NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26, 2009
MARiN’S BEST EVERY WEEK
14 -19 H❉ LIDAYS i N tHe SUn pages O caroling! ❉ Merry quizmas… ❉ Your yule log Q U O T E
“
O F
T H E
W E E K :
Unto Herr Majesties Keeping Now Named By Me And To Be Knowne Unto All Men As Nova Albion. [SEE PAGE 9]
”
Behind the Sun: To Sir Francis, with love 9 Food: A change of course 22 Music: The Shostakovich must go on! 26
› › pacificsun.com
g Mar in n i v r e S
O ve
Welcome to United Markets!
! s r r 5 0 Ye a
When you step inside United Markets, there’s no corporate atmosphere‌We say “Helloâ€? because we want to; not because we have to. We’re part of Marin’s community and our sta continues to make this connection with each and every customer. A child’s memory of getting a free cookie at our bakery counter grows into that of an adult customer anticipating a favorite specialty coee drink made by one of our baristas! We like knowing and serving our customers through the years. Most people think independents are more expensive than large chains but this is not true with United. Our niche is our pricing. When you shop with us, you’ll ďŹ nd prices at or below our competition! Looking forward to serving you, —Greg Bailey, General Manager
www.unitedmarkets.com
Organic Produce
Deli, Cheese & Bakery
$
¢ lb Organic Winter Squash The Start to a Beautiful Soup— Add to Stews or Bake and Serve.
$
Hummus, Fresh Spinach, Pepperoncini, Cucumbers, Roasted Red Peppers, With Oil & Vinegar on Your Choice of Bread. A Vegetarian’s Delight
$
Organic Raspberries Delicately Sweet—A Delicious Topper for Ice Cream or Creamy Desserts. 6oz. Basket.
./2- 3 7).%
Pick of the Week
$
ea
PaciďŹ c Vegetarian Specialty Sandwich
ea
Finer Meats & Seafood
Natural Ground Beef Niman Ranch—No Hormones, No Antibiotics, All-Vegetarian Feed
ea
California Probiotic Cheeses Supports Digestive Wellness and Immunity— All Natural, California’s First Cheese of Its Type— Monterey Jack or Mild Cheddar. 7 oz. Package.
lb
$
lb
Rosie Organic Chicken Breast Free Range, Fresh Chicken—Boneless, Skinless, Sustainably Farmed, No Styrofoam Trays Used.
+IM #RAWFORD @ 3AUVIGNON "LANC 2EGULARLY $ PTS Wine Spectator
/N 3ALE
12.98!
$
Save $ 4!
&ROM .EW :EALAND
4HIRD 3T s 3AN 2AFAEL s AND 2ED (ILL !VE s 3AN !NSELMO s
3TORE (OURS -ON &RI AM PM s 3AT AM PM s 3UN AM PM )TEMS PRICES IN THIS AD ARE AVAILABLE FROM November 21st-29th !LL PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE UP OR DOWN ONLY WHEN OUR COST CHANGES 7E RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CORRECT PRINTED ERRORS .O SALES TO DEALERS OR INSTITUTIONS 2 PACIFIC SUN NOVEMBER 20 – NOVEMBER 26, 2009
L o s e Up t o 9 in c h e s in TWO WEEKS. 4 ZERO Pain, ZERO Surgery, ZERO Downtime 4 Reduce stubborn fat from your tummy, back, hips, thighs, buttocks, love handles, arms, chin and neck 4 See a reduction in the appearance of cellulite 4 Drop up to 7 pant/dress sizes
SAVE $100 on a ZERONA® Laser Package
®
(6 Treatments = $2,400) Valid through 12/30/09
SAVE $75
As featured on:
on
Schedule a complimentary consultation today!
wrinkle treatment (1 Area = $225*) *after promotion
SERVICES INCLUDE:
Skylar Ulrich, M.D. L o ca l l y O w n e d a n d O p e ra t e d
Dysport®
U Titan™ For Lax Skin U Fraxel® and Pearl Laser Resurfacing U Laser Hair Removal U Restylane®, Juvederm™ & Perlane® Wrinkle Fillers U BOTOX® Cosmetic
U IPL™ PhotoFacial U Microdermabrasion U ZERONA® Body Slimming U Acne Treatments U Obagi Nu-Derm System U Latisse™ Eyelash System U Jane Iredale Products
Valid through 12/30/09
SAVE 50% OFF First Laser $250 Hair Removal on first
Treatment
Fraxel® Laser Bikini - $80 Resurfacing Underarms - $45 Treatment Full Back - $200 Discount) ($750(After after discount)
Valid through through 11/30/08 12/30/09 Valid
>ÃiÀÊ i ÌiÀÊ vÊ >À Ê i` V> Ê À Õ«]Ê V°ÊUÊÇÇäÊ/> > «> ÃÊ À Ûi]Ê-Õ ÌiÊÎä£]ÊÎÀ`Ê À® Corte Madera Town Center Professional Building (Lobby entrance across from Charles Schwab offices)
945.9314
ÜÜÜ° >À >ÃiÀ°V ÊUÊ ° ->Ì°Ên\Îä> È\Îä« ÊUÊ* \
model
Designated a Platinum Medical Facility by Allergan (makers of BOTOX®), and Medicis (makers of Restylane®).
INTRO SPECIAL
$29
4639(0= %**-0-%8)( ;-8, &-/6%1´7 =3+% '300)+) 3* -2(-%
You have the POWER TO
SURPRISE YOURSELF: DO YOGA* *and have FUN doing it!
GPEWWIW [IIO
*VII SJJ WXVIIX One Intro Special per customer. Intro TEVOMRK Special for new students valid any time. Not valid with any other offers. %PP GPEWWIW STIR XS EPP PIZIPW ,SX WLS[IVW www.SanRafaelYoga.com 415-454-YOGA (9642) 1295 Second St., Suite 210 San Rafael, CA
∙ 11 classes each week ∙ workshops, special events ∙ locally owned and operated POWER YOGA is a challenging flowing yoga class taught in a heated room with a focus on stability, stamina, freedom & fun. The poses are simple and easy to learn with room to vary and elaborate as students progress. We invite students of all levels to attend any scheduled class. This yoga is for EVERY BODY. Regardless of your size, shape, age or skill level, all poses can be modified to suit you. NOTHING stands between YOU and your TRANSFORMATION
415-454-YOGA (9642)
www.PowerYogaSanRafael.com 1295 Second St., Suite 200 t San Rafael, CA NOVEMBER 20 – NOVEMBER 26, 2009 PACIFIC SUN 3
Smoother & Tighter Skin With Only One Treatment!
›› THiS WEEK
Year 47, No. 46
PaciďŹ c Sun 835 Fourth St. Suite B (entrance on Cijos St.) San Rafael, CA 94901 Phone: 415/485-6700 Fax: 415/485-6226 E-Mail: letters@pacificsun.com
THERMAGE™ Full Face & Neck $2,500 with FREE Hand Treatment ($1,800 value)
Eyes $950
paciďŹ csun.com
expires 11/30/09
+
your link to Marin mo
de
l
Armen Serebrakian, M.D.
! -AGNOLIA !VENUE ,ARKSPUR s Financing Available www.bayarealasersurgerycenter.com
415.461.5755
Archaeology meets technology in this small-scale exhibition exploring the scientific examination of mummies and providing new insights into
The notorious Drake’s Plate of Brasse discovered in West Marin. Behind the Sun, p. 9.
PUBLISHER - Sam Chapman (x315)
7 8 9 12 14 20 22 24 25 26 27 28 30 31 32 36 38 39
Letters Upfront Behind the Sun/Trivia CafĂŠ/ Heroes & Zeros Feature Holidays in the Sun Open Homes Food All in Good Taste Theater Music That TV Guy/Overheard Film Talking Pictures Movies Sundial ClassiďŹ eds Horoscope Advice Goddess
›› ON THE COVER
Photo Mark Pitta and friends by Robert Vente Design Beth Allen
the conditions under which the Egyptians lived. Included is the sarcophagus and mummy of Irethorrou, a priest from Egypt around 500 B.C. His mummy has undergone a CT-scan that allows a unique viewing experience of a three-dimensional “fly through� of the body and a forensic reconstruction of his head.
OCTOBER 31, 2009–AUGUST 15, 2010
›› STAFF
Embarcadero Publishing Company. (USPS 454-630) Published weekly on Fridays. Distributed free at more than 400 locations throughout Marin County. Adjudicated a newspaper of General Circulation. Home delivery in Marin available by subscription: $5/month on your credit card or $60 for one year, cash or check. No person may, without the permission of the Pacific Sun, take more than one copy of each Pacific Sun weekly issue. Entire contents of this publication Copyright Š2009 Embarcadero Publishing Company ISSN; 0048-2641. All rights reserved. Unsolicited manuscripts must be submitted with a stamped self-addressed envelope.
EDITORIAL Editor: Jason Walsh (x316); Reporter: Samantha Campos (x319); Movie Page Editor: Matt Stafford (x320); Copy Editor: Carol Inkellis (x317); Calendar Editor: Anne Schrager (x330) CONTRIBUTORS Lee Brady, Greg Cahill, Pat Fusco, Richard Gould, Marc Hershon, Richard P. Hinkle, Brooke Jackson, Brenda K. Kinsel, Jill Kramer (x322), Lois MacLean, Joel Orff, Rick Polito, Renata Polt, Peter Seidman, Nikki Silverstein, Annie Spiegelman, David Templeton, Barry Willis. Books Editor: Elizabeth Stewart (x326) ADVERTISING Advertising Director: Linda Black (x306) Senior Display Representative: Dianna Stone (x307) Display Sales: Ethan Simon (x311), Linda Curry (x309); Inside Sales: Helen Hammond (x303); Courier: Gillian Coder; Traffic Coordinator: Amanda Deely (x302) DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Art Director/Production Manager: Beth Allen (x335); Graphic Designers: Gwen Aguilar (x336), Michelle Palmer (x321); Missy Reynolds, Gabe Lieb, Brindl Markle (x308) ADMINISTRATION Business Administrator: Cynthia Nguyen (x331) Administrative Assistant: Elisa Keiper (x301) Circulation Manager: Bob Lampkin (x340) PRINTING: Paradise Post, Paradise, CA
Member of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies
SKINNER ORGAN CONCERTS Every Sat and Sun, 4pm Live performances of 19th- and early-20th-century favorites.
$XWXPQ OHDYHV
This exhibition is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco with the cooperation of the Akhmim Mummy Studies Consortium and the radiology department of the Stanford Medical School. Additional project assistance has been provided by the Stanford Division of Anatomy, eHuman Inc., and Fovia Inc. Generous support is provided by the William E. Winn, Jr., Living Trust and the Dorothy Tyler Living Trust. Thank you to Intel Corporation for their generous in-kind donation.
Shop for your holiday wardrobe
Lincoln Park 34th Avenue and Clement Street legionofhonor.org 415.750.3600
Images: Visualization of the mummy Irethorrou by Sarah Hegmann and Beverly Chiang of eHuman using Osirix and Amira Software. Mummy of Irethorrou in Coffin, Egyptian, Akhmim, ca. 500 B.C. Linen; wood with polychrome. Gift of First Federal Trust Company (from the Estate of Jeremiah Lynch).
