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MARI N E X T R A O R D I N A R Y

MAY 2007

L I V I N G

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CONTENTS

Features 86 think

106

The Killing Fields

The ﬁght to save California’s signature oaks. story peter ﬁmrite photos tim porter

92 life

Cabernet Country Club

Napa Valley Reserve members share a rare wine estate. story lucas davidson photos tim porter

98 garden

Springtime in Marin

Local garden tours are a feast for the senses. story p. j. bremier photos barbara ries

106 journey

Dubai: Boomtown!

Where the snow is fake but the Bedouin roots remain real. story & photos barbara ries

MARIN

M AY 2 0 07

68 CONTENTS

Departments

letters

at a glance

marin album

marin green

snap

fashion trends

life style

fyi

Readers respond to Marin Magazine.

Hot tips day by day for the Bay Area.

Rodeo Beach in the spring. by tim porter

Mainstreet Moms Organize or Bust. by mimi towle

Out and about, in and around Marin.

Spring kids’ and maternity wear. by somer ﬂaherty

Sausalito’s Yasmine McGrane talks about her life in Marin.

Mother’s Day: Things to do on that special day. by mimi towle Health: Keeping fit. by mimi towle Beauty: Safe cosmetics in Marin. by somer flaherty Education: Teach your children well. by mimi towle Art: Local tours and shows. by samantha bronson Business: Marin entrepreneurs revolutionize home finance. by jim wood People: Tiburon’s Purple Lady. by jim wood Community: Change a habit, save a life. by somer flaherty Books: Mothers’ helpers. by samantha berry

MARIN

M AY 2 0 07

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CONTENTS

Departments 180

first person

made in marin

115

122

play

126

looking back

130

calendar

134

galleries

142

flavor

Don’t fear the shark. by jonathan kathrein

A talk with the maker of McEvoy Ranch olive oil. by mimi towle

Easy, active escapes in Tahoe. by ben davidson

Marin’s bocce culture in San Rafael. by samantha bronson

West Marin’s historical ranch houses. by jim wood

A roundup of performing arts, events, galleries and more.

Claus Eben at the Painters Place. by anne crump ray

Corte Madera’s Benissimo. by erika lenkert Dine Out, an insider’s guide to Bay Area restaurants.

163

microclimate

180

dialogue

Hamilton—Marin’s new kid on the block. by jim wood

CBS news reporter and anchor Dana King. by mimi towle

Columns The Cover Headlands Lagoon, by

view from mount tam

pov

The creators of Marin Magazine welcome you to share their vision.

Marin artist Gale McKee. To inquire about her work, call 415.459.2981. 14

MARIN

M AY 2 0 07

Nonproﬁts in Marin: a highlight or a headache. by jim wood

SAN FRANCISCO 60 MAIDEN LANE PALO ALTO 129 STANFORD CENTER

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A SENSE OF SPACE, A SENSE OF PLACE. The Royal Lahaina Resort was the ﬁ rst property developed on Ka‘anapali Beach, and has been loved by generations of returning families. This extraordinary location, Maui’s most cherished landmark, will soon become the island’s premier residential resort. Occupying the most enviable position along the Ka‘anapali shore–an exclusive quarter mile stretch contained in a natural cul-de-sac created by the majestic Black Rock–the Villas at Royal Lahaina await. 126 fee-simple luxur¥ villas nestled on 27 beachfront acres. Sales begin late Spring 2007.

for mor e infor mation contact royal lahaina r ealty 808-270-9777 • www.royallahainavillas.com • Ka‘anapali, Maui This is not intended to be an offer to sell nor a solicitation of offers to buy real estate in the Villas at Royal Lahaina. Developer reserves the right to change any information contained herein without any prior notice and disclaim any duty to update the information. Features subject to change without notice.

Editorial editorial director Nikki Wood ext 105 nwood@marinmagazine.com

executive editor Jim Wood ext 106 jwood@marinmagazine.com

associate editor Mimi Towle ext 101 mtowle@marinmagazine.com

editor-at-large Tim Porter tporter@marinmagazine.com

departments editor Somer Flaherty ext 103 sflaherty@marinmagazine.com

copy editor/proofreader Cynthia Rubin

editorial contributors Samantha Berry, P. J. Bremier, Samantha Bronson, Ben Davidson, Lucas Davidson, Peter Fimrite, Erika Lenkert, Anne Crump Ray, Barbara Ries

Art art director Trpti Todd ext 112 ttodd@marinmagazine.com

production manager Alex French ext 111 production@marinmagazine.com

contributing photographers

ESTATE GARDENS

Drew Altizer, Ben Davidson, Sasha Gulish, Sheri Montgomery, Barbara Ries

Administration controller Maeve Walsh ext 104 mwalsh@marinmagazine.com Marin Magazine, One Harbor Dr, Ste 208, Sausalito, CA 94965, phone: 415.332.4800, fax: 415.332.3048, web: marinmagazine.com, e-mail: editorial@marinmagazine.com

MARIN

M AY 2 0 07

EBEL BRASILIA Steel & 18K Yellow Gold. Bold. Beautiful. Brilliant.

155 Post Street (next to Gumps) San Francisco, CA 94108 415 391 9995

Advertising publisher Lisa Shanower 415.332.4800 ext 107 lshanower@marinmagazine.com

advertising director Courtney Q. Roberts ext 108 croberts@marinmagazine.com

account manager Michele Johnson ext 110 mjohnson@marinmagazine.com

account manager Genevieve Luckel ext 109 gluckel@marinmagazine.com

regional sales offices california media marin associates Lora Dinga 415.898.6400

robert kaufman associates Robert Kaufman 415.721.0558

new york couture marketing Karen Couture 917.821.4429

southeast tlc media Cindy Taylor 404.459.6578

hawaii destination marketing Debbie Joseph Shana Wong 808.739.2200

advertising art director Alex French ext 111 production@marinmagazine.com Volume 3, Issue 5. Marin Magazine is published in Marin County by Marin Magazine LLC. All rights reserved. Copyright©2007. Reproduction of Marin Magazine content is prohibited without the expressed, written consent of Marin Magazine LLC. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned. Marin Magazine reserves the right to refuse to publish any advertisement deemed detrimental to the best interests of the community or that is in questionable taste. Marin Magazine is mailed monthly to homes and businesses in Marin County. Subscription rates are $36 per year. Marin Magazine, One Harbor Drive, Sausalito, CA 94965. Phone 415.332.4800, fax 415.332.3048, e-mail editorial@marinmagazine.com, website marinmagazine.com. marin magazine is printed on 30% post consumer waste paper member of the bpa worldwide:

MARIN

M AY 2 0 07

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V I E W F R O M M O U N T TA M

THREE STUNNING WORKS OF ART grace our cover this

endangered. Sudden Oak Death syndrome has already

month as a result of our Get Covered! art contest, which

killed tens of thousands of oaks in Marin and neighbor-

attracted hundreds of entrants. We thank them all and con-

ing counties. As Peter Fimrite reports in this issue, the

gratulate the winners: Gale McKee (painter), Drew Altizer

spreading epidemic raises fire danger, costs homeowners

(photographer), and Greg Martin (illustrator). These artists

in property value and tree removal, and frustrates scien-

will be presenting their work at the Marin Art Salon events

tists, who have no effective treatment in sight.

held at the California Closets showroom in San Rafael.

May means moms, and we pay homage to the moth-

This series of events celebrates Marin County art, includ-

ers of Marin with a guide to mothers’ groups, from a fit-

ing visual, literary and musical works, starting Wednesday

ness-geared Baby Boot Camp in Tiburon to the Writing

evening, May 9, and continuing every Wednesday in May

Mamas Salon at Book Passage in Corte Madera. We also

after that. We are proud to present this year’s contest win-

discover what local moms do on Mother’s Day—they get

ners and salute the continuation of the Marin Art Salons

wined, dined, scrubbed and soaked (on the Santa Cruz

as they align with an important Marin Magazine value—

boardwalk Log Ride!)

details check out marinmagazine.com/events.

dusty Bedouin port to the fastest-growing metropolis in

tours in Mill Valley and Ross offer entertaining strolls

the world. Ben Davidson takes his kayak paddle, golf clubs

through inspiring gardens as described this month by

and, of course, camera to Tahoe, where he finds recreation

P. J. Bremier. Heading north, Lucas Davidson takes us in-

begins at dawn and lasts until dusk.

side the Napa Valley Reserve, a private cabernet country

As always, our wish is for your good reading. Enjoy

club in St. Helena where members stake claim to part of

Marin Magazine, as we continue to celebrate this

the vineyard (literally) and enjoy the resulting vintages

extraordinary place!

The Coast Live Oak, the craggy, evocative tree that is so much a part of Marin’s natural beauty, is gravely

MARIN

M AY 2 0 07

ing Arabian Peninsula emirate that has morphed from

With Marin abloom in the glory of late spring,

amid surroundings of quiet luxury.

In Journey, Barbara Ries take us to Dubai, the boom-

Lisa Shanower, Publisher Nikki Wood, Editorial Director Jim Wood, Executive Editor

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: BARBARA RIES

promoting art and creating community in Marin. For more

Aoraki, Mount Cook National Park.

Be here by morning

New Zealand is a lot closer than you thought. Leave tonight and you’ll be in another world by morning. Even if you have as little as a week or more than a month, start planning your vacation now by visiting

G E T C OV E R E D

Gale S. McKee

Drew Altizer

Greg Martin

A third-generation

Drew Altizer is a San

A surreal interpreta-

San Franciscan, Gale

Francisco–based so-

tion of the natural

S. McKee was raised

ciety photographer

world characterizes

in Marin County and

whose images ap-

the work of Greg

began drawing and

pear regularly in na-

Martin. Born and

painting at an early

tional and Bay Area

raised in Marin,

age. McKee attended

publications includ-

Martin is inspired by

Croydon College of

ing Marin Magazine.

his surroundings. His

Art in England and then went on to receive a

Altizer is a self- taught photographer who was

paintings balance delicacy and realism within

BFA from the University of Denver in Colorado.

lucky enough to pick up a camera one day and

a loose, alive structure. His work has been

In 1990 she began experimenting with pastels,

understand just how to get his ideas and an im-

featured in repeat exhibitions at the Oakland

creating landscapes, still lifes, figure studies

age on to paper. As a North Carolina native, he

Museum of California and published by the

and whimsical art. McKee’s work is influenced

appreciates Marin County’s diverse natural re-

New York Times and the California Academy

by Raimonds Staprans, Wayne Thiebaud and

sources both personally and as subjects for

of Sciences. His paintings and prints are on

Richard Diebenkorn. For more information

photography. For more of Altizer’s work visit

exhibition at Gallery Bergelli in Larkspur. To

regarding McKee’s work, call 415.459.2981.

drewaltizer.moonfruit.com.

view more of his work, visit grmartin.com.

MARIN

022-028_View_LTR_POV.indd 24

M AY 2 0 07

GALE S. Mc KEE/ JAY DANIELS ; D REW ALTIZER/ HE ATHER WI LEY ; GR EG MA RT I N / S H E R I M O N TGO M E RY

CONTEST WINNERS

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

4/3/07 2:40:35 PM

LE TTE R S

Readers respond

visioned a new community that would further many of today’s goals and be a great model

I want to let you know that I am grateful to

for the future. We ask, and hope, that others

Marin Magazine for your feature on the com-

will join us.

pany AngelPoints. I am most impressed by its

Dart and Esther Cherk, Mill Valley

mission of creating a culture of social responsibility at corporations around the world and

Thank you for your recent articles on the

being the leading provider of in-demand CSR

“greening” of Marin. Did you ever consider us-

solutions. It is much-needed and I do believe

ing soy-based ink in your magazine? As it is, I

in technology servicing the best practices in

have to put it outside for a week to offgas be-

the sustainability world. Measurement is a key

fore I can get close enough to read it. I’d love

component of assessing results and making im-

to see you align your actions with the values

provement. I salute this company’ work.

you champion.

Maryline Lewett, via e-mail

Sabine Miller, San Anselmo

Jim Wood’s Point of View editorial (“Marin’s

Editors note: Thanks for the good sugges-

Next Stage,” April) resonated with us. Like

tion. We are making progress. As of the March

those he interviewed, we’ve spent 48 years

2007 issue, Marin Magazine is printing on 30

in Marin striving to create community and

percent post-consumer waste paper from sustain-

enhance the public realm. In Mill Valley, this

able forests. This is something we have wanted

has meant improving streets, schools, and City

to do for a long time and we are now doing it.

Hall, as well as helping create the plaza and

It’s good to hear you are reading Marin in spite

promoting social interactions. We feel today’s

of the ink. As awareness grows and new products

greatest problems stem from the lack of com-

and technologies emerge, we will continue to

munication among Marin County’s citizens.

look for opportunities to produce an even more

We miss the opportunity to come together

environmentally friendly product.

as a county community to share visions and dreams. Too often, the only gatherings are

I grew up in the city and Marin in the late six-

confrontational and on single issues that pits

ties/early seventies, and when I moved here

neighbor against neighbor. While our natu-

six years ago, things had changed so much! I

ral beauty is important, it is all around us.

love your magazine, its production values and

Consideration should also be given to human

the ways in which it seeks to make ours more

needs. As a way of helping create a Marin

than just a culture of SUVs, kitchen remodels

County “community,” we enjoy Tiburon’s

and pedicures. (I formed my nonprofit, Bay

Friday night street party, the Mill Valley Art

Area Cabaret, formerly Cabaret Marin, four

1 9 6 9

Festival and its Art Walks, Sausalito’s Jazz-by-

years ago out of the same desire.)

antique & estate jewelry diamonds & gemstones vintage timepieces old silver • objets d’art

the-Bay, San Rafael’s Thursday evening farm-

about in Marin. For years, we’ve done what we

Letters to the editor may be edited for clarity

323 Sutter St. San Francisco, CA 94108

can to develop a sense of community in Marin.

and brevity. Send letters to Marin Magazine, One

Tel: (415) 982-2213 www.langantiques.com

To this end, our architectural office, Dovetail

Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965.

Sustainable Community Design, has even en-

Or e-mail to jwood@marinmagazine.com.

S i n c e

MARIN

M AY 2 0 07

Marilyn Levinson, via e-mail

ers market and many other events we hear

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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POV

Nonproﬁts in Marin: A Highlight or a Headache? Comprehensive survey hopes to provide answers soon

BY JIM WOOD

there’s Girls On The Run (“training girls to run

than 200 grants totaling $25 million to Marin

a 5K footrace”), Teens for Safe Cosmetics (“raise

nonprofits. “Frankly, what some say are ‘too

awareness of cancer-causing chemicals in cos-

many’ Marin nonprofits is more a positive than

metics”), and Next Generation Scholars (“Equal

a negative,” Peters says. “A vital indicator of a

access to higher education”).

community’s social consciousness lies in the

Marin nonprofits also benefit the en-

number of nonprofits it has.” That said, Peters

vironment (The Bay Institute, Headlands

also feels there well could be overlapping of

Institute, and SPAWN, the Salmon Protection

efforts among Marin’s many nonprofits. “But

and Watershed Network), agriculture (Marin

it’s no different than in the private sector,” he

Organics, Marin Farmers Market Association, and

says, “people see needs and are passionate

Marin Agricultural Land Trust, or MALT), and

about meeting those needs.”

the arts (Mountain Play Association, Artworks

Recently—in an effort to clear up the cloudy

Downtown, and the Marin Ballet). Some non-

picture of Marin’s many nonprofits—the Marin

profits have lengthy names and dubious mis-

Community Foundation granted $50,000 (hope-

ikipedia, the Internet’s free, up-to-

sions (San Rafael’s The Institute for Abundant

fully to grow to $115,000) to the Center for

the-minute encyclopedia, defines

Living, which maintains that “all people should

Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership for a six-

the term “nonprofit” as “an orga-

live life to the fullest.”). Others have concise

month survey of Marin’s 1,800 nonprofits.

nization whose objective is to support an issue

and purposeful titles (Marin Community Clinic,

of private interest or public concern for noncom-

Golden Gate Opera, and Adopt a Family).

“We intend to get an accurate overview of Marin’s nonprofit sector,” says Linda Davis,

mercial purposes. Nonprofits are involved in the

Most Marin residents are well aware of the

CEO of the organization, “and stimulate dia-

arts, education, health care, politics, religion, the

county’s larger nonprofits: Whistlestop, Marin

logue leading to action wherever it’s needed.”

environment or some other endeavor.”

Arts Council, Canal Alliance, Marin Education

The survey will be conducted by LaFrance

Such organizations were once called chari-

Fund, Marin Advocates for Children and the

Associates of San Francisco, assisted by

ties, or causes. However they’re referred to now,

Marin Humane Society. But hundreds—and

USF’s Institute for Nonprofit Organizational

Marin has a slew of them. Based on county re-

none-the-less worthy—are small and rarely

Management. LaFrance has done similar stud-

cords, telephone listings and tax exemption fil-

heard of: Trips for Kids, Ambassadors of Hope

ies for San Mateo and Santa Clara counties,

ings, the number is estimated to be 1,800. That’s

and Opportunity, and Insight Prison Project.

says Davis, so Marin will be able to compare

The list is virtually endless. I’ve mentioned

ing in Marin. Some say that’s ridiculous; others

only 32 Marin nonprofits, meaning I left out

I estimate the size of Marin’s nonprofit

claim it’s a sign of a caring and involved people.

about 1,768. Think about it. Is there a glut of

sector at exceeding $150 million a year. But

For animal activists there’s Mill Valley’s Save

nonprofits here, as some suggest? “Of course, I

no one knows for sure. Similarly, no one seems

a Bunny (“a leader in rabbit rescue efforts”),

believe in having a vibrant nonprofit sector,” says

to know with certainty if Marin’s needs are

West Marin’s Planned Feralhood (“dedicated

county community leader Catherine Munson.

being met? Or are some oversubscribed to?

to improving the lives of wild cats”), and Fort

“But nonprofits have to operate in a ‘for-profit’

The survey is timely indeed. But the need

Baker’s Mission Blue Butterfly Team (“to restore

manner. It’s obvious there’s overlapping of fund

will only be met if the results are carefully

the Mission Blue butterfly’s habitats”). Older

raising and missions, which can’t help but dilute

tabulated, objectively analyzed, and wide-

adults have Keeping Hope Alive (stroke reha-

the dollars and services provided.”

ly disseminated. That’s my point of view.

bilitation), Senior Access (dementia, Alzheimer’s

A differing view is held by Thomas Peters,

daycare), and LITA, or Love Is The Answer (se-

president and CEO of the Marin Community

niors suffering loneliness). For younger people,

Foundation, which annually distributes more

MARIN

M AY 2 0 07

What’s yours?

Email jwood@marinmagazine.com

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: BARBARA RIES

its nonprofit sector to those other counties.

nearly one nonprofit for every 100 adults liv-

AT A G LAN C E

M AY MAY 5 Spring Plant Sale More

Mexican national holiday commemorates the victory of Mexican forces over the French in the Battle of Puebla.

than 20,000 plants are up for sale at this annual event. San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park (SF). 415.661.1316, sfbotanicalgarden.org ▼

▼

MAY 5 Cinco de Mayo The

MAY 9—30 Marin Arts Salon Artists

MAY 10 Mother’s Day Check out

and performers, including the winners of the Marin Magazine cover art contest, will showcase their work. California Closets Showroom (San Rafael). 415.332.4800, marinmagazine.com

what other Marin moms have said is their favorite Mother’s Day activity on page 56.

MAY 11 Marin Abused Women’s Services The fourth annual luncheon, in celebration of all mothers, features Isabel Allende and Cheryl Jennings. Peacock Gap Golf and Country Club (San Rafael). 415.457.2464, maws.org

MAY 12 Marin Human Race Join

MAY 12 Creatures from the New Lagoon Celebrate the wildlife,

4,000 locals as they run or walk to benefit nonprofit organizations and school programs across Marin. Marin Center Fairgrounds (San Rafael). 415.479.5710, marinhumanrace.org

▼

history and architecture of the Palace of Fine Arts with food, storytelling and music near the newly renovated lagoon. Exploratorium (SF). 415.561.0360, exploratorium.edu

funnyman has appeared in 14 films and three network series; now see him live in Marin. Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org ▼

MAY 27 Asian Pacific Heritage Festival Celebrate Asian

MAY 27 Golden Gate Bridge First Opens On this day

Pacific Islander Month with a performance by the Marin Chinese Cultural Association’s Lion Dance Team (Sausalito). 415.339.3900, baykidsmuseum.org

in 1937 the bridge was first opened to pedestrian traffic.

MAY 27 Joyce Maynard The jour-

MAY 28 Memorial Day The Marin

nalist and author of nine books speaks at the Writing Mamas Salon, a writing group for mothers. Book Passage (Corte Madera). 415.927.0960, writingmamas.com

County United Veterans Council will conduct an observance with flag displays and a wreathlaying ceremony. Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org ▼

▼

EVE NT S IN MA R IN & B EYO N D

MAY 19 Bob Newhart The

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

You Went to Camp for the Outdoors. for the Friendship. for the Adventure. Some Things Never Change.

Martis Camp. The Tahoe You’ve Always Imagined. TM

This time around, camp is all grown up. Reﬁned. And enriched. Martis Camp is a private gated community that is introducing a limited number of families to a new level of authentic North Lake Tahoe luxury. With 2,100 acres of natural splendor at your door, you’ll recapture the wonder, the spirit and the camaraderie of the summers of youth. The Martis Camp lifestyle will be made all the more spectacular with available access to the Martis Camp Club, which will feature a Tom Fazio Championship Golf Course, a Camp Lodge with ﬁne and casual dining, a state-of-the-art Club Spa, Outdoor Concert Park and Amphitheater and a Family Barn complete with Movie Theater and Bowling Lanes. You can’t go back in time. But you can go back to camp.

Phase I was a tremendous success, selling out in record time. Our Phase II Launch is shaping up to be just as successful with pricing from $700,000. Call 800-721-9005 to reserve your home at Martis Camp today, or visit MartisCamp.com for more information. The club amenities described above are proposed but not yet built. Access to and use of the club amenities are not included in the purchase of homesites and require separate membership, which is subject to application, approval, and payment of applicable fees and dues. Obtain and carefully review the offering circular for Martis Camp Club before making any decision to purchase a membership. All features, dimensions, drawings, conceptual renderings, plans and specifications are subject to change without notice, and Developer expressly reserves the right to modify, revise or withdraw any or all of the same in its sole discretion. Pictures and renderings are Artist Representations and are not necessarily an accurate depiction. All improvements, design and construction, are subject to first obtaining appropriate permits and approvals. Areas shown are based upon gross square footage. All prices are subject to change without notice. This advertisement does not constitute an offer to sell real property. The information provided in this advertisement is strictly for informational purposes and shall not be construed as an offer in California or any other jurisdictions where prior registration or other advance qualification of real property is required. The Martis CampTM name and logos are owned by DMB/Highlands Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

M A R I N ALBUM

Spring Wardrobe: Dress Green BY TIM PORTER “Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party!”

LOOKING NORTH FROM THE HEADLANDS OF POINT BONITA on a crisp spring after-

—ROBIN WILLIAMS, ACTOR

upward. The Paciﬁc, frothy from a stiff on-shore breeze, strives repeatedly to connect with

noon, the Marin coast does indeed seem dressed for a day on the town – or at least an afternoon at the beach. The bluffs book-ending Rodeo Beach sport an outﬁt rich with reds and yellows, courtesy of fresh clusters of ice plant. Beyond, the verdant undulations of Wolf Ridge march curvaceously Rodeo Lagoon, but never succeeds in breaching the beach between them. Amid this array of natural wonders are the remains of Fort Cronkhite, tidy rows of redroofed buildings that remind us of this tranquil setting’s more hostile past. In the 1940s, when the world was at war, an Army garrison lived on the fort’s 800 acres. The soldiers manned massive guns that pointed west and could propel a one-ton shell 30 miles out to sea —farther than the Farallon Islands—with the intent of repelling any invader that came California’s way. Today, where uniformed men once walked with bayonets fixed, marine mammals are saved, raptors are observed and the sounds of children, visiting for camps, mingle with the Looking north from the headlands of Point Bonita on a crisp spring afternoon, so much can be seen—the variegation of nature, the fallibilities of humankind, the promise of renewal. That’s a lot to ask a photograph to display. It’s simpler to look at the burst of color, the patchwork palette assembled by man and nature, and say: “Let’s party! Spring is here!

MARIN

M AY 2 0 07

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: TIM PORTER

endless serenade of the surf. Here is a sword beaten soundly into a ploughshare.

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Marin • Peninsula Marina • Downtown • Noe Valley

M A R I N GR E E N

The MMob: Mainstreet Moms Organize or Bust

BY MIMI TOWLE

Hell hath no fury like a mother scorned…and during the 2004 presidential election, a group of politically thwarted mothers in Bolinas decided to turn that fury into action. “We were determined to figure out ways to have an impact,” says Megan Matson, cofounder of MMOB, Mainstreet Moms Organize or Bust (formerly Mainstreet Moms Oppose Bush). “At the time, we felt our children’s future was imperiled; we had to do something.” And so Matson, along with cofounders Caroline Quine and Arlene Allsman, coordinated a letter-writing campaign that reached out to unregistered-voter moms nationwide. “Today we are a nonpartisan, nonprofit project” still “committed to securing a more viable future for our children,” says core member Felicity Crush. Among its “bite-size” menu of actions scaled to fit into overscheduled lives, building awareness of climate change is at the top of the list. “It is so much more useful for us to become educated about the solutions rather than wallow in the crisis,” Matson says. “Brain Up!” exhorts the website, which offers a syllabus of helpful books, online resource links and suggestions for making time to get informed. These include taking a break from reading fiction and watching local TV news. “Think of it like college,” says Matson. “Get some bubble gum, coffee and a highlighter,” and hunker down to learn. Here in Marin, MMOB members are educating themselves and spreading the word about Community Choice, an energy plan that allows municipalities to broker their own power and demand green energy from suppliers. “Marin is at a crucial point for pulling together support from its 11 cities for Community Choice,” says Crush. “We believe it is a great opportunity to institute renewable energy on a large scale at the municipal level.” Ready to join? Check out themmob.org.

Megan Matson, right, and Felicity Crush model totes, scarves and jewelry available on themmob.org

MARIN

M AY 2 0 07

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PHOTO: BARBARA RIES

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S NA P MARIN SYMPHONY

Shelley Munson, Catherine Munson

Mary and David Rabb

Alasdair Neale, Maria and John Pitcairn Bill and Gina Seaborg, Deb and Leb Mattson

A Festive Soiree It was a “Royal Renaissance Evening” for the Marin Symphony at the Mill Valley Community Center. Court jesters welcomed patrons, who were treated to a feast from local restaurants including Sabor of Spain and Boca Steak. In a surprise announcement executive director Noralee Monestere revealed the establishment of an endowment fund of $1.675 million. At the Museum of the African Diaspora’s (MoAD)

Renee Rymer, Tony Clementino

“Carnaval: Celebrating Across Cultures,” guests enjoyed an evening of gourmet food and global entertainment in the Rotunda at San Francisco’s City Hall. The one-year-old museum has already hosted more than 60,000 visitors from around the world.

Bob and Graciaela Placak

Darrell and Cathe Anderson

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M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

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Dennis Deisinger, Erinne Mickle, Dan Zazzeron

Maureen Vogel, Jessica Fairchild

Suzanne Joyal, Kathy Green

Retail Therapy Maureen Vogel recently unlocked the doors to her new luxury handbag and wallet store, Number 5, in Ross. At the opening party guests browsed lines from featured designers Devi Kroell, Jane August, Kazuyo Nakano, Rebecca Ciccio and Helen Marien. In San Francisco, Tiffany and Company celebrated the 50th anniversary of the S.F. Film Festival with a breakfast to honor ﬁlm society members. At the neighboring St. John boutique, celebrity stylist Mark-Alan Harmon personally shopped for clients looking for the perfect piece to round out their spring wardrobes.

S.F. FILM FESTIVAL

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ST. JOHN

Alejandra Garcia-Williams, Tamar Akov, Jonathan Chait

Mark-Alan Harmon, David and Natasha Monpes

Jeanne Eber, Corine Garrahan

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

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Parisa Sadeghian, Margaret Ghirardelli Lawrence

Jim and Margaret Moore

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FASHION WEEK LIVE

Daru Kawalkowski, Tyson Beckford, Robin Collins

Ted Forstmann, Fern Mallis

Fashion in the City At Fashion Week Live in San Francisco, supermodels Naomi Campbell, Alek Wek, Tyson Beckford and Gemma Ward strutted down the 180-foot runway in the latest fall 2007 fashions—including pieces from local designers Colleen Quen and Lily Samii. The crowd of Tony Guilfoyle, Michelle Starno

almost 1,300 cheered as looks from Marc Jacobs, Nanette Lepore, Zac Posen and Badgley Mischka ﬁlled the stage in what is sure to be one of the biggest fashion shows the Bay Area Karen Caldwell, Jean Larette

will see this year. Downtown at Neiman Marcus, customers enjoyed a bevy of in-store events. To kick off beauty week, Madonna makeup artist and Shu Uemura artistic director Gina Brooke was on hand for free beauty appointments. At Dior, clients were treated to a special appearance by the company’s national celebrity makeup artist Pati Dubroff, who along with a team of artists shared beauty tips and encouraged guests to sample the wide range of Christian Dior beauty products. At Escada vice president of wholesale Kimberly Jetnil was here from New York to present a fashion show and luncheon featuring the latest Escada looks. At the Didier Ludot event, Neiman Marcus vice president and general manager John Capizzi hosted a luncheon featuring the French designer’s dresses on behalf of the Junior Committee for the de Young Museum.

