Marin Magazine October 2006 by 270 Media

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

L I V I N G

OCTOBER 2006

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CONTENTS

Features 84 think

The Bay Institute

A ﬁsh story that happens to be true. story & photos tim porter

90 home

Here and There

Tiburon family travels from one paradise to another. story p. j. bremier photos barbara ries

98 life

Marin Winemakers

Small group of vintners is making great wines in Marin. story samantha schoech photos barbarba ries

106 journey

Exploring Bhutan

The Land of the Dragon opens its doors to tourism. story & photos patricia woeber

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

CONTENTS

Departments 46

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.

Capturing a slice of life in Marin. by tim porter

Marinites who are making a difference in our environment.

Out and about, in and around Marin.

Metal madness bags and belts shine. by amy gurvitz

Belvedere’s Joanne Cooper shares fashion insights.

Books Janis Cooke Newman’s new historical novel, Mary. by olivia boler Performing Arts Huey Lewis in Chicago. by jay bartlett Food Apples in autumn make best desserts. by mimi towle Events The annual Tiburon Mile. by jim wood Health October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. by somer ﬂaherty Business Mint Locations offers Bay Area luxe venues. by wendy abrams Garden Owls rid gardens of pesky critters. by melissa gebhardt

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

conversation

114

Celia Kupersmith—Golden Gate keeper tells all. by jim wood

Healdsburg’s deserving wine country popularity. by m. l. lathan

122

CONTENTS

127

Departments 118

wine country

122

looking back

127

galleries

132

calendar

145

flavor

155

microclimate

170

dialogue

Events and opportunities in the counties to the north. by lucas davidson

A tour of two Bay Area galleries. by anne crump ray

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

Rooney’s in Tiburon—a best-kept secret. by erika lenkert

Strawberry comes alive with new look. by jim wood

A visit with Vernon Glenn. by mimi towle

Columns The Cover

view from mount tam

pov

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

Rio Vista No. 1, an oil painting by Marin artist Tim Horn. His work can be seen at horndesign.com. 18

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

Marin General’s current challenge. by jim wood

1947 PHOTO OF SALLY STANFORD AND MARLON BRANDO COURTESY OF THE SAUSALITO HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Sausalito’s legendary Sally Stanford. by jim wood

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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

editorial assistant Somer Flaherty ext 103 editorial@marinmagazine.com

copy editor/proofreader Cynthia Rubin

editorial contributors Wendy Abrams, Olivia Boler, P.J. Bremier, Lucas Davidson, Melissa Gebhardt, Amy Gurvitz, Erika Lenkert, Anne Crump Ray, Samantha Schoech, GraceAnn Walden, Patricia Woeber

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

production manager Alex French ext 111 production@marinmagazine.com

contributing photographers Sasha Gulish, Sheri Montgomery, Barbara Ries, Patricia Woeber Marin Magazine One Harbor Dr, Ste 208 Sausalito, CA 94965 phone: 415.332.4800 fax: 415.332.3048 email: editorial@marinmagazine.com web address: www.marinmagazine.com

MARIN

OCTOBER 2006

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publisher Lisa Shanower 415.332.4800 ext 107 lshanower@marinmagazine.com

Advertising advertising director Courtney Q. Roberts 415.332.4800 ext 108 croberts@marinmagazine.com

account manager Michele Johnson 415.332.4800 ext 110 mjohnson@marinmagazine.com

account manager Genevieve Luckel 415.332.4800 ext 109 gluckel@marinmagazine.com

TASTE. BALANCE.

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robert kaufman associates Robert Kaufman 415.721.0558

hawaii destination marketing Debbie Joseph Shana Wong 808.739.2200

advertising art director Alex French ext 111 production@marinmagazine.com

Administration controller Jill Harmston ext 104 jharmston@marinmagazine.com Volume 2, Issue 10. Marin Magazine is published in Marin County by Marin Magazine LLC. All rights reserved. Copyright©2006. 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, email editorial@marinmagazine.com, website marinmagazine.com. lacrema.com

MARIN

OCTOBER 2006

member of the bpa worldwide:

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

FALL IS IN THE AIR. The days are shorter, the shadows longer and trees are dressing in autumn foliage. Fairfax artist Tim Horn has beautifully captured the season on this month’s cover with an oil painting of a Northern California rural scene. We are fortunate to have access to places like this just a short drive from our homes. Activities abound in October. As always we are eager to promote organizations and events that reflect values that are in alignment with topics of community interest such as the environment, recreation, the arts and entertainment. The Bay Institute, headquartered in Novato and known for its good work in restoring the ecosystems in San Francisco Bay, is hosting a major fundraiser on October 5th to raise money for the purchase of the Aquarium of the Bay at Pier 39 (see feature on page 84). For the second consecutive year, the Comcast Women’s Tennis Classics with Chris Evert, Tracy Austin and others will take place at the Harbor Point Tennis Club in Strawberry. The Harbor Point Charitable Foundation brings us a weekend of first-rate tennis beginning October 13th to benefit Bay Area charities. The fall arts season is in full swing with the 29th Mill Valley Film Festival, Marin Symphony’s opening night gala and the Headlands Center for the Arts Mystery Ball. For specific information on these events and others see Calendar (page 132). October is also harvest time in the wine world and Healdsburg is an excellent place to experience it. No longer a best kept secret, this small town to our north is still a satisfying getaway for oenophiles (page 114). For more upcoming Wine Country happenings, check out our new Wine Country columnist, Lucas Davidson, and his list of highlights for this month (page 118). In Marin, Samantha Schoech takes us on a tour of local winemakers, a small but growing community who produce some incredible tastes (page 98). Other features include an exotic journey to Bhutan with Tiburon’s Pat Woeber (page 106); a hint of what it’s like to maintain two homes in P. J. Bremier’s Here and There with the Cabi family, who own a home in Marin and on the Kona Coast of Hawaii (page 90); and a look back to the days As always, our wish is for your good reading. Enjoy Marin Magazine, as we continue to celebrate this extraordinary place! Lisa Shanower, Publisher Nikki Wood, Editorial Director Jim Wood, Executive Editor

MARIN

OCTOBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: BARBARA RIES

of Sausalito’s colorful madam/mayor Sally Stanford (page 122).

He played basketball at San Rafael High. Now he’s the Captain of our team. Say hello to our new President Russ Colombo. From an early age, Russ Colombo knew the satisfaction of working with a winning team. (That’s why he’s such a good fit as

the new President of Bank of Marin.) Russ now leads a tightly knit group of seasoned professionals who consistently provide the high level of service responsible for our great success. We’re looking forward to Russ playing for the home team – again. Sausalito 415-289-8710

Strawberry 415-381-2265

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LE TTE R S

Chardonnay Merlot

Readers respond

Cabernet Sauvignon

I agree with Jim Wood’s positive comments in “Straightening Out SMART” (September 2006),

Old Vine Zinfandel

only up to a point. Here’s what’s missing: To

Petite Sirah

be successful, commuter rail must take passen-

Shoup Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

gers directly to where they want to go. In Marin, the primary destination will be the Larkspur Landing terminal, where every weekday 2,500 people take a ferry into San Francisco. But that means directly to the ferry, not nearly half a mile away, as plans now state. Since the 1970s, I’ve supported a train linking the cities of Marin and Sonoma counties with the ferry terminal. I was with Kaiser Engineering, the firm that built the ferry terminal, and we determined that a big advantage of the Larkspur site was that it was near the railroad right-of-way. Today, SMART controls that right-of-way. But for some unknown reason, the City of Larkspur has consistently opposed direct access by a train to the ferry terminal, even though it would definitely reduce congestion. In my opinion, unless SMART can take its passengers directly across Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal

If itʼs true that great things happen “once in a blue moon”, then Lapis Luna is testimony to wine worth waiting for.

commuters will say, “forget it” and drive their cars. I’m not sure I want to vote for such a flawed system. Wes Starratt, P.E., San Rafael Correction: It has come to our attention that

Each vintage is the inspiration of a team of individuals dedicated to creating an exceptional, handcrafted wine at an exceptional price.

in our last AdLib (September issue, page 171), there were misspellings and a website was omitted in regard to Anca Sira, a company providing personalized and integrated fertility care. The correct and complete information is: Anca Sira; the email address ancasira@ancasira.com; and

L apis Luna Wines 3 4 5 2 R e d w o od R d .

the website is www.ancasira.com. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

N a pa , C A 9 4 5 5 8 707.332.5563 w w w. l a p i sl u n aw in e s . c o m

Letters to the editor may be edited for clarity and brevity. Send letters to Marin Magazine, One Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965. Or email to jwood@marinmagazine.com.