Encore
Marin's Finest Consignment Shop
Open 10-5 Mon - Sat
)$// 6$/(
Consignment Hours Tues-Sat 10-3
456-7309 11 Mary Street San Rafael (next to Whole Foods)
)RXUWK 6WUHHW ‡ 6DQ 5DIDHO &$ ‡
4 PACIFIC SUN NOVEMBER 20 – NOVEMBER 26, 2009
NOVEMBER 20 – NOVEMBER 26, 2009 PACIFIC SUN 5
Donate Your Auto
Providing safety information and assisting families in bringing kids home safely
When you or a loved one are suffering, Recovery Without Walls (RWW) is there to help. Recovery Without Walls successfully treats patients with an individualized, outpatient program. It is founded and directed by Howard Kornfeld, M.D., a leading authority on treating alcoholism and addiction, as well as chronic pain. Dr. Kornfeld has been a medical leader in Marin County for over two decades and has taught about addiction medicine as a member of the clinical faculty at the UCSF School of Medicine for over ten years. Dr. Kornfeld is an expert in gentle, therapeutic detoxification from alcohol and drugs, particularly as a leading practitioner in the use of Suboxone (buprenorphine), a medication for the management of both pain and the addiction that can happen so quickly from opiate pain pills. Dr. Kornfeld combines his pharmacological expertise with a pioneering medical methodology that naturally aids recovery.
NOVEMBER SPECIALS
©2009 Howard Kornfeld, MD & Assoc. All Rights Reserved.
In this way, RWW uniquely addresses the anxiety and stress of detoxification with medically sophisticated caring and one on one, mind-body healing. For more information please refer to the Recovery Without Walls website, or call today for a confidential appointment.
Dr. Howard Kornfeld, Medical Director Dr. Janis Phelps, Director of Clinical Psychology
415.383.2949 required. Offer expires Nov. 30, 2009.
recoverywithoutwalls.com 3 Madrona Street, Mill Valley, CA 94941
A service of HOWARD KORNFELD, MD & ASSOC.
ONE ON ONE TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC PAIN AND ADDICTION 6 PACIFIC SUN NOVEMBER 20 – NOVEMBER 26, 2009
›› LETTERS San Rafael’s finest, finingest... Thank you for doing an article on San Rafael and its speed traps [“The Thin Blue Bottom Line,” Nov. 6]. All I can say is—it’s about time someone wrote about this. San Rafael cops hiding themselves and ticketing anyone who commits even the most minor of traffic infraction has been going on now for a couple of years. And from the shockingly high fines levied—it is obviously all about money and little or nothing to do with safety. In fact, it is an outrage, given that if a crime is committed and someone really needs help, San Rafael police officers are few and far between. More attention is on giving tickets and collecting revenue than on public safety— which should be their primary concern, and obviously isn’t. R.B.,San Rafael
Romper, bomper, stomper boo... After reading Don Speich’s article on red light camera enforcement in San Rafael [“Lights... Camera... Slow Down!” Nov. 6], I couldn’t help won- Speich’s journalismder whether the school faculty advisors. writer received his journalistic training from The Center for Romper Room Journalism. For anyone with eighth grade algebra, it is very evident that the cameras are used to generate revenue for city coffers—millions upon millions of dollars, in fact. See this Web site for examples: www.redlightcameraticket.com. What is more disturbing is that the pro-
fessed rationale for using them—increased safety—is nothing more than rationalization. Motorists preoccupied with avoiding tickets with egregious price tags of $400 or more (an unconstitutional imposition of punishments that far exceed the crime) end up slamming abruptly on their brakes. Such unsafe driving has actually increased the number of accidents at intersections where red light cameras have been installed. Hey, Mr. Romper Room grad, find a mirror and take a good, close look at your Do Bee Good approach to reporting.
›› TOWNSQUARE
TOP POSTINGS THIS WEEK
Is Nuclear Power an Answer? Nuclear power is increasingly being talked about as part of the solution to global warming. Some long time enviros are now on board. Environment California just did a cost-ben... Sick of Novato bashing From your most recent Single in the Suburbs column to our bix-boxstore-lovin’ city council to stories about the Novato Sanitary District to not joining Marin Clean Energy, th... Accused wine arsonist handcrafts bold, full-bodied new plea Mark C. Anderson, a Sausalito man accused of setting fire to over $200 million worth of fine wines in 2005, has changed his not-guilty plea to “guilty” in federal court yesterday.
Robert Epstein,El Cerrito
Is this similar to the ‘special projects’ bank account we keep hidden from our wives? At a recent Marin Coalition meeting, county administrator Matthew Hymel was questioned concerning reserve funds for “special projects” in the county budget. The administration at the county has stated Marin is in a budget deficit of about $15 million. What is not common knowledge to the general public is how the county separates “special projects” funding from the operating budget. This is not necessarily a nefarious way to hide funds and is common practice. The county of Marin has a “special projects” fund of $30 million. Portions of those funds have been loaned out for other projects and the balance in the “special projects” fund is around $22 million. What the taxpayer in Marin needs to know when studying the county budget is that “special projects” fund amounts are not included in budget information supplied by the county. What one needs to do when assessing amounts in the budget is add $30 million dollars. The “real” amount of our
Your soapbox is waiting at ›› pacificsun.com county budget is actually a surplus of about $15 million. Ron Ford,Santa Venetia
who want to know why two princesses are dancing together??? My children are too young to understand this. Nicole Choi,Marin
Princess diaries: Outraged I am outraged at your cover of a few weeks ago [“Someday My Princess Will Come,” Oct. 23]. It is in really bad taste. My daughters love the Disney princesses. Do not mix politics with our Disney princesses. They are not gay!!! This is soooo wrong in sooo many ways! Alex Prichard,Marin
Princess diaries II: Displeased I just wanted to express my displeasure for the recent week’s cover displaying what appears to be Disney images of Cinderella and Princess Belle. While I support gay rights and issues, I do not appreciate Disney images being used this way. My two young daughters (5 and 3) love all things Disney and this cover got their attention. I feel they are too young to have discussions about lesbian culture and really wish you could have chosen a cover that did not use something that is so easily recognized by young children. Barbie Sewing,Novato
Princess diaries III: Poor taste I usually don’t write notes of this type to editors. However, I feel the need to comment on the Cinderella cover. I find it in poor taste to use an image from a The offending image. beloved children’s classic such as Cinderella in this manner. Ila Coombs,Marin
Princess diaries IV: Very poor taste Yuk! Very poor taste! Nancy Clark,Mill Valley
Princess diaries V: Children are too young I would like to know how I explain your Cinderella picture to my 4-year-old twins
Princess diaries VI: Effect on fellow human beings, and Americans Thank you for reading my e-mail. I was very disappointed to see the cover of last week’s Pacific Sun. The use of such iconic children’s characters to promote a politically charged viewpoint is in very poor taste. If my daughter had seen the cover of your magazine, she would have instantly been very interested and, as she is of reading age, would have questioned why Disney is pairing up their princesses. I understand and fully agree with freedom of speech, but I do not believe it means saying, promoting or displaying whatever you want, whenever you want, without regard to how it affects fellow human beings and Americans. Thank you for your consideration on this matter, and I hope in the future you will use more discretion in what to put on the cover of your magazine. April Rich,Novato
Princess diaries VII: Reno liked it Love the Princess cover art. Please compliment your artist for me. Dennis Myers,news editor,‘Reno News and Review’
Editor’s note: In our efforts to choose a cover graphic that would best reflect a story [“Out of the Ash,” Oct. 23] about a new local book, Ash, which retells the Cinderella fairytale from the standpoint of two women, we never imaged a drawing of two fully clothed adult women ballroom dancing would stir such emotions. From what we could gather, a member of a local moms’ club took offense to the image and sent messages to other members urging them to express their concern—the letters all came within a single morning and were of equivalent length and phrasing. One letter writer asked what our kids would say if they saw Cinderella and Belle dancing together. We found out that night when 7-year-old Jack pointed to the paper in dismay and said, “Dad! That’s not right. Peter Pan’s not in that movie!” Everyone’s a critic.—Jason Walsh Put your stamp on the letters to the editor at ›› pacificsun.com NOVEMBER 20 – NOVEMBER 26, 2009 PACIFIC SUN 7
›› UPFRONT
Sustainability we can afford Green building’s new developments—and new developers... by Pe te r Se i d m an
T
he term “green building” is moving beyond its current meaning of using recycled construction materials, environmentally friendly landscaping and renewable power sources for lights and electricity, according to planners and developers and the visionaries who have their sights set on sustainability. But big challenges lie ahead. Creating affordable homes close to jobs is the true big-picture green path, say advocates of sustainability and affordable housing. That attitude clearly is present in the Marin Community Foundation’s (MCF) recent program to promote affordable housing. The foundation has pledged to spend $2 million a year for five years on an affordable housing initiative. In the first year the foundation plans to spend about half of the allocated funds to purchase and rehabilitate foreclosed homes. The foundation, which is working with Habitat for Humanity and North Bay Family Homes on that initiative, already has contributed funds as part of other initiatives to projects for more than about 700 homes and apartments in Marin. “The truth of the matter is that for us the issues of affordable housing and environmental protection are intertwined,” says Thomas Peters, president and CEO at MCF. That attitude has been gaining ground steadily as a useful political tool among affordable housing advocates, as well as those whose chief goal is protecting the environment and promoting sustainability. Though not everyone’s on-board, the passenger list is
growing. And affordable housing advocates and sustainability proponents now have an ally in transportation advocates who are supporting construction of the SMART commuter rail that will run between Marin and Sonoma counties. Stations along the urban corridor route are ideal spots for creating mixed-use developments that can support the kind of building density that can attract opportunities for developers of affordable housing. The density stays along the rail line, which parallels Highway 101. That’s the original vision of the urban corridor—keeping development density along the corridor to protect the hills and ridges and valleys. The concept of sustainability adds a considerable punch to development. Planners know that workforce housing can have one of the most significant effects on creating a sustainable community. Providing affordable homes for local workers obviously helps satisfy the critical need for quality low-cost homes. But from a sustainability point of view it does much more: It keeps workers off the roads as they travel to and from their jobs. Reducing vehicle miles can go a long way toward satisfying carbon-reduction goals. The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) projects that 50 percent of the total employment growth in Marin during the next 30 years will occur in the lower-paying retail, health, education, hospitality and recreation sectors, notes Mary Murtagh president and CEO of EAH, the nonprofit housing corporation whose goal is 10 >
