hanlon Center for the Arts 50th Anniversary Open House Take a tour of the grounds, make art, listen to live music and more. O’Hanlon. Jun 8, 10am.

Free. O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, 616 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley, 415.388.4331.

Field Trips Conifers of the Canyon Hear from a nature guide about conifer trees and spread out your picnic blanket and have a picnic. Jun 8, 10am. Martin Griffin Preserve, 4900 Shoreline Hwy 1, Stinson Beach, 415.868.9244.

Owl Wars Look and listen for the owls that call Muir Woods home in a 5-mile dusk hike.

Reservations required. Jun 8, 6:30pm. Free with admission. Muir Woods Visitor Center, 1 Muir Woods Rd, Mill Valley, 415.388.2596.

Film AIM Film Festival See documentary and avant-garde films from the students of Academy of Integrated Humanities and New Media. Jun 6, 7pm. $10-$25. Throckmorton Theatre, 142 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley, 415.383.9600.

World Ocean Day Film Screening See the award-winning documentary “Blue,” with discussion. Jun 8, 4pm. $9.

Bay Conference Center, 3152 Paradise Dr, Tiburon, 415.338.3543.

Food & Drink Field to Glass Wine Dinner Series showcases winemakers and other wine professionals. Jun 6, 6pm. $85. Left Bank Brasserie, 507 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur, 415.927.3331.

Call of the Sea Gala Celebrate the new tall ship Matthew Turner and tour sailing vessels, with live music, auctions, food and more. Jun 8, 5pm. $125.

Bay Model Visitor Center, 2100 Bridgeway, Sausalito, callofthesea.org.

Fresh Starts Chef Event Chef Roberth Sundell presents a menu of Scandinavian style. Jun 6, 6:30pm. $60. The Key Room, 1385 N Hamilton Pkwy, Novato, 415.382.3363, ext 215.

Dipsea Race Scenic run from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach, which is both challenging and popular, turns 109 years old. Jun 9, 8:30am. Downtown Mill Valley, Olive and Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley, dipsea.org.

Lectures

Fairfax Festival Forty-second annual fest features two days of live music, arts and crafts, an ecofest, eclectic parade, kids’ activities and a flea market. Jun 8-9. Free. Fairfax Pavilion, 142 Bolinas Rd, Fairfax, fairfaxfestival.com.

MGs by the Bay Car Show See a beautiful collection of classic MGs and Metropolitan cars from another era. Jun 8, 10am. Free. Bon Air Center, 302 Bon Air Center, Greenbrae, bonair.com.

Butterflies of Marin This lecture focuses on the life stories of local butterflies. Jun 6, 12pm. Civic Center Library, 3501 Civic Center Dr, San Rafael, 415.473.6058.

Capture the In-Between Photography class teaches parents how to see and capture all the sweet moments that happen daily. Jun 7, 6pm. $50.

The Indie Alley, 69 Bolinas Rd, Fairfax, theindiealley.com.

Her Side of the Story California pioneer women are celebrated in this historical presentation. Jun 7, 11am. $10.

Marin Art & Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross, 415.455.5260.

Timeless Traditions Discover the vast array of Indian art with Kalpana Desai, a docent from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Jun 11, 12pm. Free.

San Anselmo Library, 110 Tunstead Ave, San Anselmo, 415.258.4656.

Readings Book Passage Jun 7, 7pm, “The Guest from Johannesburg” with Don McPhail. Jun 8, 1pm, “Stark Raving Dad” with Sanderson Dean. Jun 8, 4pm, Jun 8, 4:30pm, “More Fun in the New World” with John Doe and Tom DeSavia.

Jun 9, 4pm, Tribute to Peter Everwine with several authors. Jun 10, 7pm, “Ask Again, Yes” with Mary Beth Keane. Jun 11, 7pm, Marin Poetry Center Traveling Show. Jun 12, 7pm, “Elderhood” with Louise Aronson. 51 Tamal Vista Blvd, Corte Madera 415.927.0960.

Book Passage By-the-Bay Jun 9, 5pm, Sausalito Writers Circle. Jun 11, 6pm, “Cannabis & CBD for Health & Wellness” with Aliza Sherman and Dr Junella Chin. 100 Bay St, Sausalito 415.339.1300.