MARIN

OCTOBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

0ACIFIC5NIONAD-ARIN-AG/CT V PDF

P OV

Marin General Is an Excellent Hospital BY JIM WOOD

Now the story gets complicated. Sutter

Currently, Sutter Health and the Marin

Health, a not-for-profit Sacramento corporation

General Hospital Corporation’s board of

that also runs California Pacific Medical Center

directors, faced with continuous acrimony,

in San Francisco, Mills Peninsula Hospital in

are negotiating with the Healthcare District

Burlingame, Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley,

to terminate their 30-year lease. Within

and Novato Community Hospital, has man-

three years, the Marin Healthcare District

aged Marin General Hospital since 1996. In all,

will again be managing the hospital—just

Sutter Health manages 27 Northern California

as it did over 20 years ago. The critics will

hospitals—none of which, according to all ac-

have won. Sutter will be gone.

counts, have experienced anywhere near the

In this November’s election, from a field of

discord that has wracked Marin General for

seven, three new directors will be elected to

two decades.

the Healthcare District’s five-member board.

Controversy centers around the elected board

Their challenges will be enormous. Starting

of the Marin Healthcare District, the public en-

from scratch, they must build a staff, do long-

tity that owns the hospital’s land and buildings.

range planning, hire transition consultants,

This board managed Marin General from 1952

recruit a hospital administrator, and possi-

until 1985, when, due to the increasing cost and

bly renegotiate multimillion-dollar insurance,

“Over the past 25 years, I’ve experienced Marin

complexity of health care, the non-profit Marin

technology, union, and supplier contracts—all

General from three vantage points and can say

General Hospital Corporation was created. With

while retaining current physicians and staff

without reservation it’s an excellent hospital.

18 appointed directors, many of them physi-

and attracting new doctors and nurses. Sutter

For years critics have viewed it through a mag-

cians like Dr. Wasserstein, it was charged with

now provides all these services and more.

nifying glass and they’ve accomplished only one

the task of managing MGH’s operations. In turn,

Adding to the challenge, within seven

thing—denigrating the hospital’s reputation.”

the Healthcare District leased control of the hos-

years, Marin General must be made seismi-

pital to the Marin General Hospital Corporation

cally safe. “This will require asking voters to

EFORE REVEALING that quote’s

for 30 years. Soon thereafter, several Healthcare

approve hundreds of millions of dollars in

source, I must say it’s incomplete.

District directors and their supporters began

bonds,” says Dr. Wasserstein. “The likelihood

Not only have critics degraded Marin

criticizing, attacking, even suing, in an effort to

of getting a two-thirds ‘yes’ vote is remote.”

General; they’ve placed it in crisis. The quote is from Paul W. Wasserstein, M.D., who has practiced pathology and nuclear medi-

have that lease dissolved. Issues ranged from

So what does a physician who has invested

health care quality to business practices to con-

25 years of his life in Marin General Hospital

flict of interest charges.

suggest as a solution? “When the Healthcare

cine at Marin General for the past 25 years and

In 1996—in a further effort to confront

District’s newly elected board realizes the enor-

served on the hospital’s board of directors for 12

the rising costs of health care—Marin General

mity of the task it faces, its best course will be

years, two years as its chairman. Dr. Wasserstein

Hospital Corporation assigned its lease to Sutter

to sell Marin General Hospital to an experienced

has also experienced the hospital the way most

Health. Around that time, the aforementioned

health care organization—possibly Sutter—and

of us do—as a consumer. “I was a patient at the

four Bay Area hospitals also became Sutter

use the millions gained for Marin’s other health

hospital,” he says. “The surgeon knew who I

Health affiliates. And for Marin General, al-

care needs.”

was, but few of the nursing staff did. I had spi-

though it continued to pursue and attain excel-

nal stenosis and underwent a nine-hour opera-

lence, the criticism intensified. It was clear the

tion in which I received superb care. It was an

Marin Healthcare District, and its adherents,

excellent experience in every way.”

wanted once again to manage Marin General.