›› NEWSGRAMS Marin college presidents’ shuffle This week College of Marin President Frances White announced her retirement at the end of the current school year—a year before her contract is scheduled to end.The 62-year-old said her decision came from a desire to pursue other interests and spend more time with her family.White has held the position since 2004 and, despite an unresolved battle with the faculty union over instructor wages, she is being credited for helping turn the college around in leadership, financial planning, accreditation and enrollment—which has been increasing over the past year. In other college news, Dominican University of California President Joseph R. Fink has announced his retirement at the end of the 2010-2011 school year— serving an additional year beyond his original retirement date. Fink, who was appointed the university’s eighth president in 1988, is the“longest sitting president among all Bay Area institutions of higher learning,”according to a press release. During his tenure, the San Rafael campus was renovated, enrollment has quadrupled and revenues have increased eight-fold. A man, a plan, a canal: pandemonium Critics voiced concern over the Canalfront Conceptual Design Plan at a San Rafael City Council meeting Nov. 16.While councilmembers accepted the plan as a blueprint to revitalize the waterfront area—including a promenade, improved water access and bridge—some business and property owners disagreed with the plan’s removal of 25 feet along the shoreline for the public walkway. Although last week, the Pacific Sun’s Peter Seidman reported [“Bridge to the future,”Nov. 13] that one of the most requested changes from Canal residents is improved walkway access, including widened sidewalks and a water-crossing.“Building a bridge to join the two sides [across the water] was the most appealing for the whole community,” said Maite Duran, a member of the Canal Alliance and co-chair of the Canalfront Advisory Committee.“It would be helpful for about 500 kids who [walk] to school, maybe 300 families.”Even so, officials said the Canal transformative vision is many years away; that no money is budgeted yet, no private land will be seized and any development or improvements proposed would require design review and planning commission approvals. Accused wine arsonist handcrafts bold, full-bodied new plea Mark C. Anderson, a 61-year-old Sausalito man accused of setting fire to over $200 million worth of fine wines in 2005, changed his not-guilty plea as part of a plea bargain Nov. 16 in federal court. A former city parks commissioner, newspaper columnist and a UC Berkeley graduate, Anderson had been storing about 6 million bottles at the Wines Central warehouse on Vallejo’s Mare Island for collectors and Napa vintners before the Oct. 5, 2005 fire, which investigators concluded had started in Anderson’s space. Had Anderson not altered his plea and been convicted at his Nov. 17 trial, he might’ve faced life in prison on 19 criminal counts, including arson, mail fraud and tax evasion. Now, as a result of the plea bargain, his sentence could be limited to 15 years and eight months in prison. Shorts... San Rafael leaders have discovered an additional $3.2 million deficit in the city’s budget, reportedly due to a significant loss in sales tax revenue, as well as less than expected revenue from Measure S—the city services tax...Tiburon Town Council meets Nov. 18 to discuss street cameras monitoring all incoming and outgoing traffic.—Samantha Campos EXTRA! EXTRA! Post your Marin news at ›› pacificsun.com
8 PACIFIC SUN NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26, 2009
From the Sun vaults, November 19 - 25, 1969
Captain Hoodwinked Golden Hinde-sight not 20/20 to Francis Drake buffs by Jason Wals h
40
by Howard Rachelson
1. The southernmost and northernmost California mis#1 sions lie about 530 miles apart. What are they? 2. Visual: This is the March 6, 1943, cover of what magazine, painted by what prolific American artist? 3. If you travel directly northward from Venice, what’s the first neighboring country you’ll hit? 4. About half the world’s population lives on what amount of money per day? 5. In September (2009), the entire catalog of remastered Beatles music was released on CD. In coming weeks, in time for the holiday season, the entire collection of Beatles songs, plus visuals and videos, will be produced and sold in what different format—not CD or DVD? 6. In February 1888, artist Vincent Van Gogh left Paris and moved to what city in southern France, where he produced over 300 paintings? 7. What U.S. state has all these nicknames: Pelican State, Sportsman’s Paradise and the Sugar State? 8. Glamour magazine recently named what entertainer who was assaulted in February by her ex-boyfriend as one of its Women of the Year? 9. If you want to get away, far away, you should travel about 10,500 air miles to this nation with about 45 million inhabitants; it’s the country located farthest from San Francisco. What is it? 10. In the early 1950s the largest known one of these had about 100 digits. Today, the largest one of these ever discovered has almost 13 million digits. We’re talking about the largest...what? BONUS QUESTION: In 1621, the Plymouth colonists shared an autumn harvest feast with Massachusetts Indians; historians today consider it to be the first what ever? Howard Rachelson, Marin’s Master of Trivia, invites you to a live team trivia contest at 7:30pm every Wednesday at the Broken Drum on Fourth Street in San Rafael. Join the quiz—send your Marin factoids to howard1@triviacafe.com.
▲ San Rafael city library users
can thank Noble “Rocky” Birdsey for saving expensive magazine subscriptions from the chopping block, says supervising librarian Kay Noguchi. In early July, Rocky read an article about the city’s budget cuts that said premium databases and magazine subscriptions would be canceled at the library. He didn’t like the sound of that and decided to do something about it. After asking staff which magazines were being canceled—and which ones they really hated to lose—Rocky came up with a check for $1,800. San Rafael will continue to receive Science, Environment, Hulbert Financial Digest, Kirkus Reviews, New Car Cost Guide and Theatre Bay Area, all thanks to one reader’s concern and generosity.
Answers on page 35
▼ One Mill Valley reader wrote in
ZERO
“There must be a beginning illustrious seafarer ordered his men to post to any great matter,” said an engraved brass plate as “a monument celebrated 16th-century of our being there.” Lo and behold, in 1936 English explorer-pirate Sir a 5-by-8-inch rectangular brass plate was years ago Francis Drake. discovered near modern day Larkspur And 1969-era MarinLanding and investigators determined the ites just naturally assumed he was referplate, mistaken as worthless refuse, had ring to them. been discarded there a few years earlier by For decades Bay Area historical societies a chauffeur who found it along the shores have debated the location of “Nova Albion,” of Drakes Bay. Inscribed on the plate was where Sir Francis Drake “Forever I Take Possession sought harbor for his deleteOf This Kingdom... Unto rious Golden Hinde along the Herr Majesties Keeping coast of Northern CaliforNow Named By Me And To nia in the summer of 1579. Be Knowne Unto All Men According to Richard HakAs Nova Albion.” Signed, luyt’s The Famous Voyage of “Francis Drake.” Sir Francis Drake from 1589, After a thorough examinaDrake sailed from Mexico up tion by Dr. Herbert Bolton, a the Pacific Coast in search of UC Berkeley professor who’d an easterly passage. But the spent his career searching rough seas proved too much for the elusive brass artifact, for the 120-foot galleon and the finding was declared “the the Hinde skirted the coast “till genuine Drake’s plate referred we came within 38 degrees to- If he ever comes back, we think Drake to in the book The World ward the line, in which height would particularly enjoy the weekEncompassed by Sir Francis it pleased God to send us into end shuttle between the Point Reyes Drake, published 1628.” And Lighthouse and Chimney Rock. a faire and good Baye with a so, concluded Yarish, “Bolton good winde to enter the same.” and the Navigators Guild are convinced that To historians in the Drake Navigators the plate is real and true” and its authenticity Guild, a group formed in 1951 to prove once should “unhesitatingly” end further debate and for all the Hinde laid anchor in Marin, about whether Drakes Bay is the original that itself is evidence enough that the sea cap- Nova Albion. tain must have spent his 36-day holiday along Turns out the guild should’ve hesitated the sun-swept beaches of what’s now called a bit more. After 40 years of guarded acDrakes Bay—the swath of sand bookended by ceptance of the plate’s authenticity, metalChimney Rock and Limantour Beach, which lurgic analysis had advanced enough by the lies directly on the 38th parallel. It also means early ’70s to prove the Plate of Brasse a fake Marin was claimed for Queen Elizabeth a (it had too much zinc; traces of modern good six years before Walter Raleigh estabAmerican brass, etc., etc.). The phony find, lished the first American colonies in Roanoke. it was revealed, was a hoax perpetrated by a But, as Pacific Sun assistant editor Alice goofy history-buff club called the Ancient Yarish pointed out in her November 1969 and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus, story “The Landing of Francis Drake,” the whose members crafted the bogus plaque as 38th parallel also crosses two land points in a prank targeted at their Drake-obsessed pal the San Francisco Bay, opening up the posBolton. The joke spiraled out of control when sibility that the legendary explorer’s first foray Bolton went public with the “discovery” and into America may have been through the the conspirators had to keep mum for fear of Golden Gate—and that the man the Spanish humiliating their accomplished friend. dubbed El Draque may never have touched Bolton, a highly respected historian credthe shores of West Marin at all. ited with steering the UC Berkeley Bancroft And the Navigators Guild was hoping Library to national regard, died in 1953—a that idea would sink faster than the Span- good two decades before his dupery was ish Armada. revealed. For what it’s worth, the historical Aside from other writings about Drake’s consensus remains that the Golden Hinde did landing that referred to “white cliffs which land at Drakes Bay. And the legendary Drake’s lie toward the sea,” proponents of a DrakePlate of Brasse may still be hidden along the Marin scenario pointed to their one piece shores of that “faire and good Baye.” ✹ of hard evidence that Drake furloughed in Share your Francis Drake theories with Jason at jwalsh@pacificsun.com. the 6th congressional district—the fabled Plate of Brasse. Blast into Marin’s past with more According to a 16th-century historian, Behind the Sun at ›› pacificsun.com before setting off from Nova Albion, the
›› TRiViA CAFÉ
HERO
›› BEHiND THE SUN
to tell us about a couple of weekends ago when Rebecca B., a wellloved and respected dog trainer and sitter, was training a few animals near the harbor in Sausalito. While there, Rebecca spied a wallet, cell phone and glasses abandoned on the trunk of a parked car. After looking inside the wallet for a name, she left a note on the windshield and then spent the next hour or so searching for the owner. When she finally found him on his houseboat and gave him his belongings, he gave her a curt “thank you” and said goodbye. There was $1,800 in cash in the wallet, and while she had no expectation of a reward, our MV reader thinks it was deserved—or, at least, a slightly warmer thanks.—Samantha Campos
Got a Hero or a Zero? Please send submissions to scampos@pacificsun.com. Toss roses, hurl stones with more Heroes and Zeros at ›› pacificsun.com NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26, 2009 PACIFIC SUN 9
›› UPFRONT < 8 Sustainability we can afford to promote diverse communities that include all income levels and backgrounds. Growth in the higher-paying financial and professional services sectors will account for only one of three news jobs, according to ABAG. That means more people needing affordable housing. There’s a big irony in those numbers, and in the effects of the current economic downturn, says Murtagh. Just as the benefits of state bond measures aimed at stimulating the production of affordable housing are ending, the opportunities for locating property on which to build affordable units is exploding. “We have more land available than we have ever had. There are sites coming up like mushrooms after a spring rain. The prices for land are better than they have been for a long time.” But the money to build has dried up like a summer drought. “We’re finding this all over the Bay Area. People are calling us about sites they have worked on titling for five or six years, and they’re giving them away for the land value. And here we are with dwindling resources.” That problem has a wide effect, and not just on those who seek affordable housing. According to a county housing study, 81 percent of employees working in Corte Madera travel to work from outside the city limits. Although Corte Madera is on the high side of the percentage of commuters from
outside the town, other Marin communities experience the same phenomenon—and the excessive traffic that it causes. Encouraging the creation of workforce housing has been a long-sought goal of affordable housing proponents, and as Peters at MCF notes, it’s also a great benefit in the sustainability arena. And on top of it all, workforce housing creates livable communities within communities, say advocates. But the flow of state money from two major bond measures aimed at promoting affordable housing (Proposition 41 and Proposition 1c) is ending. Affordable housing did get some of the federal stimulus money, notes Murtagh, and she hopes more funds will flow. “I hope they understand—I think they get it—that even though marketrate developers can’t fill units, we can. There are a lot of carpenters and engineers and architects that can be put to work. We could be putting up lumber.” Talk of affordable housing is usually connected to public subsidies. But there’s another model that does not rely on public money. And the poster child for that model is based in Novato. Rob Hart is a fifth-generation Marinite who has received substantial recognition for his innovative approach to affordable housing. His company, HartMarin, built the first low-income affordable housing project in Marin without tapping any public subsidies. The Virginia Grove residential community consists of four
PATHWAYS
BACHELOR’S DEGREE OPTIONS FOR WORKING ADULTS Dominican University of California’s new Pathways Fast program offers an accelerated bachelor’s degree.*
Pathways Fast program features: t t t t
Complete in two years Accelerated courses Hybrid (online and face-to-face) options Majors: Business Administration, Psychology, and Applied Humanities
For more information and an individualized degree plan at no cost, call 1-888-323-6763 or 415-485-3280 or e-mail pathways@dominican.edu. *Requires 50 or more transferable units.