Larkspur Library Jun 8, 1:30pm, “Come Hear the Writers’ Voices” with the Saturday Writer’s Group.

400 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur 415.927.5005.

Novato Copperfield’s Books Jun 9, 3pm, Words Off Paper with several authors. 999 Grant Ave, Novato 415.763.3052.

Point Reyes Books Jun 8, 7pm, “How to Do Nothing” with Jenny Odell. 11315 Hwy 1, Pt Reyes Station 415.663.1542.

Theater Come Back to the Five & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean James Dean fanatics throw a reunion party where a stunning stranger sets off a series of confrontations. Through Jun 9. $15-$27.

Novato Theater Playhouse, 5420 Nave Dr, Novato, 415.883.4498.

Grease Mountain Play returns for another summer of outdoor theater. Sat, Jun 8, 2pm and Sun, Jun 9, 2pm. $20-$45 and up. Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre, 3801 Panoramic Hwy, Mill Valley, 415.383.1100.

Moll Flanders Ross Valley Players present the adventurous play adaptation of the novel. Through Jun 16. $15-$27. Barn Theatre, Marin Art and Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross, 415.456.9555.

The PACIFIC SUN’s calendar is produced as a service to the community.

If you have an item for the calendar, send it to calendar@bohemian.com, or mail it to: NORTH BAY BOHEMIAN, 847 Fifth St, Santa Rosa CA 95404.

Inclusion of events in the print edition is at the editor’s discretion. Deadline is two weeks prior to desired publication date.

TO PLACE AN AD: email legals@pacificsun.com or fax: 415.485.6226. No walk-ins

Seminars&Workshops To include your seminar or workshop, call 415.485.6700

SINGLES GROUP Single & Dissatisfied? Tired of spending weekends and holidays alone? Join with other singles to explore what’s blocking you from fulfillment in your relationships. Nine-week Single’s Group, OR ongoing, coed (emotional) Intimacy Groups or Women’s Group, all starting the week of June 3rd.

Advance sign-up required. Space limited. Also offering Individual Sessions and Couples Counseling.

Central San Rafael. For more information, call Renee Owen, LMFT #35255 at 415-453-8117

Mind&Body HYPNOTHERAPY Thea Donnelly, M.A. Hypnosis, Counseling, All Issues. 25 yrs. experience.

415-459-0449.

Home Services FURNITURE REPAIR FURNITURE DOCTOR Ph/Fax: 415-383-2697

Mobile Auto Repair Emergency Services We do all Auto Repairs at your door Lo Rates for Marin and surrounding Counties

Call Phil at 510-860-1977

Real Estate HOMES/CONDOS FOR SALE AFFORDABLE MARIN? I can show you 60 homes under $600,000. Call Cindy Halvorson 415-902-2729, BRE #01219375. Christine Champion, BRE# 00829362.

GARDENING/LANDSCAPING GARDEN MAINTENANCE OSCAR 415-505-3606

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT—File No: 146648. The following individual(s) are doing business: THE PURPLE MERMAID DAYCARE, 1755 NOVATO BLVD #C4, NOVATO, CA 94947: THE PURPLE MERMAID DAYCARE, LLC, 1755 NOVATO BLVD #C4, NOVATO, CA 94947. This business is being conducted

by A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY. Registrant will begin transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed herein. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Marin County on APRIL 9, 2019. (Publication Dates: May 15, 22, 29 and June 5 of 2019) FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT—File No: 2019146717. The following individual(s) are doing business: MARIN COLLABORATIVE ASSESSMENT, 4340 REDWOOD HWY SUITE D-310, SAN RAFAEL, CA 94903: MARGARET BENEDICTMONTGOMERY, 4340 REDWOOD HWY SUITE D-310, SAN RAFAEL, CA 94903, MEGAN MCCONNELL, 4340 REDWOOD HWY SUITE D-310, SAN RAFAEL, CA 94903. This business

is being conducted by CO-PARTNERS. Registrant will begin transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed herein. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Marin County on APRIL 19, 2019.