Gina Brooke

DIOR BEAUTY

Erin Wassum, Keri Johnson

Daniel Winterfeldt, Tanya Ponton

DIDIER LUDOT

Lucy Buchanan, Mary Jo Bowling

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

Pati Dubroff

ESCADA

Marvin Brooks, Kimberly Jetnil

Kathryn Lasater, Cecilia de Quesada Harris, Andrea Schnitzer

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

FASHION WEEK/BEAUTY/DIDIER: DREW ALTIZER

SHU UEMURA

SNAP SLOW FOOD

Gibson Thomas, Phil Cecchettini

Cecile O’Connor, Anthony King

David and Denise Healey, David Graziano

Fabulous Food, Fashionable Fido At Fish restaurant in Sausalito, guests celebrated Fat Tuesday with Slow Food Marin-Petaluma at a beneﬁt for White Boot Brigade. Spencer Plaut, Whitney Gaunt, Kenny Belov

The organization encourages and assists commercial fisherman Jason Solomon

in the Gulf Coast region to transition from high-volume industrial harvesting to sustainable practices. More than 130 Redwoods residents and 239 members of the community had their fill of fresh Dungeness crab at the third annual Friends of the Redwoods Crab Feast. The event, chaired by Friends President Mary Jo Barnett, supports the Redwoods’ bus and other services aimed at enhancing the lives of senior citizens. In San Rafael, the ﬁrst Pizza Smack Down cooking contest and celebrity chef pizza toss event starring seventime world pizza toss champion Tony Gemignani was a fundraising success for the new Marin Youth Center. Proceeds will support the

Dennis and Barbara Plaut, Gelsia Franz, Tom Hot-Sandy

youth-run cafe and health, nutrition and cooking classes at the center. In Novato, man’s best friend took to the runway at Puppy Love, a fashion show beneﬁt to support animals at the Marin Humane Society. Dogs were

CRAB FEAST

accompanied by models dressed in clothing from Rumors and Gene Hiller.

MARIN HUMANE SOCIETY

Barr Hibbs, Barbara Solomon

Margaret Lane, Mary Jo Barnett

GENERATION CHEFS

Daniel Barreto, Alex Zavajas

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

Kelley Glenn, Guillermo Mejia

Doree Clark, Jojo

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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SNAP DOMINICAN’S HONOREES

Robin Snow Daly, Dr. Joseph R. Fink

Grace Hughes, John L. Levinsohn

SCIENCE IN MARIN

Francis and Katy McGovern, John Alle, Nancy Rutter Clark

Jim Davis, Zem Joaquin

Around Town Supporters of UCSF’s Foundation for Cardiac Research, led by Dr. Kanu Chatterjee, celebrated the foundation’s work at an evening hosted by Ann and Gordon Getty. Guests enjoyed a private concert by country music singer Kris Kristofferson,

Lawrence Goldfarb, Jeanne MacLeamy, Dean Kamen

who credits Dr. Chatterjee with saving his life. More than 200 guests attended the Dominican University President’s Dinner at San Francisco’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The event honors past and current chairs of the board of trustees. The dinner’s highlight was an unveiling of nine $100,000 annual scholarships named after the honorees. In Novato, Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway electronic scooter, made an appearance at the Marin Country Club to ask science and math edu-

Nancy Frish and Michael Rylander

cators to initiate a FIRST program in Marin. FIRST (For Inspiration Jonathan Courtney

and Recognition of Science and Technology) hopes to inspire teams of middle school and high school students to work alongside engi-

ACADEMY AWARDS IN LARKSPUR

Nicki Wilmott, Katie Vergara, Bernice Baeza

neers and other mentors to solve real-world problems by applying math, science and technology. The Lark Theater hosted an Academy Awards party complete with a full house of decked-out guests. When not watching the show in high deﬁnition, patrons enjoyed gourmet cooking from Left Bank, Emporio Rulli, Rustic Bakery and others. At Sweetwater in Mill Valley almost $5,000 was raised at Jerry Day through a sold-out show with Pat Nevins, Ragged Glory, Jelly with Jeff Chimenti and special guest Bob Weir for the ﬁfth annual Excelsior District Jerry Garcia birthday.

Richard Rubenstein, Tina McArthur

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

Charlotte Jarman, Sarah Jarma

Pat Nevins, Bobby Weir, Stu Allen

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ACADEMY/TERRY PECK; JERRY DAY/JANICE WULF

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FASHION

New Kids’ Fashion on the Block Just like with grown-up fashion, this season kids can freshen up their wardrobe with such basic additions as candy-colored hues, plaids and graphic tees—but remember, comfort trumps all on the playground.

BY SOMER FLAHERTY PHOTOS SASHA GULISH

Opposite page, on Tate Shirt by Big Fish, $25 at Sweet Potatoes (Novato) 415.898.8234. Shorts by Spudz, $19 at Sweet Potatoes. Shoes by Geox, $69 at Kidiniki (Mill Valley) 415.383.3110. On Sammy Dress by Le Fromage et L’Orange, $50 at Mill Valley Baby and Kids (Mill Valley) 415.383.1312. Sandals, $16 at Mill Valley Mercantile (Mill Valley) 415.388.9588. Sunglasses, $9 at Kidiniki. Clockwise, on Sammy Jacket by Flowers by Zoe, $67 at Swing (Larkspur) 415.924.2500. Skirt by Flowers by Zoe, $66 at Swing. On Tate Shirt by Charlie Rocket, $38 at Swing. Shorts by Charlie Rocket, $41 at Kidiniki. Shoes by Merrell, $36 at Kidiniki. On Sammy Hat by IKKS, $28 at Mill Valley Baby and Kids. Shirt by Mish Girl, $34 at Mill Valley Mercantile. On Tate Shirt by Kingsley Clothing, $46 at Swing. Swim trunks by Charlie Rocket, $42 at Swing. Shoes by Merrell, $36 at Kidiniki.

Clockwise, on Sammy Headband by Rachel Welssman, $17 at Swing (Larkspur) 415.924.2500. Shirt by Mish Girl, $34 at Mill Valley Mercantile (Mill Valley) 415.388.9588. Jeans by True Religion, $88 at Swing. Belt by Loops, $22 at Mill Valley Baby and Kids (Mill Valley) 415.383.1312. Shoes by Naturino, $93 at Kidiniki (Mill Valley) 415.383.3110. On Tate Shirt by Big Fish, $25 at Sweet Potatoes (Novato) 415.898.8234. Sunglasses, $9 at Kidiniki. On Sammy Dress by Haven Girl, $58 at Mill Valley Mercantile. On Tate Shirt by Kingsley Clothing, $46 at Swing. Swim trunks by Charlie Rocket, $42 at Swing. On Sammy Sunglasses, $9 at Kidiniki. Dress by Le Fromage et L’Orange, $50 at Mill Valley Baby and Kids. Shoes, $16 at Mill Valley Mercantile.

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FASHION

Spring’s Stylish Mothers Moms-to-be take notice: designers like Diane von Furstenberg and high-end denim brands are creating lines especially for your next nine months. Leave the tent tops behind and enjoy the new ﬁgure with belly-hugging blouses, eye-catching colors and diaper bags disguised as luxury purses.

BY SOMER FLAHERTY PHOTOS SASHA GULISH

Opposite page, on Anie Stackable bangles by Ashley Morgan, $120—$667 at Blanc Boutique (San Anselmo) 415.485.0104. Teardrop sapphire earrings by Lulu Designs, $398 at Margaret O’Leary (Mill Valley) 415.388.2390. Blouse by Diane von Furstenberg, $155 at Pea in the Pod (SF) 415.391.1240. Jeans by Paige, $191 at Glow Girl (Mill Valley) 415.383.4141. Clockwise, on Anie Wooden bangles, $20 at Evo Spa (Mill Valley) 415.383.3223. Dress by Notice, $158 at Mill Valley Baby and Kids (Mill Valley) 415.389.1312. Sandals by Tory Burch, $195 at Item Shoes (Larkspur) 415.925.0109. On Anie Double circle green sapphire earrings by Lulu, $290 at Columbine (Corte Madera) 415.927.8884. Stackable rings by Ashley Morgan, $185—$357 at Blanc (San Anselmo) 415.485.0104. Rope link bracelet by Ashley Morgan, $530 at Blanc. G-Luxe diaper bag by Fleurville, $194 at Dixie Park (San Anselmo) 415.457.2884. Nursing top by Japanese Weekend, $60 at Japanese Weekend (SF) 415.989.6667. Button up twill pants by Elly B, $83 at Glow Girl. On Anie Lotus leaf earrings by Ashley Morgan, $633 at Blanc. Orange sapphire necklace by Lulu Designs, $366 at Margaret O’Leary. Stackable rings by Ashley Morgan, $185—$357 at Blanc. Wooden bangle bracelets, $20 at Evo Spa. Dress by Notice, $158 at Mill Valley Baby and Kids. On Anie Lotus necklace by Ashley Morgan, $223 at Blanc. 415.485.0104. Lotus leaf eternity band by Ashley Morgan, $138 at Blanc. Moonstone drop earrings by Lulu Designs, $104 at Columbine. Beaded bracelet, $12 at Evo Spa. Tank top by Momzee, $46 at Mill Valley Baby and Kids. Tunic hooded top by Dance in Paris, $55 at Glow Girl.

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S U N R I S E

H O M E

FA S H I O N

life style Name Yasmine McGrane with son Finnegan Home Sausalito Occupation Owner, Maison Rêve in Mill Valley What are you wearing? A vintage jacket that I had lined with luxurious silk; the pants and tank are from M Clothing. The necklace is an antique pocket watch on a ribbon; vintage rings I collect from antique markets; Wellington boots are by Marc Jacobs and my husband’s dive watch. Finnegan is wearing a hand-knit hat by Blake & Will and vintage baby clothes from Maison Rêve. Where do you like to shop for Finnegan? Antique markets and consignment shops. And of course, he’s my main model for French baby clothes at my store. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? Considering I live in my Barefoot Dreams robe, I’m ready from the get-go. Now, if I’m going out somewhere fancy, I need 59 minutes. Describe your personal style. I call it “Urban Farmhouse.” For example, take a classic coat from a flea market, change out the buttons to vintage, and cluster pocket watches on a pretty ribbon. That’s my style. Who are your fashion influences? French women—I love the way they pull an outfit together with seemingly disparate pieces, add

Where do you love to shop in Marin? M Clothing in Corte Madera. The owner, Marty, carries my favorite designers, Rebecca Taylor and Milly, as well as Phillip Lim and Splendid T-shirts. And the service is 54

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

P H OTO: BARBA RA R IE S

three mismatched watches and look fabulous.

great; last time I was there, they went next door to get me a caffé latte! What is always in your bag/pockets? With a newborn, my bag is a vintage camera case cum diaper bag. Besides the baby blankets, rattles and a stuffed Peter Rabbit, I always carry a piece of chocolate and the book French Women Don’t Get Fat, just in case I come across a friend to give it to. What is the single most essential piece in your wardrobe? I have two essentials: headbands—I love making my own—and Wellington boots; is there a better shoe? I have them in lots of fun colors. Where do you love to eat in Marin? Who’s paying? Lark Creek Inn because the ambience inspires me, the Buckeye Roadhouse for their signature Oysters Bingo. But I also love our Sausalito locals—Fish, Christophe, Sushi Ran, Gaylord and Cacciucco. What’s your fashion pet peeve? Lack of individuality. We all have our own personal style, we just have to ﬁnd it and feel beautiful letting it out! What was the last book you read and why? Life Messages for Moms by Josephine Carlton because it’s so inspiring and Goodnight Moon (because I always loved it and think Finnegan will too). What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought? That would be a naughty pair of vintage Gucci knee-high boots I found in SoHo. Oh wait, and our beautiful 1893 Victorian farmhouse here in Sausalito! Did it make you happy? It makes my husband happy when I wear nothing but the boots and the house deﬁnitely makes us both happy. If your life were a movie, what would be your theme song? “Singing in the Rain” (in my wellies, of course). MARINMAGAZINE.COM

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

F Y I MOT HE R’ S DAY

4 FUN Local moms share their Mother’s Day experiences BY MIMI TOWLE

My husband knows how much I love a day at the spa, so he sent me to Stellar Spa in Corte Madera for their vacation package. I started off the day with a long walk, knowing that I could take a shower there, wrap myself in one of their warm cozy robes and then lounge in the waiting room. My “vacation” started off with their signature facial, followed by a tropical sugar body scrub and a Swedish massage, and ended with a botanical scalp treatment. I ﬂoated home and slept until dinner. —M. Hancock, Point Richmond

We have an ongoing tradition with five families. During the day, each of the guys is assigned a job to do, depending on his particular expertise. There’s the meat guy, the fish guy, the appetizer guy. My husband has limited abilities in the kitchen, so his position is “mood guy”...he’s in charge of the music, flowers, lighting and candles. After a day at the spa, we get picked up and taken to one of our homes, where the guys have been cooking all day—one year they even hired a mariachi band. —L. Baker, Sausalito

All I wanted to do last year was sit in the front row of the Giant Dipper roller coaster and the Log Ride in Santa Cruz. So, on Mother’s Day my husband packed us up and off we went to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. We were ﬁrst in line for the Log Ride and rode it ﬁve times in a row, laughing hysterically the entire time. What I wanted for Mother’s Day was to feel young and free like a kid again! It worked; the day was more than rejuvenating! —B. Gerraty, Mill Valley

I told my mom, Maurine, to be ready by 5 p.m. on Mother’s Day. I was at her place at the Redwoods in Mill Valley a few minutes early, with yellow roses in hand, and we started the evening with dinner at Piazza D’Angelo. As executive director of Bread & Roses, I have access to great venues and artists’ performances around the bay, but I chose a show at 142 Throckmorton, since it is a great spot for seniors. When I dropped her off, I thanked her for 63 years of friendship, inspiration and unconditional love. —C. Flipper, Greenbrae

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

P H OTO 3 : C OURTESY O F CAS SAND RA FLIPP ER\ 4 CO URTE SY O F THE AD D IC KS FAMILY

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F Y I H EA LT H

Keeping Mom Fit

BY MIMI TOWLE

motivation? Check out babybootcamp.com or bumpfit.com.

Mentally Fit Whether you’re a published author, a sporadic freelancer or a journal junkie, writing is therapy. The Writing Mamas Salon, led by Dawn Yun of San Rafael, meets on the second Sunday of every month at Book Passage from 6 to 8 p.m. “The salon is a warm, encouraging and supportive place for members to talk about motherhood and writinghood and to have a neighborhood in which to do both,” says Yun. “And, as with the best of neighbors and the best of friends, there is much laughter and a real sense of community.” They also have inspiring speakers, including Joyce Maynard on May 27. Inspired? Go to writingmamas.com and get started.

Fiscally Fit Amy Keroes of Mill Valley started an online community on behalf of the millions of women who by choice or necessity have kept working. Mommytrackd.com offers practical tips on how to “Get Organized,” “Stay Connected,” “Take Shortcuts” and “Shop Online,” all without forotherhood in the new millen-

minute Baby Boot Camp classes at Blackie’s

nium—is it much different from

Pasture in Tiburon. These baby-in-tow sessions

motherhood in midcentury?

consist of cardiovascular and strength training

Throughout the ages happy mommy hor-

with resistance tubing, abdominal exercises

mones and good girlfriends have soothed com-

and stretching. Besides the picturesque views

mon anxieties plaguing countless new moms.

of Richardson Bay, BBC offers free introduc-

Support groups, however, have evolved to

tion classes at the Village at Corte Madera.

meet the needs of today’s new mom.

Timberlake also suggests Bump Fitness: pre-

getting to “Treat Yourself” from time to time.

and postnatal programs at Bay Club Marin cre-

Physically Fit

ated by nationally recognized fitness expert

“Marin offers a fabulous selection of fitness

Megan Flatt. Classes include weight training,

programs where spit-up-flecked tees are de ri-

yoga and Pilates, aquatic exercise and cycling

gueur,” says fitness enthusiast Hope Timberlake

classes for the new mom looking to burn cal-

of Mill Valley. Timberlake leads most of the 75-

ories in a safe, nonjudgmental milieu. Need

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

Hope Timberlake leading a Baby Boot Camp session at Blackie’s Pasture.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN MOTHERS’ GROUPS Urged by veteran moms to join a mothers’ group just before she gave birth to her ﬁrst child, Caroline Nelson of Peacock Gap heeded their advice. She joined Southern Marin Mothers’ Club while she was still pregnant and living and working as a real estate agent in Mill Valley. “I can’t imagine not having had that support system with a group of women who completely understood all the very strong emotions one goes through when one becomes a mother,” Nelson says. She not only participated in her playgroup

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I listened to my friends who suggested I join a mothers’ group; it has opened up a whole new community for me.”

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Noel M., client San Rafael

Corte Madera/Larkspur Mothers’ Club: Playgroups and monthly meetings, 415.451.7234, cmlmc.org MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers): Inspirational speakers and monthly meetings, 415.485.1497 Novato Mothers’ Club: Playgroups, outings and a support group, 415.458.4203, novatomothersclub.com Ross Valley Mothers’ Club: Playgroups and family outings, 415.721.4576, rvmc.net San Rafael Mothers’ Club: Meetings, 415.451.7355 Southern Marin Mothers’ Club: Meetings for mothers in Sausalito, Marin City, Mill Valley, Tiburon and Belvedere, 415.273.5366 Marin Parents of Multiples Club: Educational, social and emotional support for parents of multiples, mpomc.org

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FYI B EE DAUT UCAT Y ION

Marin County Defines Natural Beauty Locally Grown Is what we put on our bodies as important as what we put in them? Mounting research does suggest that seemingly benign chemicals in lotions, lipsticks and shampoos could have harmful, even serious effects on health. Here are some local companies, chosen by Judi Shils of Search for the Cause, that sell safer cosmetics and creams. As a nutritional healing practitioner, Tzeira Sofer knows the benefits of fresh fruits and natural products. After working with skin care experts in Israel, Sofer started the lines t’Zerah and Pomega5 in downtown San Anselmo. After only a few years, the products became available at Whole Foods, Mollie Stone’s and, if you were lucky enough to be ranked as a celebrity, the gift bags at the 2007 Golden Globe awards. Graphic Designer Lisa Levin founded Pharmacopia after being diagnosed with the chronic pain condition fibromyalgia. Levin researched natural products to help relieve her symptoms and as a result Pharmacopia was born. The company is now a million-dollar business, offering such products as ginger hand cream, sold at Nancy Koltes and Evo Spa. For a juice-based formula (rather than water based, as most beauty/body care products are), choose Juice Beauty, sold at Sephora and Whole Foods. The Marin-based organic skin-care line uses ingredients like honey, raw cane sugar and ylang ylang from Madagascar. EO founders Susan and Brad Black started making products with sustainable and organic essential oils in their garage in 1992 and now fill a 15,000-square-foot operation space in Corte Madera. EO neighbor Stellar Spa is tweaking its five-year-old product line, started by owner Dana Vande Weg, to be mineral based and paraben-free. Check out searchforthecause.org for more information —S.F.

Project Prom After learning Marin’s breast cancer rates had risen sharply, Judi Shils started Search for the Cause in 2002. The group has since completed intense research, fundraising and a launch of the Teens for Safe Cosmetics campaign, which aims to educate the public about cancer-causing chemicals in cosmetics and to pressure manufacturers to remove them from their products. “The average teenage girl uses between 15 and 25 products a day containing about 200 chemicals,” says Shils. Look for the campaign’s Project Prom, coming to Union Square in San Francisco; hundreds of teens will march in prom wear and combat boots to demand a ban on toxic chemicals in their personal care products and cosmetics. —S.F.

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GET THE LEAD OUT Lead in lipstick? Some researchers, including Environmental Health Professor Howard Hu from the University of Michigan, are concerned. “The amount of exposure accumulates in the bones of women throughout adulthood,’” explains Hu, “and is then prone to mobilize during pregnancy, cross the placenta, and adversely affect fetal neurodevelopment and growth.” However, according to the American Cancer Society, the jury is still out: its website states, “The lead content of coloring agents used in lipstick is regulated by the FDA,” and “the levels permitted are not a health problem.” Yet as Christin Powell, a veteran natural cosmetics consultant for skin care companies wanting to “clean up” their product lines, points out, “the use of lead in cosmetics is banned in the UK and other countries, but [such products] remain on the shelves in the United States. Many cosmetics companies use lead in lipstick to help preserve long-lasting color,” she adds. “When choosing a lipstick, read labels carefully. Choose a lipstick that uses only organic natural waxes, herbal extracts, vitamins and plant oils such as hemp or jojoba.” Safe, long-lasting color alternatives, she says, include minerals such as mica and iron oxides, beet powder and azulene. Lead-free lipstick brands include Mineral Fusion, Green People Organic Lipstick, Iredale PureMoist Lipsticks and Colorganics Hemp Lipstick. These local companies likewise tout their products as leadfree, so pucker up: Wallett (San Rafael), 866.700.5550, wallett.com 29 Cosmetics (Napa), 888.415.2929, 29cosmetics.com Milvali (Mill Valley), 415.388.0988, milvali.com Bare Escentuals (SF), 415.489.5000, bareescentuals.com —S.F.

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M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

F Y I E D UCAT I O N

Teach Your Children Well

WHILE THE SCHOOL YEAR WINDS DOWN for students, administrators and parents around Marin are busy working on plans for their next school year. A top priority on many agendas is to “green up” the facility. “From recycling bins to organic gardens to constructing solar panels and water filtration systems to helping clean up streams and beaches, students are involved in making our community a ‘greener’ place,” says Mary Jane Burke, Marin County Superintendent of Schools. For instance, at the Novato Charter school (like many others), waste is discouraged. Students are asked not to use plastics or paper in their lunches, and hot lunch students are asked to bring their own plates and utensils to be washed at home. Bacich School in the Kentfield School District, redesigned to be a solar school, is now one of the most solar-dependent schools in the state. And then there is the Greenwood School, a Waldorf-inspired elementary and middle school in Mill Valley, which dedicates an entire day every week (rain or shine) to teaching its curriculum outside in nature. “ ‘Going green’ is another way of describing the emphasis placed on the importance of preserving the environment that is a part of every student’s education in Marin County,” Burke explains. “Teaching students both why they should preserve their environment and how to do so in personal, practical terms is fundamental to them becoming self-fulfilled, productive citizens. After all, there is no future in being academically prepared in a polluted world.” —M.T. SPG Solar has an interactive kiosk at Bacich School’s library, where students, teachers, parents and visitors can view the solar system’s energy production in real time, as well as see how much energy the school is consuming. Bacich Elementary School is part of the Kentﬁeld School District, the ﬁrst school district in the nation to go 100 percent solar.

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A far cry from the hairnetted muse who inspired Adam Sandler’s ditty “Lunch Lady Land,” hot lunch programs all over Marin are getting with the program. Gone are the soggy, trans-fat-ladden sloppy joes washed down with a Coke; in their place are fresh, bonebuilding, energy-giving and, most important, tasty options in kid-size portions. Kid Chow, a San Francisco–based company, serves up healthy lunches (nutritional breakdown included in menu) in environmentally friendly packaging. And Good Earth Organic Lunches, produced by the legendary g ro c e r y st o re of the same name in Fairfax, are made with ingredients sourced from local and organic suppliers. Both of these companies sell independently to parents, but deliver to the school. Interested in making a change with the hot lunch program at your school? Check out kidchow.com or goodearthorganiclunches.com. —M.T.

P H OTO C OURTESY OF SPG SOLA R, INC .

Healthy Lunches

PLANNING TO GO GREEN? Here are a few helpful organizations in Marin: The Marin Conservation Corps is a multiprogram resource for individuals as well as schools. Its For Earth’s Sake (FES) program collects usable office supplies that would otherwise be tossed from Marin companies and brings them to schools. The Corps will also help set up efﬁcient recycling programs (San Rafael). 415.454.4554, marincc.org The Richardson Bay Audubon Center offers six different programs for schools, including Your Wondrous Watershed; Building a Green Team at Your School; and School Gardens and Schoolyard Habitats (Tiburon). 415.388.2524, tiburonaudubon.org The Bay Institute The STRAW project provides teachers and students with the scientific, educational and technical resources to prepare them for hands-on outdoor watershed studies, including ecological restoration of riparian corridors. STRAW’s goals are to empower students, to support teachers, to restore the environment, and to reconnect communities. 415.506.0150, bay.org Marin Sanitary Services Looking to recycle? Devi Peri, education coordinator with Marian Sanitary Services, can help. Although MSS only covers central Marin from Larkspur to San Rafael, Peri will try to assist anyone who needs help navigating through the other five private sanitation agencies in the county. She says the best way to achieve a successful recycling program is coordination between the janitorial staff, the students and at least one or two teachers. 415.453.1404, marinsanitary.com

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M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

F Y I ART

MARIN TOURS AND SHOWS BY SAMANTHA BRONSON

rom the Bay to the rugged coastline of

Open Studios

Marin Arts Council, which is organizing the

the Pacific, from Mt. Tamalpais to the

It’s not every day you get to peek inside an art-

14th annual event. “You are walking into the

rolling hills of the west county, Marin’s

ist’s studio, but that uncommon opportunity is

experience of the creative process.”

landscape has long been an inspiration for art.

precisely what Open Studios provides over the

The art covers a range of subjects and is

“The light is different; it’s just appealing. The

first two weekends in May. About 250 artists

created using all types of media, from drawing

light in Marin…is more atmospheric,” says Mary

from across the county will open their work

and painting to sculpture and jewelry. Visitors

Welch, cofounder and director of Marin/Scapes

spaces to the public, offering a behind-the-

can purchase artwork directly from the artists,

art show. “Plus, it’s beautiful in Marin and artists

scenes glimpse at art in the making.

which provides the satisfaction of connecting

seem to follow beautiful landscapes.” Throughout May and into June, art lov-

“It’s almost like walking into a painting,” says Diane Dunn, associate director for the

directly with the work’s creator and learning the story behind the piece, Dunn says.

ers can see firsthand the impact Marin has on artists. Three major shows offer the chance to view and purchase art by Marin artists or art about Marin, with each show providing a different experience.

Above: End of the Road, oil painting on canvas by Timothy Horn, will be showing at Marin Arts Council Open Studios. Right: Patron inspects selection of art at MALT’s Ranches and Rolling Hills art show held at Druid’s Hall in Nicasio.

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Because there are so many possible studios to visit, organizers recommend doing a little research beforehand. One piece from each artist will be on display at the Open Studios Gallery at the Town Center Corte Madera; the arts council also hosts an online gallery. Free

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color guides with maps are available at the gallery and at local bookstores. About 20,000 people are expected to visit artists’ studios over the two weekends. When: May 5–6: West and North Marin, including Terra Linda; May 12–13: South and Central Marin, including central San Rafael; 11 a.m.–6 p.m. all days. Where: Individual artists’ studios; pick up guide at Open Studios Gallery, Town Center Corte Madera. Cost: Free. More information: 415.499.8350; marinarts.org

Ranches and Rolling Hills In 1980, a group of ranchers and environmentalists found the beauty of West Marin so inspiring they formed the Marin Agricultural Land Trust to work toward preserving the area’s farmlands for agricultural use. Now artists draw inspiration from the pastoral landscape, with more than 250 of their images for sale at the Ranches and Rolling Hills art show. Celebrating its tenth year, the show transforms the Druid’s Hall in Nicasio into an art gallery May 19 and 20. Paintings (oil, watercolor and pastel) make up most of the artwork, with some original prints and photographs on display as well. All pieces revolve around the theme of West Marin, yet artists’ interpretations vary. Some are true landscapes, while others might be close-ups of animals. Many are images of the 58 family farms permanently protected by MALT. “I’ve watched people’s faces as they look at the art, and it’s incredible to see people light up as they see a favorite scene or pieces that are evocative of farming,” says Elisabeth Ptak, associate director of MALT. “It touches people.” In all, 37 artists will participate in the show, some from Marin and others from Santa Barbara’s respected Oak Group of painters. Half of the sale proceeds go toward MALT’s farmland preservation program. Yet the show

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raises more than money for the organization.