1,134-square-foot single-family homes on a .65-acre parcel at 1845 Virginia Ave. in Novato. The idea, says Hart, was to follow a company goal that calls for creating homes that can sell for half the market rate or less. That allows families who earn too much to qualify for public subsidies to have a chance at home ownership. HartMarin built four other homes as part of the project, priced at about 80 percent of the Novato market. The ability to qualify for a density bonus was a big impetus behind the project, says Hart. That’s a planning arrangement under which a developer is allowed leeway in exchange for building affordable units. Hart says that without the density bonus, HartMarin would have been unable to build the project, which received a $3.7 million loan from Tamalpais Bank. It was a prime example of the business community combining forces with a developer who advocates for affordable housing and green building goals. The adherence to those goals is clear right on the HartMarin credo, which states the company strives “to improve the social condition and protect the environment with projects that make financial sense.” HartMarin can create housing at affordable prices because Hart has wide-ranging experience in many phases of construction and planning, enabling the company to look at a proposed project in a holistic manner. The intent was to create affordable units within a for-profit market context. It worked.
HartMarin is also working to build an invitation-only museum of classic Formula One cars and speed boats for Vijay Mallya, the billionaire who owns the Marinscope Community Newspapers. The building at 300 Locust St. in Sausalito is designed to be reminiscent of a wave and incorporates a drainage system on the roof that channels water, which spills off the roof in a playful water feature. “We had a client that came to us and said he wanted to build a warehouse on a piece of property. We said his piece of property happens to be one of the most prominent undeveloped corners in the town of Sausalito. We can’t do just a square building with a flat roof. The owner is a creative person, and we got him to agree to do a building with a roof in the shape of a wave that floats on a clerestory of glass.” Most of the building is only 11 feet tall, “and it swoops up to the water to about 22 feet.” The design results in reduced visual impact from the Bridgeway viewpoint, says Hart. The creative design has met with a good response. Some critics, however, say the property isn’t right for a museum. They would rather see a public use on the property. But, as Hart says, it’s the owner’s property, and a museum is an allowed use. “The general plan calls for creative and innovative designs in this part of Sausalito.” The building meets the criteria, he notes, and it also passes muster in the zoning department. When HartMarin tackles a project like Virginia Grove, the company can create from
It’s Almost Time... To Vote For Best Of Marin 2010!
!LICE IN
-ARINLAND Join Alice as she ventures into another magnificent Wonderland of exotic foods and drinks, fascinating people and unforgettable entertainment— Marin County, U.S.A. Associate your business with the kick off of our 2010 Best of Marin category listings and voting. Appearing in the centerfold of the Pacific Sun December 25, January 1,8,15 and 22.
Call 415/485-6700 Jane G. Pathways Program
50 Acacia Avenue San Rafael, California 94901
www.dominican.edu
10 PACIFIC SUN NOVEMBER 20 – NOVEMBER 26, 2009
Pacific Sun BEST OF 2010 WINNERS ANNOUNCED IN THE PACIFIC SUN MARCH 26TH!
scratch, ďŹ rst by ďŹ nding a property on which it can get ďŹ nancing, is near schools, transportation, shopping, etc. The company then can proceed to produce the project with all of the attention to green building elements it desires. And the project, from concept to completion, can meet the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social ethic. Virginia Grove has been lauded for its contribution to workforce housing and has received recognition and awards from the Marin Economic Commission, ABAG and the state Senate. For the Sausalito museum project, HartMarin worked to create an exciting designâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and include a park element to add a community beneďŹ t. HartMarin isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t averse to declining a project if it seems to be of little or no community beneďŹ t. In other words: Yes, Virginia, it is possible for a developer to be the good guy. HartMarin is working on a project at the nonproďŹ t Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre as well. A master plan for the project includes affordable housing in a village to house staff members. The carbonneutral village will feature, among other environmental attractions, a solar farm and electric vehicles. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We hope this can become a model for other employers [proďŹ t and nonproďŹ t] that have a large [potential] local employee base and have a hard time recruiting employees because of high housing costs.â&#x20AC;? Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s another community beneďŹ t to the Spirit Rock project, notes Hart: The place is practically a factory for producing
forward-thinking environmentalists. Among HartMarinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other projects are plans for the San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo. Those plans could yield a beneďŹ t for the seminary and for the town if an idea to create affordable housing on seminary property comes to fruition. The seminary would beneďŹ t with a ďŹ nancial infusion, and the town could yield some badly needed affordable units to meet state mandates. Whether the model Hart espouses will spread remains an open question. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not up for debate is the crushing need for affordable housing in Marin, especially rental housing. In September 2008, the Marin Housing Authority opened its application process for federal Section 8 rental housing subsidies. At the end of two weeks, about 11,000 people had applied, according to Kimberly Carroll of the Housing Authority. That was a dramatic increase from the approximately 4,000 applicants the last time the list was opened, in 2002. It took seven years to work through that list of applicants. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worse now. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be opened again for quite some time,â&#x20AC;? says Carroll. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t getting any new [federal Section 8] vouchers. The only way we can accommodate new people is through attrition.â&#x20AC;? â&#x153;š
CORTE MADERA REC CENTER
)PU 4UPOF .BTTBHF IS
0QFO %BZT B 8FFL 5VFÂŹ4VO ÂŹ .PO ÂŹ XXX NJMMWBMMFZNBTTBHF DPN
$BNJOP "MUP 4UF Â&#x2026; .*-- 7"--&:
PET CLUB
F. JOSEPH SMITHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MASSAGE THERAPY CENTER Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Good for the Body is Good for the Soul
Selected Varieties Super Buy!
2
$
Limit 2 Bags per Family
on Dog & Cat Food. Lower than Wholesale Clubs â&#x20AC;&#x153;C or PCâ&#x20AC;?, Supermarkets, or Wholesale Food Cos. (No Membership Fees)
HWY.101
NATURAL CHOICE LAMB MEAL & RICE ADULT DRY DOG FOOD
FRISKIES
Limit 2 Bags Per Family
39
SCIENCE DIET
33
99
DRY CAT FOOD
Super Buy!
1599
$
BENEFUL
PREPARED MEALS All Varieties 10 Oz Limit 1 Case
1
$ 29
KAL KAN DOG CHEWS
Limit 2 Bags Per Family Effective 11/18-11/24
ARM & HAMMER FRESH STEP
Super Buy!
6
$
49
10
99
NATUREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MIRACLE CLUMPING CAT LITTER
8
$
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Triple Actionâ&#x20AC;? Odor Control 10 Lb Bag Limit 2 Bags
99
20% OFF
OUR SUPER LOW PRICES
PET-MATE HOODED LITTER PANS
20% OFF
SWEET HARVEST BIRD FOOD SALE
Sweaters, Jackets, Raincoats & Outerwear OUR SUPER LOW PRICES All Varieties BONUS COUPON
10.99 $ 13.99 $
â&#x20AC;˘Canary â&#x20AC;˘Finch AS MARKED 2 Lb â&#x20AC;˘Parrot sun/no sun â&#x20AC;˘Cockatiel sun/no sun 5 Lb Pkg â&#x20AC;˘Parakeet â&#x20AC;˘Macaw â&#x20AC;˘Conure Lovebird OUR SUPER LOW PRICES
15% OFF
GOURMET CANNED CAT FOOD
39¢
PS PLU361
FRISKIES BUFFET CANNED CAT FOOD 5.5 Oz
PREMIUM CHOICE SCOOPABLE CAT LITTER 50 lbs
All Varieties
4/
Effective 11/ 18-11/
1
$ 39
Effective 11/18-11/24
Effective 11/18-11/24
Limit 2 Case Per Family
55
¢
799
$
Buy!
Effective 11/18-11/24
DRY CAT FOOD
â&#x20AC;˘Grilled Tuna & Egg Flavor 15 Lb Limit 2 Bags Per Family
899
$
NUTRO NATURAL CHOICE
7
$
99
SCIENCE DIET
NATUREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEST NATURAL PET FOOD
35
$
â&#x20AC;˘Chicken & Brown Rice â&#x20AC;˘Lamb & Brown Rice â&#x20AC;˘Adult 30 Lb Bag Limit 2 Bags Per Family
28 Lb Bucket
â&#x20AC;˘Fresh Scent â&#x20AC;˘Multi-Cat Limit 2 Buckets Per Family Super
9 LIVES
CANNED CAT FOOD
â&#x20AC;˘Selected Varieties 25 Oz Limit 2 Pkgs
CLUMPING CAT LITTER
99¢
NUTRO MAX CAT 5.5 oz. Limit 2 Cases Gourmet Classic All Varieties (Natural Choice 5.5oz 59¢)
24
SCOOPAWAY CLEAN
CANINE MAINTENANCE CANNED DOG FOOD
10
99
Limit 2 bags Per Family
Effective 11/18-11/24
SCIENCE DIET
â&#x20AC;˘Maintenance (All) â&#x20AC;˘Lite â&#x20AC;˘Senior(All)(Growth-$1.09)
$
Limit 2 Cases Per Family
Effective 11/ 18-11/
24
14 Oz
â&#x20AC;˘All Natural Unscented
79¢
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Environmentally Friendlyâ&#x20AC;? With the Purchase of Pet, Fish Food or Supply. Limit 1 Pkg. PS Plu 328 Limit: 1 Coupon per Family
with the purchase of pet, fish food or supply. Limit 1 Coupon per family Limit 1 Lb PS PLU332
So Much for So Little
99
DRY CAT FOOD
â&#x20AC;˘Adult â&#x20AC;˘Indoor â&#x20AC;˘Weight Management â&#x20AC;˘Senior 7 Lb Bag Limit 2 Bags NEW TASTE!
1399
$
NUTRA NUGGETS
PROFESSIONAL DRY CAT FOOD
1199
$
20 Lb. Bag
MARINELAND POWER FILTER SALE MODEL
PENGUIN PENGUIN PENGUIN PENGUIN
TANK SIZE
100B . 150B . 200B . 350B .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
20 30 50 75
Gal. Gal. Gal. Gal.