MARIN

OCTOBER 2006

I agree wholeheartedly with that approach. That’s my point of view. What’s yours? E-mail jwood@marinmagazine.com

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: BARBARA RIES

After years of criticism, it’s facing a crisis

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AT A G L ANCE

O CTOB ER OCTOBER 5 Celebrating H2O Headwaters to Ocean

OCTOBER 7 Grape Festival

Check out more than 150 films from around the globe– you may even see the next Capra, Kubrick or Allen. Various locations (Mill Valley). 925.866.9559, mvff.com

Don’t miss the final Sunny Hills Grape Festival, after 107 years it’s time to say good-bye. Larkspur Landing (Larkspur). 415.256.1580, sunnyhillsservices.org ▼

Enticing auctions and gourmet food await you as The Bay Institute celebrates 25 years of working to protect and restore the Bay. World Trade Club (SF). 415.506.0150 ext. 22, bay.org

OCTOBER 5–15 Mill Valley Film Festival

OCTOBER 8 & 10 Marin Symphony

OCTOBER 11 Helen Caldicott speaks with Michael Krasny

Italy comes to Marin with meticulously selected and performed classical music. Marin Symphony (San Rafael). 415.479.8100, marinsymphony.org

▼

Listen to this Nobel Peace Prize nominee as she educates you about the medical hazards of the nuclear age. Osher Marin JCC (San Rafael). 415.444.8000, marinjcc.org

OCTOBER 12 Oktoberfest by the Bay

OCTOBER 13–15 The Women’s Tennis Classic

Möchten Sie gerne etwas trinken? Or, Would you like something to drink? Capture the spirit of Munich with authentic German beer. Festival Pavilion (SF). 888.746.7522, oktoberfestbythebay.com

Watch the biggest names in tennis as they join together to benefit local charities. Harbor Point Tennis Club (Mill Valley). 415.383.6114, womenstennisclassic.org

▼

Enjoy a cocktail reception, gourmet dinner and a live auction to support the center’s work in providing for marine life. San Francisco City Hall (SF). 415.289.7335, ▼ marinemammalcenter.org

Join Mt. Tam Swing and Kelly Casanova, a two-time U.S. Open Swing Dance Champion, for a night of west coast swing lessons. Mt. Tam Racquet Club (Larkspur). 415.924.6226

OCTOBER 21 & 22 Goblin Jamboree Family fun for halloween. Get into costume and explore the musuem as a transformed haunted wonderland. (Sausalito). 415.339.3900, baykidsmuseum.org

OCTOBER 28 4 Over 40 Comedy for Your Mid-Life Crisis Laugh at middle-aged comedians who never grew-up. Larkspur Café Theatre (Larkspur). 415.924.6107, larkspurcafetheatre.com ▼

OCTOBER 31 Halloween

Get decked out in your best costume and watch a variety of performances. Proceeds benefit the Headlands’ artist residency program. Headlands Center for the Arts (Sausalito). 415.331.2787 ext. 27, headlands.org

Carve a jack-o’-lantern, dress up in ghoulish costumes and get your candy fix!

▼

OCTOBER 28 Mystery Ball

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

EVE NT S I N M AR IN & B EYON D

OCTOBER 21 So You Think You Can Dance?

▼

OCTOBER 19 Marine Mammal Center’s 10th Annual Gala

M A R I N ALBUM

School Days

—ANONYMOUS JOKE

FEW MOMENTS IN LIFE HOLD AS MUCH PROMISE as the first day of elementary school. The children’s faces, already bright with youth, shine even more eagerly with anticipation. Unscuffed shoes fresh from the box, crisp backpacks laden with colorful pens and pads, hair cut and combed as it won’t be again for months bespeak days of preparation. Teachers, at the ready in their tidy classrooms, display a calm resolve before the gathering storm. Parents, some anxious about letting go, others not-so-secretly thankful for summer’s end, beam and wave and cluster with their cameras like a family press corps determined to capture the event. On that first day, when the school door opens and children pass from the world of their parents into that of their peers, the moment is sweet and sad and funny and poignant all at once. It is life, rolling on just as we want it to—and just as we wish it wouldn’t. The cliché is right: They do grow up quickly—and it happens one school year at a time. Above from left, Aidan Conniff, Lacey Slattery, Grace Towle and Cian Murphy-Quinn, file into the second-grade classroom of Karin Zeidler—also known as Mrs. Z—at St. Hilary School in Tiburon.

MARIN

OCTOBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: TIM PORTER

A ﬁrst-grader comes home from his ﬁrst day of school and announces, “I’m not going back to school tomorrow, Mom.” “Why not?” asks his mother. “Well, I can’t read and I can’t write, and the teacher won’t let me talk, so what’s the use?”