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Furniture Made from Recycled Wood

“We discovered it reached a whole group of people who appreciate art and who didn’t know about MALT,” says Ptak. When: May 19, 2–5 p.m.; May 20, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Where: Druid’s Hall, Village Square, Nicasio. Cost: Free. More information: 415.663.1158; malt.org

Marin/Scapes As a board member of Buckelew Programs, an organization to aid those with mental illness, Mary Welch turned to her collection of works by Marin County artists for her fundraising muse. The result was Marin/Scapes, an art show still going strong in its 19th year. Of the 60 or so artists selected for the show, some are from outside the county, but all the artwork is decidedly Marin-focused. While previously only a landscape show, Marin/Scapes has broadened its scope in recent years and invites artwork of anything Marin-related. “I’m really trying to push the envelope and get artists to think about Marin in ways they haven’t before,” says Marin/Scapes cofounder and director Welch. “There’s such a variety in Marin; we try to present it all.” Marin/Scapes features interpretations of Marin’s natural scenery and life as well as the county’s hidden treasures and urban settings. The media used include oil and watercolor paintings, photography, etchings, woodcuts and sculpture. A portion of the proceeds goes to Buckelew Employment Services, which provides job training, placement and coaching for adults with mental illnesses. A public preview of the show runs May 7 through June 21 at the Bank of Marin in Corte Madera. An artists’ reception will be held June 12; the opening-night gala is June 28. The exhibit and sale begins June 30 and ends July 4. When: June 30–July 4; noon–6 p.m. Where: Escalle Winery, 771 Magnolia Ave., 1848 Fourth Street San Rafael, CA 94901 415.453.0345 Wed-Sat 10-6/Sun 12-5

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Larkspur. Cost: $15 per person, includes refreshments. More information: 415.457.6966, ext. 732, to purchase tickets to the artists’ reception or opening-night gala; marinscapes.org

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

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F Y I BUSINESS

EQUITY ACCESS Marin entrepreneurs create a revolutionary plan for home fi nancing BY JIM WOOD

t’s not money from heaven, but two Marin businessmen have spent four years developing a concept they believe comes close.

Industry analysts are saying the idea could revolutionize the home finance business. “Our process allows homeowners to access their home equity without selling their property or incurring additional debt,” says Tiburon’s Ian Charles. “Home financing, or refinancing, has always involved various forms of debt including interest charges and monthly payments. We’ve eliminated both of them.”

San Francisco’s 101 California Street, is called

CEO and chairman of the board, cites a recent

cash,” he adds. Enter Rex & Co. “After an ap-

Rex & Co., the name Rex being a play on “real

transaction as an example. “A retired couple’s

praisal and a closing process similar to any home

estate equity exchange.”

San Rafael home was worth $1.4 million with

financing transaction, we issued them a check

“Essentially, we give homeowners money,

a loan of $400,000 against it and thus an equity

for $200,000,” Sponholtz says. In exchange,

with no interest or monthly payment ever due,

of a million dollars.” Sponholtz says the couple

Rex & Co. shares in any future change in their

in exchange for a comparable percentage of

wanted $200,000 to help their daughter’s fam-

home’s value when they decide to sell it.

their property’s equity,” Charles explains.

ily buy a larger home and also wanted to take

Meanwhile, the senior couple continues to

Charles’ business partner, Thomas Sponholtz,

a European trip they’d been planning for years.

live in their home, retaining all the benefits

a Sausalito resident since 1989 and Rex & Co.’s

“But they didn’t have that kind of discretionary

of home ownership and making no monthly

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

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P H OTO: BARBA RA R IE S

Charles’ company, based in the high-rise at

“

Our process allows homeowners to access their home equity without selling their property or incurring additional debt.

Take your elevator to the top.

”

— IAN CHARLES

payments for principal or interest, and they can spend their $200,000 however they wish, no strings attached. “When the couple decides to sell their home,” Charles says, “Rex & Co. gets repaid its $200,000, along with a transaction fee and its share of the change in value.” The key point here is “change in value,” because Rex & Co. shares in appreciation or depreciation—a unique feature of its business model. “If, due to a decline in real estate values, the worth of the couple’s home decreases,” Sponholtz says, “Rex & Co. assumes a percentage of that loss—it works both ways.” Both Sponholtz, a graduate of Niels Brocks Business Academy in Denmark, and Charles, who holds an MBA in finance from USF, stress that their entire business model has been “vetted inside and out for over three years by numerous legal firms and financial institutions.” To date, investors throughout the country— including San Francisco’s Hellman & Friedman and New York’s American International Group (AIG)—have placed nearly $150 million with the start-up company. Rex & Co. has 25 employees, including Marinites COO Graham Williams of San Anselmo, Managing Director

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of Sales and Marketing Jeff Cusack of Tiburon and General Counsel Gail Kane of Mill Valley. The company is currently prepared to do business in New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, Colorado and Washington, as well as Northern and Southern California. “We expect to be in 20 states by the end of 2007,” says Charles. “It’s surreal,” he adds. “Just four years ago, Thomas and I were brainstorming this idea on a napkin over a glass of

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M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

F Y I PEO P LE

The Color Purple Tiburon’s Barbara Meislin fi nds inspiration in a favorite hue

BY JIM WOOD

for her to buy and wear purple eyeliner, lip-

is purple. So are most of her clothes.

As you might suspect, Meislin not only

Purple is also evident in Meislin’s earrings,

wears and drives purple, she is surrounded by

It’s no surprise, then, that in her hometown

necklaces, belts, shoes, stockings and—though

it at home. Her garden features princess flower

of Tiburon (for 41 years) Barbara Meislin is

it’s not confirmed—her undergarments. And,

bushes; beds of violets; a wisteria-covered ga-

known as the Purple Lady. “For me, purple is

fair warning, don’t get technical with Meislin

zebo; hanging baskets teeming with fuchsias;

the color of joy,” she says. “Having it close by

about the color of the color purple. As far as

fences covered with morning glory; and abun-

energizes me to live life to its very fullest.”

she is concerned, violet, lavender, amethyst, li-

dant patches of lavender. Inside her house,

Meislin—71 and proud of it—feels she has

lac, mauve, magenta and indigo are all purple.

you’ll stroll on purple carpets, be surrounded

indeed lived life to the hilt. It has not always

That monochromatic conviction makes it easy

by soft violet walls, stand under a mauve ceil-

been a life of joy, though. Nearly 40 years ago,

ou can see Barbara Meislin coming

ing, and gaze upon magenta vases, indigo can-

a block away. It’s the purple. Her car

stick, mascara, and hair ribbons.

dleholders and countless works of art imbued

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

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P H OTO: TIM P ORTER

with purple hues.

her firstborn daughter, Lori, died suddenly at age seven from a mysterious illness. “Loss can be an incredible teacher,” Meislin says. “Often,

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the highest and best teachers appear when one’s loss and sorrow is the deepest.” Since then, Meislin has had two other children, recorded an album of healing music with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, become an accomplished singer with the nonprofit entertainment group Bread & Roses, founded “Little Lady Lori’s Purple Playground of Friendship” for children in the village of Neve Shalom/ Wahat al-Salam (Oasis of Peace), a settlement of Jews and Palestinians near Tel Aviv, donated the meditation gazebo on Richardson Bay near Blackie’s Pasture, established the Marin Hospice Library of Hope, and written a children’s book, No One Can Ever Steal Your Rainbow. She says “creative philosophy” summarizes her approach to giving. “In a way, I was fortunate to have had my moment of deep hurt rather early in my life,” Meislin reflects. “And instead of destroying me—which it well could have—it eventually inspired me.” Of her accomplishments, she’s most proud of writing No One Can Ever Steal Your Rainbow: “I had no idea how to create a book with a compact disc. But soon it took over my life.” She self-published the 28 pag-

PHOTO BY: ROSS PELTON

es of verse (featuring rainbows and umpteen shades of purple) and, after winning awards for her inspirational message, decided in 2005 to donate proceeds from the book’s sales to the children’s playground in Israel and charitable organizations that enhance young ones’ lives. The book will be presented as a ballet by the Marin Dance Theater this summer. “I’ve had a wonderful life,” Meislin says. “I had wonderful teachers who, through silence, meditation and prayer, asked me early on, how will my visit to this earth make a difference?” She answered with a lifetime of action devoted to peaceful living, and she stresses she’s not done yet. “For me, the most purple principle is to carry hope in your heart and to give it away with joy to others.”

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M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

F Y I COM MUNI T Y

CHANGE A HABIT, SAVE A LIFE BY SOMER FLAHERTY

cotty Jacobs is fascinated with current events and loves to debate hot topics with family and friends—but recently

the seventh grader from Saint Mark’s School in San Rafael went a step further with his interest in world affairs. The 13-year-old decided to spearhead his own campaign to raise funds for eSibonisweni school in South Africa after a conversation with his school’s director of speple to forgo a regular indulgence on an occa-

This year Getz will travel to South Africa,

“I was telling Scotty and his family that we

sional basis, such as once a week, then give

where she’ll deliver a check in person to the

could support a family of eight to ten [in South

what money would have been spent to the

school. In the meantime Jacobs is hoping to

Africa by supplying them] with food, cooking

South African school. Jars were put in each

keep the program “going indefinitely” and

oil and soap on 30 dollars a month,” says Getz.

classroom at Saint Mark’s, and Jacobs had T-

has even met with school officials in Oakland

With this information, the two started working

shirts made with the project’s logo. The cam-

about possibly implementing his campaign

on an idea. “We started talking and he said,

paign even prompted a schoolmate’s father to

there. Asked his next goal, he pauses to think,

‘You don’t have to give something up totally

put the amount he would have spent on his

then instantly says, “If we could get a couple

but once a week, once a month,’” Getz recalls.

recently kicked nicotine habit toward the pro-

more schools in Marin or even go national,

“By the time the evening was over he had

gram and the school’s drama teacher to donate

that would be great.”

come up with a slogan.”

$100 after giving up caffeinated beverages. In

To donate: Make a check payable to Saint

only a few weeks, $2,500 was raised, and to

Mark’s School—Change a Habit, Save a Life and

date over $4,000 has poured in.

send to 39 Trellis Dr., San Rafael 94903

cial programs, Jennifer Getz.

Jacobs aptly titled the project Change a Habit, Save a Life and set out to convince peo-

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

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SWEET COMPANY

SAUSALITO-BASED BE SWEET, which imports mohair yarn and fashion accessories from South Africa, is doing more than selling wool products. Founder Nadine Curtis (pictured above with her son, Pixley) has recently returned from a three-week trip to rural Cape Town to visit with the 40 female artisans she employs to create items for the collection and check in on her donation program that beneﬁts the local school, Shaw Park. Curtis donates 3 percent of Be Sweet’s sales to the South African school. “There are only eight teachers, including a principal and vice principal; some of the kids are walking eight miles each way to school, and most don’t have anything to eat for lunch,” says Curtis. In a year and a half she has donated $5,000 through sales and fundraisers, which has bought Shaw Park two computers, anti-burglar bars, paint and a new classroom ﬂoor. Curtis’s plans for the future include starting a media center at the school, complete with a library and more computers; integrating a biscuit program to ensure each student has something to eat for lunch; and hosting a family day to boost school morale. Currently, Curtis is collecting computer keyboards for the students to learn typing skills on. Donations can be made through the Be Sweet website or dropped off at the company’s headquarters. 1 3 1 5 B r i d g ew a y ( S a u s a l i t o ) . 415.331.9676, besweetproducts.com —S.F.

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M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

F Y I B O O KS

Mother’s Helpers Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile feel your pain BY SAMANTHA BERRY t takes most moms 22 minutes before

book I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had

they start really telling the truth, accord-

Kids. “After 22 minutes moms finally gave

ing to coauthors Trisha Ashworth and Amy

themselves permission to open up and then it

Nobile. “At first, the moms we interviewed

became, ‘I haven’t taken a shower in days. It’s

would say, ‘Everything is great. I love my hus-

so much harder than I thought it would be. I

band. I am so blessed,’” says Nobile, recall-

don’t know who I am anymore.’ ”

ing the process of gathering material for the

Ashworth and Nobile met 12 years ago in New York and became fast friends. Some

BOOK SIGNING

years later they both moved to Marin—Nobile lives in Kentfield, Ashworth in Ross—and

Authors Trisha Ashworth and

started families. Here, their paths diverged.

Amy Nobile will be present

Ashworth, who’d created advertising for com-

for a book reading and sign-

panies like Pepsi, Levi Strauss and American Express, decided to stay home after she had

ing at Borders in San Rafael, Saturday, May 12 at 2 p.m.

her first child. “I put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect,” she says. “I had in my head what a stay-at-home mom was, and it was

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very hard to live up to that.” When Nobile, a PR specialist who had worked with Visa and Jamba Juice, had her first baby a few years later, she decided to keep working: “I had this rosy vision about opening my own office and working while the baby napped. I tried as hard as I could to make that vision work, and it was just so difficult.” From these cracks in their respective idealized views of motherhood, a new intimacy was born. “We really started to talk about our situations honestly and it eased the pain and made it more bearable, and I started to enjoy parenting a little more,” Ashworth says. They were on to something. “When no one is talking,” says Nobile, “you are building up a lot of guilt and issues. The pressure grew to the point where finally Trish and I sat together and said, ‘What is going on? We do so much; why do we feel like bad moms so much of the time?’” The answer, they discovered, had a lot to do with having choices. “We grew up with the notion that we could do it all and that we should do it all,” Ashworth points out. “It raises the bar to an impossible ideal.” Still, everyone else seemed to be doing so much better. Was it possible that other women were conflicted and overwhelmed, that maybe all the other moms weren’t walking around feeling blessed every second? They decided to find out. “We began by thinking that maybe it was just in our area here,” says Nobile. “But when we interviewed women around the country, we found the same thing. Whether it was in Minnesota or Marin, one kid or five, the issue was overblown expectations.” Enter I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids: Rewriting the Rulebook for Modern Motherhood, a book that reads like your fantasy moms’ group, the kind where every member is honest and funny and agrees that 1 p.m. is a perfectly reasonable time of day to drink wine. The book includes sections called “Dirty Little Secrets” where moms admit the kinds of things that would make Dr. Laura apoplectic, such as “I would trade my husband for a housecleaner” and “I let my six-year-old watch Access Hollywood with me.”

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With excerpts from interviews, step-by-step charts, quizzes and tales from the trenches, the book acknowledges common (but sometimes shameful) frustrations and sheds light on the ways that having so many choices causes mothers to constantly second-guess themselves. Despite its chatty tone and funny tidbits, the book has a more serious goal: to help moms rid themselves of some self-inflicted pressures and start enjoying motherhood. As the introduction says, “The goal of this book became very clear: to learn to love motherhood as much as we love our kids.”

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Rightsizing Your Life: Simplifying Your Surroundings While Keeping What Matters Most by Ciji Ware (Springboard Press, $16) A practical, down-to-earth guide to rightsizing—the buzzword for streamlining your possessions and making time for the things that matter most in middle age. This simplification of surroundings and stuff aims to liberate people in midlife to pursue their passions and hobbies without the responsibilities of a big house weighing them down. Sausalito writer Ciji Ware presents a practical guide to this winnowing process, with a sixstep plan for getting started. Women Who Win: Women Athletes on Being the Best by Lisa Taggart (Seal Press, $15) Through in-depth, revealing profiles of top female athletes—from surfer Jamilah Star to Olympic marathoner Deena Kastor to top-ranked climber Lynn Hill—Marin native Lisa Taggart takes us behind the scenes, deep into the training regimens and the ultimate victories, to see what makes these women tick. Whether their sport is soccer, cycling, mountain biking or volleyball, their stories will inspire you to pursue your dreams, athletic and otherwise.

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

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BOOKSELLERS RECOMMEND THEIR FAVORITE ESCAPE READS

The Places in Between by Rory Stewart “It’s nonfiction. Here is this Westerner who is literally on foot by himself, walking through Afghanistan, where ‘in many houses the only piece of foreign technology was a Kalashnikov and the only global brand was Islam.’ There is something about walking across a landscape that offers a depth of experience. I found it fascinating. I thought his writing was beautiful as well.” —Dorothy Vandersteel, Book Passage, Corte Madera An American Childhood by Annie Dillard “It’s a warm, funny family memoir from simpler times. It’s been a long time since I read it, but it still holds a special place on my bookshelf even now. Nobody writes memoirs about

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happy childhoods anymore; this is about a happy childhood and it’s funny.” —Pete Mulvihill, Green Apple Books, San Francisco Shibumi: A Novel by Trevanian “It’s a suspense thriller with a lot more class than most of them. It’s a World War I spy genre book that lets you escape your everyday reality. This one in particular is well written and has some deeper intellectual themes and more conscious characters. Often it’s so good guy/bad guy, but these characters have a lot more depth.”

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FI RST P ERS ON

Don’t Fear the Shark BY JONATHAN KATHREIN

AS I ARRIVED AT STINSON BEACH, I noticed the sign warning of a great white shark sighting and an attack that had occurred at the beach. I wished that sign had been there years ago. Even if it had been, I’m not sure it would have kept me out of the water. At the time, I could not have imagined what a shark attack was really like. Did a shark bite like a dog or did it try to eat people, like in the movies? Besides, before the sign was posted, there had never been a shark attack at Stinson anyway, so what was there to worry about? Well, that was then. It was different now. The film crew sat me down on the sand and started asking questions “How old were you?” “I was 16.” “When did it happen? “Wednesday, August 26, 1998, at 1:30 p.m.” I responded with surprising detail.

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“What were you doing and where?” “I was boogie-boarding straight out from the main lifeguard tower with my friend Sean. Then he got out of the water, but I stayed in the same area and caught a few more waves alone.” Suddenly, I went on to recount, my hand brushed something beneath the surface. It felt large and solid. It felt rough like wet sand. I looked but did not see anything. It was a feeling I’d had before—when I was water-skiing on a lake, swimming in a river or even in a pool. For a brief instant my imagination went out of control. Images of all sorts of terrifying sea creatures popped into my head, and some less terrifying ones. I was a competitive swimmer, both in high school and in the Marin Swim League, and was very comfortable in the water. I tried to

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push my fear aside. Now the fear was real. I hoped it was a seal or jellyfish. Something was there. I tried to keep my cool. Later, though, I learned that I was already yelling for help when Sean, standing on the beach, saw me disappear underwater in a splash. Subconsciously I knew the inevitable. The 12-foot shark attacked from below and behind. It bit into my right leg, its jaws reaching from knee to hip, clamping down firmly on my bone. The impact was swift. The pain was intense. I felt a rigid shaking throughout my body. This thing was far too large to fight. I just hoped I could hold on. After trying unsuccessfully to grab the shark in a bear hug, I squeezed its gills like handlebars on a bike. It let go and I swam furiously to shore. The recovery process was long. I avoided Stinson. The memory of the shark was too vivid. The first time I returned was for a television interview a year after my attack. Most people tend to shut down after a trauma. They prefer not to speak about what happened. The irony, of course, is that talking and sharing with others helps you heal. I was lucky. I was immediately given the chance to share my story with others. It became easier and easier, a sort of therapy. I was able to convert the fear of the attack into a positive force.

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It took me a few years to realize the potential of my experience. The shark taught me a lesson. I just needed to listen. I had something I could use to help others. No one knows why this shark attacked me. Maybe it was a little cranky. Maybe it just wanted to know what I was. What I thought of as being eaten alive, it probably thought of as just another taste test in a lifetime of survival. I didn’t need to seek retribution for something that was at best an accident and at worst an animal doing what nature intended it to do. I began thinking about how to apply this lesson on a human level. The situation is common. Someone hurts us, we hurt them back, they hurt us back, we hurt them, et cetera— a destructive spiral in which everyone loses. Human nature makes us so determined to overcome and prevail that we often don’t stop to think about the mess we are creating. We need to stop all this selfish revenge. We don’t need to fear sharks; we need to understand them. The best place to start is by teaching, and better yet, teaching children. I wrote Don’t Fear the Shark for children so they will think about their own actions before attacking someone else for theirs. Kids get it. They know what it is like

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to be targeted or picked on. What they need to learn is how to react respectfully. If I had one thing I would tell someone who is afraid of sharks, it would be, “Don’t fear the shark. Be prepared for it. Understand it. Don’t live with hate and fear. Get back out there in the water. I’ll see you out there.” Don’t Fear the Shark, Jonathan Kathrein’s book, is illustrated by Robert Singler Jr., a

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M A DE IN M A RI N

NAN TUCKER MCEVOY The matron of McEvoy Ranch BY MIMI TOWLE

roduce olive oil in Marin County? Not likely, according to Marin County agricultural officials back in the early ’90s. Nan Tucker McEvoy of McEvoy Ranch in West Marin decided to try it anyway. Despite dire warnings about olive

trees’ purportedly poor prospects in Marin’s soil, she quietly sought out advice from Italian vintner and olive expert Maurizio Castelli, imported 100 trees from Tuscany, and the rest is history. Not only has McEvoy Ranch olive oil earned national accolades and awards over the last decade, her progressive spirit paved the way for olive growers in neighboring Sonoma and Napa counties as well as Marin.

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Francisco’s cotillion, that invitation-only ritual of induction into the privileged set. As a young adult, McEvoy left town to travel the world, eventually settling in Washington, D.C., where she was a founding member of the original Peace Corps and served on John D. Rockefeller’s Population Council. In this part of the country she’s best known for her stint at the helm of (and controversial dismissal from) the San Francisco Chronicle, the paper and publishing company her grandfather started back in 1865. Although her role of pioneer olive grower seems a surprise, its success is anything but, those who know her say, since whatever McEvoy does, she does right. More than

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Not your typical farmer, McEvoy was born into the bosom of high society: her moth-

a decade since planting her imported trees, McEvoy Ranch is a thriving business, offering tours, tastings and special events. She’s even launched a new product line of organic soap and lotions bearing the McEvoy name.

Why olive oil? Because it didn’t involve any animals, and wine had already been done. I wanted to do something in Marin County that hadn’t been done before. I have a great passion for food and had been taking cooking classes in Italy. I would lug olive oil home in these five-gallon cans and I thought, “Why not make my own rather than carrying it through customs?” Everyone told me it would never work, so we brought an expert out from Tuscany to assess the ranch, and luckily, Marin County’s soil and microclimate are perfect for growing Tuscan olives.

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wide-open land for the dogs and children to run

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as fast and far as they can go. And the hills—I love the rolling hills.

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In 1994 we made the decision to go organic. It takes three years to earn organic certification—and we did it. We use only organic practices in the orchard and mill, which means photo by Cavan Clark

that the olive trees are grown without any chemical pesticides or herbicides. We bring in sheep to graze on spring grass, so that we don’t use mowers, which need fuel. And we also plant cover crops that keep the soil healthy. Throughout that whole process we learned to be committed and patient, which wasn’t easy because it’s a long time from planting to bottling.

Has this business been a family endeavor? It has. My son Nion first encouraged me to read Maggie Klein’s The Feast of the Olive, which was quite an inspiration for this whole project. Nion is still very involved with managing the ranch. And you could say that everyone who works on the ranch has become extended family. People know us for our olive oil, but they don’t realize that we have lovely gardens here, which are tended by Margaret Koski-Kent. And every day, our chef, Gerald Gass, creates an amazing meal at lunchtime using the fruits and vegetables from Margaret’s garden. It’s very European. We all sit down together and enjoy a long lunch, so you can

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

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imagine the banter around the table makes us feel much like a family.

Does farming have any similarities to publishing? It doesn’t matter what you do, you have to do it well and be the very best. Otherwise, what’s the point? So whether I’m publishing my grandfather’s newspaper or producing the best certified organic extra-virgin olive oil, the process is the same. You put the best team together and produce the best product possible.

An article in the New York Times credited you with initiating the modern commercial olive oil industry in California. Will you take that credit? Yes, but I didn’t set out to spark an industry. I’ve always been lucky enough to find interesting projects. When I bought this ranch it was zoned for agriculture, so I had to do something with the land and I wanted to do something that nobody else was doing. So I had this opportunity and got very lucky.

Besides your own olive oil, do you have a favorite brand? No.

Now you’ve branched off (excuse the pun) into an organic skin care line. Why? Many of us at the ranch use the olive oil on our skin, so we thought it would be fun to put the oil in a product that everyone could use. McEvoy Ranch Verde Body Care Line includes a body lotion, hand cream, body scrub, and olive oil soap—all made with our estate-grown, certified-organic extra-virgin olive oil.

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THINK

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086-091_F_Think_SuddonOak.indd 86

4/3/07 11:54:56 AM

THE KILLING FIELDS MARIN IS GROUND ZERO IN THE FIGHT TO SAVE CALIFORNIA’S SIGNATURE OAKS STORY PETER FIMRITE PHOTOS TIM PORTER

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086-091_F_Think_SuddonOak.indd 87

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4/3/07 11:55:08 AM

ENT JULIN REMEMBERS THE DAY in 1998 when

So far, Sudden Oak Death exists in forests and wildlands only in 14

he first realized something truly unusual was

California and Oregon counties, but the potential—indeed, the likeli-

happening in Marin County.

hood—of its spread is real. The pathogen behind the disease has been

He was driving near his home in Woodacre when he saw a com-

detected in nurseries and garden stores in 21 U.S. states, in British

pletely brown coast live oak tree. Julin, a battalion chief with the Marin

Columbia and throughout Europe. It has also been found in natural

County Fire Department and a native of Marin, had heard of a strange

areas in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and Ireland.

new tree killer known as Sudden Oak Death, but most people at the time thought it was a bug problem confined to a limited area.

Sudden Oak Death is now known to have 107 susceptible host plants, including such common garden ornamentals as camellias and

When he saw the dead oak, though, he did a double take. “It was

rhododendrons. In some woodland areas, virtually every tree—oak,

like a librarian walking by a bookshelf and there’s a book missing,” says

bay, madrone—is infected. Most hosts survive, but do suffer some form

Julin, who is also a professional forester and has done everything from

of wilting. In redwood trees, for instance, the disease causes some

vegetation management and archaeological studies to environmental

sprouts at the base of the tree to turn brown.

research in Alaska. “I thought, ‘Something is wrong here.’”

Tan oak, coast live oak and black oak trees are clearly the most sus-

It was the beginning of a decade-long battle against a disease that

ceptible (white oaks are not). Tens of thousands of oaks have already

began in Marin and has leaped from one coastal city to the next all

died in Marin and neighboring counties; more than a million trees have

the way to Oregon, laying waste to the signature tree that graces

died overall.

California’s golden hills.

Efforts to develop vaccines, step up inspections of ornamental plants

Julin can now see dozens of dead and dying oak trees as he drives

and convince hikers to clean their boots have helped manage the dis-

through the picturesque countryside of West Marin. “See that hillside?” he

ease, but the number of infected trees and plants went up in 2006, ac-

asks, pointing to a grass-covered slope covered partly by green oak wood-

cording to findings released at this year’s Sudden Oak Death Science

lands. “In the next ten years most of those coast live oaks will be dead.”

Symposium in Santa Rosa.

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Page 86: A pair of coast live oaks, deadly brown from Sudden Oak Death syndrome, stand out in a green stand of California bay trees near San Geronimo; opposite page: Marin County Fire Department forester Kent Julin with a dying live oak; this page, clockwise from upper left: desiccated oak leaves; leaﬂess branches; an infected oak, already discolored, near Roy’s Redwoods; and an oozing canker on an infected oak tree.

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“It’s somewhat like a tsunami,” says Julin. “It’s not a good thing,

lands on Mount Tamalpais, Blithedale Canyon and the forests around

but it helps to know when it is coming.” There are more than 10 mil-

Kent Lake have all been hit hard. Trees have been steadily dying as well in

lion acres of oak trees along 1,500 miles of the California and Oregon

Tamalpais Valley, Tiburon, San Rafael, Nicasio and Inverness.

coasts. Live oaks, with their elegant shape and structure, are an integral

“If you drive through Samuel P. Taylor State Park, go up on the

part of the Marin landscape. Hundreds of animal species—including

north side of Bolinas Ridge or go to the Mountain Theater, you will see

spotted owls, red-legged frogs and tiger salamanders—live off them.

the same thing,” Julin says. “It’s creeping up slowly in our woods, but

Julin believes Marin residents are at the epicenter of a vast ecologi-

to me it is really dramatic. We have front-row seats to evolution.”

cal shift that is transforming California’s woodlands. County supervi-

Driving through Woodacre, Julin points out a withered California bay

sors need only look out the windows of the Civic Center and see large

tree, the host scientists say is the primary culprit in the spread of the

patches of brown in the nearby San Pedro Mountains to grasp the seri-

pathogen. The bay is not killed like the oak. Instead, it dies back and then

ousness of the problem.

resprouts, allowing spores to continually use it as a jumping-off point.

It all started in 1995 when a Mill Valley homeowner complained

A bit farther, Julin spots three live oak trees next to a home on Oak

about dying tan oak trees on his property. Nobody knew it at the time,

Grove Avenue. Each has a dark red bleeding stain on the trunk. He

but it is now believed that rhododendrons delivered from a nursery in-

pulls off a chunk of bark. It smells like the cork from a bottle of red

fected the trees.

wine, another signature of the disease.

The killer microbe apparently made its way to America on orna-

“These are doomed; there’s no stopping this,” he says of the trees.

mental plants from some far-off land, most likely in Southeast Asia, sci-

Then he sweeps his arm around to indicate several other oaks across

entists say. Native oaks were particularly susceptible to the invader.

the street. “All these trees are being exposed. They are just getting it at

Julin began working with David Rizzo, a UC Davis professor of plant pathology, and Matteo Garbelotto, a UC Berkeley forest pathologist, in an attempt to figure out what was going on.

different stages.” The death of so many trees could cause soil erosion, degrade watershed land and drive deer and other wildlife that depend on oak acorns

The telltale sign of the disease, they discovered, was an oozing

onto private property. Live oak trees also add as much as $30,000 to

wine-colored canker on the trunk of an infected tree. This so-called

property values. And trees killed by the disease can cost property own-

“bleeding” was followed by an infestation of ambrosia beetles and the

ers thousands of dollars each to remove.

appearance of black tarlike bubbles called hypoxylon. Quick death followed (thus the name Sudden Oak Death).