PET CLUB PRICE
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
19.99 27.99 33.99 45.99
$ $ $ $
TETRA BOXED 10 GALLON TANK With Economy Kit
Just Add Heater For Tropical Fish
39.99 KORDON WATER CONDITIONERS $
Amquel 16 Oz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.99 $ Amquel Plus 16 Oz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.99 $ Novaqua Plus 16 Oz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.99 $
JONNY CAT
ARM & HAMMER
PS PLU 362
PREMIUM CAT LITTER
CAT LITTER DEODORIZER
20 Oz Box Limit 2 Boxes with Coupon Limit One Coupon Per Family Price Valid Only With Coupon Effective 11/18-11/24
FACIAL TISSUE
175 Count. White
Limit 1 Per Family
AQUARIUM SYSTEMS INSTANT OCEAN SEA SALT 50 Gal. Salt Mix
13.49
$
BONUS COUPON
BONUS COUPON
FRISKIES FANCY FEAST 3 Oz All Varieties Except Elegant Medley Limit 6 Cans with coupon Limit One Coupon Per Family Effective 11/18-11/24 Price Valid Only With Coupon
â&#x20AC;˘Regular/Microban â&#x20AC;˘Designer/Translucent
LARGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JUMBO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GREEN FOREST
MIX PREMIUTM DOG BISCUITS
HEINZ
$
COUPON
COUPON
FREE 1 LB SPOR
PUP-PERONI DOG TREATS
CRYSTAL CAT LITTER
8 Lb Bag Limit 2 Bags
15% OFF
â&#x20AC;˘Denta Bone â&#x20AC;˘Denta Stix â&#x20AC;˘Jumbone OUR REGULAR LOW PRICE â&#x20AC;˘Marrow Bone â&#x20AC;˘Good Bites
POOCH PLUS or DOGGI-DUDS
99
20 Lb Box â&#x20AC;˘Scented â&#x20AC;˘Unscented
LOTS OF SELECTIONS ASSORTED STYLES
(C & D Products not Included)
22
$
SUPER SCOOP CLUMPING CAT LITTER
CAT FURNITURE â&#x20AC;˘CRS
99
Effective 11/18-11/24
LAMB MEAL & RICE DRY DOG FOOD
â&#x20AC;˘Selected Varieties (20 Lb - $24.99) 14 Lbs Limit 2 Bags
(Select Varieties, 15.5 Lbs - $12.99)
Limit 2 Bags Per Family
Effective 11/18-11/24
$
â&#x20AC;˘Original â&#x20AC;˘Healthy Weight 31.1 Lbs
9
$
49
â&#x20AC;˘Adult â&#x20AC;˘Adult Large Breed 35 Lbs â&#x20AC;˘Small Bites Limit 2 Bags Per Family
DRY DOG FOOD
16 Lb Bag
35 Lb Bag
$
PURINA BENEFUL
SIGNATURE BLEND DRY CAT FOOD
6)3! s -# s !-%8
/ Ă&#x160; 6 °Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160; Ă&#x160;6 9Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;Ă&#x17D;nĂ&#x17D;Â&#x2021;nĂ&#x201C;Ă&#x2C6;äĂ&#x160;UĂ&#x160;josephsmithmassage.com
GUARANTEED WAREHOUSE PRICES
NUTRO
Effective 11/18-11/24
IAMS
Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;xĂ&#x160;9 ,-Ă&#x160;- Ă&#x160; " / "
FOOD AND SUPPLIES
OFF
(Our Discount Price)
Ă&#x160; ,
The New Tubs Are In!
$57 With this ad
PET CLUB
N
M-F 9-8, SAT 9-7, SUN 10-7 Effective 11/18-11/24
30 Lb, 40 Lb Bag
Diagnosis & 1 Treatment
* Ă&#x160;ÂŁxnĂ&#x160; "
508 Tamalpais Drive CORTE MADERA, CA. 415-927-2862
DRY DOG FOOD
Chiropractic Exam
1/2 Hr Private Hot Tub/Sauna 1 Hr Massage For 2
- ,6
3 BLOCKS
EUKANUBA
Coupleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Special
"* Ă&#x160; 6 ,9Ă&#x160; 9Ă&#x160;£äĂ&#x160; Ă&#x160;qĂ&#x160;£äĂ&#x160;* Ă&#x160;",Ă&#x160; 9Ă&#x160; **/°Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; "1- Ă&#x160; -Ă&#x160; 6
THE VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER
TOWN CENTER
SHELL STATION
Affordable Professional Massage .JMM 7BMMFZ t 4BO 3BGBFM
$ 4USFFU Â&#x2026; 4"/ 3"'"&-
$137 With this ad
TAMALPAIS AVE.
Sign up today at â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş paciďŹ csun.com
Â&#x2026; %FFQ 5JTTVF Â&#x2026; 1SFOBUBM Â&#x2026; 4QPSUT Â&#x2026; 4IJBUTV Â&#x2026; .BOZ "EEJUJPOBM 4UZMFT
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your county, speak up at â&#x20AC;şâ&#x20AC;ş paciďŹ csun.com
(415) 927-2862
Free e-bulletins from the Pacific Sun that provide the perfect quick-read digest of Marin news, opinions, restaurant and film reviews, and entertainment picks for the coming week.
4QFDJBMUZ .BTTBHF IS
Contact the writer at peter@pseidman.com
Store Hours: M-F 9-8 â&#x20AC;˘ SAT 9-7 â&#x20AC;˘ SUN 10-7 508 TAMALPAIS DRIVE â&#x20AC;˘ CORTE MADERA, CA 94925
Your Link to Marin
4XFEJTI .BTTBHF IS
1
$ 49 PS PLU 422
20 Lb Bag Limit 1 Bag With Coupon Limit One Coupon Per Family Effective 11/18-11/24 Price Valid Only With Coupon
249
$
ADVANTAGE â&#x20AC;˘ PROGRAM FRONTLINE AVAILABLE EVERYDAY AT
PET CLUB!!
NOVEMBER 20 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; NOVEMBER 26, 2009 PACIFIC SUN 11
ROBERT VENTE
›› FEATURE
The theater has been hampered, says Lucy Mercer, by its lack of visibility as a nonprofit.
THROCK and AWE The comics and the crowds turn out to support the struggling 142 Throckmorton S a m a n t h a
C a m p o s
ROBERT VENTE
by
I
t was a cold, damp Tuesday night and the boutique-lined streets of downtown Mill Valley were virtually deserted. And yet, on Nov. 17, inside the historic 142 Throckmorton Theatre, devoted droves filled the 300 seats to pay their respects to an entertainment icon, a comedic legend of stage and screen, a master of the arts... “But unfortunately, Robin Williams is on tour and sends his regards,” smirked emcee Johnny Steele. “And hopefully [he sends] a large check!” The need for a “large check” was a reference the 142 Throck crowd knew all too well, as the nonprofit’s financial woes had made headlines locally earlier in the month. But this particular event wasn’t about feeling the burns of the economy, it was a rollicking “roast” to Mill Valley comedian Mark Pitta—and a celebration of the hugely popular Tuesday “Mark Pitta & Friends” comedy night he’s hosted for the past five years. As Pitta perched demurely (sort of) in a stage-side balcony, a dozen of his “friends”—well-known comics from the Bay Area and beyond, including Steele, Will Durst, Doug Ferrari, Michael Meehan, Larry “Bubbles” Brown, Geoff Bolt and others—exchanged guffaw-inducing barbs about Pitta’s much-younger girlfriend, his prominent proboscis (and subsequent cosmetic surgery), his oft-used Al Pacino impression, his violent act against a car with a baseball bat (and subsequent arrest), his 1982 Star Search appearance, et al. But it was clear that the biggest star of the evening was the theater itself. Word is that the 142 Throckmorton Theatre is in the throes of economic anxiety, although its financial bind may be more of a case of mistaken identity—or rather, its slightly under-
12 PACIFIC SUN NOVEMBER 20 – NOVEMBER 26, 2009
Comic luminary Mort Sahl has become a semi regular at 142 Throckmorton since moving to Mill Valley.
the-radar nonprofit status. Originally called the Hub Theater, it opened in 1915 as a vaudeville stage and silent-movie house before changing hands to become the Odd Fellows Lodge in the 1950s. By the mid-’70s the venue was rented out for special movie nights—the genesis of the Mill Valley Film Festival— and when the Sequoia’s Twin Cinema opened in’75, the doors at 142 Throckmorton closed. It remained shuttered until Mill Valley entrepreneur Lucy Mercer purchased the theater, taking a few years to restore and rebuild the dilapidated building, and reopening it as a “community gathering space” in 2003, with a lushly painted rococo interior, care of local set designer Steve Coleman. Mercer was intent, she says, on representing “the heart” of the community
as a diverse range of ages, ethnicities and artistic sensibilities. She began offering an eclectic array of events, including teen cabaret, classical music led by primary players from nearby San Francisco Opera and Symphony, concerts by Hamsa al Din and Sammy Hagar and the infamous “Robin shows”— where Robin Williams came to perform new material before his big tour. “From there it seemed like there was more and more desire, the more that we did,” says Mercer. About two years ago the theater received nonprofit status and Mercer formed a board of directors. But nobody seemed to notice the transition—a transition that comes with an inherent need for private-donation funding. In hindsight, says Mercer, because people perceived the theater as a successful private enterprise, fundraising as a nonprofit became particularly challenging. “What we were not successful at doing was letting the public know that we needed community support for these kinds of programs,” she recently told the Sun. “But I think that if there’s value for what we’re doing, the community could rise to the occasion—if they knew about it.” 142 Throckmorton is currently trying to raise $500,000 to see it through the next year, though Mercer doesn’t want that to be perceived as a do-or-die ultimatum for the theater. “Everybody here is very committed to working and figuring it out and we’re putting into place a development plan so that we can move forward comprehensively,” Mercer says. “We want to address things so that it is a long-term solution.” The Nov. 17 Comedy Roast was the first in a series of fundraisers for the venue—a cause that was not lost on any of the comics. “We’ve gotta keep this theater open—it’s beautiful,” enthused Bay Area comedy veteran Doug Ferrari during the roast. “Lucy said that Charlie Chaplin performed here! And,
ROBERT VENTE
The Ross Valley Players Presents
by William Gibson Directed by Linda Dunn
The
Miracle Worker November 6–December 6, 2009
The Barn Theatre Marin Art & Garden Center Sir Francis Drake Blvd. at Lagunitas, Ross
Over the River & Through the Woods... To Los Cam We G elias o!
ROBERT VENTE
The Throckmorton opened in 1915 as a vaudeville and silent-movie venue; legend has it Charlie Chaplin performed there.
Everything a grooming shop offers, right in your driveway in our state-ofthe-art mobile grooming van. We bring water, soap, fuel and foo-foo with us, and take the hair, fur, gunk and grime away when we leave!
Las Camelias 912 Lincoln Avenue
Pitta received his verbal battering from the confines of the balcony; Johnny Steele compared him to Statler and Waldorf from the ‘The Muppet Show.’