BY TIM PORTER

M A R I N GR E E N

Aaron Mutscheller: The new Mr. Clean

BY MIMI TOWLE

ight months ago Aaron

house is green and clean, New Lime will

consumer protection agencies have been

Mutscheller was traveling the world

also take care of the homeowner, with ame-

warning for years about dangers of car-

as a home product designer, staying

nities like turndown service and in-home

cinogenic and toxic compounds in house-

massage.

hold products. These nasty ingredients are

in five-star hotels, defining luxury and marketing it to the American consumer. Today,

New Lime grew out of Mutscheller’s

put into shiny plastic bottles and cloaked in

this Ross husband and father of two has left

desire for more family time—“I traveled so

fancy media campaigns that leave the pub-

his corporate gig and intends to clean up the

much I missed my kids, and felt I had to

lic thinking there’s no alternative.

world—one house at a time.

Mutscheller decided to create one.

ally”—and his passionate concern for child

“We use effective, nontoxic and some-

founder of New Lime, a unique first-class

health, green building and the environment.

times even age-old cleaning products like

housekeeping company that not only does

The abundance of harmful chemicals in the

Bon Ami,” he says. “These alternatives offer

windows but also the rest of the house—and

environment, especially in common house-

the same shine, buff and polish as the well-

with nontoxic, organic products. Once the

cleaning products, troubles him. Indeed,

known consumer brands.”

PHOTO: TIM PORTER

make a change personally and profession-

Mutscheller (pronounced much-ler) is the

MARIN

OCTOBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

oyster perpetual day-date and lady-datejust

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SNAP HAPPENI NGS

A Time for Charity Beneficent Bidding What do you get when you mix oenophiles, philanthropists and a wine auction to raise money for children’s charities? A successful evening, raising over

James Keach, Jane Seymour, Peggy Furth and Barbara Banke

$2.6 million, at the Imagine 2006 beneﬁt. Guests headed to Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke’s Jackson Park Vineyard in Bennett Valley,

BENEFIC ENT BI D D ING : FAITH EC H TERMEYER / SPA RAD IANCE : PAM ELA F ISH MAN / M ARI N CE N T U RY: CO L I N LY N CH

where they dined on a gourmet lunch and bid on items like a Cessna Citation Mustang Jet and rare cult wines. The Gershwin-themed event included a display of memorabilia from the Ira and Leonore Gershwin Trusts and a performance by Franc D’Ambrosio.

Kyle MacLachlan, Desiree Grube

A Little R&R

Fred Furth and Jess Jackson

Riding for Results

Angelina Umansky, Catherine Gray, Felicia Micheels, Melissa Ryan

Last August, Spa Radiance owner Angelina Umansky and her staff of specialists gave the family members of seriously ill patients, extended-stay children, and women on perinatal bed rest a dose of much-needed rejuvenation. Hospital conference rooms at the University of California–San Francisco were transformed into spa retreats, complete with massage therapists, aestheticians, makeup artists and eyebrow specialists, who all offered their services for free.

Ian Roth, Cole Roth

The 2006 Marin Century and Mount Tam Double Century was a success, with the largest turn out (2,200 riders) in the race’s 40-year history. Bikers rode 100 miles to raise funds for the Drake High Mountain Bike Team, the Redwood High Mountain Bike Team, Marin County Bicycle Coalition, Trips for Kids, Toys for Joys and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

S N A P HAPPENI NGS

Out and About

Ribs and Rhthym Music lovers met up this sum-

Karen Mason, Valerie Geller, Michelle Geller

mer in downtown San Rafael for

Danny Mello, Sandra Bowman

the first Great American Blues & Barbecue Festival, put on by Steve Bajor and Team Pro Event. Music included local favorites like muliti-instrumentalists Austin Delone and his R&BBQ review. The festival promoted awareness and support for research on Prader-Willie Syndrome, a rare

Leslie Harlib, Bill Schwartz, Neal Silverman

Annette Berlin

childhood disease affecting only

Steve Bajor

one in 12,000.

Do Re Mi in Tahoe

Jane Thompson, Brian Kaas

The UCSF AIDS Health Project (AHP) held its tenth annual Art for AIDS auction at Bonhams and Butterfields, Contemporary and modern works of art, in all mediums, were donated by local Bay Area artists and juried by art critics, gallery owners and art patrons. Work from artists such as Richard Avedon, Annie Leibowitz, Enrique Chagoya and Ed Moses was on display, along with art from the likes of Hackett-Freedman Gallery, ArtHaus and others.