Die-offs have happened before. Dutch Elm Disease and the Chestnut Blight ravaged entire tree species on the East Coast during the last cen-

Rizzo and Garbelotto finally isolated the microscopic culprit in

tury. The American chestnut tree, which grew 80 to 100 feet tall, was

2000. It was a funguslike organism called Phytophthora ramorum,

the king of the eastern forest until the 20th century. It was said that a

the same kind of pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine from

squirrel could travel from Michigan to Georgia without ever leaving the

1845 to 1850. Phytophthora means “plant killer” and ramorum means

chestnut canopy. Then, around the turn of the century, a fungus import-

“branched,” which refers to shape of the microbe when seen under a

ed to America on Asian chestnut seedlings spread through the native

microscope, Julin says.

species range. Within a few decades, entire forests—more than 3.5 bil-

The pathogen thrives in cool, wet conditions, where it produces

lion trees—had been wiped out.

thousands of offspring that enter oak trees through the bark and limbs.

“Sudden Oak Death is like the Chestnut Blight,” Julin says. “What’s

The spores have two tails that allow them to swim swiftly through

disturbing about it is that, unlike Dutch Elm and the Chestnut Blight,

water. Scientists theorize that unusually wet El Niño conditions have

which attacked one species, a lot of our native species are affected.

helped spread the disease.

They don’t all die, but they are carriers.”

Trees typically begin dying about two years after a particularly wet

Oak trees are normally fire resistant, but those killed by Sudden Oak

year. This summer, which follows two extremely wet years, could be

Death litter the hills with bone-dry wood. “What this means for a firefight-

particularly bad, Julin says.

er is you have an enormous amount of standing wood that is dead,” Julin

Sudden Oak Death is epidemic in Marin, Sonoma, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties—every tan oak tree in some canyons of Big Sur has

says. “It creates a fire ladder of fuel that allows a fire to climb to the tops, creating a crown fire. Those are the most difficult fires to stop.”

been killed. Marin is ground zero. Researchers estimate that as much as

Amid this bleak picture, there is some hope, says Julin.

80 percent of the forest canopy at China Camp is infected. The watershed

In 2003, the first major breakthrough in the treatment of the tree disease

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M AY 2 0 07

was approved for use on oaks. The phosphate product, developed by the

Julin says the dispersal of Sudden Oak Death and other pathogens is

Australian company Agrichem, protects endangered oaks from infection

assured by the thriving world market for ornamental plants. Inspectors

and helps infected trees fight off the disease, according to UC Berkeley

cannot check every nursery plant, and infected plants often slip past.

scientists. The state approved two versions of the compound—a spray and an injection—for use by professional arborists and foresters. Also, a new diagnostic test gives arborists, growers and inspectors a tool to quickly determine if a tree is infected with Phytophthora

In 2004, a Southern California nursery shipped plants carrying Sudden Oak Death to stores in at least five states. As a result, 15 states imposed partial or full bans on California nursery stock, damaging the state’s $13 billion plant-growing industry.

ramorum. Scientists are also trying to isolate oak strains that are resis-

Even if the disease could be controlled by chemicals, it can still live

tant to the disease so they can be cultivated and replanted. Mountain

for years in hosts like the bay tree and infect future generations of oaks.

bikers and hikers are being encouraged to clean their tires and boots

Julin thinks residents of Marin should prepare themselves to live with

before they leave an infected area so that they do not carry the patho-

“huge changes” in the landscape.

gen to other places.

“I think that’s what we’re in for,” he says. “Homeowners need to be

“But these practices are only going to slow the spread of the patho-

aware that these trees can fall and plan for the future by planting trees

gen,” Julin says. “We’re not going to stop it. There is nothing that is go-

that are not susceptible. If we just sit back and do nothing, we are only

ing to stop it.”

going to be the victims of what happens.”

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H OME D E S I G N

CABERNET COUNTRY CLUB MEMBERS OF NAPA VALLEY RESERVE SHARE A RARE WINE ESTATE STORY LUCAS DAVIDSON

MARIN

M AY 2 0 07

PHOTOS TIM PORTER

L I FE

View from clubhouse looking out to vineyard and hills beyond.

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M AY 2 0 07

apa Valley Reserve is an unusu-

of their purchased wine, using a label that might feature an etching

al concept—a private wine es-

of their house, their business logo or their children’s artwork. They

tate whose members pay a hefty

cannot resell the wine, but they may use it for corporate gifts or do-

price for the privilege of getting

nate it to a nonprofit, say through an auction. Memberships cannot

their hands dirty in a vineyard,

be resold, but the deposit is refundable on resignation, minus a 20

studying the art of winemaking

percent transfer fee.

with like-minded people and,

Fronting the business enough money for a new Ferrari, then hav-

of course, drinking the fruits of

ing to write more checks for wine, meals and (discounted) lodging at

their labors.

Meadowood may not compute on the average person’s calculator. But

Located on a quietly luxurious 80-acre property near St. Helena

for an avid wine aficionado with appropriate means it’s not a bad deal.

and bordering Meadowood Resort, the reserve may at first seem like

Philip Norfleet, director of Napa Valley Reserve, says membership in a

a complicated business proposition—not a cooperative, not a financial

similarly accommodating golf club that’s also non-equity (and where

investment, more like a non-equity golf club—but the enjoyment possi-

members have to pay for greens fees, lessons and 19th-hole martinis)

bilities are simple to grasp. John and Nancy Hahn of Mill Valley already

could run $200,000 to $350,000. Norfleet should know—he once was

cherished their visits to Napa Valley,

managing partner at Mayacama Golf

but when they joined the reserve last

Club near Santa Rosa.

summer their forays to wine country became easier and more rewarding.

Members clearly believe the social experience, the wine education and the

Among their first activities at the

access to rare wine are a good value.

Napa Valley Reserve was helping with

Scott Peters and his wife, Karin, joined

the 2006 harvest, first picking grapes

the reserve in spring 2006. “Some of

and then working on the sorting line to

my friends who are joining just want

winnow out unripe or shriveled berries,

to get an intelligent perspective on the

stray leaves and other bits of debris

wine business,” he says. “It’s very edu-

that come in with the loose bunches of

cational to be around the experts they

blue-black Cabernet grapes grown on

bring in and be exposed to a variety of

the reserve’s 50 acres of vines.

viewpoints and wines from elsewhere

On the day of the reserve’s harvest party, the Hahns, who are both in

in the world [and learn] how they’re made and why they taste this way.”

the insurance business, brought their

A Tiburon money manager, Peters

three boys, ages 11, 12 and 17. “The

sees the membership as “reasonably”

kids were just mesmerized by the bee-

priced. “Yes, the initiation is costly, but

keeping and honey-making demonstra-

if you consider the opportunity cost of

tions,” says John Hahn, “and they all

the deposit is $6,000 to $7,000 per an-

got to make their own pizzas using top-

num—your lost interest earned in the

pings they picked from the garden.”

bank—that is offset by the value of the

Members pay a deposit to join,

wine you buy.”

currently $150,000—up from the $100,000 first required three years

Indeed, Napa Valley Reserve members are tempted to compare the

ago—and $80 a month in dues. Benefits include access to the reserve’s

price of their wine to one of Napa Valley’s “cult Cabernets,” Harlan

scheduled activities (such as a lecture on viticulture and enology by

Estate. There is reason enough for the comparison. William Harlan,

famed Bordeaux winemaking consultant Michel Rolland), the chance

developer of the $275-a-bottle wine that bears his name, is also the

to set up private tastings and dinners, and a requisite $60-per-bottle

founder of Napa Valley Reserve. The same team of grape-growing and

purchase of a minimum six and maximum 75 cases (three barrels)

winemaking experts who are behind the allure of Harlan Estate wines

of the estate’s wine per year. Members can customize the packaging

are in charge of the reserve’s wines. In fact, until the 2004 vintage

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Napa Valley Reserve Clubhouse is available to members for private parties.

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Clubhouse kitchen

the reserve’s wine was made with grapes from the same pool of vine-

which under his direction morphed from a local country club to an

yards that supplies Harlan Estate and its sister brand, Bond. Most of the

internationally regarded resort; and as Harlan Estate itself, which con-

Harlan bottles are sold through mailing lists that are difficult to get on

sistently commands among the highest prices of any California wine

because demand exceeds supply; a Napa Valley Reserve member gets

and usually receives superlative scores from critics like James Laube of

priority when a slot opens on those lists.

Wine Spectator and Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate.

Since 2004, Napa Valley Reserve has used the grapes from its own

Napa Valley Reserve wines haven’t been reviewed publicly by the

vines—90 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 10 percent Merlot —and

experts, but a bottle of the 2000 vintage I tried recently was deep in

brings in blending wine as needed from other Harlan sources. The wine

color, perfumed from several years of bottle aging, concentrated in fla-

is made in a new state-of-the-art winery and aged in French oak barrels

vor and elegant in texture—all in all, very nice for a generally good but

that are stored in caves dug into a hillside behind the winery. In wine,

unspectacular vintage in Napa.

as in real estate, it’s location, location, location. The reserve’s vineyards

Wine is only part of the Napa Valley Reserve’s appeal. The under-

on nearly flat land adjacent to the Silverado Trail and near the narrow

stated beauty of the landscaping and architecture create an ambience

Napa River has little track record for fine grapes and offers different

of relaxed luxury, like an established tennis or golf club that doesn’t

growing conditions than those at the hillside vineyards of Harlan Estate

try too hard to impress. Harlan called on Howard Backen, of Backen

several miles south on the opposite side of the valley.

and Gillam Architects in Sausalito and St. Helena, for the architec-

Yet here is where Napa Valley Reserve members place their trust in

ture and interior design. Post and beam construction, lots of stone

Harlan and his team. They expect him to make the reserve as big a suc-

and wood, and a low-key color scheme make the style wine-country

cess as his former real estate company Pacific Union; as Meadowood,

indigenous.

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Philip Norﬂeet, director of Napa Valley Reserve

While construction of the caves for barrel and bottle aging and oth-

ery. Some have attained that goal, but doing so today is more expensive

er structures, including a second hospitality facility above the winery,

than ever—a first-class property goes for at least $10 million. So Harlan

is not complete, the grounds already have two hospitality “barns,” one

created what these would-be vintners wanted in a form that could be

with a professional kitchen to prepare meals for members and for the

shared. Memberships have sold at a good clip and are closing in on a

variety of wine and food seminars that have featured guest speakers

potential maximum of about 400.

such as Robert Mondavi and cookbook author Patricia Wells.

For the Hahn and Peters families, Napa Valley Reserve is more

The glass walls of an upstairs room in the “blending barn” slide

than a hobby. Both are involved financially in the wine industry, and

away to reveal a pastoral panorama of a large veranda and manicured

they view the reserve as a sort of continuing education in viticulture,

lawn, colorful vegetable and flower gardens and acres of grapevines

enology and the culinary arts. Scott Peters owns Peters Family winery

bordered by 700 olive trees. It’s not difficult to see why this setting

in Sebastopol with his brother, Doug, the winemaker. John Hahn is

appeals to wine and food lovers as their own piece of wine country.

a founding investor and board member of Luna Vineyards in Napa.

About half the members are Californians, with several from Marin; the

“But I’m missing some of the pieces of the wine business that I really

second half come from 30 other states and at least six other countries.

enjoy,” Hahn says. “People ask me what the reserve is about, and I

Members’ average age is 48.

say it’s almost a wine co-op. Everybody has a piece of the overall, and

Harlan noticed over the years that visitors to the Napa Valley, es-

we’re all collaboratively, with the Reserve’s resources, making a prod-

pecially those who came regularly to the celebrated Napa Valley Wine

uct. You can only use it for personal consumption, but it gives you the

Auction at Meadowood, often became infatuated with wine country.

whole shebang of what wine is about, which is a lot more than the

They’d return frequently and dream about owning a vineyard and win-

drink itself.”

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H OME D E S I G N

SPRINGTIME

IN MARIN LOCAL GARDEN TOURS ARE A FEAST FOR THE SENSES STORY P. J. BREMIER PHOTOS BARBARA RIES

It’s officially spring and there’s no better way to welcome this season of sweet surprises and abundant beginnings than discovering ten new gardens in two of Marin’s most charming towns. In Mill Valley, great gardens, interesting interiors and hometown history come together for the Gardens, Art and Architecture Tour XIII on April 26, sponsored by the Outdoor Art Club of Mill Valley. That’s when visitors can step in for a look at five Mill Valley landscaped spaces, including a sun-filled garden of roses and lemons, a European villa with climbing blossoms and bay views, a modern house built around a hundred-year-old cottage, a Japanese garden and an outdoor living area designed with playful abandon. On May 5, Ross offers up five of its own loveliest idyllic retreats—a sprawling natural habitat, a Japanese-inspired estate, a modern space, a serene landscape and a whimsical terraced garden—in its 11th annual Beyond the Garden Gate Tour.

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MILL VALLEY MAGIC

He drafted garden plans for a year, trekked to nurseries every week-

Leading Bay Area hand surgeon Leonard Gordon may be more widely

end, consulted informally with horticulturists, and discussed ideas with

known for his deftness in the delicate repair of limbs than the garden

friends and noted garden designers Topher Delaney and Andy Cochran.

he designed for his family’s home in Cascade Canyon, but his creativity

Gordon finally settled on a design that would fulfill his sense of fantasy

is apparent in both pursuits.

and fit in with his home, a wood-shingle structure built in 1893 from

Here, on nearly two acres notable for harboring Marin’s largest privately owned redwood ring, Gordon has developed an outdoor space that is both functional and playful.

Sears Roebuck plans. Although the house has since been modernized and enlarged to 5,000 square feet, the basic structure is still true to the original and

The requisite swimming pool, hot tub, waterfall, guest house and

will be open to tour-takers. Gordon’s wife, Chandra, collaborated with

tennis court might be on the checklist of any estate, but do any others

Sausalito designer artist Mary Lou D’Auray to renovate the home last

have a custom-built tree house, wired for electricity and equipped with

year. The whimsical, contemporary interior juxtaposed with the classic

a television? This one does. It also has an Alice in Wonderland–style

exterior is the first surprise.

checkerboard path composed of green slate and baby tears leading to

The second surprise is the bold color palette. Celadon, cinnabar and

the tennis court, inspirational mottoes posted over various entrances

mustard, all inspired by the hues in the French foyer rug, are found

and a pair of rare spiraling Aloe polyphylla succulents from South Africa

in each of the common rooms. “We wanted a cohesive sense of color,”

flanking the portico that are mirror images of each other.

Chandra Gordon says. “Oddly enough, the truly centering color is the

This is where the Gordon garden takes a markedly different turn from others, and for him, it’s all about imaginative touches. “I wanted to make it both magical and romantic because romance rules the world and magic allows it to happen,” he says.

black that is seen in virtually every room. Now, I just have the greatest sense of peace in my home. Everywhere I look, my eye is pleased.” Leonard Gordon’s inspiration for the garden was to create outdoor rooms that mirrored those inside. The outdoor kitchen-and-breakfast space, for example, reflects the geometry of its indoor sibling and is outfitted with a barbecue, refrigerator, ice-maker and sink near an arbor-covered dining table. A rushing waterfall, formed by river stones from Healdsburg and designed by Gordon, adds movement and sound in the adjoining vegetable garden and makes this space one of his favorites. From the indoor living room, he can see his outdoor living and dining room composed of tall redwoods that surround a dining table, around which his family gathers each year to celebrate Father’s Day. He made the Italian-style stone fossil table himself, carving out a builtin planter that he fills with bonsai, small ferns or begonias. “It’s an elf table,” he says playfully. “I can imagine little hobbits around it.” In this outdoor universe, Gordon sees the Australian and Tasmanian fern-filled garden as the sitting room and the driveway’s circle of eight espaliered tulip trees and three white dove trees as the foyer. While masses of banksia roses, Rosa chinensis and climbing hydrangea do cover the tennis-court wall and vie for attention with the arbors of Cecile Bruner roses, espaliered lemon trees and native iris, it’s primarily “not a garden of color, but rather one with different textures and various shades of greens,” Gordon points out. And that suits the resident leprechaun just fine.

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IF YOU GO The Outdoor Art Club of Mill Valley presents its Gardens, Art and Architecture XIII tour on Thursday, April 26. Proceeds will benefit local charitable organizations and help fund maintenance for its historic Maybeck clubhouse. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door. Shuttles leave the Outdoor Art Club at One West Blithedale in downtown Mill Valley beginning at 9:30 a.m.; the last shuttle departs at 2 p.m. and the tour concludes at 4 p.m. The tour is not disability accessible or appropriate for small children. A luncheon will be served in the clubhouse from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; $15; reservations recommended. At the clubhouse, visitors may browse the boutique, purchase raffle tickets and meet Belvedere designer Linda Applewhite, who will sign copies of her new book Architectural Interiors. For more information, call 415.455.4695 or visit outdoorartclub.org.

Bocce court is one of several recreation destinations within the Hale garden.

Buddha statue creates a Zenlike102 pool environment. M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

RESTFUL RECREATION IN ROSS

75 vines of Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio will add to the couple’s wine

When James and Donna Hale purchased their sun-drenched property

cellar.

in Ross seven years ago, it was the serene knoll on top, in all its wild-

Originally, the idea was to keep the knoll natural but eventually the

ness, that held special appeal. “We felt so removed from the hubbub of

Hales added a bocce ball court, a horseshoe pit and a putting green.

the city up there,” Donna Hale recalls. “It was like we were miles away

The latter encircles a stately oak that is carefully protected by perfo-

from anywhere.”

rated drainage and aeration pipes underneath the artificial turf. Lights

They rebuilt the existing house in its same two-story wood-shingle style, added more windows to take advantage of the views of Mt.

hidden throughout the knoll-top trees cast a diffuse glow on the area to encourage evening play.

Tamalpais, West Marin and San Francisco, and decided to make it a

A wide staircase of Connecticut bluestone leads down from the

party-giving house, with a garden that would allow family and guests

knoll to the house, where patios of different elevations create distinct

to relax, play and be entertained.

entertainment spaces. Visually connecting them are the raised-bed

Soil was brought in to create a large pool patio and the exterior lines

plantings of Swan Hill olive trees, the only true nonfruiting olive vari-

were kept clean and simple to reflect the home’s interior lines and to min-

ety, underplanted with roses and perennials, lushly planted containers

imize distractions. “There are so many interesting views; we wanted the

of seasonal annuals and a hardscape of aquarium gravel set in concrete

patio to just exist as a place to be and look beyond,” she says.

and banded by the bluestone.

Close to the house is an intimate dining area with an outdoor

Francisco and completed in 2002, the garden was planned to unfold as

kitchen that includes a large barbecue, side burner and sink. Nearby, a

it is explored. “The intent was to hide things, to have surprises and to

secluded spa is enhanced by a splashing wall fountain.

have things that people would almost stumble across,” Cole says. Hale

On another patio are an infinity-edge pool and sundeck with steps leading up to the bathhouse and sauna, both tucked behind large

agrees. “You can have an adventure,” she says. As the daughter of Dave

walls covered in creeping fig.

Dorward, founder of Marin’s

Swimmers and sunbathers need

Cagwin & Dorward Landscaping Construction, Hale has a natural affinity for plants. “I really wanted the visual impact of looking at a garden,” she says. “It’s part of our family.” “Donna was the driving force behind the landscape,”

“

The intent was to hide things, to have surprises and to have things that people would almost stumble across. You can have an adventure.

says project manager Dave Kaplow of Bertotti Landscaping

”

— DONNA HALE

only walk over to the small outdoor bar to answer a phone, plug in a computer, adjust the outdoor sound system or reach for cold soda or a scoop of ice. “We don’t need to build a Sonoma retreat now,” Hale says. “We have our own retreat right here.”

Company, which won two top California Landscape Contractors Association awards for building the garden. “The plantings were chosen to give her a lush look with lots of colors and flowers and some fragrance.” That meant choosing plants with colorful foliage, such as artemisia, Phormium, Teucrium and berberis; and plants with pretty blooms like azaleas, hydrangeas,camellias, rhododendrons and iris. For wafts of scent, there are lavender, rosemary and daphne. A small viewing garden visible from her home office honors her fondness for shade-loving plants. A cutting garden of roses supplies flowers for the house, and edible plants from

Charlie Hale taking a turn on the green.

the orchard and vegetable garden supply a bounty of produce. Soon the vineyard with

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103

Donna Hale has an abundant selection of spring ﬂowers to pick.

104

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IF YOU GO The Beyond the Garden Gate Tour, a benefit for the fine arts program at Ross School, takes place Saturday, May 5, 2007. The gardens are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parking, shuttle bus service, self-guided touring maps for bicyclists and shopping at an artisan marketplace are all available at the Marin Art and Garden Center at 30 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Ross. Tour tickets are $35. An alfresco picnic lunch, $12 in advance or $15 the day of the tour, is available 11a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information, call 415.482.7983, ext. 401, or

Serene pool area with view of Mount Tam.

visit rossgardentour.org.

H OME D E S I G N

Sheikh Zayed Road, once a near-vacant desert road, is now a 10-lane highway. It’s home to most of Dubai’s skyscrapers, including the Burj Dubai, under construction to become the world’s tallest building. 106

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BOOMTOWN! Lavish, luxe, ambitious Dubai, where the snow is fake but the Bedouin roots remain real STORY & PHOTOS BARBARA RIES

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107

Clockwise from upper left: Father and baby shopping in the souks of Bur Dubai; the Mall of the Emirates houses a 260 foot indoor ski slope, viewed from one of many top-end restaurants; tea and herbs for sale in the Deira spice souk; mannequin in the window of one of several shops in the Deira gold souk.

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“T

out of wages by layers of agents. After a strike, the government began

on a magazine assignment. I decided

in 2008. Every residential unit was sold before the second story went up.

to take advantage of a layover in Dubai for few days to see what all the

Viewed over the sea of cranes, earthmovers and scaffolding, the

hype is about. The media are fascinated with this “city of the future,” one

dusty landscape looks almost like a movie set with a computer-gener-

of the seven United Arab Emirates on the Arabian Peninsula, and the fast-

ated backdrop that couldn’t possibly be real. I kept wondering, what’s

est-growing metropolis on the planet.

the hurry? The answer, of course, is money.

HE EARTH HAS A NEW CENTER,” proclaims a billboard on the road

imposing fines and monitoring work schedules and living conditions.

into Dubai. It was 2 a.m. and I’d just

Dubai’s “race for the top” includes the Burj Dubai, designed to be the

flown in from Ethiopia, where I’d been

world’s tallest building with an estimated 160 stories when it’s completed

The airport was a glitzy shopping mall—the first of many I would

National Geographic reported in January that Dubai “has created

encounter—with hotels and restaurants and international travelers

one of the most dynamic business environments in the world,” with “no

crowding the Internet cafes. Late-model taxis with computerized me-

corporate or income taxes and a top-notch banking system.” —which

ters and English-speaking drivers lined up outside.

could be the reason Halliburton recently made the decision to relocate

I arrived without a hotel reservation—not ideal—but I got lucky at

its headquarters there. The population, at 1.4 million people today and

a hotel information counter in the airport: an apartment in a new build-

up from 183,200 in 1975, is projected to reach 2 million in three years.

ing in Bur Dubai, the area I most wanted to see. The rate was just $110

Only 10 percent of residents are Emiratis; the rest are expats. Wealthy

a night as a last-minute booking, much lower, it turns out, than the rates

company executives and skilled labor from all over the world enjoy

listed online.

tax-free living, often with cushy packages that include a beach villa or

This was my first visit to the Arab world, and I was more curious

penthouse, a Porsche or Mercedes and free health care.

about Arabic and Bedouin culture than about the mega-malls Dubai has

An estimated 5 million visitors descend on Dubai each year to shop,

become known for. The historic areas of Bur Dubai and Deira straddle

sunbathe, enjoy sumptuous restaurant fare and shop some more. The

Dubai Creek, where the cargo vessels called dhows dock. The narrow

government hopes to grow that number to 15 million by 2010.

streets and souks, my Lonely Planet guide promised, exude authentic

The number of shopping venues in Dubai is mind-boggling. The

charm. I wanted to see this older city as well as the “21st-century phe-

Mall of the Emirates is just one of dozens of lavish creations. It boasts

nomenon” of new Dubai, so I decided to cover a lot of ground.

6.5 million square feet of luxury shops and restaurants, built around a

The first day luckily was a Friday, a Muslim holiday. That meant

260-foot indoor ski slope.

relief on the freeways from the workweek’s traffic jams. The skyline is

The mall is filled with glittering granite floors, top designer shops,

monstrous, an astonishing sight as it comes into view. Towers of gleam-

and posh boutiques. In the Après Ski restaurant, you can watch as ski-

ing glass, chrome and granite are packed like shiny sardines along

ers schuss down fake slopes and kids toss faux snowballs. The flat-

Sheik Zayed road, the main drag running east-west. As recently as the

screen digital fireplace makes the artificial atmosphere complete.

early ‘90s, this was an empty desert road.

Next stop is Jumeirah Beach, home of the Burj Al Arab Hotel. Built in

Described in a 2006 Vanity Fair article as a “skyline on crack,” the

the shape of a billowing sail, the hotel has become an icon of the mod-

construction spreads in all directions. Skyscrapers sprout up in record

ern Dubai coastline. I was hoping to see the lobby, said to be lavish to the

time. Everything seems to meld together in a futuristic blend of cutting

point of gaudiness. But it’s not an establishment you can just wander into.

edge architecture.

With rooms starting at around $1,500 a night and all the opulence of

The driving force behind this extraordinary growth is Dubai’s ruler,

the world’s only seven-star hotel, I didn’t get past the guard kiosk. I later

Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, who is expanding his late

learned that for about $50 you can make a reservation to have a cocktail

father’s vision of a world business-and-tourism hub. Sheik Mohammed

at the hotel’s Skyview Bar. From the beach you get a good view of the ex-

is worth an estimated $27 billion.

terior, which sits on a man-made island built on pillars 900 feet offshore.

Tens of thousands of immigrant laborers work eight- to 12-hour

Also man-made, a few miles beyond, is the Palm Jumeirah, a palm-

shifts round the clock to make this dream a reality. Dubai has been crit-

tree-shaped island where 17 “fronds” jutting into the ocean contain 4,000

icized for its treatment of these construction crews, mainly Pakistanis

villas. Two other “palms” are under construction, one with luxury housing

and South Asians, forced to work in extreme heat and often cheated

for 70,000 residents and still more high-end hotels. The third is expected

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Clockwise from upper left: Burj Al Arab Hotel on Jumeirah Beach, was built to resemble the sail of a dhow; construction looms in every direction of new Dubai, dominating the landscape for miles; a souk vendor in Bur Dubai, wearing traditional gutra headdress; the call to prayer at a Mosque in old Dubai. Opposite page: camel ride in the desert.

110

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Above: shoppers on the streets of Deira. Below: evening glows on Dubai Creek, where water taxis transport visitors from Deira to Bur Dubai and back. Opposite page: safari driver looks out over the Arabian desert.

112

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to be larger than the city of Paris. Also in the works is an archipelago of

restored courtyard houses and cafes, galleries and wind towers, an early

300 man-made islands forming a map of the world. Critics say these am-

form of air-conditioning that funneled cool air into the house. Wealthy

bitious projects are hazardous to the Persian Gulf’s ecosystem.

merchants and traders built these homes in the early 20th century.

When I’d seen enough of modern Dubai, I followed Lonely Planet’s

The Bur Dubai textile market has shop after busy shop selling silks

advice and wandered the old settlement areas. In Bur Dubai, the creek

and other fabrics from around the world. Intricate silver knives, jew-

buzzed with activity: souks, vendors, open-air cafes.

elry and water pipes line other stalls. Cheap local restaurants serving

You can hop on an abra (water taxi), hand the driver a one-dirham coin (about 27 cents) and cruise across to the Deira side. You might sit

Indian, Chinese and Lebanese food (or sometimes all three) are tucked in between.

next to a businessman speaking Arabic on his cell phone, wearing tradi-

The last afternoon of my stay I used my hotel to arrange a desert safa-

tional garb and a gutra headcloth. Or watch a Muslim mother pass sand-

ri—$80 including pickup and drop-off. Skidding around in a four-wheel-

wiches around to her kids. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed.

drive jeep through the bright orange sand dunes turned out to be a blast.

I glimpsed what the early days must have been like, with wooden

The outing included a sunset camel ride and a barbecue dinner, Bedouin

dhows docked along the Deira harbor, workers loading and unloading

style, complete with belly dancer. Touristy as it was, I dined under the

wares from around the world. Just off the main waterfront, the streets

stars with two sisters from Belgium and had a lovely time.

become narrower. One souk leads to another—from spices to clothing to

On a Dubai map I could see the places I wouldn’t have time to

gold. The gold-vending souk is rows of jewelry shops, with displays of

see, as well as still-unfinished coming attractions. Much of the map is

elaborate “wedding necklaces,” bracelets and chains. Wander farther into

labeled (u/c) for “under construction.” Dubailand, for example, will

the winding alleyways and the atmosphere becomes less touristy.

be a 3-billion-square-foot fantasy theme park and entertainment com-

Several mosques with beautiful minarets and multiple domes are lit up against the evening sky. The call to prayer echoes from loudspeakers; men make their way through the old neighborhoods and kick off their shoes at the mosque entrance.

plex the size of two San Franciscos. The $20 billion vision of Sheik Mohammed, it’s expected to attract 200,000 visitors daily. Other spots that will have to wait for a future visit: Internet City, Media City, Knowledge Village, and the Camel Race course. Short ex-

One of the oldest buildings in Bur Dubai is the Al Fahidi Fort, once the

cursions to the surrounding areas of Hatta in the mountains and the

seat of government. It now houses the Dubai Museum, which has photo-

cities of Sharjah and Fujairah also sound interesting. Next time I’m on

graphs of the early free-trade port. Nearby is the Bastakia Quarter, with

the 12-hour flight from New York, I’ll plan a longer stay.