San Rafael 453.5850
Call Today! 415.987.PETS
Say You Saw it in the
months before that. Last year the California Film Institute moved its base of operations to downtown San Rafael, and we at the Pacific Sun did the same in 2005. But while the Throck nonprofit is struggling to broaden its donor base, judging by the reaction of the crowd at its first benefit, the loss of the historic theater would be no laughing matter. And it’s obviously not something Pitta wants to happen anytime soon. “If it closed I would be forced to work cruise ships,” Pitta quips. “Which technically means you’re out of show business.” ✹ Roast Samantha at scampos@pacificsun.com
Comment on this story in TownSquare, at ›› pacificsun.com
GET THE LOOK
Sun
ROBERT VENTE
you know, I feel his presence when Mark Pitta is on stage—because it’s absolutely silent.” Badda boom. Pitta first performed at the theater for a breast cancer benefit in 2003, three months after he lost an illustrious Mornings on 2 hosting gig. “It saved my creative life,” he says about the Throck. “Having a place to perform every Tuesday has been one of the biggest joys of my life and satisfying knowing that we’ve given comedians from all over a chance to develop over the years.” Two comics have appeared on Late Night with David Letterman as a result of showcases at the Throck, and one weekend Pitta says they raised $5,500 for a fellow comedian who needed a kidney transplant. “One of the nice things about the [comedy] night is that it’s created a community amongst comedians,” says Mercer. “I think that that’s a really valuable thing because as performance has become more financially driven, performers become more of a commodity. And while you may get paid, there’s other aspects to just performance— whether or not you’re fed or can hang out for a moment or be encouraged in your art or anything like that, so I think that’s a really valuable aspect of what I like to feel we offer.” It’s no secret that Mill Valley has recently suffered major blows to its arts community. The venerable rock institution Sweetwater Saloon turned out the lights in late 2007 and famed Village Music closed its doors a few
Buy tickets online: www.rossvalleyplayers.com Or call 415-456-9555 Tickets: $15-$25
www.puppycuthut.com
OPEN MONDAYS For Your Convenience
Shop Local This Pitta’s comedy circuit ‘friends’ laid into him for a good cause.
H O L I DAY
SEASON
NOVEMBER 20 – NOVEMBER 26, 2009 PACIFIC SUN 13
H❉ LIDAYS i N tHe SUn Celestial Voices and les etoiles ‘fa-la-la’ at the Dolly and Me Tea at St. Hilary’s.
The figgy pudding express The caroling opportunities you’ve been waiting for... Young Performers International A children’s performing arts nonprofit based in Belvedere that has a chorus and seven jazz/rock bands. They perform all over the Bay Area during the holiday season, starting Nov. 29 at San Francisco’s First Unitarian Universalist Church in San Francisco, featuring the San Francisco premiere of Christopher Tin’s“Baba Yetu”—the Lord’s Prayer in Swahili from the Young Performers International will have their singing shoes on Dec. 4 video game Civilization IV (www. at the Storybook Holiday Festival in Tiburon. christophertin.com). Then on Dec. 4, they’ll be “strolling carolers” at Tiburon’s “A Storybook Holiday Festival,” singing music from around the world, including “Carol of the Bells” from Bulgaria, “Hannukah Shalom” from Israel, “Allah Rasul” from the Middle East, along with other traditional English Christmas carols (http://tiburonchamber.wildapricot.org/holiday-festival). For info on YPI’s other seasonal concerts, visit www.youngperformersintl.org or call executive director Leela Pratt at 415/420-2960.
Deck the halls with boughs of holly Fa la la la la la la la la ’Tis the season to be jolly Fa la la la la la la la la Fill the mead cup, drain the barrel Troll the ancient Yuletide carol Fa la la la la la la la la —19th-century American adaptation from a 16th-century Welsh tune
T
hanksgiving is but a week away and yet, it seems that Christmas is already here. Despite the past year’s sagging economy, this season’s prematurely crowded mall parking lots offer a glimpse of recuperative consumer optimism as shoppers begin their hasty procurement of gifts amid red-green-and-gold tinseled department store aisles prominently packed with easily wrapped scarves and sweaters and iPhone accoutrements, all to the familiar piped-in digital soundtrack of a heavily synthesized “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and “Jingle Bell Rock.” Ugh, is it New Year’s yet? But not every facet of our modern, publicly displayed, flashing-lights and glitter-filled holiday celebration is geared toward exhausting, cynic-making commercialism. Take caroling, for instance—you know, when a small group of rosy-cheeked neighbors greets you at the door with a raucous rendition of “Silent Night.” Or, as is more often the case these days, a local church group or performing arts nonprofit performs popular holiday hymns at various community events, retirement homes and seasonal concerts. Ah, yes, it sure is nice that there are still some customs to evoke the communal spirit and warmth of the season, without the dollar signs. Some experts even believe that singing together releases oxytocin, a hormone important to social bonding and goodwill.
14 PACIFIC SUN NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26, 2009
Except that, well...the much-disputed origins of caroling did have some rather blatant monetary motives and feudal improprieties. While some historians assert the genesis of carols dates as far back as the fourth century, others claim that their association with Christmas didn’t occur until the 13th century. But somewhere, early on, carols were actually festive pagan dances that involved much “merriment” (i.e. drinking, carousing)— activities the church, at that time, prohibited. During the Middle Ages, door-to-door “wassailing” became common practice, in which Anglo-Saxon peasants would sing good tidings in exchange for food and drink from their feudal lords—in early New England it was a practice that was also associated with rowdy revelers who would harass and terrorize their upper-class neighbors if refused the ale and “figgy pudding” they requested. By the time the Protestant Reformation took over Europe (along with Oliver Cromwell’s very Scrooge-like ban of Christmas), Roman Catholic-influenced carols all but vanished. Then the Victorian era brought a revival of carol singing and extended their acceptance in church by 1880—albeit without the traditional wassailing carols of yore. By now the notion of door-to-door caroling has diminished substantially. According to a National Christmas Tree Association survey in 1996, only 22 percent of those polled said they planned to go caroling; by 2005, that number was down to a paltry 6 percent. Of course, that’s not too surprising: Our population has increased, along with crime; families are working longer hours; in-person socializing has been replaced by online social media; and most neighbors simply don’t know each other anymore. But if any place could appreciate nostalgia and oxytocin-releasing entertainment in exchange for a hot, spiced beverage and a smile, wouldn’t it be Marin? ❉
Caroling Kids The entry level chorus of Mill Valley-based nonprofit choral association SingersMarin is offered each fall for kids aged 6-8. Since 1995, the troupe has been performing at county retirement homes and events, including San Rafael’s “Parade of Lights,” Mill Valley’s “Winterfest,” Corte Madera Town Center and The Village, as well as the main streets of Tiburon and Larkspur. This year, their major holiday concert, “’Tis the Season... Candles and Wishes,” will be held on Dec. 20 at Marin Center Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium in San Rafael. For more info, visit online at www.singersmarin.org.
❉
The Merrie Olde Christmas Carolers The world’s largest caroling organization—according to its Web site—featuring singers from local and regional opera and theater companies, costumed in Dickensian attire and accompanied by sleigh bells, cymbals and tambourine. Their first public gig of the season is Nov. 20 at Embarcadero Center in San Francisco, followed by Montgomery Village in Santa Rosa on Nov. 29 and Varenna in Santa Rosa on Dec. 3. For more info, visit www.tmocc.com or call Bay Area manager, Ellen Shea, at 650/868-3773.
Cable Car Caroling The 23rd annual fundraising event for the Institute on Aging takes place Dec. 6 from noon to 5:30pm in San Francisco. Past events included 300 carolers touring the city on motorized cable cars, singing for seniors in senior homes and private residences, culminating with a dinner, live entertainment, silent auction and prize raffle at the Presidio Officers Club. All proceeds support the Institute on Aging program, Center for Elderly Suicide Prevention and Grief Related Services. For more info, visit www.cablecarcaroling.org, call Marie Bautista at 415/750-4180 or e-mail mbautista@ioaging.org. ❉
Oh, carol!
❉
A look at some of the original wassailed favorites
“The Twelve Days of Christmas” This perennial favorite/least favorite was inspired by a memory game sung by children in 18th-century England, according to one theory. Another theory holds that it was a catechism song for Catholics without openly practicing their faith in an Anglican society (1558-1829).
“Silent Night” ”Stille Nacht”was composed in 1818 by Austrian priest Joseph Mohr and his friend Franz Gruber in the Bavarian town of Oberndorf on Christmas Eve in time for midnight mass— despite the fact that the church organ was broken.The show must go on. “Jingle Bells” Copyrighted by James Pierpont in 1857, this ubiquitous Christmas-time carol was actually written for a Thanksgiving church service.
“O Tannenbaum” Of early 19th-century Germany origins, featuring a much-mimicked melody for state anthems (i.e., Iowa, Maryland, Michigan and New Jersey).
“Joy to the World” This standard also wasn’t composed for Christmas, but for church service, with lyrics that originated in the Old Testament as published in Isaac Watt’s 1719 translation of the Psalms of David. Nineteenth-century American composer Lowell Mason crafted the melody. ❉
XL %RRYEP (S[RXS[R 7ER 6EJEIP
inter ;;onderland
Parade of Lights
Anyone can be part of the Parade of Lights! Join in for fre e! Parade staging begin s at 5pm at Fourth and E Streets.
20 Years in Marin
Friday November 27th
20% OFF
Fourth Street - A Street to Lootens Downtown San Rafael â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Heart of Marinâ&#x20AC;?
All Retail Products
â&#x153;ş Free Snow Sledding & Kids Activities on A Street between Fourth Street & Fifth Avenue noon - 4pm & 6:30 - 8pm
(Exp 12/31/09)
We Carry Many Product Lines Including:
â&#x153;ş Parade of Lights & Downtown Tree Lighting Ceremony 5:30pm
We also carry products.
â&#x153;ş Window Displays all season long â&#x153;ş Entertainment & Musical Performances 4pm - 8pm
Infrashine
ENJOY
â&#x153;ş Holiday Market 3pm - 8pm
Dermalogica Pureology
Saturday November 28th Free Snow Sledding & Kids Activities continue!
Strawberry Village
Montecito Plaza
Mill Valley 381-6275
San Rafael 454-4500
9am - until the snow melts! www.cityofsanrafael.org s www.downtownsanrafael.org s www.SRESproductions.com s (800) 310-6563
s in a R
ow!