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

David Gockley, Harriet Meyer Quarre

Over 150 San Francisco Opera fans flocked to Joan and David Traitel estate for Opera by the Lake, an evening of great food, cocktails and music. General Director David Gockley was on hand to introduce soprano Dolora Sandra Farris and Edna Parichan

Zajick. The musical program began without

a hitch until unrelenting rain forced the crowd inside. The quick-thinking Traitels set up a buffet in the kitchen and Zajick surprised the crowd by continuing to sing from the balcony in the living room. When the party concluded, guests were treated to opera CDs of the upcoming season and a departing kiss from the host.

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LENDING HAND: SHERI MONTGOMERY / AIDS HEALTH PROJECT: KERSTIN IMHOF / SF OPERA: DREW ALTIZER

Lending a Hand

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S N A P HAPPENI NGS

Astronauts and Artists A Professional Appeal What do Angelina Jolie, the cast of Cirque du Soleil and the Athens Olympic Games Opening Ceremony have in common? They Courtney Geesey

Karolina Kielbowicz, Jeanette Etchebehere

all use Kryolan professional makeup. The company is known for having versatile products, which are able to coverup tattoos or scars and withstand water and heat. Last August, Marin resident and Kryolan CEO Claudia Longo welcomed the public to an open house at Krydan’s San Francisco ofﬁces. When not indulging in a gourmet buffet created by San Rafael’s Creative Catering, visitors took informative behind-the-scenes tours, received com-

Anne Newman, Claudia Longo

Borasmy Sotuon

plimentary makeovers and took home a bevy

Joe Korts

of Kryolan products.

Epicures of Art

Space Exploration Last August, The W Foundation, a Marin County education nonprofit, hosted its second space exploration exhibit, Our Embassy Suites Hotel. The emphasis was on the histo-

Samara and Dan Pardi, Natalie Wasil

Ken Winans, Dick Gordon, Debbie Wreyford, Bill Pullman

how discoveries in science

It’s all about art on the first Thursday

and technology allowed the

of every month at Frisson restaurant in

United States to land men on

San Francisco. The recent installation

the moon. The public had

de-SERVING ARTISTS featured work

the rare opportunity to hold

from local bartender Michael Krouse and

space-flown artifacts from one

server Carolynn Haydu. Guests were also

of the largest private collections and meet Marin astro-

treated to a “staff meal” of Niman Ranch corn dogs, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and Fernet Branca.

ry of space exploration and

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

Dick Gordon Dr. Millie Hughes-Fulford,

nauts Dr. Millie Hughes-Fulford and Dick Gordon.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

EPICURE’S OF ART: SARA BAKER / SPACE EXPLORATION: JOE MARTINEZ

Space History, at San Rafael’s

BayWood Artists

T L

paint

“ he ands in

Between”

Roadside View

Randall Sexton

An Exhibition and Sale of Paintings to Beneﬁt

The Marin Conservation League Opening Reception Friday October 20, 5:30pm - 8:30pm

Ongoing Exhibition October 21 - November 11

Bay Model Center, Sausalito BayWood Artists: Christin Coy, Ben Farnham, Daniel McCormick, Sherrill Miller, Doug Morgan, Zenaida Mott, Christopher Newhard, Lissa Nicolaus, Randall Sexton, J. Thomas Soltesz, Patricia Wallis, Thomas Wood

S N A P BUSINESS

Let’s Get Together Healthy in Novato At the new Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy opening in Novato, guests met store manager Mary Caló and perused the selection of beauty products, gifts and sundries in an ultra-relaxing atmosphere. In keeping with its goal of helping customers achieve optimum health, vitality and wellness, Pharmaca donated 10 percent of sales from the opening weekend to Tina Romano, Mary Caló

Willow Vam den hoek, Barry Perzow

the To Celebrate Life Foundation.

Allison Janda, Steve Geraths

Holly Pope, Christin Powell

Kelly Miano, Bob Finer

Each holiday season the shops on San Anselmo Avenue are packed with eager shoppers, looking for one-of-a-kind items. Recently, the Downtown San Anselmo Merchants Helen Jacobs, Lauren Gregory

Association sponsored Hot August Nights for

Christmas Lights. The street was closed to cars (except the 90 classic autos that lined the avenue) and the shops were open for business. More than 2,000 people showed up, raising

La Dolce Vita At the Peroni Italian Style in a Bottle event, guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres created by Emporio Rulli and moved to the beats of Ladybug Mecca of Digable Planets. Proceeds benefited Corte Madera-based Active Music, a nonproﬁt production company founded by Susann McMahon, that raises money for charities by partnering with musical artists and producing live events.