(Publication Dates: May 15, 22, 29 and June 5 of 2019) FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT— File No: 2019146785. The following individual(s) are doing business: LOU’S TAKEAWAY, 621 A DEL GANADO ROAD, SAN RAFAEL, CA 94903: ANTHONY RIZZI, 1814 ILLINOIS STREET, VALLEJO, CA 94590. This business is being conducted by AN INDIVIDUAL. Registrant will begin transacting business under the fictitious business name(s) listed herein. This statement was filed with the County Clerk-Recorder of Marin County on APRIL 29, 2019.

(Publication Dates: May 22, 29, June 5, 12 of 2019) OTHER NOTICES ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER: CIV 1901812 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF MARIN TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS 1. Petitioner (name of each): Katherine Frederick, has filed a peti-

tion with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present Name: Katherine Frederick to Proposed Name: Sita Katherine Frederick Khufu 2. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted.

Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. if no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING a. Date: 6/20/2019, Time: 9:00am, Dept: E, Room: E. The address of the court is same as noted above; 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903. 3.a. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the Pacific Sun, a newspaper of general circulation, printed in the county of Marin. DATED: MAY 9, 2019 Andrew Sweet Judge of the Superior Court James M Kim Court Executive Officer MARIN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT By E.

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please. All submissions must include a phone number and email. Ad deadline is Thursday, noon to be included in the following Wednesday print edition.

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PublicNotices Anderson, Deputy (May 15, 22, 29 and June 5 of 2019) ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER: CIV 1901716 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF MARIN TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS 1. Petitioner (name of each): Mischa Reuben Von Nachtigal, has filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present Name: Mischa Reuben Von Nachtigal, Christina Marie Von Nachtigal to Proposed Name: Mischa Reuben Vaughn, Christan Marie Vaughn 2. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. if no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING a. Date: 6/28/2019, Time: 9:00am, Dept: B, Room: B. The address of the court is same as noted above; 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903. 3.a. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the Pacific Sun, a newspaper of general circulation, printed in the county of Marin. DATED: MAY 3, 2019 James Chou Judge of the Superior Court James M Kim Court Executive Officer MARIN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT By E. Anderson, Deputy (May 15, 22, 29 and June 5 of 2019) ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER:

CIV 1901819 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF MARIN TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS 1. Petitioner (name of each): Teresa Ann Smethers, has filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present Name: Teresa Ann Smethers, Jayden Samantha Korinzer to Proposed Name: Teresa Ann Andersen, Jayden Samantha Korinzer Andersen 2. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted.

Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. if no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING a. Date: 6/28/2019, Time: 9:00am, Dept: E. The address of the court is same as noted above; 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903. 3.a. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the Pacific Sun, a newspaper of general circulation, printed in the county of Marin. DATED: May 9, 2019 Andrew E. Sweet Judge of the Superior Court James M Kim Court Executive Officer MARIN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT By E. Anderson, Deputy (May 22, 29, June 5, 12 of 2019) NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: LENA E. AVEDANO CASE NO.: PR 1901773 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or

both, of: Lena E. Avedano, Lena Elizabeth Avedano A Petition for~Probate~has been filed by: David L. Avedano. in the Superior Court of California, County of Marin. The Petition for~Probate~requests that: David L. Avedano. be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: 6/17/2019, Time: 9:00AM, Dept.: J, Address of court: 3501 Civic Center Drive, PO Box 4988, San Rafael, CA 94913-4988. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing.

Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California~Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice

under section 9052 of the California~Probate~Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in~Probate~Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner: Robert J. Begley, Attorney at Law, 655 Redwood Highway, Suite 300, Mill Valley, CA 94941 415-388-2400 FILED: MAY 2, 2019 James M. Kim Court Executive Officer MARIN COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT By: E. Anderson (May 22, 29, June 5 of 2019) NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON PROPOSED CHANGES TOGOLDEN GATE TRANSIT COMMUTE ROUTES IN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MARIN COUNTY NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (District) will hold a Public Hearing to receive public comment, as follows: Thursday, June 20, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. Board Room, Administration Building Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza, San Francisco, CA. The District’s Board of Directors is considering discontinuing Route 44 (between Lucas Valley, Marinwood and San Francisco) and a portion of Route 27 (the Sleepy Hollow segment), and making service improvements to Routes 24, 38, 54, 56, and 58. As modified, bus service would be added to serve Ross Valley, Terra Linda, Marinwood, and Novato.