A MODERN SALON FOR MEN & WOMEN
â&#x20AC;˘ Hair Cuts â&#x20AC;˘ Style/Updoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
â&#x20AC;˘ Multi-Colored
â&#x20AC;˘ Hi-Lights
â&#x20AC;˘ Lo-Lights
â&#x20AC;˘ Wig Cut/Style
NEW LOCATION! Move in Discount
FACIAL REJUVENATION & BODY RENAISSANCE
Laser Hair Removal
3FTUZMBOF 3BEJFTTF +VWFEFSN
#0509Â&#x2C6; $PTNFUJD -BTFS )BJS 3FNPWBM Â "MM 4LJO 5ZQFT
50% OFF Your First Treatment Any One Area or -"4&3 )"*3 3&.07"- 41&$*"-4
20% OFF
415-454-6009 1435-D 4TH ST. SAN RAFAEL (within Bellissima)
www.trendsalon.com
CallFOR for Package Pricing THE BEST LESS! '3&& $0/46-5"5*0/4
Larkspur
BOTOXÂŽ Cosmetic Restylane, Radiesse & Juvederm 'BDJBM °4QJEFSÂą 7FJOT Laser Hair Removal ----- All Skin Types "HF 4QPU 3FNPWBM Microdermabrasion & Peels 4LJO 5BH 3FNPWBM Facial â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Spiderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Veins Age Spot Removal 4DMFSPUIFSBQZ Skin Tag Removal 1FSNBOFOU .BLF VQ Sclerotherapy %FSNPTPOJD $FMMVMJUF 3FEVDUJPO Permanent Make-up 0CBHJ 4LJO 3FTUPSBUJPO 4ZTUFN Obagi Skin Restoration System Full Esthetician Services .JDSPEFSNBCSBTJPO 1FFMT
OFF YOUR FIRST 50% Off Your First Visit %6QQFS -JQ $IJO #JLJOJ Offer to Not Exceed $100 53: 5)& #&45 '03 -&44 R REMOVAL Package of 5TREATMENT! (Any One Area) CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT
BSJO
SeverOPEN al E a We venings ek!
Enjoy Silky Smooth Skin!
OOKING FOR THE BEST?
â&#x20AC;˘ Color Specialist
MODEL
model
#PO "JS 3E 4UF -BSLTQVS
.JDIFMMF $POUF 3 / 1SBDU
+PIO & $POUF . % .FEJD FREE CONSULTATIONS
5 Bon Air Road, Ste. 107, Larkspur
415.924.1330
Novato 892-3600
www.marinbeautycompany.com
The #1 5 I F ÂŽ# 0 5 0 Â&#x2C6; P WTO Provide1BSO X J 9 E F r 5 Year in Marin S J O .
â&#x20AC;˘ Hair Extensions
Vintage Oaks
w w w. S i m p l e R a d i a n c e . c o m
Michelle Conte, R.N., Practice Manager John E. Conte, M.D., Medical Director NOVEMBER 20 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; NOVEMBER 26, 2009 PACIFIC SUN 15
H❉ LIDAYS i N tHe SUn
#6
1. This is a depiction of... a. Production still from shelved“Lord of the Rings: Christmas in Mordar” TV special b. Prop guy for“A Charlie Brown Christmas” c. Dude on cover of Zeppelin IV d. Pagan Germanic god Odin who historians site as the primary inspiration for Santa Claus
#1
#2
2. In 2008, this conservative pundit declared himself an enemy combatant in the war on... a. Pomposity b. Journalistic integrity c. Out-of-court-settled conservative pundit sex scandals d. Christmas
3.Which of the following did NOT influence Charles Dickens’“A Christmas Carol”? a. The author’s own father spent three months in debtors’prison in 1824 b. The“Second Report of the Children’s Employment Commission”from 1843, which exposed effects of the Industrial Revolution upon children c. George Eliot’s classic 19th century novel,“Silas Marner:The Weaver of Raveloe,”about a miser who learns to love d. The description of long-lost English Christmas traditions from Washington Irving’s 1822 novel “Bracebridge Hall”
#3 4. Which of the following is true about dreidel, the popular spinningtop Hanukkah game beloved by children? #4 a. All of the below b. Early indoctrination into the seedy world of gambling c. In the age of X-Box,“spinning top”games aren’t as“beloved”by children as they used to be d. Made of clay; when dry and ready with dreidel you will play e. Hebrew letters on side of top form an acronym for“a great miracle happened there”
16 PACIFIC SUN NOVEMBER 20 - NOVEMBER 26, 2009
5. The 1988 TV special“A Very Brady #5 Christmas”sparked a resurgence of Bradymania.Which two of these very un-Brady-like plotlines did NOT occur in the holiday show? a. Alice’s husband, Sam the butcher, breaks seventh commandment, commits adultery b. Bobby crashes his racecar, is paralyzed from waist down c. Family holds death vigil, as Mike battles suffocation under construction-site rubble d. Boys are kidnapped, bound and gagged by Ivy League-accented Hawaiian-cave dweller
6. Which of the following is true about the 1978 CBS“Star Wars Holiday Special”... a. Greedo flirts with Bea Arthur in the Mos Eisley bar b. Introduces Chewie’s family members Itchy and Lumpy c. Carrie Fisher sings a song called“Happy Life Day”to the tune of John Williams’“Theme from Star Wars” d. Imperial officer grooves to Jefferson Starship video at Art Carney’s house e. None of the above could possibly be true in any sane and just universe f. All of the above
#7
7. Not having learned its lesson from the disastrous holiday special, the“Star Wars”crew released the yuletide album“Christmas in the Stars”in 1980. What other mind-blowing facts are true? a. The strangely intriguing single,“What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb?”) reached No. 69 on the Billboard singles charts. b. Jon Bon Jovi provides lead vocals on the classic,“R2D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas” c. Majority of album sung by C-3P0 and R2D2, highlighted by cameo of Chewbacca who, in a frenzy of excitement, proceeds to tickle the droids d. RSO records went out of business shortly after releasing the album. e. None of the above could possibly be true in any sane and just universe f. All of the above
8. Cabbage Patch Kids were a must-have Christmas toy throughout the 1980s.Why did this 1996“Snacktime”version put an end to holiday Patchmania? a. “Adoptees”finally went off in search of“real parents.” b. Lavender McDade indicted for child endangerment by Mount Yonah grand jury, Cabbage Patch kindertransport program no longer needed c. Rabid-chewing malfunction rendered“snacktime”a fingerbiting phantasmagoria for nearly 40 children d. Acne-riddled, socially awkward Snacktime Tween doll targeted at Gen Y pretty much killed the whole franchise
#9 10. In this scene from“A Charlie Brown Christmas,”Linus is... a. Describing the birth of Jesus, according to the Book of Luke, 2:8-14 b. Filibustering to kill the Senate health care bill c. Performing a moving rendition of“Adelweiss” as a stall tactic to distract the Nazis while the Von Trapp family escapes the theater d. Blabbering on about the Great Pumpkin again
#8
9. This seasonal celluloid favorite is famous for being... what? a. A thoughtful study of how severe depression can lead to suicide b. Critically panned upon release in 1946 for being overly sentimental c. All of the above and all of the below d. The origins of the Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie e. Largely forgotten until 1974 when a clerical error prevented renewal of its copyright; once in the public domain,TV stations could air it repeatedly for virtually nothing. ❉
#10
Holidays in
San Anselmo San Anselmo Chamber of Commerce Holiday Luncheon %FDFNCFS t QN t 6QQFS "MFYBOEFS )BMM ,FOTJOHUPO 3E
AD SPONSORED BY:
Holiday Tree Lighting
4BUVSEBZ %FDFNCFS t QN PO UIF -BXO BU 5PXO )BMM
sananselmochamber.org
What do you call a bank where you know your Banker? health
JEWELS love
ART-TO-WEAR hope
GLASS & POTTERY peace BOOKS & FUN STUFF Thank You To All Our Customers!
The Vintage Flamingo is Hosting a Trunk Show Featuring
Sylvie & Mado Nov 27, 28, & 29
800 San Anselmo Avenue San Anselmo â&#x20AC;˘ 454-2990 M-S 10-6 Sun 12-5
528 San Anselmo Ave 415.721.7275 Wine and Hors Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres will be served.
35th Annual Sale 25% OFF Storewide Nov 20-22 Fri-Sun
Various & Sundries
ONE-OF-A-KIND, LOCAL ARTISTS Jewelry-Ceramics-Clothing-Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 411 San Anselmo Ave. Downtown San Anselmo $!),9 4(523 &2) 4), 0-s
Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d call that the Right Bank. At Tamalpais Bank, our experienced bankers build strong relationships and deliver the right banking solutions that help businesses grow. % Business & Interest Checking Accounts ÂŽ
% DepositNOW , Remote Deposit % Cash Management Services % Owner Occupied CRE
Speak to one of our Relationship Managers today to ďŹ nd out how we can make your business stronger, together. MEMBER FDIC
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a symbiotic relationship between a small business and the people you serve. You have to be interested in them for them to be interested in you.â&#x20AC;&#x153; Tom & Ross Perry, Owners Sunnyside Nursery San Anselmo, CA
415.526.1154 | www.tambank.com
C O RT E M A D E R A | G R E E N B R A E | M I L L VA L L E Y | N O RT H G AT E S A N A N S E L M O | S A N R A FA E L | T I B U R O N / B E LV E D E R E
NOVEMBER 20 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; NOVEMBER 26, 2009 PACIFIC SUN 17
Shop, Dine & Relax
Bon Air Center It’s all here... Pick-Up & Delivery
Home Consultation
$
$
20 OFF $ 100 or more
50 OFF $ 250 or more
ORDERS OF
ORDERS OF
Save on a New Lookk for the Holidays
(Above Offers Apply to Custom Framing Only. Not Valid with Other Discounts or Rush Orders. Exp. 12/18/09)
Mill ValleyÊÊUÊÈ£{Ê-ÌÀ>ÜLiÀÀÞÊ6 >}iÊ- «« }Ê i ÌiÀÊÊUÊ383-8793 GreenbraeÊÊUÊÎÓäÊ Ê ÀÊ- «« }Ê i ÌiÀÊUÊ461-2497
happy holidays!
.00
$75
OFF
Complete Pair of Glassse
greeting cards s boxed holiday and photo cards gift wrap s ribbons s gifts s invitations
Not applicable with any other offer, in plan, or discounts. Oct. 26 – Nov. 29
212 Bon Air Center X 461-922
228 bon air center, greenbrae 415.461.8084
Eat...Drink...Surf...
302 Bon Air Center, Greenbrae 415-461-7400
Monday = a Draft Beer & a Burger $10 Tuesday = Kids Eat Free*
THE BROW AND LASH BAR
*With the purchase of each adult entrée. Kids 12 & under only.
elcome to Art of the Eye. Come in and experience professional, personalized brow and lash design that opens your eyes for a fresher, younger look. Relax and Enjoy! We are perfect for special occasions–holidays, girlfriends, weddings.
Wednesday = Any Pizza $5 Thursday = All 14 oz Draft Beer $2.50 Friday = Ribs Galore!
For appointments call 415.461.7500 or go to www.artofeye.com Walk-ins Welcome 141 Bon Air Shopping Center, Greenbrae, CA 94904 (Behind David M. Brian)
Must be ordered from the kid's menu.
1/2 Rack $10.95 Full Rack $16.95 Double Rack $28.95
Showing All
Football Games
Bon Air Center xäÊ Ê ÀÊ i ÌiÀÊ ÊÓää]Ê Àii LÀ>i]Ê >ÊUÊ{£x {È£ äÓääÊUÊÜÜÜ°L > À°V 18 PACIFIC SUN NOVEMBER 20 – NOVEMBER 26, 2009
Shop, Dine & Relax
H❉LIDAYS i N tHe SUn
Bon Air Center
Bon Air Center It’s all here for the holidays…
Dance Palace Holiday Crafts Fair Shop till you drop from 40 craft booths. Dec. 4, 3 to 9pm; Dec. 5 and 6, 10am to 9pm. Dance Palace, Fifth and B streets, Point Reyes Station. 415/663-1075. Marin Symphony Chamber Chorus Concerts by Candlelight, Dec. 5, 7:30pm; Dec. 6, 4pm. Church of St. Raphael, 104 Fifth Ave., San Rafael. $30 to $35. 415/479-8100. Stapleton Nutcracker Stapleton Ballet presents the ballet classic Dec. 5 and 6 at 1 and 5pm. Marin Center, Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. $18 to $30. 415/454-5759. Pirouette into the holidays with the Stapleton Ballet.