Sonji Blount, Susann McMahon

$15,000 to help decorate the downtown area this winter. 42

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

SAN ANSELMO SHOPPING: LAURA REINERTSEN

Holidays Come Early

S N A P BUSINESS

Out and About

Get It at the Apple It’s a fashionista’s dream–an entire boutique dedicated to top designers and Tim and Natalie Redpath

Dan Reid, Amanda Kurnos

stocked full of fashion-forward merchandise. For the last seven years, women in Marin have been ﬂocking to Green Apples for all their ready-to-wear needs. The boutique recently celebrated its success with an anniversary and website launch party complete with sushi, Wasabé vodka martinis and prizes. Afterwards, the partygoers showed off their stylish ensembles at Jazz Nancy Lipper-Niman

by the Bay in Sausalito.

Lori Nichols, Mary Warnecke, Joy Venturini Bianchi

Anna Bucker, Jill Carade , Cassia O’Black

A Nose for Carneros The Carneros Inn, a 96-room cottage retreat, offered hotel guests and locals a chance to create the Carneros scent. Attendees gave their feedback and suggestions on which of the winegrowing region’s natural aromas should be incorporated. Once the perfect blend is discovered, Yael Alkalay of red flower, will create a new product line, which will be available next spring.

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

Keith Rogal

Jeannie Jarnot and Yael Alkalay

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

G REEN AP PLES: SH ERI MONTG OM ERY / CARNEROS INN: ALI CIA WI LLIAM S

Debbie Andelin, Olivia Andelin, Barbara Massey

C A T E R I N G

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FA S H I ON

precious metals 3

Heavy hardware is upping the attitude of the season’s best accessories. Chunky chains hang from bags of all sizes, while with belts, anything goes. 1. Classically Quilted

You can’t go wrong with Marc Jacobs’ Stam bag, if you’re lucky enough to track one down. $1275 at Marc Jacobs, 415.362.6500 (San Francisco)

2. Luxe Leopard Delightfully over-the-top, Louis Vuitton’s Steamer carryall guarantees a bon voyage. $7,700 at Louis Vuitton, 415.391.6200 (San Francisco)

3. Horsing Around Saddle up to Gucci’s 85th anniversary horsebit hobo. $1595 at Gucci, 415.392.2808 (San Francisco)

4. Ace of Spade Kate Spade’s cheery Varenne Veeka bag brightens any day. $1195 at Kate Spade, 415.216.0880 (San Francisco)

5. Hot Chocolate Warm up your look with Juicy Couture’s scrumptious leather totes. L-R: Stefﬁe 25, $250; Ruby Tuesday, $475; ZZ Belle, $275, Juicy Couture, Westﬁeld S.F. Centre (San Francisco)

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MARIN

OCTOBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

/CEANFRONT LIVING ON +APALUA "AY

0OOL AND INTERIOR RENDERINGS CONCEPTUAL AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE &URNISHINGS NOT INCLUDED /CCUPANCY SCHEDULED FOR

!LLURINGLY PLACED ALONG THE OCEAN S EDGE 4HE 2ESIDENCES AT +APALUA "AY WILL REDElNE LUXURY ISLAND LIVING 4HESE GRACEFULLY APPOINTED THREE AND FOUR BEDROOM RESIDENCES SPAN FROM APPROXIMATELY TO SQUARE FEET AND ARE POSITIONED TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF UNRIVALED VIEWS -ANAGEMENT SERVICES BY 4HE 2ITZ #ARLTON® WILL ENSURE EVERYDAY LIVING IS A PLEASURE /WNERS WILL ALSO ENJOY MEMBERSHIP IN 4HE +APALUA #LUB WITH SPECIAL PRIVILEGES AT +APALUA 2ESORT S FAMED 0LANTATION AND "AY 'OLF #OURSES AS WELL AS THE NEW "EACH #LUB AND FULL SERVICE SPA BOTH PLANNED FOR COMPLETION IN #OME SEE WHAT IS DESTINED TO BECOME -AUI S MOST CHERISHED ADDRESS #ALL OR VISIT +APALUA"AY COM