If these changes are implemented, the District would reallocate resources from poor performing service to

extend service to residential areas along Las Gallinas Avenue in San Rafael, reduce travel times to/from San Francisco, and target areas where ridership potential is greatest. For additional information regarding the proposed route changes, see the Staff Reports and agendas on the District’s website at www.goldengate. org/board/2019/mtgs-public-h.php. In addition, you may contact the Secretary of the District by email at districtsecretary@goldengate.org, by phone at (415) 923-2223, by fax at 415-9232013, by mail at the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, P.O. Box 9000, Presidio Station, San Francisco, CA, 941290601, or by using TDD California Relay Service at 711. Public comments will be received at the public hearing, or may be presented in writing to the Secretary of the District at the above address. Comments may also be sent by email to publichearing@goldengate.org.

Written comments should be received no later than Thursday, June 20, 2019, at 4:30 p.m. For transit information on how to get to the public hearing, either log on to www.511.org or call 511 (711 TDD). The public hearing location is accessible to everyone. To request special assistance due to a disability at this public hearing, please call the District Secretary’s Office at (415) 923-2223 three days before the hearing date. /s/ Amorette M. Ko-Wong, Secretary of the District. Dated: May 30, 2019, 6/5, 6/12/19. CNS3258199. PACIFIC SUN NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW FERRY ROUTE AND FARE FOR SPECIAL EVENT SERVICE FROM LARKSPUR TO THE CHASE CENTER IN SAN FRANCISCO. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (District) will hold a Public Hearing to receive public

comment, as follows: Thursday, June 20, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. Board Room, Administration Building.

Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza, San Francisco, CA. The District’s Board of Directors is considering the possibility of establishment of a new ferry route between the Larkspur Ferry Terminal and the new Chase Center in San Francisco, as well as establishment of a fare for that service. If these changes are implemented, the District would begin service in time for the first games scheduled in September, and provide ferry service for basketball games and special events with a fare of $14.00 per person. For additional information regarding the proposed route changes, see the Staff Reports and agendas on the District’s website at www.goldengate. org/board/2019/mtgs-public-h.php. In addition, you may contact the Secretary of the District by email at districtsecretary@goldengate.org, by phone at (415) 923-2223, by fax at 415-9232013, by mail at the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, P.O. Box 9000, Presidio Station, San Francisco, CA, 94129-0601, or by using TDD California Relay Service at 711. Public comments will be received at the public hearing, or may be presented in writing to the Secretary of the District at the above address.

Comments may also be sent by email to publichearing@goldengate.org.

Written comments should be received no later than Thursday, June 20, 2019, at 4:30 p.m. For transit information on how to get to the public hearing, either log on to www.511.org or call 511 (711 TDD). The public hearing location is accessible to everyone. To request special assistance due to a disability at this public hearing, please call the District Secretary’s Office at (415) 923-2223 three days before the hearing date. /s/ Amorette M. Ko-Wong, Secretary of the District. Dated: May 28, 2019, 6/5, 6/12/19. CNS3258183. PACIFIC SUN

By Amy Alkon

Q:

I spent years on and off drugs and alcohol, but I’ve been sober for six years. I’m just not the same self-centered immature brat I was. Last week, I reached out to my best friend’s brother to apologize for things I did about seven years ago. He still hasn’t responded to my text (requesting time to talk to make amends). He told my friend he was having a hard time believing I’m any different.

But I am, and I want to prove to him I have changed. How can I do that?—Sincere

A:

He’s seen you swear off drugs and alcohol before—typically for several hours on a Tuesday.

This view he has of you is likely to have some serious staying power. That’s because our brain is big on automatic processes—forming and storing what I call “thinkpacks” so we don’t have to put cognitive energy into things we’ve already figured out. For example, say you do something for the first time, like opening a weird latch on a cupboard. Each time you do it again, the more automatic—that is, the more unthinking—opening it becomes.

Believing works similarly. Once we form a belief, we tend to just go with it— automatically. Questioning a belief, on the other hand, takes mental effort: yanking out our reasoning ability and forcing it to do a bunch of cognitive chores.