Holiday Boutique An upscale boutique with high-end local artisanry presented by the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary. Nov. 21, 10am to 5pm. Twin Cities Post 313, 500 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur. 415/924-6283. San Rafael’s Parade of Lights and Winter Wonderland The post-Thanksgiving event returns for a 30th year, featuring friendly merchants, snow sledding and a visit from the Bearded One. Nov. 27, sledding at noon; parade at 5:30pm. Fourth St. between A and Lootens. 800/310-6563.
SATURDAYS IN DECEMBER NOON – 4 PM HOLIDAY ENTERTAINMENT $500 SHOPPING SPREE ENTER TO WIN FREE SANTA PHOTOS
Mollie Stone’s, david M. brian, CVS/pharmacy Just off Hwy. 101 on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Greenbrae 415-461-0200 www.bonair.com
Bon Air Center 50 Bon Air Center # 200, Greenbrae, Ca {£x {È£ äÓääÊUÊÜÜÜ°L > À°V
The Sound of Music 142 Throckmorton Theatre’s Marin Youth Performers present one of the most popular musicals of all time, based on the true story of the Trapp Family Singers. 7:30-9:30pm. $12 to $16 ($16 to $20 day of show). Call 415/383-9600 or e-mail boxoffice@ 142ThrockmortonTheatre.org or visit http://142throckmorton.inticketing.com/ events. 142 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley. Gingerbread Architectural Extravaganza Don’t miss this tasty gingerbread event. Saturdays and Sundays, Nov. 28 to Dec. 20. 11am, noon, 1pm. Bay Area Discovery Museum, Fort Baker. 415/339-3900 or www.badm.org. Christmas Jug Band Holiday hijinks with “Four Elves Named Moe” Nov. 29 at Station House Café, 11180 Highway One, Point Reyes Station. 415/663-1515. Full Jug Band performs at 142 Throckmorton in Mill Valley on Dec. 13 at 6pm (415/383-6900); and at Masonic Center, 19 Corte Madera Ave. in Mill Valley on Dec. 21 at 8:30pm. 415/388-2550.
Muir Beach Quilters You’ll be on needles and pins at this crafters’ favorite. Dec. 5 and 6, 11am to 5pm. Muir Beach Community Center, 19 Seascape Drive. 415/383-6762. Holiday Gravy Wavy Gravy raises funds for SEVA with the David Nelson Band, Moonalice, the Rowan Brothers and more. Dec. 12, 7pm. $50 to $100. 142 Throckmorton, Mill Valley. 510/845-7382, ext. 332. Marin Ballet Nutcracker Tchaikovsky’s beloved story of a girl, a toy and a Mouse King. Followed by Candy Cane Party. Dec. 12 and 13, 1 and 5pm. Marin Center, Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. $23 to $35. 415/499-6800. Sophie and the Enchanted Toyshop Marin Dance Theatre presents this ballet about a toymaker who takes a girl on the journey of her life. Dec. 19, 1 and 5pm. Teddy Bear Tea follows matinee, $10. Marin Center, Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. $23 to $33. 415/499-6800. Tapcracker Jazzy hip-hop take on the Tchaikovsky ballet. Dec. 19, 2 and 5:30pm. Marin Center Showcase Theatre, Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. $12 to $20. 415/499-6800. SingersMarin The youth and adult ensembles ring in the season Dec. 20, 4pm. Marin Center, Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. $20 to $30. 415/499-6800. Hot Club Cool Yule Hot Club of San Francisco asks “What Would Django Do?” Dec. 23, 8pm. 142 Throckmorton, Mill Valley. 415/383-9600. ❉ For more events throughout the holidays, check our online calendar at ›› pacificsun.com NOVEMBER 20 – NOVEMBER 26, 2009 PACIFIC SUN 19
M A R i N
R E A L
E S TAT E
PACIFIC SUN OPEN HOMES
Attention realtors: To submit your free open home listing for this page and for our online listing map go to ›› pacificsun.com, click on Real Estate on the left navigation bar, then scroll to the bottom of our new Real Estate page and click on the open home submission link. Please note that times and dates often change for listed Open Homes. Call the phone number shown on the properties you wish to visit to check for changes prior to visiting the home.
BELVEDERE
NOVATO
KENTFIELD
4 BEDROOMS
8 Windward Sun 1-4 McGuire Real Estate
$2,475,000 383-8500
$1,239,000 383-9393
17 Marin View/MOBILE Sun 2-4 Marin Realty Group
17 Treetop $4,750,000 Sun 2-4 Pacific Union International 380-6100
51 Martinez Sun 1-4 Alain Pinel Realtors
MILL VALLEY
ROSS
14 Laurel Sun 2-4
First Marin Realty, Inc
3 BEDROOMS
6 Baja Sun 2-4 Alain Pinel Realtors 14 Arrowhead Sun 2-4 McGuire Real Estate
$798,000 755-1111 $1,150,000 383-8500
517 Tamalpais Sun 1-4 Frank Howard Allen 61 Bayview Sun 1-4 McGuire Real Estate 50 Eucalyptus Knoll Sun 1-4 Frank Howard Allen
5124 Paradise Sun 2-4 Frank Howard Allen
$1,895,000 461-3000
FAIRFAX 317 Scenic Sun 1-4
$725,000 461-3000 $839,000 383-8500 $675,000 461-3000
3 BEDROOMS
2 BEDROOMS
259 Corte Madera Sun 2-4 McGuire Real Estate 202 California Sun 1-4 Frank Howard Allen 127 Lomita Sun 2-4 Frank Howard Allen
$499,000 461-2020
Coldwell Banker 3 BEDROOMS
137 Tamalpais Sun 1-4 Coldwell Banker
$680,000 461-2020
$999,000 927-1492 $699,000 456-3000 $949,000 461-3000
4 BEDROOMS
GREENBRAE
324 Deertrail $1,045,000 Sun 2-4 Pacific Union International 380-6100 707 Forrest $1,850,000 Sun 2-4 First Marin Realty, Inc 383-9393 174 Morning Sun $1,295,000 Sun 1-3 McGuire Real Estate 383-8500
3 BEDROOMS
55 Corte Real Sun 2-4 Frank Howard Allen
$739,000 456-3000
4 BEDROOMS
284 N. ALMENAR Sun 2-4 Coldwell Banker
$1,257,000 461-3220
$528,000 755-1111
5 BEDROOMS
512 Hillside $2,350,000 Sun 2-4 Pacific Union International 380-6100
76 Peacock Sun 1-4 McGuire Real Estate 141 Convent Sun 2-4 Frank Howard Allen 176 Baypoint Sun 1-4 Frank Howard Allen
$1,965,000 383-8500 $949,000 456-3000 $839,000 461-3000
5 BEDROOMS
1 Culloden Park Sun 1-4 First Marin Realty, Inc
4 BEDROOMS
2 BEDROOMS
4 BEDROOMS
$179,000 927-4443
3 BEDROOMS
6 BEDROOMS
CORTE MADERA
4 BEDROOMS
2 BEDROOMS
4 BEDROOMS
60 Baywood Sun 2-4 McGuire Real Estate
$1,845,000 383-8500
5 BEDROOMS
20 Upper Road W Sun 2-4 McGuire Real Estate
$3,295,000 435-0848
2 BEDROOMS
$759,000 381-1500
RE/MAX 3 BEDROOMS
30 Tamalpais Sun 2-4 Frank Howard Allen
$1,450,000 461-3000
4 BEDROOMS
123 Saunders Sun 1-4 Coldwell Banker
$1,699,000 461-2020
1 BEDROOM
315 Richardson Sun 1-4 McGuire Real Estate
$649,000 383-8500
271 Santa Rosa Sun 1-4 McGuire Real Estate 25 Santa Rosa Sun 1-4 McGuire Real Estate 100 Harrison Sun 2-4 McGuire Real Estate 70 Monte Mar Sun 1-4 McGuire Real Estate
$1,175,000 383-8500 $2,674,000 927-1492 $2,689,000 927-1492 $2,000,000 383-8500
TIBURON 3 BEDROOMS
SAN RAFAEL
18 Janet Sun 2-4
2 BEDROOMS
122 Tiburon Sun 1-4
SAUSALITO 3 BEDROOMS
SAN ANSELMO 576 Scenic Sun 12-3
$2,195,000 383-9393
$410,000 258-1500
RE/MAX 3 BEDROOMS
222 Arias Sun 2-4 Frank Howard Allen 128 Dowitcher Sun 1-4 Frank Howard Allen - Greenbrae
$649,000 456-3000 $620,000 461-3000
$649,000 435-0848
McGuire Real Estate 4 BEDROOMS
45 Hacienda Sun 2-4 Frank Howard Allen
$2,275,000 461-3000
6 BEDROOMS
7 Seafirth Sun 1-4
›› HOME SALES
$3,995,000 381-1500
RE/MAX
DOM* = Days on Market
Recent sales in Marin County include:
Address LAGUNITAS
85 ARROYO
MILL VALLEY 724 ALTA VISTA 429 GREEN GLEN 211 MARGUERITE 740 PANORAMIC 284 BLITHEDALE
SAN ANSELMO 4 MYRTLE 15 KEMP 510 REDWOOD
Br/Ba
DOM* List/Sell% Address
Asking $
Selling $
2/2
$944,000
$662,500
409
70.2%
3/2 3/2 3/3 3/2 5/5
$899,000 $848,000 $899,000 $899,000 $1,049,000
$870,000 $848,000 $842,500 $825,000 $825,000
45 48 212 116 262
96.8% 100.0% 93.7% 91.8% 78.6%
3/2 2/1 2/1
$975,000 $830,000 $725,000
$915,000 $741,000 $720,000
75 277 17
93.8% 89.3% 99.3%
825 SAN ANSELMO 379 OAK 51 ROSEMONT
SAN GERONIMO 6359 SFD
SAUSALITO 8 CHANNING 29 GLEN 200 EDEN ROC 610 NEVADA 67 LINCOLN 103 LINCOLN
Br/Ba
Asking $
Selling $
DOM* List/Sell%
3/2 3/3 3/2
$729,000 $1,350,000 $579,000
$675,000 $675,000 $565,000
42 175 35
92.6% 50.0% 97.6%
3/2
$895,000
$535,000
487
59.8%
3/3 4/2 3/2 3/2 3/3 3/3
$2,850,000 $1,200,000 $1,095,000 $895,000 $775,000 $799,000
$2,650,000 $1,000,000 $900,000 $780,000 $725,000 $710,000
93 146 37 165 159 184
93.0% 83.3% 82.2% 87.2% 93.5% 88.9%
›› pacificsun.com 20 PACIFIC SUN NOVEMBER 20 – NOVEMBER 26, 2009