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EASY, ACTIVE ESCAPES IN TAHOE STORY & PHOTOS BEN DAVIDSON

ONLY A FOUR-HOUR DRIVE from Marin, beautiful Lake Tahoe offers it all when it comes to getting out there and being active. Four of my favorite activities—kayaking, twilight golf, mountain biking and vista hiking—offer awesome scenery and easy escape from the spring and summer crowds.

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“

In the High Sierra, the elevation makes lowland duffers like me tee off like champions.

116

”

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

114-121_go-tahoe.indd 116

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

4/3/07 2:34:03 PM

Touring Tahoe by kayak Lake Tahoe is a boater’s paradise. But for kayakers, the 190-square-mile mountain lake approaches nirvana. Portable and easy to use, kayaks allow you to lose the tourist hordes and explore the lake’s miles of quiet and secluded shoreline. I recently spent a weekend kayaking Lake Tahoe, joining two guided day tours and squeezing in an overnight stay at a boatin campground. The first tour, run by Kayak Tahoe (kayaktahoe.com), started on the beach at D. L. Bliss State Park on the lake’s southwestern shore. After a brief orientation and safety talk, we slid our kayaks into the lake and paddled south along the shoreline past car-size boulders, forests of fir and sugar pine and a pair of ospreys nesting atop a huge snag. The crystal-clear waters beneath my boat plunged from sandy-bottomed shallows to darker depths, changing hue from ethereal green to sapphire blue. During a midday lunch stop at a sandy beach on Emerald Bay, we watched two elegant stern-wheelers churn by. Our afternoon route brought us around the bay beyond tiny Fannette Island, past Vikingsholm (a historic Scandinavian-style mansion) and to Eagle Point at the mouth of the bay, where a mama merganser and her obedient brood weaved between shoreline rocks. Our 7.5-mile-long paddle ended at lively Camp Richardson amid sunbathers and swimmers. Later that afternoon, I packed up rental kayaks with camping supplies and paddled back to Emerald Bay. We camped at Emerald Bay State Park’s boat-in campground, under whistling yellow pines and cedars. The following day, I headed up to the north shore to join a tour run by Tahoe Paddle and Oar (tahoepaddle.com), based at the North Tahoe Beach Center in Kings Beach. Setting out from the wide beach behind the center, we paddled toward the California-Nevada border at Brockway Point, where we explored a jumbled maze of giant, half-submerged granite

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Then it was back to the “real world.” I took with me a pleasant soreness in my paddling muscles and memories of pristine shoreline as mementos of my brief but heavenly escape on the water.

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In the High Sierra, the elevation makes lowland duffers like me tee off like champions (golf balls travel more than 10 percent farther in the mountains than at sea level).

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There’s a tantalizing array of upland courses in Tahoe, from poky nine-holers to challenging 18-hole championship layouts. At some, mule deer and Canada geese graze the fairways; at others, raptors take in airborne views of the player’s birdies and eagles. One of my favorite places to tee off is Northstar-at-Tahoe, near Truckee, on a beautiful 18-hole, par-72 course designed by legendary landscape architect Robert Muir Graves.

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Especially enticing is Northstar’s “twilight” golf special. From May 1 through June 14, you can get on the greens after 1 p.m. for just $39 (includes cart); June 15 through September 16,

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the rate jumps to $69.

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(northstarattahoe.com), the largest in North America, with over 100 miles of trails. The park has added five new trail segments and two new full trails, including a beginners’ trail from the top of Vista Chair to the Tahoe Zephyr six-seater lift. Trails range from easy (green circle) to very difficult (double black diamond) and include a skills development

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area where bikers can practice tricks on smaller features before heading to a brandnew jump park. For a challenging but highly rewarding mountain bike ride, check out the north shore’s

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Flume Trail, which begins at 7,080 feet elevation at the Spooner Lake day use area in the

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beautiful Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park. You start on North Canyon road, heading through

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535 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley (between Wells Fargo Bank & Safeway)

rolling uphill terrain through beautiful aspen groves. A gradual 1,100-foot climb is capped

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by a steep half-mile section, then followed by a short descent to pristine Marlette Lake. A ride along the shore of Marlette Lake leads to the incredible Flume Trail and over four miles of single-track riding. This trail, perched some 1,600 feet above Lake Tahoe’s east shore, is nearly flat and features spectacular views of the lake and Tahoe Basin. The end of the Flume Trail is a three-mile, 1,500-foot descent to Highway 28, or you can ride back the way you came.

High Vistas One of the easiest ways to quickly access Tahoe’s awesome hiking terrain is to catch a ride on Heavenly Resort’s gondola, which whisks you up to 9,136 feet elevation. At the top, you can head out on one of three hiking routes, which range from ambling to more challenging. The trails meander through the High Sierra forest with awesome views of Lake Tahoe en route. The East Peak Trail gently climbs almost 400 vertical feet over 1.6 miles and meanders through the forest

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to a vantage point with spectacular views of Lake Tahoe and the Carson Valley. Or choose the Sky Meadows trail, a 2.2-mile roundtrip hike that takes you downhill almost 500 vertical feet, where you will find meadows full of wildflowers including the vibrant colors of Indian paintbrush, purple lupine and yellow mule ears. The 3.8-mile round-trip East Peak Lake Trail starts off with a gradual uphill climb, continues with a hike along a picturesque ridgeline, and then descends to East Peak Lake. During the summer season Heavenly also offers rock climbing at Adventure Peak at the top of the gondola. And in August, Heavenly will open the only zip line in the Tahoe Basin—a great way to make your heart pound even faster! Another favorite view hike near the south shore is the Rubicon Trail, which you can join

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views of Tahoe’s emerald and sapphire waters. Continue following the trail to Emerald Bay and Vikingsholm Castle at the water’s edge. It’s Tahoe at its breathtaking best.

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ACCOMMODATIONS

For Your Pleasure, Downtown Tiburon

The Resort at Squaw Creek It will be hard to leave the room; each features a residential-style kitchen, flat-screen television and fireplace (Squaw Valley). 530.583.6300, squawcreek.com Northstar Resort When not relaxing in a luxury condominium or a ﬁve-bedroom home at the resort, families can take advantage of golf clinics, tennis camps and pony rides (Truckee). 800.466.6784, northstarattahoe.com The Deerfield Lodge at Heavenly Within walking distance of the beaches of Lake Tahoe, this boutique hotel offers en-suite massages and concierge services

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(South Lake Tahoe). 888.757.3337, tahoedeerﬁeldlodge.com Lakeland Village Beach and Mountain Resort Situated on 19 wooded, lakefront acres, the family resort features a private sandy beach with a pier and boat moorings, tennis courts and outdoor heated pools

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(South Lake Tahoe). 530.544.1685, lakeland-village.com Marriott’s Timber Lodge Boasting villas that can accommodate up to ten guests, the modern lodge is set at the edge of the Heavenly gondola and near many restaurants (South Lake Tahoe). 530.542.6600, marriott.com The Forest Suites Within walking distance of the Tahoe casinos and Heavenly gondola, these condo-style accommodations are some of the largest in the area. Private beach access and swimming pools make it an

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ideal getaway (South Lake Tahoe). 530.541.6655, forestsuites.com

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HYATT REGENCY LAKE TAHOE Luxury Vacation Rentals

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experience, check into the Hyatt

Pacific Rim cuisines, to the Lone Eagle

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Grille with traditional fare and the best

Casino. Whether you’re going for a family

sunset lake view around. At the end of an

vacation or a romantic getaway, this prop-

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north shore in Incline Village, Nevada, and

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several meeting rooms—a popular venue

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for weddings, corporate functions and

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are a brand-new health spa and fitness

The 26-acre property also boasts 24

club, mountain bike rentals, heated pool,

lakeside cottages—a charming contrast

private beach, summer water sports cen-

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ter (including waterskiing and catamaran

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ing guests book these accommodations

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LEISURE ITALIAN STYLE Bocce gains popularity in Marin BY SAMANTHA BRONSON PHOTOS TIM PORTER

Ah, bocce. That leisurely pursuit of elderly Italian gentlemen whiling away warm afternoons as they sip red wine, smoke cigars and discuss politics. A quaint image, no doubt, but no longer completely accurate. Wine and talk of politics still occur, but today’s bocce players are just as likely to be women—of all ages. Across the country bocce has seen a resurgence in recent years, attracting many players who don’t fit the “old country” mold. Marin is no exception. A thriving bocce scene centers around the eight bocce courts at Albert Park in San Rafael, drawing as many as 1,000 players a week.

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“The most important thing about it is that our lives are so fast-paced and hectic and this is a slow game,” says Donna Robbins of Corte Madera. Known as “Bella” on the Albert Park courts, Robbins got hooked on the game

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about a year ago and now plays in a weekly league. The premise of the game is simple: roll a four-inch bocce ball as close as possible to the smaller target ball—the pallino. The bocce ball closest to the pallino scores a point; 12 points constitute a game. Yet this simple game requires a surprising amount of skill.

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can be over in 15 minutes—or 90 minutes. “People think, ‘Oh, this looks easy,’” says Diana Pellegrini, executive administrator of the Marin Bocce Federation, which runs the bocce courts and keeps a staff member on hand to explain the game’s intricacies and etiquette to newcomers. “It’s not hard to learn, but it does require finesse, strategy and hand-eye coordination.” Indeed, rolling a bocce ball to a precise point on the court is an art. Roll too lightly and the bocce will be too far from the pallino. Roll too vigorously and the bocce will

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bounce off the back edge of the court, taking it out of play. Don’t forget to aim and remember to knock your opponents’ bocce balls out of the way. That’s a lot to keep in mind. Bocce’s history is extensive. Its geographic beginnings are up for debate, but historians generally agree the game originated as early as 5200 B.C. Bocce eventually spread throughout

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Bocce enthusiasts say this ancient pastime appeals to modern sensibilities because of its mental stimulation, ease on the body and

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social atmosphere.

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Vince Passanisi of San Rafael began playing bocce nine years ago at his brother’s urging. He was addicted from the first roll of the ball, drawn to the challenge of putting the bocce and the pallino side by side. Now, he plays five or six days a week, during open play and in leagues. “I think people are craving community, and I think this is beginning to kind of fill that void,” says Pellegrini. From April through November, the Albert Park courts host league play three mornings and five nights a week. The atmosphere can range from still concentration to boisterous banter. Some teams have uniforms; others just wear what feels lucky that day. Friendships form among teammates and across team lines. The San Rafael courts are also open to the occasional player. During open play hours, $3 per person pays for three hours of court time, instruction and equipment. For those with bad backs, the bocce federation even provides plungers attached to wooden dowels so you can pick up the balls without bending. Fragrant rosebushes surround the area, picnic tables are spread about and covered arbors provide shade. Players are welcome to bring food, wine and beer. Just as they have for generations of bocce players, lively discussion and friendly competition flow. A perfect way to wile away a spring afternoon in Marin.

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READY TO ROLL! The Marin Bocce Federation’s bocce courts are at 550 B Street in Albert Park, San Rafael. Food, beer and wine are allowed (no hard alcohol). Hours: Beginning in April, open play 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Cost: $3 per person for three hours on a drop-in basis. Reservations are $17 per hour for a court. Leagues: Contact the Marin Bocce Federation, 415.485.5583.

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LO O K I NG BACK

Historic Ranch Houses Built in the Civil War era, they’re still occupied

BY JIM WOOD

In West Marin, a wooden structure built 150 years ago is

ed up for seven years while Sally and husband Mike lived on the Big

hardly a rarity. Drive the back roads and you’ll see several.

Island of Hawaii. “But as our family grew older, we felt the ranch pull-

However, most likely they’ll be skeletal barns or shaky outbuild-

ing us home,” Sally recalls. And in 1993—more than 100 years after

ings slowly crumbling into eternity. Here are three sturdy

her great grandfather first improved the ranch house—Sally’s mother,

exceptions: ranch homes, built in the 1850s and ‘60s, that are

Novato’s Anita Dolcini, took her to see what had become of the family

not only standing tall but still harboring descendants of the families

property. “It had literally fallen apart,” Sally says. “It looked like a be-

who lived there during the Civil War.

draggled child no one wanted.” However, Mike and Sally Gale wanted it, badly enough to begin a

The Gale Ranch in Chileno Valley

complete restoration that would consume five years and much of their

“Charles Martin, my great grandfather, bought this property from Henry

life savings. “We lived for two rainy winters under tarps and in half a

Halleck in 1862 when Halleck left West Marin to become President

house,” says Sally, “but now it’s worth it. Our home is beautiful and still

Lincoln’s chief of staff in the War Between the States.” So begins the

very comfortable.” In 1997, the Gales’ restoration received an Award of

saga of the Mike and Sally Gale Ranch on Chileno Valley Road, as re-

Great Merit from Heritage Homes of Petaluma, and their 160-year-old

lated by great granddaughter Sally Gale.

barn and organic apple orchard serve as settings for summer weddings

Martin, a Swiss-Italian immigrant originally named Carlo Martinoya,

and parties. The 586-acre ranch is also home of Chileno Valley Natural

added an Italianate Victorian main house to the original ranch cottage

Beef, a direct-to-consumer grass-fed beef operation run by Mike Gale.

in 1883. He and his wife, Katarina, had seven children. The youngest, Anita, married Peter Dolcini, from a well-known (and today still promi-

The Burbank Ranch in Tomales

nent) West Marin ranching family. “Anita and Peter had six children,”

“It began in 1855, when George Walton Burbank settled on the prop-

says Sally Gale, “among them my mother, also named Anita, who is

erty,” says great granddaughter Georgia Burbank Marino, who’s also

now 90 years old and living happily in Novato.”

great grandniece of famed botanist Luther Burbank. The two Burbank

The Martin family occupied the property until 1917; then, through

men, along with their brother David, came west from Massachusetts in

two world wars and the Great Depression, it was rented to a ranching

the 1850s. Construction of the large home, known to family members

family named Bravo. Those were reportedly prime years for dairy farm-

as the “home ranch,” began in 1863 and was completed in 1867.

ing and cattle ranching in West Marin. For the next 30 years, until the mid-1980s, a caretaker named Mr.

Opposite page, top: The Gale Ranch in Chileno Valley as it appeared in the early 1990s. On ﬁrst sight, Sally Gale referred to it as a “bedraggled child

Shanks tended the Martin-Dolcini ranch home. “He really just lived

no one wanted.” Bottom: The same Victorian as restored by Mike and Sally

here,” Sally Gale says. “People in the valley knew him as the ‘nudist

Gale. It is now a site for weddings and parties, and home to Chileno Valley

who made wine.’” After that, the classic Victorian home was board-

Natural Beef.

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Three identical homes (two still standing) were constructed from the same set of plans. “All together, there were four of them, all alike, scattered between here and the Sonoma County town of Bloomfield,” Marino says. Today the Burbank family ranch sits proudly on a secluded rise off the Petaluma-Tomales Road. “We have an idyllic setting,” says another great granddaughter, Annette Burbank, who lives in and cares for the 140-year-old Italianate Victorian home ranch. “Basically, the house and most of the furnishings are as they were over a hundred years ago.” The home was built mostly of redwood hauled in by horse cart from the town of Bodega and set on a slate foundation from nearby Roblar Quarry. Original furnishings include a golden oak player piano, an ornate chandelier and a six-foot-tall portrait of George Walton himself staring down from the marble mantel over the fireplace. According to Annette’s brother Bob, who like his sisters was raised on the ranch, the

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it was in the beginning,” as is the electricity. “Initially, there was a Delco copper plate battery system,” he says. “Eventually that was changed to PG&E, but all the switches and plates are the originals.” Even most of the heat is still supplied by a Monitor cast-iron woodburning cookstove that “used to make the best damn biscuits around.” At first, potatoes and wheat were grown on the Burbanks’ 300 acres, but over time, farming gave way to ranching. “We ran mostly cows,” recalls 83-year-old Gwyn Walton Burbank, son of George Walton Burbank, who was raised on the ranch and now lives close by. Proud as he is of the property’s ranching past, it also has a more distinctive historical

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claim to fame: “It’s always been occupied by a Burbank,” he says. “It’s probably the oldest ranch in Marin that’s been continuously occupied by a family with its original name.”

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built in 1853. And as a longtime docent at the Tomales Regional History Center, she takes local history seriously. “We think the home was

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built for Dr. George Washington Dutton,” she says, “who was the brother of Warren Dutton, who along with John Keys founded the town of Tomales.” The 375-acre ranch property, which

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sits off Highway 1 north of town, came into the family of Parks’ late husband Roy in 1883. “That’s when Henry Goudy, my husband’s grandfather, bought it and right away added six rooms plus a bathroom to the original three-bedroom cottage.” The home’s plumbing, electricity and heating are now relatively modern, and Parks has no complaints. Portraits of several generations—from Henry Goudy to Roy Parks—hang on the walls of Lois Parks’ ranch house today. She’s sure those walls “have ears,” given all the history that’s transpired there. Asian artifacts from her childhood years abroad are also on display: her parents were Baptist missionaries in China during the 1920s. An intriguing photo taken sometime in the 1920s shows tracks of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad going di-

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rectly across the property’s front yard. “I guess

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it passed through on the way to Cazadero,” Parks says with a laugh. Her favorite memories of life in the ranch house—apart from raising a daughter and three sons—are from the 1950s, when class-

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mates from University of Redlands Class of ’42 held reunions there. “Many of my friends lived in cities, and they’d enjoy gathering eggs, feeding the sheep and picking blackberries,” Parks recalls. For years chickens, sheep and beef cattle were raised on the ranch, with only the help of a single hired hand. “Now we only run beef on the ranch,” she says. Yet it’s her garden that most enthralls the 87-year-old and still very active widow these days. “I grow peonies given to me by my father 40 years ago, dahlias as wide as dinner plates, roses the deer like to eat, and five-fingered ferns down by the fish pond.” As for Tomales, where she’s lived since 1943, “this

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CA LE N DAR

MAY ARTS & EVENTS GUIDE

The Subject Tonight Is Love, playing at the Marin Theatre Company, May 10—June 10.

THEATER Thru May 12 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Edward Albee’s classic story of George and Martha, who prove that marriage is a battleﬁeld. Golden Gate Theatre (SF). 415.512.7770, shnsf.com 10—June 10 The Subject Tonight Is Love Over the course of a tough year, a family struggles to understand and embrace the forces that divide and bind them, while coping with the onset of the matriarch’s Alzheimer’s. Marin Theatre Company (Mill Valley). 415.388.5208, marintheatre.org 130

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

11—June 17 The Underpants A hilarious tale of chaos that occurs when a housewife’s underpants fall down while she’s observing a military parade. Ross Valley Players (Ross). 415.456.9555, rossvalleyplayers.org 12 One Man Star Wars Show Charles Ross pays homage to the original three Star Wars films by playing all of the characters, recreating the effects, singing the score and even fighting on both sides of the battles. Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org 20—June 17 Hair Mountain Play presents the 94th season opener with the flower

power rock musical Hair. Mountain Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.1100, mountainplay.org

24 The Playwright’s Lab Members of the group perform their original works for the public. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmortontheatre.com

COMEDY Tuesdays Mark Pitta & Friends You’ll have to see the show to ﬁnd out who’s performing but it’s worth getting a chance to watch big-name headliners and upMARINMAGAZINE.COM

Symphony Hall (SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org

4 Rock for Hope Join Tony Saunders, Jude Gold and Dorothy Morrison in a beneﬁt concert for Muscular Dystrophy. Sweetwater Saloon (Mill Valley). 415.388.2820, sweetwatersaloon.com

10—13 San Francisco Symphony Baritone Thomas Hampson sings the music of Gustav Mahler while the origin of mankind is depicted in Also Sprach Zarathustra (known to moviegoers from the ﬁlm 2001: A Space Odyssey). Davies Symphony Hall (SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org

Writer Nathan Englander at the JCC, May 15.

and-coming comics work on new material. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmortontheatre.com

Thursdays Comedy Slam Join host Debbie Campo of the San Francisco Comedy College along with other comedians for an evening of stand-up. Sam’s Cafe (Tiburon). 415.435.4527, sfcomedycollege.com

19 Bob Newhart Since 1962, Newhart has appeared in 14 ﬁlms, headlined in three network series and provided character voices for major animated productions. Enjoy the funnyman as he performs in Marin. Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org

11 Hemispheres Ian Dogole on percussion, Bill Douglass on double bass, Sheldon Brown and Paul McCandless on woodwinds and Frank Martin on piano. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmortontheatre.com 11 Michael Lamacchia’s Organic Jive Collective Join the band for its live CD release party. Sweetwater Saloon (Mill Valley). 415.388.2820, sweetwatersaloon.com

13 & 27 James Moseley Band After a brief hiatus, guitarist and vocalist Moseley is back playing R&B with Lynn Asher on vocals and Mark Bernﬁeld on drums. Sweetwater Saloon (Mill Valley). 415.388.2820, sweetwatersaloon.com

14 Music at Meyer Closing Night Gala The Adler Fellows will present a night of Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Puccini and Strauss followed by a reception with the artists. Temple Emanu-El’s Martin Meyer Sanctuary (SF). 415.864.3330, sfopera.com 17 Left Coast Chamber Ensemble A world premiere from Mario Davidovsky and Erica Muhl as the ensemble performs Beethoven and his Legacy. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmortontheatre.com 19 An Evening With Ramblin’ Jack Elliott The Cowboy Troubadour will perform an evening of tunes from his Grammy-nominated album I Stand Alone, to beneﬁt West Marin Community Radio. Dance Palace (Point Reyes). 415.663.1075, kwmr.org May 1 The Marin Symphony Maestro

13 Starduster Sundays Alongside guest vocalist Jonathan Poretz, join Cynthia Glinka and Jan Wahl with the Starduster Orchestra for a night of dancing. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmortontheatre.com

Alasdair Neale conducts an all–Richard Strauss program featuring Wind Serenade, Ein Heldenleben and Four Last Songs, performed by soprano soloist Rebecca Evans. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marinsymphony.org

SPOTLIGHT ON: BIKE TO WORK DAY

MUSIC 1 Marin Symphony Conductor Alasdair Neale and soprano Rebecca Evans. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marinsymphony.org

If the average person biked to work once

bike challenge, ﬁlm night, energizer stations

every two weeks instead of driving,

manned by volunteers and local businesses,

Americans could save one billion gal-

workshops and an end-of-event party where

lons of gasoline every year, according to

the award to the Marin bike commuter of

Northwestern Health Sciences University.

the year will be presented. Help the environ-

This month, leave the car in the garage—

ment (and your health) and start pedaling.

3 Sundogs A blend of blues, roots and rock,

the Marin County Bicycle Coalition has been

“Last year almost 1,700 people—that we

the band’s energetic live show has been getting audiences up and dancing. Sweetwater Saloon (Mill Valley). 415.388.2820, sweetwatersaloon.com

busy preparing for May’s national bike month

counted—took part in bike-to-work day and

and national bike to work day on May 17. The

this year we expect a lot more,” says Jo Ann

group’s goal is to eventually have 20 percent

Richards, Marin Bicycle Coalition’s member-

of all trips in Marin be made by walking or

ship and outreach coordinator.

3 & 5 Beethoven’s Second Symphony The Houston Symphony’s music director Hans Graf leads the San Francisco Symphony with violinist Alexander Barantschik. Davies MARINMAGAZINE.COM

bicycling—which would help most people get

National Bike Month sponsored by the

in the 30 minutes of recommended exercise

Marin County Bicycle Coalition (Fairfax),

a day. This year’s events will include a team

415.456.3469, marinbike.org

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

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DANCE

GALLERIES

Thru 5 Don Quixote Miguel de Cervantes’ romantic and witty story comes to life with lively characters and the excitement of some of classical ballet’s most technically challenging dances. War Memorial Opera House (SF). 415.865.2000, sfballet.org

MARIN

19 ODC/Dance The San Francisco–based troupe in a performance created especially for children and their families. JCC (SF). 415.292.1233, jccsf.org

19 West Coast Swing Learn moves from two-time United States Open champion Kelly Casanova, followed by dancing to music from DJ Fred Loebenstein. Mt. Tam Racquet Club (Larkspur). 415.924.6226

23 San Francisco Ballet Student Showcase Enjoy a gourmet dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel followed by a performance. Yerba Buena Gardens (SF). 415.553.4658, sfballet.org

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Aperture f64 Gallery San Francisco Presidio Award-winning black-and-white photographs that depict personal experiences from the historic San Francisco Presidio by Edgar Angelone, thru May 10. Trees A group show featuring photographs that capture the beauty and mystical nature of trees, thru June. 635 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo. 415.482.0480 Art Abloom Color Abound Oil on canvas by Gabriella Spina Drake, thru June. 735 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo. 415.256.1112, artabloom.com Art Works Downtown Drawings and ceramics by Bill Abright, May 3–June 15. 1337 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.451.8119, artworksdowntown.org Claudia Chapline Gallery Strong Waves Work from the Women’s Caucus for Art’s

Northern California and Florida chapters, May 5–27. 3445 Shoreline Hwy, Stinson Beach. 415.868.2308, cchapline.com Donna Seager Gallery Sculpture Work by San Rafael resident Joe Brubaker, thru May. 851 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.454.4229, donnaseagergallery.com Edith Caldwell Gallery Still life paintings and drawings by Karen Horn, Philip Michelson and John Gibson, thru May. Contemporary tapestries by Squeak Carnwath, Alan Magee and others, thru May. 819 Bridgeway, Sausalito. 415.331.5003, edithcaldwell.com Gallery Bergelli New work by gallery artists, thru May. 483 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.945.9454, gallerybergelli.com Gallery Route One Richard Allen: Selected Work Inverness resident and photographer Richard Allen died in 2005; as a tribute the gallery presents a representative selection of his large body of work. Worked Books Tim Graveson and Zea Horvitz collaborate

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Redwood and Urban high schools, thru May. 19 Ross Common, Ross. 415.902.1019

on an installation. Both exhibits on display May 4—June 10. 11101 Hwy One, Point Reyes Station. 415.663.1347, galleryrouteone.org

Studio 333 Affordable studio space and art lessons. 333A Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.8272, studio333.info

Marin Arts Council Open Studios Thousands of guests will explore the studios of over 250 Marin artists and watch the artistic process unfold. Art for every budget will be available to purchase, May 5, 6, 12 & 13. Various locations (Marin). 415.499.8350, marinarts.org Marin Society of Artists Juried show for Northern California artists and society members, thru May. 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross. 415.454.9561, marinsocietyofartists.org O’Hanlon Center for the Arts Stone, Wood, and Fiber: Indoor and Outdoor Sculpture. An exhibit of three-dimensional sculptural work, thru May. 616 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.4331, ohanloncenter.org Robert Beck Gallery Ongoing work. 222 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo. 415.456.7898

The Painters Place Work by abstract artist Claus Eben, thru May. 1139 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.461.0351, thepaintersplace.com Tiburon Town Hall Paintings by Mary Lou D’Auray, thru June 29. 1505 Tiburon Blvd, Tiburon. 415.435.7373, marylouauray.com

Yoshitoshi’s Strange Tales at the Asian Art Museum, May 26—September 2.

Robert Green Fine Arts Works on Paper Sam Francis, thru May 6. New Paintings Work by Chris Gwaltney, thru June 17. 154 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.381.8776, rgﬁnearts.com Sam the Butcher Photographs by students from the Branson School as well as

William Lester Gallery Work by Lindy Duncan, May 4—28. 11101 Shoreline Hwy, Point Reyes Station. 415.663.9365, williamlestergallery.com

SAN FRANCISCO ArtHaus Women Who Fly An exhibition of paintings and reliefs by artist Andrea Arroyo, the ofﬁcial artist of the Latin Grammy Awards, thru June 23. 411 Brannan St, 415.977.0223, arthaus-sf.com

may 3-28, 2007

the bay area’s fourth annual celebration of the arts w w w. a rt s f e s t s f. o rg

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CLAUS EBEN AT THE PAINTERS PLACE

presents

Marin Arts Salon

SHOWCASING MARIN ARTISTS

BY ANNE CRUMP RAY

Wine & Appetizers FREE Admission 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Wednesdays in May (9, 16, 23, 30) California Closets Showroom 610 DuBois St., San Rafael www.marinmagazine.com/events

Wednesday, May 9, 2007 MUSIC 6:30pm Krickie, Singer, Songwriter 8:00pm Cole Tate & the Marin County Allstars Rockers DANCE 7:30pm Shamanic Cheerleaders, Divine Pep VISUAL ARTS Winner, Marin Magazine Cover Contest Imagery Estate Winery’s Artists from Marin DESIGNERS Kathy Kamei Jewelry, Sponsored by M Clothing Beth Rosener Accessories, Sponsored by Ko’Ze

Claus Eben, Sun Stream II, 2006 (82” x 50”; oil and acrylic on canvas)

rom May 1 through 31,

forms accented by the texture of

The Painters Place in

his brushstrokes and occasional vi-

Larkspur showcases ab-

sual pauses that offer moments of

stract paintings by Kentﬁeld res-

reﬂection.

ident Claus Eben. The German-

“I think he is truly one of the

Greg Nelson Guitar Designer

born, Marin-based artist creates

most innovative and exciting ab-

Larry Ostrow Dancing Helixes, Sponsored by Fancy That

colorful, exuberant compositions

stract artists working in Marin to-

imbued with the spontaneity, dy-

day,” Allen asserts. “He is a trea-

namism and free form he asso-

sure that I am very pleased to be

ciates with jazz—a fitting meta-

sharing with the rest of my neigh-

phor for an artist who is also an

bors in Marin.”