The error that you, like many people, make is in thinking, “I’ll just change somebody’s mind!” and it’ll happen pronto. However, consider your goal: apologizing.

You can do that by writing a letter. A letter of apology takes an investment of effort that a phoned or texted apology does not—which makes it more likely to be seen as sincere.

Sure, it’s possible you’ll black out again, but maybe just if somebody clocks you for going overboard with the sobervangelizing. It won’t be like that time when you were drunk and handcuffed and yelling, “Occifers, I’ll have you know that my nickname in middle school was Houdini!”

Q:

I’ve been married to a wonderful woman for two years. We have a 2-year-old child. Unfortunately, we stopped having sex when she got pregnant and haven’t started again since. She loves me, but she just doesn’t want sex like she used to. How can we jump-start our sex life?—Famished

A:

“Being and Nothingness” is 722 pages of stylishly depressing existentialism by Jean-Paul Sartre; ideally, it does not also describe what goes on in bed between you and your wife.

Chances are your wife’s libido didn’t get broken in the delivery room or carried off by a raccoon. In women, desire seems to work differently than how it does in men, according to sex researcher Rosemary Basson, M.D. Once women are comfortably ensconced in a relationship, Basson finds that they no longer have the “spontaneous sexual hunger” they did in the early days of dating. Instead, their desire is “responsive,” meaning it is “triggerable”—simply by starting to fool around.

Yes, miraculously, revving up your sex life will probably just take some makeout sessions. Tell your wife about Basson’s research and start scheduling regular romantic evenings. Make them early enough that nobody’s too tired and keep your expectations on medium. (You might not have full-blown sex on night one, but try to see whatever mwah-mwah makeout that goes on as an encouraging start.) When possible, drop the baby off at Grandma’s and have a sex weekend at a hotel. This may sound like a lot of effort and expense, but it sure beats the alternative—setting your penis out on the blanket next to the VHS player at your spring garage sale.

Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon at 171 Pier Ave. #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or email adviceamy@aol.com. @amyalkon on Twitter. Weekly radio show, blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon

Astrology

For the week of June 5

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “I don’t think we

were ever meant to hear the same song sung exactly the same way more than once in a lifetime,” says poet Linh Dinh. That’s an extreme statement that I can’t agree with. But I understand what he’s driving at. Repeating yourself can be debilitating, even deadening. That includes trying to draw inspiration from the same old sources that have worked for you in the past. In accordance with current astrological omens, I suggest you try to minimize exact repetition in the next two weeks: both in what you express and what you absorb. For further motivation, here’s William S. Burroughs: “Truth may appear only once; it may not be repeatable.”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Peter Benchley

wrote the bestselling book “Jaws,” which was later turned into a popular movie. It’s the story of a great white shark that stalks and kills people in a small beach town. Later in his life, the Taurus author was sorry for its influence, which helped legitimize human predation on sharks and led to steep drops in shark populations. To atone, Benchley became an aggressive advocate for shark conservation. If there’s any behavior in your own past that you regret, Taurus, the coming weeks will be a good time to follow Benchley’s lead: correct for your mistakes; make up for your ignorance; do good deeds to balance a time when you acted unconsciously.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Some birds can fly for days without coming down to earth. Alpine swifts are the current record-holders, staying aloft for 200 consecutive days as they chase and feed on insects over West Africa. I propose we make the swift your soul ally for the next three weeks. May it help inspire you to take maximum advantage of the opportunities life will be offering you. You will have extraordinary power to soar over the maddening crowd, gaze at the big picture of your life, and enjoy exceptional amounts of freedom.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “I think gentleness

is one of the most disarmingly and captivatingly attractive qualities there are,” writes poet Nayyirah Waheed. That will be emphatically true about you in the coming weeks, Cancerian. Your poised, deeply felt gentleness will accord you as much power as other people might draw from ferocity and grandeur. Your gentleness will enable you to crumble obstacles and slip past barriers. It will energize you to capitalize on and dissipate chaos. It will win you leverage that you’ll be able to use for months.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Is the Loch Ness monster

real? Is there a giant sea serpent that inhabits the waters of Loch Ness in Scotland? Tantalizing hints arise now and then, but no definitive evidence has ever emerged. In 1975, enterprising investigators got the idea to build a realistic-looking papier-mâché companion for Nessie and place it in Loch Ness.