Bethanie Brandon Handpainted Textiles WINE SPONSOR:

accomplished musician. “Rhythm, tempo and melody MUSICAL CURATOR:

are evident throughout his work,”

The gallery hosts a public reception for the artist from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 3.

says gallery director Krystal Allen, BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

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M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

who notes that Eben’s paintings

T h e P a i n t e r s P l a c e , 1 1 39

aim to keep the viewer’s eye mov-

M a g n o l i a Av e . , La r k s p u r,

ing. His canvases feature meticu-

415.461.0351, thepaintersplace.

lously layered and intertwining

com; 10–5:30 Mon–Sat, closed Sun

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Hackett-Freedman Gallery Work by Marc Trujillo and Guy Diehl, May 3—June 30. 250 Sutter St, 415.362.7152, hackettfreedman.com Hang Art and Hang Art Annex Red, Black, White, Blue Paintings by Hugo Kobayashi give a cultural perspective on modern-day culture, thru May at Hang Art. Stranger Than Fiction Artists Chi Birmingham, Sara Bright, Josh Keyes, David Lippenberger and Eric Saxby present their alternate and imaginative visions of the world, thru May at Hang Art Annex. 556 & 567 Sutter St, 415.434.4264, hangart.com Masters of Bamboo at the Asian Art Museum, thru May 6.

Berggruen Gallery Works by Lee Mullican, May 3—June 2. 228 Grant Ave, 415.781.4629, berggruen.com Caldwell Snyder Gallery Recent Paintings Napa Valley and Vancouver landscapes by painter Ross Penhall in the gallery’s new St. Helena location, thru May. 341 Sutter St, 415.531.6755, caldwellsnyder.com Elins Eagles Smith Gallery Paintings by Gary Komarin, May 3—June 2. 49 Geary St, Ste 520, 415.981.1080, eesgallery.com Fraenkel Gallery Trees 1968/2006 Work by Robert Adams, April 5—May 26. Patience Work by Nicholas Naxon, thru May 26. 3049 Geary St, 415.981.2661, fraenkelgallery.com Frey Norris Gallery American Debut Work by Zhong Biao, May 3—June 14. 456 Geary St, 415.346.7812, freynorris.com Gallery Paule Anglim Work by Tony Oursler and Nayland Blake, thru May 5. Work by Mildred Howard and Randy Hussong, thru June 2. 14 Geary St, 415.433.2710, gallerypauleanglim.com

Marin Arts Salon

SHOWCASING MARIN ARTISTS Wine & Appetizers FREE Admission 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Wednesdays in May (9, 16, 23, 30) California Closets Showroom 610 DuBois St., San Rafael www.marinmagazine.com/events

In Color 2 The Signs Are All Around You Work by photographer Robert Dufort, thru June 2. 2475 Third St, 415.861.3997, incolor2.com Jack Hanley Gallery Work by Tauba Auerbach, May 4—26. 395/389 Valencia St, 415.522.1623, jackhanley.com John Pence Gallery Landscapes by Stock Schlueter, thru May 12. 750 Post St, 415.441.1138, johnpence.com Linda Saytes This seascape and landscape artist is currently working on a cityscape and Golden Gate Bridge series, which is open to the public to view. Hunters Point Shipyard, Bldg 101, Studio 2120, 415.824.5756, saytesart.com

Wednesday, May 16, 2007 MUSIC 6:30pm Stefanie Pisarczyk, Singer, Songwriter 8:00pm Phil Hardgrave and the West Marin Rockabilly Boys, Rock DANCE 7:30pm Estara, Sacred Dance VISUAL ARTS Winner, Marin Magazine Cover Contest Imagery Estate Winery’s Artists from Marin DESIGNERS

Meyerovich Gallery Works on Paper Rare items from Pablo Picasso’s personal collection and aquatints and carborundums by Joan Miro in the Meyerovich Modern Gallery, thru May. Rare Works from the Artist’s Estate Collage, aquatints and lithographs on paper by Robert Motherwell in the Meyerovich Contemporary Gallery, thru May. 251 Post St, 415.421.7171, meyerovich.com

George Krevsky Gallery Balancing Acts Work by John Dobbs, May 3—June 16. 77 Geary St, 415.397.9748, georgekrevskygallery.com

Newmark Gallery Dawn/Dusk A new exhibition of paintings by Russian-born artist AnnaMir, thru June 2. 251 Post St, Ste 412, 415.392.3692, newmarkgallery.com

Gregory Lind Gallery What Fits Your Mouth Doesn’t Always Fit in Your Stomach Work by Mark Mulroney, thru May 12. 49 Geary St, 415.296.9661, gregorylindgallery.com

Paul Thiebaud Figure Columns Work by Stephen De Staebler, thru June 9. 718 Columbus Ave, 415.434.3055, paulthiebaudgallery.com

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

presents

Organic Leather Sponsored by Tela D Pamela Minton Jewelry, Sponsored by Rumors Pam Clear, Jewelry

WINE SPONSOR:

MUSICAL CURATOR:

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

135

presents

Marin Arts Salon

SHOWCASING MARIN ARTISTS Wine & Appetizers FREE Admission 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Wednesdays in May (9, 16, 23, 30) California Closets Showroom 610 DuBois St., San Rafael

Rena Bransten Gallery Martin Mull: Works on Paper Mull’s work aims to deconstruct American culture. Tara Tucker: Friend and Foe Meticulously rendered drawings portray realistic hybrid creatures from a futuristic animal kingdom, thru May 19. 77 Geary St, 415.982.3292, renabranstengallery.com SF Camerawork Not Given: Talking of and Around Photographs of Arab Women A new multimedia installation unveils stereotypes and examines how the authority of photography can get lost in translation, thru May 26. 657 Mission St, 415.512.2020, sfcamerawork.org

www.marinmagazine.com/events

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

MUSEUMS

MUSIC

MARIN

6:30pm John Vignale, Singer, Songwriter 8:00pm Larkin Gayl, Singer, Songwriter DANCE 7:30pm Liss Fain, Modern Dance VISUAL ARTS Winner, Marin Magazine Cover Contest Linda Saytes, Painter LITERARY Drew Dellinger, Spoken Word DESIGNERS Kashi Stone, Fashion Designer

Bolinas Museum Thad and Ludmilla Welch in Marin, curated by Dieter Tremp; May 12—27. Lost Portraits Work by Leon Pantois, curated by Stefanie Wicks; May 5—June 24 (Bolinas). 415.868.0330, bolinasmuseum.org

WINE SPONSOR:

MUSICAL CURATOR:

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

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Museum of Craft & Folk Art Beyond Craft A photographic essay detailing the process of handmade paper along with an extensive collection of the paper itself, May 3—July 22 (SF). 415.227.4888, mocfa.org San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design Tools as Art: The Hechinger Collection Common tools are celebrated as sculptural works, thru June 10 (SF). 415.773.0303, sfmcd.org SFMOMA Brice Marden: A Retrospective of Paintings and Drawings Marden’s ﬁrst U.S. retrospective features more than 100 pieces ranging from the 1960s to the present, thru May 13 (SF). 415.357.4000, sfmoma.org

FAMILIES/KIDS

B AY A R E A

MARIN

Asian Art Museum Yoshitoshi’s Strange Tales: Woodblock Prints from Edo to Meiji One hundred prints by Taiso Yoshitoshi are featured in this two-series exhibit. The ﬁrst series is from the beginning of Yoshitoshi’s career and the other from the end. The two are stylistically so unlike that they could be by different artists; May 26—September 2. Masters of Bamboo: Japanese Baskets and Sculpture from the Cotsen Collection Tour, thru May 6 (SF). 415.581.3500, asianart.org

Thru 6 Bay Area Discovery Museum Access Ability A hands-on disability awareness exhibition where kids can learn phrases in American sign language, type their names in Braille and try out a handpedaled bike (Sausalito). 415.339.3900, baykidsmuseum.org

Melissa Woodburn, Fiber & Clay Danielle Schubert, Fashion Designer

Legion of Honor Masterpieces of French Jewelry Over 150 examples of French jewelry from the 20th century are on display. thru June 10 (SF). 415.863.3330, legionofhonor.org

COPIA Robert Mondavi Winery’s Taste 3 An interdisciplinary conference featuring 40 presenters in wine, food and the arts. The event offers networking opportunities with chefs, authors, inventors, artists and others, May 6—8 (Napa). 888.512.6742, copia.org di Rosa Preserve Jock McDonald: A Series of Series A showcase of 24 large platinum prints from eight recent photographic series, thru May 12. CCA Alumni Show To celebrate the centennial anniversary of the California College of the Arts, work by Robert Arneson, Robert Bechtle, David Ireland and others on display, May 26 thru July 14 (Napa). 707.226.5991, dirosapreserve.org

18 Pajama Night Bring the kids for games, pizza, games and crafts while the parents have an evening off. Doodlebug (San Anselmo). 415.456.5989, doodlebugmarin.com 26 Sept. 9 Bay Area Discovery Museum Joshua’s Journey: A Black Cowboy Rides the Chisholm Trail Attendees will be introduced to life during the trail drive era as seen through the eyes of a 16-year-old (Sausalito). 415.339.3900, baykidsmuseum.org 27 Asian Paciﬁc Heritage Festival In honor of Asian Paciﬁc Islander Month, learn and experience the different traditions of the community, including a performance by the Marin Chinese Cultural Association’s Lion Dance Team (Sausalito). 415.339.3900, baykidsmuseum.org MARINMAGAZINE.COM

B AY A R E A

ty event. San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park (SF). 415.661.1316, sfbotanicalgarden.org

Thru June 3 Liminality: Art on the Threshold Large-scale artworks, created by Seattle and Bay Area artists, that create an artistic drama and a heightened awareness of the architecture within the Exploratorium will be on display. Visitors are encouraged to think about how the treatment of architecture affects the way we feel within the space and if it encourages us to relate to the space and to each other. Exploratorium (SF). 415.397.5673, exploratorium.edu

5 Legend of the Motorcycle More than

5—June 17 Monterey Bay Aquarium

6 Multiply by Six Million: Portraits and

Step aboard the Derek M. Baylis, a stateof-the-art and eco-friendly research sailboat, to learn how marine biologists study life. Monterey Bay Aquarium (Monterey). 831.648.4888, mbayaq.org

Stories of Holocaust Survivors A preview screening of this short ﬁlm, which combines local photographer Evvy Eisen’s black-andwhite portraits, excerpts from survivors’ ﬁrst person narratives and an original piano score written and performed by a survivor. Dance Palace (Point Reyes). 415.663.1075, dancepalace.org

19 Physics of Toys: Mathemagical Marvels Celebrate mathematics while building games and puzzles to demonstrate the magic of numbers. Exploratorium (SF). 415.561.0360, exploratorium.edu

EVENTS Tuesdays and Thursdays Doodlebug Knitting Night Learn the basics of crocheting or felting, expand basic knowledge and try something new with fellow enthusiasts. Doodlebug (San Anselmo). 415.456.5989, doodlebugmarin.com Saturdays and Sundays thru July 15 Annual Migration Visit Bolinas Lagoon Preserve to see the return of hundreds of great blue herons, snowy egrets and great egrets for their nesting rituals. After, enjoy eight miles of trails and your picnic lunch. Audubon Canyon Ranch (Stinson Beach). 415.868.9244, egret.org

200 of the world’s best motorcycles will be featured at this annual charity event. RitzCarlton (Half Moon Bay). 415.673.7980, legendofthemotorcycle.com

6 Noche Flamenca Miriam and Melissa Cruz present an evening of ﬂamenco dance with Ricardo Diaz on the guitar. Sabor of Spain (San Rafael). 415.457.8466, saborofspain.com

8 A Night With the Stars Talent show performances by formerly homeless people who have turned their lives around. Brava Theater (SF). 415.929.2470, chp-sf.org

9 Fashion Show The San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary and Saks Fifth Avenue present the 27th annual luncheon and fashion show featuring designer Michael Vollbracht for Bill Blass and catering by Michael Mina. Westin St. Francis (SF). 415.553.4658, sfballet.org

Film Festival The 50th anniversary of the festival will feature nearly 200 films from over 50 countries. The event highlights trends in international films with an emphasis on work that hasn’t secured distribution in the United States. Various locations (SF). 415.561.5000, sfiff.org

5 40th Annual Spring Plant Sale More than 20,000 plants are on sale at this communiMARINMAGAZINE.COM

Marin Arts Salon

SHOWCASING MARIN ARTISTS Wine & Appetizers FREE Admission 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Wednesdays in May (9, 16, 23, 30) California Closets Showroom 610 DuBois St., San Rafael www.marinmagazine.com/events

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 MUSIC 6:30pm Treehouse, Eclectic Covers 8:00pm Close Enough, Party Covers with Horns VISUAL ARTS Robert Bengtson, Photographer Judith Selby Lang, Mixed Media Installation Artist LITERARY Richard Lang, Poet, Painter, Performer DESIGNERS Anne Thull, Art Glass Sleeves Lisa Ronay, Seaglass Jewelry Emily Dvorin, Baskets & Fiber Sculpture

9—30 Marin Arts Salon The second annual event will feature Marin artists and performers showcasing their work, including the winners of the Marin Magazine cover art contest. California Closets showroom (San Rafael). marinmagazine.com

11 In Celebration of Mothers Marin Abused Thru May 10 San Francisco International

presents

Women’s Services’ fourth annual luncheon in celebration of all mothers, featuring Isabel Allende and Cheryl Jennings. Peacock Gap Golf and Country Club (San Rafael). 415.457.2464, maws.org

Bethanie Brandon, Handpainted Textiles

WINE SPONSOR:

MUSICAL CURATOR:

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

12 Marin Human Race Join 4,000 locals as they run or walk the 5-kilometer racecourse. The event beneﬁts Marin nonproﬁts and schools. Marin Center Fairgrounds (San Rafael). 415.479.5710, marinhumanrace.org M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

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16 Marin Scuba Club Divers of all skill levels are encouraged to attend this club meeting, where Christopher Caamano will speak on diving on the Spanish galleon Atocha. Seafood Peddler (San Rafael). 415.453.9556 16—27 San Francisco International Arts Festival Led by artistic director Rhodessa Jones, the event will ﬁll the city with performances and exhibitions that explore the theme Truth in Knowing/Now: A Conversation Across the African Diaspora. Various locations (SF). 415.439.2456, sﬁaf.org

17 Safe Is Sexy The Planned Parenthood gala will features cocktails, dinner and a silent auction to raise funds to continue the work of the organization and honor contributors. Ritz-Carlton (SF). 415.202.7201, ppgg.org

17 Bike to Work Day Leave the car at home and pedal with thousands of other riders to work. Energizer stations will be located along bike commute routes to provide free beverages, snacks and encouragement. Marin County Bicycle Coalition (Fairfax), 415.456.3469, marinbike.org

18—20 International Yoga Therapy Conference All levels of practitioners are encouraged to deepen their practice and learn more about the therapeutic applications of yoga. Peacock Gap Country Club (San Rafael). 415.258.2830 yogatherapyconference.com 19 Play Date 2007 Enjoy the Bay Area

Asian Art Artifacts Furniture Accessories

Discovery Museum, cocktails, dinner, dancing and a live and silent auction. Bay Area Discovery Museum (Sausalito). 415.339.3958, baykidsmuseum.org

19 Voices Heard ‘Round the World Merolo Opera Program celebrates its 50th anniversary of training the best and brightest opera talent. Join famous alumni including Jake Heggie, for a black-tie gala to raise funds to secure Merola’s future. The Regency Center (SF). 415.864.3330, sfopera.com/merola 19 Uncorked Festival Ghirardelli Square and

82 Main Street (Ark Row) Tiburon, CA 94920 415.435.2511

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COPIA have teamed up for a wine and food festival featuring 50 wineries and ﬁve-star chef demonstrations. Ghirardelli Square (SF). 415.775.5500, ghirardellisq.com MARINMAGAZINE.COM

20 El Rocio Flamenco Celebrate the Spanish festival Rocio with Danica Sena and her group Andanzas Art. Sabor of Spain (San Rafael). 415.457.8466, saborofspain.com 20 ING Bay to Breakers Pick out a costume and sign up for this year’s event, which features a specially created timing chip that will automatically collect data from each runner as he or she competes along the course. Howard St and Main St (SF). 415.359.2800, ingbaytobreakers.com

22 Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation Birthday Dinner The annual event will kick off with a reception and a silent auction of designer dollhouses, then follow with the presentation of a community service award to Reverend Glenda Hope. Hilton Hotel (SF). 415.358.3937 26 & 27 Carnaval Latin American and Caribbean cultures and traditions will be showcased with a diverse selection of food, music, dance and art at the 29th annual event. 24th St and Bryant St (SF). 415.920.0122, carnavalsf.com

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

28 Memorial Day The Marin County United Veterans Council will conduct a Memorial Day observance with music, ﬂag displays and wreath-laying ceremonies. Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org

context of American culture. Book Passage (Corte Madera). 415.927.0960, bookpassage.com

5 Exploring the Animal Mind Learn about the behavior and mental abilities of orangutans with Dr. Rob Shumaker. Exploratorium (SF). 415.561.0360, exploratorium.edu

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS 12 Creatures from the New Lagoon Ongoing Let’s Talk Motherhood Meet to reﬂect on the experience of mothering in a warm nonjudgmental and noncompetitive atmosphere. Various locations (Mill Valley). 415.389.1012, guiltfreemotherhood.com

1—6 An Evening with Lynda Carter Meet the television star of Wonder Woman who was recently seen as Mama Morton in the London production of Chicago. Empire Plush Room (SF). 866.468.3399, empireplushroom.com

5 Anna Halprin and Janice Ross Halprin

Festival Celebrate the wildlife, history and architecture of the Palace of Fine Arts with food, storytelling and music near the newly renovated lagoon. Exploratorium (SF). 415.561.0360, exploratorium.edu

14 A Conversation with Daniel Libeskind The architect is known for his multidisciplinary approach and his practice extends from building major cultural and commercial institutions to convention centers, universities and residential work. Libeskind is in coversation with Barbara Lane. JCC (SF). 415.292.1233, jccsf.org

pioneered what is now known as postmodern dance. The biography Anna Halprin: Experience As Dance examines her life in the

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139

15 Nathan Englander A spotlight on the writer’s debut novel The Ministry of Special Cases. JCC (SF). 415.292.1233, jccsf.org

27 Joyce Maynard The journalist and author of nine books speaks at the Writing Mamas Salon, a writing group for mothers. Book Passage (Corte Madera). 415.927.0960, writingmamas.com

20 Adventures With Tidepools Search for burrowing clams, spiny urchins, sea stars and clams on Duxbury Reef. The whole family can enjoy this hands-on interactive morning (Point Reyes). 415.663.1200, ptreyes.org

Ongoing Sonoma History Local actor George Webber morphs into Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, as he retells the history of Sonoma through Twain’s eyes; speciﬁc dates on website (Sonoma). 707.694.5097, georgewebber.com 12 Habits and Habitats: Springtime Migration Travel around Bear Valley and look for various breeding species with instructor David Wimpfheimer (Point Reyes). 415.663.1200, ptreyes.org

Jewelry will act as your personal stylist, discussing wardrobe needs in a private appointment session. Blanc (San Anselmo). 415.485.0104

5 Kismet Celebrate sunny summer days with refreshments, snacks and 20 percent off all summer dresses and jewelry. Kismet (San Anselmo). 415.454.2629

RETAIL THERAPY 1—5 Fisher Estate Collection Availale in

NATURE WALKS/TALKS

5 Blanc Trunk Show Thalia from Thalia

the precious jewels salon. Neiman Marcus (SF). 415.362.3900, neimanmarcus.com

3 Ashley Morgan Trunk Show Pick up the perfect graduation present—customdesigned jewelry from this celebrity favorite line. Blanc (San Anselmo). 415.485.0104 3—4 Nina Ricci Fall trunk show in the couture salon. Neiman Marcus (SF). 415.362.3900, neimanmarcus.com 4—5 Robin Rotenier Personal appearance and trunk show in designer jewelry. Gurham Collection Available in designer jewelry. Neiman Marcus (SF). 415.362.3900, neimanmarcus.com

9—10 Teso Pre-fall trunk show in the fur salon. Neiman Marcus (SF). 415.362.3900, neimanmarcus.com 10 Slane and Slane Collection Available in designer jewelry. Neiman Marcus (SF). 415.362.3900, neimanmarcus.com

11—12 Ines di Santo Bridal Collection Trunk show in the bridal salon. Stephen Webster Personal appearance and trunk show in the precious jewels salon. Neiman Marcus (SF). 415.362.3900, neimanmarcus.com

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11 Ippolita Personal appearance and trunk show in designer jewelry. Neiman Marcus (SF). 415.362.3900, neimanmarcus.com

The collection will include paintings, sculpture, historical furnishing, rare objects and unique artifacts. Caldwell Snyder Gallery (St. Helena). 415.296.7896, caldwellsnyder.com

12 Linda Bergman personal appearance and trunk show in designer jewelry; Dominique Cohen Collection Available in designer jewelry. Neiman Marcus (SF). 415.362.3900, neimanmarcus.com

23 Koze Shop Ladies’ Night on Fridays and receive a gift with purchase or take advantage of the perfect camisole free with a regularly priced purchase of $250 or more. Koze will have extended hours in conjunction with Friday Nights on Main Street. Koze (Tiburon). 415.435.1916, getkoze.com 23—24 Chado Ralph Rucci Personal appearance and trunk show in the couture salon. Neiman Marcus (SF). 415.362.3900, neimanmarcus.com 29—30 Oscar de la Renta Fall collection trunk show in the couture salon. Neiman Marcus (SF). 415.362.3900, neimanmarcus.com

WINE COUNTRY Thru May Gallery Opening Celebrate the newest Caldwell Snyder Gallery, now open in St. Helena’s historic Star newspaper building.

2 Morrissey The former Smiths vocalist is currently enjoying a successful solo career, garnering ten top singles in the United Kingdom. His latest album Ringleader of the Tormentors brings him a stop in wine country on his tour. Wells Fargo Center (Santa Rosa). 707.546.3600, wellsfargocenterarts.com

3 Healdsburg Jazz Festival This kick \off gala will include a dinner, auction and concert with musicians Joyce and Dori Caymmi. Trentadue Winery (Geyserville). 707.433.4644

5 Kunde Estate Join winegrower Jeff Kunde for an ecotour up 1,400 feet through vineyards into the Mayacamas Mountains. After the trek, relax with a wine tasting and lunch overlooking the Sonoma Valley. Kunde Estate (Kenwood). 707.833.5501 ext 334, kunde.com

20 N ag gr to (C

6 Napa Valley Tour de Cure Start this charity cycling event at the Veterans Home in Yountville and choose from one of four different routes that wind through Napa and the Alexander Valley. After the ride partake in wine tasting, lunch and live music, all to beneﬁt the American Diabetes Association. Veterans Home (Yountville). 510.654.4499 ext 7460, diabetes.org/tour

SPOTLIGHT ON: YOGA FOR HEALTH CONFERENCE This May yogis from around the world will head to Marin to learn more about the burgeoning field of yoga therapy, during the Yoga for Health International Yoga Therapy Conference. The event presents internationally recognized yoga masters and other experts who will lead classes and workshops and give lectures to address the therapeutic applications of yoga, including issues ra n g i n g f ro m minor ailments

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to chronic illness. The event is designed to make yoga accessible to the general public, health care professionals and yoga practitioners. Featured speakers include Rama Jyoti Vernon, a founder of Yoga Journal and president of the International Yoga College and researcher Robin Monro, creator of the Yoga Biomedical Trust in the United Kingdom. Ma y 1 8 —2 0, Pe a c o c k Gap Country Club. 415.258.2830 yogatherapyconference.com

Pedersen Associates Landscape Architects www.pedersenassociates.com 24 H Street San Rafael CA 94901 415 456 2070

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F LAVO R

BENISSIMO RISTORANTE & BAR Corte Madera’s popular neighborhood establishment BY ERIKA LENKERT PHOTO TIM PORTER

tinted Plexiglas, and a large dark wood bar

taurants. I adored personal attention

quests. Chunky wineglasses and recorded

chicken Marsala. We did wish the eggplant

from the owners, was charmed by creative decor,

Italian music fit the nostalgic surroundings

Parmesan’s egg batter was subtler, but the dish

and found comfort in familiar menus that didn’t

perfectly and, like everything else about this

was still tasty—especially as leftovers.

require a translator, glossary of local farms, or

place, say it’s time to relax and enjoy.

rowing up in San Francisco, I had a

pink sauce smothering spinach- and ricot-

thing for everyday neighborhood res-

stocked for the most elaborate cocktail re-

ta-stuffed ravioli to the classic rendition of

Most beloved neighborhood restaurants

second mortgage to pay the tab. Though they

The menu makes it easy to comply. Based

have a must-order dish. At Benissimo it’s the

are harder to come by these days, I still seek out

on family recipes from Saheed’s Neapolitan

pizza. Paper-thin and impossibly crisp with

and am enamored of the little guy, so it came

wife, the menu’s antipasto, pizza, pasta, risotto

intense tomato sauce, it’s a perfect rendition

as a welcome surprise to discover that Corte

and entrées are so recognizable it’s nearly ef-

and more than enough reason to pay a visit.

Madera’s Benissimo is just such a place.

fortless to home in on favorites, set the menu

Still, affordable and family-friendly Benissimo

aside and get down to the business of eating.

has so much more to offer the diner hungry for

No short-timer, the Italian restaurant on

good old-fashioned food and hospitality.

a residential stretch of Tamalpais Boulevard

With a touch of anchovy flavor and a thick

is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

and tangy dressing, the kitchen does the classic

Should you drop in for dinner, you will

Founded by Persian brothers Manoochehr and

Caesar salad justice, while the sprinkle of store-

encounter one of the brothers, who alter-

Saheed Farahmand, it started as the next step

bought croutons reminds you that Benissimo is

nate managing the front of the house night-

for Saheed, who moved here with his Italian

indeed an old-school joint. The Caprese follows

ly. But don’t call Manoochehr and Saheed by

wife after a successful eight-year stint running

yesteryear’s antics, too, remaining on the menu

their given names. When they first opened

a restaurant in Umbria, Italy. The duo has been

year-round, even when thick out-of-season to-

their doors in 1987 a neighboring shopkeeper

bringing the classic cuisine of Naples to Corte

mato wheels have more crunch than flavor and

dubbed them Mario and Tony respectively, and

Madera ever since.

the point is really to devour a few fat slabs of

the names stuck.

Inside, the look is undeniably quaint with concrete block walls warmed by rich red and

mozzarella—which was fine with me once I scooted the fresh garlic sliver topping aside.

harvest-gold paint and whimsical paintings,

My party found most of the entrées deep-

tables filled with regulars, booths divided by

ly comforting, from the tomato-kissed creamy

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Benissimo, 18 Tamalpais Dr., Corte Madera, 415.927.2316, benissimos.com. Most entrées $11–$20. Open nightly.

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À LA CARTE

?dZkb]_d] cWiiW][i" XeZo jh[Wjc[dji \WY_Wbi ;dj_Y_d] [kYWbofjki ij[Wc" feeb ^ej jkX ?djen_YWj_d] fWYaW][i \hec iWcfb[hi je m[bbd[ii h[jh[Wji LIVIN’ THE VINO LOCAL Long-time Mill Valley residents Dan and Katy Leese have been living the vintner’s dream as owners of Red Truck Wines, which they purchased from the Cline Family of Sonoma in 2005. Parents associated with the Mill Valley Public School fundraiser, Kiddo! might recognize them for their generous donation to their latest fundraiser. For the rest of us, look for their new label, a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Russian River called Picket Fence available at specialty wine stores and restaurants in Marin and beyond. redtruckwine.com

1030 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574 • Phone 707 967 8800 relax@napavalleyspa.com • NapaValleySpa.com • hsnv.com

Out of Town

PHOTO CREDIT: RED TRUCK WINES

OYSTER FANS UNITE! San Francisco’s Farallon restaurant’s new oyster bar features sustainably farmed daily selections from around the world, such as Chile, New Zealand, Canada, and the East and West Coasts of the U.S. Highlights on the menu include a variety of Chesapeake Bay oysters from the oldest oyster bed in America, established in 1899 on the fertile Rappahannock River bottom near Butylo, Virginia. “We’re very serious about our oyster bar,” says Chef Mark Franz. farallonrestaurant.com BIODYNAMIC DUO Chef Preston Dishman of The General’s Daughter in Sonoma has teamed up with Benziger Family Winery to plant and manage thirty organic garden beds on Benziger’s certified-biodynamic estate. “My goal is to create the finest meals that I can with as little impact to the environment as possible,” says Dishman. thegeneralsdaughter.com —M.T.

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Look Better Feel Your Best Dr. Winﬁeld treats the full range of skin problems, from acne to skin cancer to rare dermatological conditions. Dr. Winﬁeld, a Tiburon resident, is a family dermatologist specializing in adolescent acne and cosmetic dermatology.

We are pleased to annouce that we offer: Medical Grade Microdermabrasion, Chemical Peels, Botox®, Collagen, Restylane®, Juvéderm™, Photorejuvenation with IPL, Personalized skincare and more. “All procedures performed by M.D. or Esthetic RN.”

Julie Anne Winfield, M D (415) 388-0660 • 239 Miller Avenue, Suite 8, Mill Valley

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INSIDER’S GUIDE

DINE OUT CORTE MADERA CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN Cal/Eclectic Be prepared for chaos. Easy place to meet with kids; Mom/Dad can enjoy a tasty Thai crunch salad and decent glass of wine while the little ones feast on basic kid-size portions of pasta and pizza. 347 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.945.0401 IL FORNAIO Italian Sausalito’s Larry Mindel hit a home run with this upscale Italian 23-restaurant franchise. Besides the award-winning breads, pizzas and pastas, the menu boasts a variety of salads and noncarb entrées. 223 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.4400, ilfornaio.com IZZY’S STEAKS & CHOP HOUSE American The legendary San Francisco steak house has moved north. Known for great steaks and seafood as well as its fine wine selection, this is a great spot for a group or intimate dinner for two. 55 Tamal Vista, 415.924.3366, izzyssteaksandchops.com LA MAISON DE LA REINE Vietnamese A refreshing change amid the plethora of Italian, Mexican and Chinese options in town. The crunchy cabbage chicken salad with peanuts, fresh spring rolls, and combinations of pho are delicious and healthy. 346 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.0288 PACIFIC CATCH Pan-Asian This well-priced fresh grill eatery offers a bounty of Pacific Rim–inspired small or main plates, like the generously portioned wasabi bowls filled with rice (white or brown), veggies and your choice of fresh or raw fish, chicken or beef. 133 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.3474, pacificcatch.com

FAIRFAX CAFÉ AMSTERDAM American-European The former Broadway Video store is now a cozy spot to enjoy live music, a weekend brunch, dining on the heated patio and a large selection of local beers on tap. 23 Broadway, 415.256.8020, cafeamsterdamlive.com IRON SPRINGS PUB & BREWERY American Grab a beer and a grilled portobello mushroom sandwich—which one Chronicle reviewer calls “the best mushroom dish I have ever tasted”—at the former Ross Valley Brewing Company. 765-A Center Blvd, 415.485.1005, ironspringspub.com

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SORELLA CAFÉ Italian Not only is the food satisfying and tasty; the service is friendly and the ambience is warm and inviting. A plate of olives is presented before the meal and a colorful bowl of Gummi Bears is brought out once your dinner plates are cleared—nice touch. 107 Bolinas Rd, 415.258.4520 MARINMAGAZINE.COM

LARKSPUR LARK CREEK INN American This ﬂagship eatery for the Lark Creek Restaurant Group opened back in 1989 and was hailed by the New York Times as having “the best home cooking you can imagine.” It remains a perennial special occasion spot and is still known for inventive country cooking—as well as a cozy bar scene. 234 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7766, larkcreek.com

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LEFT BANK RESTAURANT French Known for award-winning French cuisine and its lively brasserie ambience, this corner spot has held court with the locals for well over a decade. Those with a petite appetite/budget can opt for happy hour (4-6 M-F) and enjoy appetizers, all priced under three dollars. 507 Magnolia Ave, 415.927.3331, leftbank.com PICCO California Chef and celebrated restaurateur Bruce Hill deserves the accolades he has received for this eclectic shared-plate heaven. Dishes like mini-burgers and seasonally driven menu items, along with risotto made every half hour, keep people coming back. The Picco Pizzeria and Wine Bar next door is cozy (not many seats) but already famous for its wood-ﬁred pizzas, great wine selection and soft-serve Straus Family Creamery ice cream. 320 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.0300, restaurantpicco.com

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YANKEE PIER American This family-friendly casual clam shack is harbored in a quaint house built in 1924 as a private residence. Yankee Pier serves fresh seafood delivered daily from both coasts for dishes by renowned chef Anthony Bowman. 286 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7676, yankeepier.com

601 San Anselmo Avenue San Anselmo . 415.454.2629

MILL VALLEY BUCKEYE ROADHOUSE American Oysters Bingo, baby back ribs and chili-lime “brick” chicken are a few of the satisfying, comfort-food-type menu items that have made this classic roadhouse a favorite since the ‘30s. 15 Shoreline Hwy, 415.331.2600, buckeyeroadhouse.com BUNGALOW 44 American Much like sister restaurant Buckeye Roadhouse, Bungalow 44 offers a mean dose of homey carbo- and lipidladen dishes, such as the burger, fried chicken and trufﬂe fries, as well as a few lighter items. The bar is a neighborhood favorite, serving up tasty spirits and eye candy. 44 E. Blithedale Ave, 415.381.2500, bungalow44.com CAFE DEL SOL California Beware of addiction. Once you stop in for the deliciously fresh Hummus Yummus wrap, you’ll have to come back to sample the chipotle Sunrise Rice Bowl; then it will be the Thai It Up wrap with peanut sauce washed down with ginger limeade that brings you back, and so on. Casual lunch spot, great for takeout. 247 Shoreline Highway, 415.388.1852, cafedelsoul.net FRANTOIO RISTORANTE ITALIANO Italian Known for its in-house olive press, superior olive oil and excellent Italian cuisine, this is a great location for large groups. Ask to sit in the press room for private parties. 152 Shoreline Hwy, 414.289.5777, frantoio.com MARINMAGAZINE.COM

865 Market Street, 1st Floor (415) 896-5646 412 Corte Madera Town Center (415) 924-2210

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LA GINESTRA Italian A favorite family spot for over 30 years, getting a table or comfortable booth can take awhile. While this old-school Italian eatery is known for traditional pastas, veal dishes, pizzas and dry martinis, the familiar wait staff is also part of the attraction. 127 Throckmorton Ave, 415.388.0224 INDIA PALACE Indian Know as “that great restaurant in the Travelodge,” India Palace is a favorite among the takeout crowd; however, eating veggie samosas, shahi khorma, or bhindi special (okra) on site is a treat too. 707 Redwood Hwy, 415.388.3350 ORA Pan-Asian An inventive small and large plate menu mixed with an impressive wine list and original bar menu, including sake flights. Some favorites include Belgian endive cups, green papaya salad, and anything on the sushi list. It’s an easy place to pop in for a drink and bite to eat, but call ahead for large groups. 24 Sunnyside Ave, 415.381.7500. oramv.com PIAZZA D’ANGELO Italian It’s always a party at this long-standing hot spot. A great place to meet up with friends for a fresh plate of pasta, zuppa di pesce or pollo novello, or make some new friends at the bar. 22 Miller Ave, 415.388.2000, piazzadangelo.com PIZZA ANTICA Cal/Italian Light and delicious thin-crust pizza with toppings like fennel, spicy sausage, bacon, pesto and goat cheese, as well as a variety of fresh green salads and entrees. Acoustics are an issue; otherwise, a great meeting spot. Strawberry Village, 415.383.0600 SMALL SHED FLATBREADS California As a slow food chef, Ged Robertson uses only local, mostly organic ingredients. Crowd favorites include the Mt. Tamal-Pie, a delicious fresh salad atop a flatbread. 17 Madrona St, 415.383.4200, smallshed.com THEP LELA Thai This jewel is tucked away in the back of the new Strawberry Village. Diners come for the tasty kee mao noodles, pad thai, fresh rolls and extensive bar menu. It’s also a great place for lunch. 615 Strawberry Village, 415.383.3444 VASCO Italian Whether you’re at a table, the bar or the back counter, you can expect an intimate and tasty dining experience at this one-room trattoria. 106 Throckmorton Ave, 415.381.3343

NOVATO

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BOCA STEAK & SEAFOOD South American George Morrone, of Aqua and Fifth Floor fame, has been serving up an Argentinean-inspired menu in Novato with much ado. House specialties include provolenta, gambas al ajillo, and empanadas, as well as hand-cut (grass- and grain-fed) steaks. 340 Ignacio Blvd, 415.883.0901, bocasteak.com

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CACTI GRILL Southwestern A former bell tower church, the family-friendly restaurant now boasts a covered patio and serves a 21-day dry aged steak and filet mignon enchiladas. 1200 Grant Ave, 415.898.2234, cactigrill.com MARINMAGAZINE.COM

KITCHEN American Restaurateur Henry Hautau has succeeded in creating an intimate 45-seat restaurant in downtown Novato. Executive chef Jason S. Hoffman, who has worked at Insalatas, Azie and Waterfront, offers items like orange-and-spice scented house-brined pork chop and star-anisebraised short ribs. 868 Grant Ave, 415.892.6100, kitchen868.com WILDFOX American Perched on the hillside off Highway 101, this rustic mesquite grill offers a menu full of comfort food and drinks, like the smooth cosmos, and seafood risotto, with bits of butternut squash. 225 Alameda del Prado, 415.883.9125, wildfoxrestaurant.com

ROSS MARCHÉ AUX FLEURS French This gem of a restaurant serves up locally farmed produce, wild and fresh seafood and free-range meats prepared with an artisan’s touch. 23 Ross Common, 415.925.9200, marcheauxfleursrestaurant.com TRATTORIA FRESCO Italian Every neighborhood deserves a one-room trattoria like this one. The service is friendly and the farmers’-market-fresh food is fabulous—especially the gnocchi. 13 Ross Common, 415.464.0915

SAN ANSELMO CUCINA RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR Italian Proprietor Jack Krietzman (also of Pacific Heights’ Jackson Fillmore) has successfully brought Milan to Marin with his 42-seat family restaurant. Relax with a glass of wine and have a slice from the todie-for thin pizzas, which are topped with items like truffle oil and fontina cheese. 510 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.2942 FORK California This intimate spot was awarded a “Top Food in the Bay Area” designation by Zagat for 2007. Opt for the five-course tasting menu or seasonal à la carte options. Dining early? the three course special for $20 is available during the first seating. 198 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.453.9898, marinfork.com INSALATA’S Mediterranean Award-winning chef Heidi Insalata Krahling offers Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes prepared with local organic produce and artisan meats. 120 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.457.7700, insalatas.com LOCOCO’S PIZZERIA Italian Worth driving to from all over Marin, and it’s an easy place to meet with friends and family. The pizza crust is divine as is the house salad. Closed Mondays. 638 San Anselmo Ave, 415.453.1238

SAUSALITO CAFFÉ DIVINO Tuscan Sure, you’ll find great coffee drinks in a funky one-room setting, but locals also come for the tasty pastas and salads cooked by Tuscan-born chef Elana Fabbri. Free delivery in Sausalito. 37 Caledonia St, 415.331.9355, caffedivinosausalito.com MARINMAGAZINE.COM

GAYLORD INDIA Indian Rated as a “Restaurant of Excellence” by Zagat, Gaylord’s new location in Sausalito also features million-dollar views of San Francisco and the bay. All of the dishes including samosas, curries and tandoori are made with fresh local produce, seafood and artisan meats. 201 Bridgeway, 415.339.0172, gaylord.com

Live in Iowa, I’m Bryan Flannery.

KITTI’S PLACE Pan-Asian Watch out Comforts (aka the best chicken salad in town), Kitty’s serves up a delicious crunchy fresh chicken salad, as well as light tasty spring rolls too. Everything on the menu, from the pad thai to the BLAT made with thick bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado, is excellent, which is why this little one-room spot is always bustling. 3001 Bridgeway, 415.331.0390 POGGIO Italian A great place to celebrate a special occasion or simply enjoy a night out. Executive chef Peter McNee cooks up delicious Northern Italian cuisine using fresh and local ingredients, including produce from the nearby Poggio chef garden. 777 Bridgeway, 415.332.7771, poggiotratoria.com SUSHI RAN Japanese Fresh, innovative small plates are just big enough to share, the traditional sushi is melt-in-your-mouth good and the wine, cocktail and sake lists keep the pickiest barfly well satisﬁed. Even the prices don’t deter the herd of sushi enthusiasts, who line up nightly to partake; reservations required in main room. 107 Caledonia St, 415.332.3620, sushiran.com

SAN RAFAEL CAFE GRATITUDE Raw The waiters might push the affirmations theme a bit too much, but the tasty (and healthy) food is worth the experience. Besides supporting local farmers and sustainable agriculture, the raw food and vegan samosas are hard to resist. Best to bring a group and sample lots of items on the menu. 2200 Fourth St, 415.824.4652, withthecurrent.com HOUSE OF LEE Chinese Locals love House of Lee for the generous portions, low prices and tasty pot stickers, pork buns and more. Very casual, easy place to bring kids. 885 Fourth St, 415.457.9977 SABOR OF SPAIN Spanish Named as Best Tapas/ Small Dishes restaurant in Marin by the Paciﬁc Sun in 2006, this bustling corner hot spot with a Spanish-only wine bar is a great place for a date or a big party. 1301 Fourth St, 415.457.8466, saborofspain.com

The first thing to report from Iowa is don’t come here for the surfing. Nice cows, though. But not quite nice enough, and here’s why. I buy from a super high-end, low volume cow guy back in San Diego who claims his cows produce the finest, all natural, USDA PRIME grade anywhere (only 1 - 2% of all the beef in the US). Sure, you do, Buddy. I’m checking you out. In Iowa. Well, turns out he is right. Iowa cows are close, but no cigar. Plus, Mr. San Diego saves only the top 10% of his PRIME production for me. This is why my cuts rank in the 99.9th percentile of any available anywhere in the entire country. Reporting live, doing math and not surfing in Iowa, this is Bryan Flannery. Good night. And good beef. Come buy everything.

SAN RAFAEL JOE’S Italian Guido and Theresa Farina are now running this Marin institution, which has been famous for serving up sophisticated yet casual Italian fare since 1947. 931 Fourth St, 415.456.2425, srjoes.com SEAFOOD PEDDLER Seafood Don’t be fooled by the industrial location; the food is great. Fresh varieties of East and West Coast ﬁsh ﬂown in daily. Dine indoors or out, or better yet, rent out the banquet room for a party. 100 Yacht Club Dr, 415.460.6669, seafoodpeddler.com

Bryan’s Fine Foods Corte Madera Town Center

927.4488 www.bryansﬁnefoods.com M A R I N M AY 2 0 07

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SOL FOOD Puerto Rican With south-of-theborder treats like yellow rice, beans, plantains and authentic Puerto Rican dishes, this tiny one-room eatery on Fourth Street just off Highway 101 can be hard to get into, but worth the wait. 732 Fourth St, new additonal location at 901 Lincoln Ave, 415.451.4765 SUSHI TO DAI FOR Japanese Snagging a seat in this popular sushi spot can be a challenge, but patience will be rewarded with tasty and fresh sashimi, unique sushi rolls and great prices. 869 Fourth St, 415.721.0392

TIBURON GINZA Japanese The old Tiburon Tommie’s space is now the spot to find great sushi in downtown Tiburon. The double hamachi roll is not to be missed. 41 Main St, 415.789.5123 ROONEY’S CAFÉ & GRILL American If you’re old enough to remember Cheers on prime time, this is your dinner spot. There’s not a long bar, nor a bartender named Sam (he’s across the street); however, there is an undeniable neighborhood feeling in this one-room cottage dining room. 38 Main St, 415.435.1911 SAM’S ANCHOR CAFE American Everyone knows Sam’s deck is the prime spot for brunch on a lazy sunny Sunday, and its bar is the town’s historic watering hole, but Sam’s is also a great place for

lunch or dinner. Enjoy trans-fat-free calamari, fresh ﬁsh, seasonal salads and pastas. Check out comedy night every Thursday. 27 Main St, 415.435.4527, samscafe.com SERVINO RISTORANTE Italian With people like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates raving about his pepperoni pizza, Angelina Servino is doing something right. Some people come for the spacious and popular bar; some people come for the great food and friendly service; the titans of industry, it seems, opt for the pepperoni. 9 Main St, 415.435.2676, servino.com THREE DEGREES California Opt for the outside patio, white tablecloths in the dining room, or the swank modern setting of the bar, and enjoy the local, seasonal menu options like grilled Niman Ranch New York “cowboy” strip steak or Dungeness crab risotto. 1651 Tiburon Blvd, 415.435.5996, threedegreesrestaurant.com

WEST MARIN DRAKES BEACH CAFE Local If you’re OK with the long drive you can’t beat the view and the fresh local ingredients used to make the burgers, salads and soups at this casual spot (Inverness). 1 Drakes Beach Rd, 415.669.1297, drakesbeachcafe.com OLEMA INN California One of the most charming settings around, this inn and restaurant is a great destination lunch spot for a Sunday drive, or dinner

Wednesday through Sunday. The menu includes tasty and imaginative combinations using regional and organic greens and artisan meats (Olema). 10000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.663.9559, theolemainn.com PINE CONE DINER American Just off the main road, Joannie Kwit has re-created the ultimate neighborhood diner. Vintage china and homemade curtains complement the eclectic but homey menu featuring local fare (Point Reyes Station). 60 Fourth St, 415.663.1536, pineconediner.com TWO BIRD CAFE California Word’s out that owner/ chef Tony Miceli has hired chef de cuisine Pepe Pumacayo from Cafe Maritime in San Francisco and revamped the menu. Start your meal with calamari and artichoke fritto misto or a classic wedge, and continue on to pan-seared king salmon or marinated lamb tenderloin. All meats are range-fed, ﬁsh are wild and produce is organic. (San Geronimo). 625 San Geronimo Valley Dr, 415.488.0105, twobirdcafe.com

SAN FRANCISCO AME Pan-Asian On the ground ﬂoor of the St. Regis Hotel, Ame Restaurant was designated “Best New Restaurant in 2007” by the Zagat guide. Known for raw treatments such as sashimi, crudo, tartare and carpaccio. Dinner only, reservations recommended. 689 Mission St, 415.284.4040, amerestaurant.com

E SCAPE TO A TIME OF GRACIOUS SERVICE AND CHARM

HOTEL WHITCOMB is a landmark piece of early 19th-century architecture and decor located in the heart of San Francisco’s theater and arts district and only minutes from the City’s most famous attractions. • 460 stylish Guest Rooms and 13 Parlor Suites • Enjoy elegant comfort in our Piano Bar and Restaurant • More than 20,000 sq. ft. of Meeting and Event space • Ideal business accommodations with our Internet Cafe, Free wi-fi and on-site Starbucks Call 1-800-227-4747, or visit HotelWhitcomb.com today!

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BONG SU Vietnamese Brainchild of Tammy Huynh, executive chef and co-owner of the popular Tamarine in Palo Alto. The interior is a mix of the modern and traditional silk, wood and steel elements such as a giant bong su (plumeria), floating orchids in towering glass vases…and possibly the most talked-about design feature, the barely there hostess uniforms. The restaurant was voted one of Esquire magazine’s top 20 in 2006. 311 Third St, 415.536.5800, bongsu.com CANTEEN Cali/French It’s not easy to get a seat in this nationally noted California-French restaurant, partly because of its reputation and partly because there aren’t many. Ever since the former Rubicon chef Dennis Leary turned a run-down downtown coffee shop into one of the best spots in the city, people have been lining up to sample the goods. 817 Sutter St, 415.928.8870 FO R B E S I S L AN D California Rent out the entire “island” (formerly a floating house) for a party, or head over with a date, to dine on organic pan-seared salmon, roasted pork rib chop or a variety of local vegetarian options. Pier 39 M-1, 415.951.4100 HAR R I S’ R E STAU R ANT Steak House This San Francisco institution has hosted local and international luminaries for nearly a century. Wine Spectator ranked Harris’ as one of the nation’s top ten steak houses. 2100 Van Ness Ave, 415.673.1888

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MAMACITA Mexican Known for its authentic Mexican cuisine and 100 percent pure agave tequila margaritas, this Marina restaurant has quickly become a local favorite. 2317 Chestnut St, 415.376.1629, mamacitasf.com MYTH Cali/French Innovative cuisine by chef Sean O’Brian, formerly of Gary Danko, has made this one of the most popular spots in town. 470 Paciﬁc Ave, 415.677.8986, mythsf.com PERBACCO Italian Opened in October 2006 in downtown San Francisco, by culinary stars Staffan Terje and Umberto Gibin. The seasonal Italian menu focuses on the northern Piemontese region, featuring crudo handcrafted charcuterie, homemade stuffed pastas such as pappardelle with braised short rib ragu, and classic regional dishes such as Wolfe Ranch quail with persimmon and apple salad. 230 California St, 415.955.0663, perbaccosf.com PRES A VI International/Small plates With a name loosely translating to “captivated by wine” in Catalan, Pres a Vi has a wine list to please any oenophile, including a large selection of flights and by-the-glass choices to pair with chef Kelly Degala’s shared small plates menu. When the weather permits, enjoy a meal outdoors on the restaurant’s large patio. One Letterman Dr, Building D, Ste 150, 415.409.3000, presavi.com

PRESIDIO SOCIAL CLUB California Originally serving as barracks for enlisted men, this new restaurant is just inside the Lombard Gate of the Presidio. The menu features steaks, pork chops and fresh oysters. Throwing a party? Try the private room, which can accommodate 30 people. 563 Ruger St, 415.885.1888, presidosocialclub.com QUINCE California Book a reservation at least a month in advance to get a seat at one of the 15 tables in this tiny restaurant. The farmers’ market creations by chef Michael Tusk, formerly of Chez Panisse and Oliveto, are sure to please. 1701 Octavia St, 415.775.8500, quincerestaurant.com SCOTT HOWARD American The former chef/ owner of Fork in San Anselmo, Scott Howard packed up his talent and moved it to the big city, in the former location of the Cypress Club on Jackson Street. In 2006, SF Chronicle’s Michael Bauer put it on the “must-visit list” and people have obeyed in droves. 500 Jackson St, 415.956.7040, scotthowardsf.com THE HELMAND Afghan Partially famous for having the best Afghani food in town (not many choices) and partially famous for owner Mahmoud Karzai, whose brother is Hamid (as in the president of Afghanistan), the Helmand is a culinary adventure not to be missed. Meals start off with customary flatbread with dipping sauces and proceed to a spice-filled culinary tour of Afghanistan. 430 Broadway, 415.362.0641

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adl i b

MARIN ADVERTISERS SPEAK UP

Lili Shahabi

Glenda Queen

Tracy McLaughlin

Lili S Salon and Spa, Sausalito

Union Street Goldsmith, San Francisco

Morgan Lane Real Estate, Ross

“My salon and spa was established to cater to dis-

“The basis of my business is to first and foremost

cerning Bay Area residents seeking an upscale ex-

“I opened Union Street Goldsmith in 1976 with

always focus on what is in my client’s best interest,”

perience,” says owner Lili Shahabi. “For over 20

my partner Terry Brumbaugh,” says owner and

says cofounder Tracy McLaughlin. “If you keep that

years I have dedicated my life to hair and color

Stinson Beach resident Glenda Queen. “In my

in focus you can build an excellent long-term rela-

assignments for print, catalogs and wedding pub-

San Francisco store I carry some very unusual

tionship with clients, who in turn will always refer

lications, not leaving any time for private clients.

European designers with a lot of wonderful ac-

you to new business. Maintaining complete honesty

Only in the last five years have I returned to see

cessories as well as the traditional bridal selec-

and integrity, coupled with working hard, guaran-

private hair clients. In addition to establishing my

tions. Take a peek at the website to see a small

tees you success in our industry.”

flagship salon and spa I am the lead master col-

representation of what you can find at Union

orist and stylist specializing in formal updo’s and

Street Goldsmith.”

weddings.”

Brieﬂy describe your business philosophy. My philosophy is and always has been to stay fo-

What is your competitive edge?

cused on what’s best for my clients. High levels of

Describe your dream client.

I do hear people say over and over who they

integrity will always serve your business well in the

Someone who is unhappy with their current look

have never seen so many beautiful designs in one

long run.

and isn’t certain what would best accentuate their

place. I also think you have to go far to beat us in

features. Nothing is more rewarding than to see

good service.

my clients happy and to know I had a part in

My knowledge of the market in Marin. I grew

Describe your dream customer.

up here and know every neighborhood extreme-

We already have some wonderful clients who go

ly well. That knowledge, coupled with my back-

What is your competitive edge?

back with us 40 years and we are now in the sec-

ground in design and construction, serves my

Being one of the top master colorists in the coun-

ond generation of their family.

clients well from an investment standpoint.

very interesting clients. Formulating hair color is

What makes you excel at what you do?

Describe your dream client.

not hit-and-run but a science and art. Only a mas-

I like to keep it simple, letting the stones and

Someone who understands and appreciates all that

ter hair colorist can do the job professionally.

metal take the lead. Simple never seems to get

a real estate agent does to successfully obtain or sell

dated.

a home for their client. A little humor goes a long

try gives me the opportunity to work with some

What makes you excel at what you do?

way too!

My passion for fashion and style allows me to

What makes your work worthwhile?

constantly grow as a stylist. I am always looking

I think it is the designing and making of jewelry

What makes you excel at what you do?

to learn the newest techniques, allowing me to be

and then being woven into someone’s life. Jewelry

Being incredibly flexible and letting a client’s

one step ahead of the rest by providing the ulti-

is usually part of a celebration or event so you be-

heightened emotions “roll off your back.” Honesty

mate in artistry, skill and perfection. I offer my

come included in that memory.

and integrity are also a key part of success in real

clients the very best in color, cutting, extensions and formal styling. Lili Shahabi, Lili S, 219 Caledonia St., Sausalito,

estate. Glenda Queen, Union Street Goldsmith, 1909 Union St., San Francisco, 415.776.8048,

Tracy McLaughlin, Morgan Lane Real Estate, 23 Ross

unionstreetgoldsmith.com

Common, Ross, 415.464.8686, morganlane.com

415.332.8700

ADVE RT IS IN G P R OMOT ION

PHOTOS: SHERI MONTGOMERY / TRACY MCLAUGHLIN PHOTO: ROSS PELTON

that.

What is your competitive edge?

-E

R TH Sa idge E 7 tu Vi INE rd ne M ay ya AK M rd E R ay s 12

Rated #1 Tapas Restaurant & Wine Bar ~ Best Selection of Wines from Spain in the County!

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Mother’s Day Specials and Flamenco Shows in May 1301 Fourth St. @ C St., San Rafael www.saborofspain.com (415) 457-VINO (8466)

Linda Saytes

oil on canvas

‘Together’

www.saytesart.com

24” x 24”

415.824.5756

Grand Opening Juliet Wood Studio at Waltz Gardens 71 Shady Lane Ross, CA 94957 Marin Open Studios May 5 th, 6 th, 12 th, 13 th

11am – 5 pm Originals, Prints & Cards

www.julietstudio.com

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Steve Emery & Kathleen Lipinski

Open Studio

Saturday & Sunday, May 5th & 6th • 11 am-6 pm

the gift of the moment

Art also shown by appointment

38 San Francisco Blvd, San Anselmo • (415) 453-3648 • emerylipinski.com

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Sustainable Outdoor Luxury

Marin’s Flooring Boutique

Outdoor Furniture • Hot Tubs Swim Spas • Umbrellas

A Unique Selection of Finest Quality Flooring Residential and Commercial Sales and Installation SOMERSET - Exotic Collection - Solid Tiger Wood

Carpet • Wood • Cork • Linoleum • Tile • Stone

2100 Redwood Highway, Greenbrae (Off Hwy 101, Lucky Drive exit, next to Golf Mart) (415) 924-8811 • www.marinoutdoorliving.com

Serving Marin since 1978 • www.marinﬂoorcompany.com 777 Grand Ave. @ Second Street, San Rafael • 415.453.3310

Protect Your Investment Cleaning, Sealing and Restoration of Natural Stone 415.924.5005 www.marin-wood.com BONDEDED & INSURED LIC.# 830339

Marin’s Prestige Custom Cabinet Source A professional approach to kitchen, Bath and Total remodel of your home. 1241 Andersen Drive • San Rafael 415-454-1623 • Lampertikitchens.com

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polished to perfection sealed for protection MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Preserving Marin’s Wood Homes & Decks ESTABLISHED 1995

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M U LT I - F U N C T I O N A L B Y VA L E T DESIGN SOLUTIONS FOR THE ENTIRE HOME

w w w. d e s i g n s f o r l i v i n g - v a l e t . c o m

designs for living 415.479.8180 • 2750 Northgate Mall, San Rafael Exterior of Mall, near Theater entrance, across from RiteAid

Decoration

Design

Construction

Design to Completion

NORTHBAY Kitchen & Bath

822 Petaluma Blvd North • Petaluma • 707.769.1646 1916 Yajome • Napa • 707.224.1020 www.4kitchens.com

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2006 “Living Room” Marin Designers Showcase

Park Hill Interiors Michael Souza 415.255.9556 parkhillinteriors@sbcglobal.net www. parkhillinteriors.com Michael Souza CID, ASID

Marin County • San Francisco • Sonoma • Palm Springs

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CASUAL

E LEGANT www.blacksfarmwood.com San Rafael Showroom By Appointment 415.454.8312

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FEATURING VENTANA FINE OUTDOOR FURNITURE

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Ap p i a n Wa y Pa v e r s t o n e s

Thank you Marin! Successful since 1989! Visit Our Showroom

since 332 B.C.