They hoped that this “honey trap” would draw the reclusive monster into more public view. Alas, the scheme went awry. (Lady Nessie got damaged when she ran into a jetty.) But it did have some merit. Is there an equivalent approach you might employ to generate more evidence and insight about one of your big mysteries, Leo? What strategies might you experiment with? The time is right to hatch a plan.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Earlier in your life, you sometimes wrestled with dilemmas that didn’t deserve so much of your time and energy. They weren’t sufficiently essential to invoke the best use of your intelligence. But over the years, you have ripened in your ability to attract more useful and interesting problems. Almost imperceptibly, you have been growing smarter about recognizing which riddles are worth exploring and which are better left alone. Here’s the really good news: The questions and challenges you face now are among the finest you’ve ever had. You are being afforded prime opportunities to grow in wisdom and effectiveness.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): How many

languages are you fluent it? One? Two? More? I’m sure you already know that gaining the ability to

By Rob Brezsny

speak more than one tongue makes you smarter and more empathetic. It expands your capacity to express yourself vividly and gives you access to many interesting people who think differently from you. I mention this, Libra, because you’re in a phase of your cycle when learning a new language might be easier than usual, as is improving your mastery of a second or third language. If none of that’s feasible for you, I urge you to at least formulate an intention to speak your main language with greater candor and precision—and find other ways to expand your ability to express yourself.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Here’s Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano from The Book of Embraces: “In the River Plate basin we call the heart a ‘bobo,’ a fool. And not because it falls in love. We call it a fool because it works so hard.” I bring this to your attention, Scorpio, because I hope that in the coming weeks, your heart will indeed be a hard-working, wisely foolish bobo. The astrological omens suggest that you will learn what you need to learn and attract the experiences you need to attract if you do just that. Life is giving you a mandate to express daring and diligent actions in behalf of love.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): When he was twenty years old, a German student named Max Planck decided he wanted to study physics. His professor at the University of Munich dissuaded him, telling Planck, “In this field, almost everything is already discovered, and all that remains is to fill a few unimportant holes.” Planck ignored the bad advice and ultimately went on to win a Nobel Prize in Physics for his role in formulating quantum theory. Most of us have had a similar experience: people who’ve tried to convince us to reject our highest calling and strongest dreams. In my view, the coming weeks will be a potent time for you to recover and heal from those deterrents and discouragements in your own past.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Not all, but

many horoscope columns address your ego rather than your soul. They provide useful information for your surface self, but little help for your deep self. If you’ve read my oracles for a while, you know that I aspire to be in the latter category. In that light, you won’t be surprised when I say that the most important thing you can do in the coming weeks is to seek closer communion with your soul; to explore your core truths; to focus on delight, fulfillment, and spiritual meaning far more than on status, power, and wealth. As you attend to your playful work, meditate on this counsel from Capricorn author John O’Donohue: “The geography of your destiny is always clearer to the eye of your soul than to the intentions and needs of your surface mind.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian biochemist Gertrude Belle Elion shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1988. She was instrumental in devising new drugs to treat AIDS and herpes, as well as a medication to facilitate organ transplants. And yet she accomplished all this without ever earning a PhD or MD, a highly unusual feat. I suspect you may pull off a similar, if slightly less spectacular feat in the coming weeks: getting a reward or blessing despite a lack of formal credentials or official credibility.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Today Mumbai is a megacity with 12.5 million people on 233 square miles. But as late as the eighteenth century, it consisted of seven sparsely populated islands. Over many decades, reclamation projects turned them into a single land mass. I foresee you undertaking a metaphorically comparable project during the coming months. You could knit fragments together into a whole. You have the power to transform separate and dispersed influences into a single, coordinated influence. You could inspire unconnected things to unite in common cause.

Go to realastrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s Expanded Weekly Audio Horoscopes and Daily Text Message Horoscopes. Audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1.877.873.4888.

23 PA CI FI C S U N | JU NE 5 - 1 1 , 2 0 1 9 | PA CI FI CSUN.CO M

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