Choose from a wide selection of styles & designs

Custom Configurations, Fabrication and Installation Available

Driveways, Patios, Walkways

415.924.6763

1217 North McDowell Blvd. Petaluma 415.453.0236 707.773.2898 800.924.2614 fax empireshowerdoors.com License #683909

ICPI Certiﬁed Installer 30 Years in Marin CA Lic. #333463 appianwaypaverstones.com • web appianwaypaverstones@att.net • email

When you live at The Tamalpais, your days are your own. Feel secure in a comfortable and stimulating environment, and discover the freedom to pursue your passions. For more information about The Tamalpais, Marin’s only accredited Life Care community and a free copy of The Tamalpais’ Guide to Marin County Trails, call Nancy Martin at 415-461-2300.

Retirement, Marin-style Judge Roy Wonder, a resident of The Tamalpais, rowing on nearby Corte Madera Creek

THE TAMALPAIS M

A Retirement Community of Northern California Presbyterian Homes & Services, Inc.

501 Via Casitas, Greenbrae, CA 94904 415-461-2300 www.thetam.org Lic. #210102761 COA #099

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Be an item in your spring ﬂing. Your Spring fashion-stop for clothes, shoes, accessories & more!

“CAITLYN” BY DKNY

190 Bon Air Center Greenbrae, CA PHOTO BY: TOM NGUYEN

415.461.2133 sandbx@earthlink net mon-sat 10-6:00 sun 12-5:00

1102 MAGNOLIA AVE. / LARKSPUR / 415.925.0109 www.item-shoes.com / MON. - SAT. / 10:30 - 5:30

Encore

item shoes & accessories

415.332.8700 219 Caledonia Sausalito

Marin’s Finest Consignment Shop Manolo Blanik Jimmy Choo Prada Chanel Gucci Hermes St. John …and more Open Mon - Sat 10am - 5pm Consignments Taken Tues - Sat 10am - 3pm (415) 456-7309 • 11 Mary St., San Rafael (next to Peets)

Hair

Cellex – C

Waxing

Jan Marini

Make-up

glō minerals

Skin, Nails

Schwarzkopf

Master Colorists

Decléor Paris

Bridal Specialists

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Bumble & Bumble

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While others view accounting as a way of analyzing yesterday’s performance, we view it as a tool to anticipate and improve tomorrow’s.

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ounty's Premium Garden Cente

Serving all of Marin. Bolinas: (415) 868-1885 • Please call for appointment. Tiburon: 1520 Tiburon Blvd. • (415) 435-0041 • Open 7 Days!

Hair Loss Concerns? Feel in control again! Specializing in custom full cranial and partial hair replacements

Smooth Operations

Marin’s Premier Waxing Studio

. . . a hair studio

Brand new on the market! The answer to a breathable vacuum hairpiece, worn by our client pictured below. Designed by Charle to look as natural as a vacuum unit with the benefit of being cooler and more comfortable. Sensitive solutions for hair loss due to: Alopecia Areata/female hereditary thinning/Chemotherapy/radiation treatments/Trichotillomania Offering human hairpieces for women, men and children

Toll Free: (888) 680-HAIR (4247) (Northern CA) San Rafael

(415) 472-6369

Private & Professional Licensed Esthetician Appointments Only Child Friendly • Parking Melanie Kessler

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(Southern CA) San Diego

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Over 30 Years of Award-Winning Excellence Custom Home Building Renovation and Remodeling Historic Restoration Commercial Construction P L A T H & C O M P A N Y, I N C . GENERAL CONTRACTORS LIC. #395458 1 5 7 5 F R A N C I S C O B LV D E A S T S A N R A FA E L , C A 9 4 9 0 1 - 5 5 0 3 TEL 415-460-1575 NAPA VALLEY 707-963-2800 Designer: Lucy Junus

Photographer: Leslie Bauer

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Nothing Says Elegance Like a

ROMAN SHADE Roman shades create a classic and elegant look to any room. Since 1992, The Roman Shade Company has been the leader in custommade roman shades and window coverings. ©2006 The Roman Shade Company, Inc. All rights reserved

We’re e x p e r t s Our service, knowledge and expertise are second to none. Our professional designers actually come to your home and offer their design creativity, product expertise and installation knowledge to create the perfect window coverings for your home. If you’re looking for the finest in window coverings, then look no further than the professionals at The Roman Shade Company. Visit our showroom or call 415-621-2777 for estimated pricing and consultation.

Simply elegant San Francisco Design Center | 2 Henry Adams Street, Suite 341 | San Francisco | 415-621-2777 | www.theromanshadecompany.com

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M ICROCL I M ATE

HAMILTON Marin’s “new kid” is maturing BY JIM WOOD PHOTOS TIM PORTER When it comes to making the world a more peaceful place, our nation’s record of turning swords into plowshares is hardly stellar. But one bright spot is here, in Marin, where decades of work have transformed a former Air Force base into a delightful community.

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Top to bottom: Within the community, Hamilton has considerable recreation—including tennis, hiking, Little League, swimming and skateboarding—for young and old alike. A handsome art nouveau military administration building is now Hamilton’s community arts center with gallery spaces, individual studios and the popular Hamilton Cafe.

Hamilton Field, an Army Air base, opened in 1934. Following World War II, it transitioned into Hamilton Air Force Base, which was closed in 1974. During those 40 years of operation, Hamilton’s runways and hangars saw (and heard!) P-40s, P-38s, and, for a short while, four-engine B-17 Flying Fortresses. Next came the C-130 cargo planes, nicknamed the “Gooney Bird,” and a few hotshot jet fighters. President Nixon arrived there in the 1970s, as did thousands of Asian refugees following the Vietnam War. Today, more than 30 years since the last jet fighter blasted off a nearby runway, Hamilton’s hangars are sleek office buildings for such firms as Smith & Hawken, SpatiaLight Inc., the Marin Community Foundation, Oracle, De Santis Capital Management and, most recently, Birkenstock USA. As for those miles of runways, they’re soon to be flooded and turned into permanent wetlands—stopping places for squadrons of waterfowl navigating the Pacific Flyway. Hamilton, located within the city of Novato, has been hailed as one of the finest military base conversions in the country. The 2,200 acres adjacent to the former hangars and runways were once the site of base housing, officers’ clubs, recreation halls and military administrative buildings. Now they are crossed by meandering streets lined uniformly with young-growth trees and blocks of tidy homes occupied by a mix of young and old, wealthy and working class. “I’d say Hamilton is a very ‘public’ community,’” says Jim Leland, a Novato city councilman who’s lived there four years. “Previously, we lived in Larkspur and that was a ‘private’ community.” Leland feels Hamilton is a more open, freewheeling, even extroverted place, where residents have considerable opportunities for interaction. Taking a visitor on a tour of Hamilton, Leland points to two moms talking while pushing baby carriages, then a pack of kids on bikes laughing as they head to Little League practice, and, finally, what appear to be a software engineer (cargo pants, sneakers, laptop case) and a businessman (suit, white shirt and tie, briefcase) walking side by side home from work. “You don’t see much of that nowadays,” Leland comments.

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Top to bottom: Hamilton Cafe, a restaurant and wine bar, features indoor and outdoor patio dining; homes in Hamilton range from $700,000 to just under $2 million; onetime Air Force hangars are now chic ofﬁces for high-tech ﬁrms and businesses, as well as the YMCA and a branch of the Novato library.

Thanks to a considerable investment of time and treasure by both public and private institutions, Hamilton is indeed a community of mixed interests—California ranch houses coupled with the 1930s architecture of the former military buildings; affordable-through-upperend housing; high-density neighborhoods near wide-open fields; and places for work close by areas for play. Remnants from Hamilton’s military past include a pool and clubhouse (to be replaced in 2008 with a new $5 million facility), an amphitheater, a gymnasium, four tennis courts and administrative buildings that now serve as a cultural arts center and home to the popular Unity in Marin church. A recent addition to this community center point is the popular Hamilton Cafe, a restaurant and wine bar serving breakfast, lunch and dinner—both indoors and out. “The Villas at Hamilton, in handsome, two-story art deco buildings,” says agent Michael Brown, “are studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments designed and priced as affordable senior housing.” Rents, he says, range from $950 to $1,460 a month. In another part of Hamilton, Bay Vista and Meadow Park have attractive and affordable workforce housing for both rent and purchase. Leland, a realtor with Bradley Real Estate in Novato, says newer attached townhomes in Hamilton are selling in the $600,000 to $700,000 range. Also, production-type, or tract, single-family detached homes, “built in the past three or four years, are now going from $700,000 to just over $1 million.” At the high end, Leland has a listing on a five-bedroom, fivebath, two-year-old two-story view home for $1,699,000. “Homes in that Hamilton neighborhood have sold for between $1.5 and $1.9 million,” he adds. The community of Hamilton definitely deserves watching. Though its history dates back over 70 years, compared to most of Marin County it has newer homes and attractive employment locales that can be reached on foot, certainly by bike. Add to that a healthy mix of residents and residences, plus a palatable sense of community, and Hamilton adds up to having it all.

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D OL

I CT

104 Laurel Grove Ave, Ross ~ Listed at $9,400,000

660 Goodhill Road, Kentfield ~ Listed at $8,995,000

I ND

432 Golden Gate Ave, Belvedere ~ Listed at $5,995,000

130 S. Ridgewood Road, Kentfield ~ Listed at $6,500,000 Artist may have taken some artistic license

• 47 Vista Marin, San Rafael Sold in March 2007 ~ Listed at $949,000 • 61 Homestead, Mill Valley Sold in April 2007 ~ Listed at $2,195,000 We’ve sold most of our listings and we need more! What a great start to 2007. We would welcome the opportunity to sell your property too.

Marilyn Rich

415.464.3741 www.MarilynRich.com

Whitney Rich

415.250.9914 wrich@pacunion.com

Mill Valley $1,800,000 2BD+Loft/2.5BA Incredible Pacific Ocean and Muir Woods views. Great Room with 16’ curtain wall of glass. Level lawn.

Mill Valley $925,000 3BD/2BA Stunning Bay, Sausalito, SF views. Ruggedly sophisticated, remodeled kitchen, master suite, distinctive, private.

Larkspur Upon Request 4BD/3BA Brand new construction! Traditional architecture with finest finishes, Mt. Tam views, in-law unit, close to town.

San Rafael Upon Request 3BD/2.5 BA Stately home with private guest suite. Gorgeous grounds, level lawn, convenient location.

Mill Valley $897,000 Build your dream home! Rarely available .91 acre buildable lot. Level land with some gentle slopes, Bay views and privacy.

Mill Valley $2,595,000 4BD/3.5BA Views, acerage, privacy and prestige. Over 4,600 sq ft on 1.5 acres, media room, large master suite, level lawn.

Novato $815,000 4BD/2BA Spacious family home ready to move in! Located on quiet cul-de-sac. Close to town and Hwy 101.

Mill Valley $1,030,000 3BD/2BA Live in nature...drive 15 minutes to San Francisco! Huge Bay views, Zen-like serenity, sunny redwood setting.

Pt. Richmond $669,000 3BD/2BA Newer Construction! Convenient location, close to town, 2 car garage, private master suite.

Pt. Richmond $650,000 3BD/2BA Charming bungalow with remodeled kitchen and baths. Lovely gardens, close to town.

Mill Valley SOLD! 4BD/2.5BA 3,500 sq.ft custom home with Mt.Tam and Bay views, gourmet kitchen, level lawn, large master suite.

Mill Valley SOLD! 2BD/1.5BA Refined, historic, Turn-ofthe-century charmer. Craftsman details, incredible grounds, custom finishes.

MATTHEW POULIOT 415.265.7020 www.PouliotProperties.com ROBERT D. YOUNG 415.407.7775 www.RobertYoungRealEstate.com

•

1065 Meadowsweet, 11 Leona Drive, Corte Madera San Rafael

LOOKING TO BROADEN YOUR REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO? These global opportunities are available to you: • The Lusso Collection, an exclusive destination club • Equity stakes in condominium and hotel projects • Investment properties in Marin, San Francisco, and Scottsdale

1065 Meadowsweet, Corte Madera

• Development opportunities in Marin Pictured here are just some of our upcoming new listings. Please note all of our current listings at www.JimmyMarin.com.

331 Playa Del Sur, La Jolla

100 Wolfe Canyon, Kentfield

•

Jimmy Wanninger • TEL 415.990.8990 24/7 REAL ESTATE KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN TRUST

WHAT’S NEW?

Introducing an All-New JimmyMarin.com Spring is in the air—a time for newness and change. In celebration of the season upon us, I’m pleased to announce the launch of my new web site at www.JimmyMarin.com. The new site brings together the Web’s finest real estate resources— including useful online tools and calculators—making it easy to get everything you need in one place. Whether you’re a buyer, seller, or someone who’s ‘just looking’, you’ll get valuable knowledge that will give you an edge in today’s ever-changing real estate market. Visit the site now!

Jimmy Wanninger TEL 415.990.8990 24/7 | jimmy@jimmymarin.com 1204 Strawberry Village, Mill Valley, CA 94941

• More information on each of my listings, plus an improved photo viewer • My blog, updated daily with insight and analysis on the market • Educational tools and advice to help you make smart real estate decisions • Improved, easy-tonavigate design • A new Tam Cam with preset views of Mt. Tam, Mill Valley, San Francisco, and more. A great tool for the whole family!

Kent Associates

A Mill Valley resident, Bill Wilson is the owner and managing broker of Kent Associates Sotheby’s International Realty. Bill was born and raised on the East Coast and received his undergraduate degree in engineering at Princeton University and an M.B.A. from New York University. Prior to purchasing Kent Associates in 2005, Bill was Chief Operating Officer of Pacific Union Real Estate Group, which he describes as “a marvelous way of meeting the agents in Marin County and understanding the dynamics of the Bay Area real estate market.” Do you bring a special philosophy to your real estate practice? Yes. I believe it’s about creating a culture of service, whether broker to salesperson, salesperson to client, or company to community. Customer service is not a hat to put on and take off, it’s something integral to your behavior. What do you find most special about Marin County? The breadth of lifestyle opportunity that exists within this beautiful place, from recreation and entertainment to dining and sports and the excitement of

Please feel free to contact any of our Realtors®:

Kent Associates

San Francisco to the tranquility of Mt. Tam. How has Kent Associates Sotheby’s introduced something entirely new to Marin real estate? Our affiliation with Sotheby’s creates a true international reach. The auction house historically operated internationally and now brings that same worldwide expertise and capability to real estate… allowing our homes to be marketed internationally and for international buyers to be exposed to properties within the County. What advantages do you bring to the Marin seller? In keeping with Sotheby’s centuries’ old tradition, we’re providing exceptional service and astute valuation of the finest, most beautiful and unique properties in the world. But ultimately, real estate is local and personal, so our strength is that we combine the Sotheby’s tradition of excellence and service with those very same qualities built locally over 30 years by the people of Kent Associates. Can you describe your vision for Kent Associates Sotheby’s International Realty for us? My vision is of smaller, boutique offices of experienced agents supporting one another to serve home buyers and sellers, whether first time buyers or long

Susan Bowman Tim Hill Dean Holter Jacquie Larkins

Erin Llora Richard Llora Lynn Lubbock Bill McKeon

time clients, in the most professional manner possible, in what are likely to be the most important financial transactions of their lives. Are there any special qualities you look for in a Kent Associates Sotheby’s agent? Honesty and integrity would have to be the first two qualities. A strong ethic for customer service is the hallmark of the people that I work with and I also look for confident people with interests outside of work - whole, integrated people. What’s the future in real estate? No matter what happens - with technology, regulations, or the internet - buying and selling real property will always be about professionals providing the necessary skills, experience and guidance. “We take great pleasure in discovering and bringing to life all the things that make a home unique and great pride in using our considerable experience, resources and global connections to artfully unite these special places with those who will cherish them as we do.” Sharon McKeon Elizabeth Nicholson Lisa Swanson Cheryl Wheeler

980 MAGNOLIA AVENUE, LARKSPUR CA 94939 • (415) 461-3640 • www.kentassociates.com

© MMVI Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Farm of Jas de Bouffan, used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity . Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated.

Kent Associates

Susan Bowman Kent Associates/Sotheby’s International Realty (415) 710-0208 susan@kentassociates.com

Ross

1 WOODSIDE WAY

1910 traditional style home situated on nearly one third of an acre with lawns, patios and gardens and within a few blocks of the award winning Ross School. Large living room with beamed ceiling, bay window and fireplace, formal dining room with wainscoting, beamed ceiling and built-in cabinetry, butler’s pantry, kitchen with adjoining breakfast room and separate laundry/bath. Entry hall leads to upper level with huge master bedroom and bath plus three additional bedrooms and two baths. Offered at $3,300,000

Ross

88 LAUREL GROVE AVENUE

Amazing estate type property situated on .83 acres of lush grounds in the heart of Ross with pool, hot tub and abundant parking. Perfect for entertaining with a gracious living room with fireplace, formal dining room, elegant kitchen with adjacent laundry room, family room with fireplace, adjoining patio and library which could also double as guest quarters with bath. The upper level has a luxurious master bedroom with fireplace and bath plus two additional bedrooms and bath. Office, workshop and au-pair are on the lower level. Offered at $4,200,000

Kent Associates

980 MAGNOLIA AVENUE, LARKSPUR CA 94939 • (415) 461-3640 • www.kentassociates.com

© MMVI Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Les Bords de l’Epte a Giverny, used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company . Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated.

Kent Associates

Tim Hill Kent Associates/Sotheby’s International Realty (415) 793-3969 tghill@pacbell.net

Sausalito

40 CURREY AVENUE

Nestled in the Sun Belt, is this newly remodeled attractive 3 bedroom 2.5 bath home with water views of Richardson Bay, Tiburon and Sausalito Harbor. Large patios and terraces with views will allow its new owners gracious spaces for entertaining in a private manner. The master suite with a large well appointed bath gives the feeling of being at a spa. On the main floor, two additional bedrooms, living room with fireplace and dining area are adjacent to a professionally equipped eatin kitchen and separate patio. A two car garage and one off-street space are among the additional assets of this fabulous house. Offered at $2,495,000

Tiburon

967 TIBURON BOULEVARD

Views of San Francisco, Belvedere Lagoon and the hills of Sausalito highlight this very attractive 4 bedroom 3.5 bath home. Easy access to town, ferries, schools and bike path compliment the privacy and charm of this well built home. Built by a renowned local structural engineer, the home has solar heating and double-paned windows for energy efficiency and clean, dustless heating. The entertaining decks surround and overlook mature gardens with roses, fruit trees and a good size lawn. Patios off the master bedroom and lower bedrooms afford privacy and tranquility. Two family rooms, a wine cellar, guest suite and plenty of storage round out this family home. Offered at $3,495,000

Kent Associates

980 MAGNOLIA AVENUE, LARKSPUR CA 94939 • (415) 461-3640 • www.kentassociates.com

© MMVI Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Street in Saintes-Maries, used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity . Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated.

Kent Associates

Sharon McKeon Kent Associates/Sotheby’s International Realty (415) 828-4516 sharonmckeon@kentassociates.com

Kent Woodlands

15 SPRING ROAD Privacy and serenity abound in this prestigious property, ideally situated on approximately 1.23 acres with magnificent Mt. Tam views. A gated driveway leads up to grounds dotted with majestic Oaks and lush natural greenery. The lovely 3+ bedroom 4 bath contemporary home features dramatic cathedral ceilings and a light-filled open floor plan perfect for fabulous indoor/outdoor entertaining. Some of the many amenities include, gleaming hardwood floors, spacious and convenient kitchen with loads of counter space, skylights and floor to ceiling windows, sparkling in-ground pool, patios and deck and a large 2-car garage. A truly rare offering! Offered at $2,195,000

Cheryl Wheeler Kent Associates/Sotheby’s International Realty (415) 595-4899 cherylw@kentassociates.com

Larkspur

200 MARINA VISTA AVENUE

Beautifully renovated, this two story 3 bedroom 2 bath home sits on a partially level landscaped knoll and offers the best of Marin living. Fabulous views bring the bay into almost every room. Light, bright and new aptly describe this home that has an open floor plan and is located near the hiking trails of Marin, yet minutes from the charm of Downtown Larkspur. Kitchen, baths and mechanical systems have been replaced and/or updated. Kitchen features granite counters, subway tiles, stainless steel appliances, maple cabinets and hardwood floors. Offered at $1,149,000

Kent Associates

980 MAGNOLIA AVENUE, LARKSPUR CA 94939 • (415) 461-3640 • www.kentassociates.com

© MMVI Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Les Bords de l’Epte a Giverny, used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company . Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated.

Kent Associates

Lisa Swanson Kent Associates/Sotheby’s International Realty (415) 515-3750 lisaswanson@earthlink.net

Mill Valley IDEAL MILL VALLEY FAMILY HOME A charming redwood arbor entry leads to this cherished Mill Valley family home, sited on over 1/3 acre of beautifully landscaped grounds. Enclosed rose garden, lovely walking and sitting areas, mature plum, apple and lemon trees, and sport court. Four bedrooms, two and one-half baths, two brick ﬁreplaces, formal living and dining areas, and open-plan kitchen and family room. Master bedroom has a steam shower & a raised soaking tub overlooking the gardens and views. Abundant light and luxuriant valley views grace nearly every window. Generous decks, two-car garage, and ample storage. Easy San Francisco commute, and minutes to award-winning schools. Offered at $1,495,000

Kent Associates

980 MAGNOLIA AVENUE, LARKSPUR CA 94939 • (415) 461-3640 • www.kentassociates.com

© MMVI Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Les Bords de l’Epte a Giverny, used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company . Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated, Except Offices Owned And Operated By NRT Incorporated.

MARIN METROPOLITAN PRESENTS AN EXTRAORDINARY LUCAS VALLEY EICHLER

Great room with chef’s kitchen • Formal living/dining room • 5 bedrooms (2 master suites) • 3 spacious new bathrooms • Mudroom with laundry • 2 car garage plus additional carport • Central air heating system • Concrete ﬂoors • Quincy Jones designed • Renovated and expanded • Dixie School District

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Craig Swanson (415) 717-0607 cswanson@pacunion.com www.marinmetropolitan.com

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Just a few minutes north of the Golden Gate, yet a million miles away, is Seadrift at Stinson Beach. For over 30 years, Seadrift Company has been the expert in Real Estate sales and premium vacation rentals in Stinson Beach and the private gated community of Seadrift. Call us today to reserve your beach house... for a week, a summer or a lifetime.

VIEW OUR PROPERTIES ONLINE AT WWW . SEADRIFTREALTY . COM AND CALL US AT 415.868.1791

2006 Mill Valley Ofﬁce Top Producer

Judy LeMarr 415-380-4642 jlemarr@fhallen.com www.marindreamhome.com

FRANK HOWARD ALLEN REALTORS Marin’s oldest real estate ﬁrm

Current Marin Views for Sale

Service Experience 5 Starbuck Drive, Muir Beach

238 Almonte Blvd., Mill Valley

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Results

6 Ross Road, Sausalito

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Tracy McLaughlin and Morgan Lane welcome Alix Fagerstén to our team of luxury property specialists.

Alix prides herself in providing the ﬁnest services to her clients and has demonstrated success with over $43 million in recent sales. Alix’s commitment to her clients and approach to real estate perfectly complements Morgan Lane’s brand, The Fine Art of Fine Property™.

On the Boardwalk 1550 Tiburon Blvd., Suite U Belvedere, CA 94920 415/596-6231 Direct 415/480-1329 Fax alix@teamalix.com

Please call Alix and welcome her to our team of luxury property specialists in Marin County.

www.morganlane.com

The Fine Art of Fine Property OPES/opés/ • n./latin for wealth

Jeffrey T. Smith Melanie Victor-Smith 101 Larkspur Landing Circle Larkspur, CA 94939

(415) 464-9500 Palo Alto • Marin • San Mateo Real Estate Broker – CA Dept. of Real Estate License # 01458652

opesadvisors.com

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Your home & mortgage - two of the largest numbers on your balance sheet - do you know how to think about this? We can help. Refinance

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Purchase

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Construction Advice

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Sold in 6 Days with 6 Offers Banana Belt, Sausalito List price $2,150,000

It’s All Ab o u t S OL D ! S OL D !

• People are talking: “As a seasoned advertising man, I should exercise some restraint in praise of Stephanie Witt. But I find that impossible. In a six month hunt for my dream house, Stephanie proved herself to be a consummate pro. She showed me seven-day-a-week alertness, consistently discerning judgment and lightning fast reflexes. Anyone searching for a trustworthy agent should count themselves lucky to find her.” - Exceedingly Satisfied, Tom W.

S OL D !

S O LD !

S OL D !

• Why do 20% of agents do 80% of the business? Top producing, seasoned agents know what is important to sell a home. They get results. Top agents will get you more money, in a shorter period of time with less stress.

• Marin-Hawaii Connection: I lived in Hawaii, Maui and Oahu, for 13 years. I developed strong ties to the islands as I had a business on each island except for Molokai and Lanai. I have owned an oceanfront condo on Maui for 6 years. Best investment I have ever made. Call me to find out how to retire in Hawaii or buy a second home.

Stephanie Witt Southern Marin Specialist since 1989 415.380.6136 Stephanie.Witt@pacunion.com www.SwittMarinHomes.com

D I A LO GUE

Dana King

BY MIMI TOWLE

You could live anywhere. Why Marin? We moved to the Bay Area a decade ago and knew that we wanted to live in Marin County. Our children were in elementary school at the time and I wanted to keep them in public schools. I assessed district test scores and picked the top ﬁve schools, which then dictated where we were going to live. We rented in Ross for two years but ended up buying a home in Nicasio. What makes you happy in Marin? I truly appreciate and take advantage of the open space. What gets on your nerves here? The proliferation of bumper stickers. My favorite [example] is a vehicle I spotted one day while driving. It was loaded down with political ideology: save the trees/ whale/spotted owl, something about kindness, impeach Bush, peace, et cetera. Ironically, it was an SUV with a Christmas tree on top of it! What’s your personal idea of luxury? Honestly, it’s the freedom to be whatever is required in that moment. What do you value every day? The mundane and the sublime and recognizing there may not be a difference between the two. What person has inﬂuenced you the most? My mother.

n MAY 2004, CBS’s Dana King traveled to Rwanda to report on the ten year commemoration of the genocide. That same year she did postwar/pre-presidential election stories in Afganistan. In

2002 she ﬁled war stories aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, and in September 2001 she was the ﬁrst Bay Area broadcast journalist at ground zero.

What’s been the most fulﬁlling moment in your work? When I stopped waiting for approval and did the work I thought was important. What’s a Marin stereotype that works? That everyone is a card-carrying liberal.

King didn’t set out to expose the world’s injustice and heartbreak as a way of life. At the beginning of her career the Cleveland, Ohio, native had planned on running a television station. “I started in the business in the sales department and sold airtime for ﬁve years,” she recalls. “One day, the general manager asked if I wanted to become a reporter, and I thought he was kidding.” After a first day she describes as “worse than terrible,” she began to study her craft, took advice from trusted colleagues and 20 years later enjoys her seat as

What stereotype doesn’t ﬁt? That everyone is a card-carrying liberal. What’s your desert island book or album? The entire Calvin and Hobbes collection. Do you have a favorite Marin view? I love rowing along the Corte Madera Creek in the shadow of Mount Tam.

When she’s not spending time with her family, King pursues her other passion: rowing competitively with the Marin Rowing Association, with whom she can be found sculling on the bay up to six days a week. We sat down with the ten-year Marin resident to get a sense of why she calls Marin home. 180

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What do you like about yourself? That I’m still learning. What is your favorite journey? Coming home. How do you want to be remembered? That I was fair, honest and optimistic.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: BARBARA RIES

the anchor on Channel 5’s six and 11 o’clock news.

Spanning the Bay MARIN • SAN FRANCISCO • PENINSULA

Representing the Most Extraordinary Properties in Marin and San Francisco Featured Property

23 Leona Drive, San Rafael

Proper ties Currently Available Properties • 15 Leona Drive, San Rafael: Lot for Sale • 23 Leona Drive, San Rafael: www.23LeonaDrive.com

$795,000 $2,495,000

Coming Soon! • Four-plex in Sausalito: • Gated mini estate in Mill Valley:

$1,425,000 $2,495,000

Whether you’re buying or selling your luxury dream home in Marin or San Francisco, put my 15-plus years of local expertise to work for you. Call me about my current luxury properties or new listings in Sausalito and Mill Valley coming out this month!

Anna K. Pennington-Boucher

Beautiful Twilight Views!

Luxury Home Specialist

For more photos & information go to:

McGuire Real Estate 415.860.1399 anna@worldclassproperties.com www.worldclassproperties.com

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231 Post Street, San Francisco (415) 397-3180 Stanford Shopping Center (650) 325-6170