4HE 2ESIDENCES AT +APALUA "AY ARE NOT OWNED OR DEVELOPED BY 4HE 2ITZ #ARLTON (OTEL #OMPANY , , # !N AFlLIATE OF 4HE 2ITZ #ARLTON (OTEL #OMPANY , , # OWNS AN INTEREST IN +APALUA "AY , , # THE $EVELOPER AND 4HE 2ESIDENCES AT +APALUA "AY WILL BE MANAGED BY 4HE 2ITZ #ARLTON (OTEL #OMPANY , , # 4HE 2ITZ #ARLTON $EVELOPMENT #OMPANY )NC AND +APALUA 2EALTY #O ,TD ARE THE BROKERS " 0LANS USES DIMENSIONS LOCATIONS SPECIlCATIONS MATERIAL AND AVAILABILITY ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE )LLUSTRATIONS ARE ARTIST S DEPICTIONS ONLY AND MAY DIFFER FROM COMPLETED IMPROVEMENTS +APALUA #LUB MEMBERSHIP SUBJECT TO TERMS AND CONDITIONS 4HE 2ESIDENCES AT +APALUA "AY ARE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND HAS A COMPLETION DATE OF 2+ 7 7ARNING THE #ALIFORNIA $EPARTMENT OF 2EAL %STATE

HAS NOT INSPECTED EXAMINED OR QUALIlED THIS OFFERING /BTAIN THE 0ROPERTY 2EPORT REQUIRED BY &EDERAL LAW AND READ IT BEFORE SIGNING ANYTHING .O &EDERAL AGENCY HAS JUDGED THE MERITS OR VALUE IF ANY OF THE PROPERTY

FASHION

2 1

all linked up 1. Hollywood Glam Snatch up the Gucci link belt with Swarovski crystals. Suzi Roher, $308 at Lindisima (Greenbrae) 415.461.9100

2. Heavy Metal Make it a bold choice and pick the Filagree belt. Suzi Roher, $200 at Pearl Wonderful Clothing (Larkspur) 415.464.1808

3. The Southwest Set You won’t have to travel far to get this turquoise and silver Conch belt. Suzi Roher, $341 at Pearl Wonderful Clothing (Larkspur) 415.464.1808

4. Woven Wonders A trio of charm-ing belts from Juicy Couture. $250 each at Nordstrom, 415.243.8500 (San Francisco)

5. Chain Reaction Flaunt your Scottie style in Michael Kors’ Kilty belt. $495 at Neiman Marcus, 415.362.3900, and Saks 5th Ave, 415.986.4300 (San Francisco)

6. Inspired

MARIN

OCTOBER 2006

Get your hands and heart on the Faith belt. Suzi Roher, $358 at Lindisima (Greenbrae) 415.461.9100

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life style Name Joanne Cooper Home Belvedere and on her boat Occupation Joanne Cooper Interiors, Interior Design

What are you wearing? A Pucci dress, Manolo Blahnik shoes, an Ebel watch from the ’80s and my charm bracelet. Where would you wear this outfit? Depending on the shoes, I could wear it anywhere. How long does it take you to get ready? It depends on what I’m doing but usually not long at all. I try to be natural. Describe your personal style. I dress classic but with an edge. Who are your fashion influences? My husband’s mother, Margaret Kerr Cooper, had a profound inﬂuence on me. She told me it doesn’t matter what you have on underneath as long as you have a great coat. That’s why I now have a coat obsession! Favorite designers? Carolina Herrera, Moschino Cheap and Chic, Kenzo, Sonia Rykiel, Marni and Chloé. Where do you love to shop in Marin? My favorite place to shop is Neiman Marcus because she knows what I love and can ﬁnd anything. But in Marin the Collector’s section in Nordstrom Corte Madera and allie*g in Mill Valley are great. 50

MARIN

OCTOBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

BARBARA RI ES

in San Francisco; I always ask for Eugenia

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Chan Luu • Gorjana • Devon Dowd • Kathy Kamei • Botkier Handbags Tretorn Tennies and SO much more . . .

What is always in your bag/pockets? My Chantecaille lipstick in Aphrodite, pictures of my three grandchildren and a credit card. What is the single most essential piece in your wardrobe? I guess underwear but my charm bracelet engraved with my grandchildren’s birthdays is something I always wear. What would you never be caught dead in? Pink hot pants or a bikini. What do you splurge on? Shoes, and facials by Pamela Farrell at Skintique in Corte Madera. What is your best cheapo secret? Mixing cardigans from J. Crew or Gap with nicer pieces. What’s your fashion pet peeve? Well, I have a couple. I really can’t stand when men go to the opera in jeans and a T-shirt or when women don’t dress their age—they can dress contemporary and hip but it should still look good on them. What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought? In context, for what it was, my Louis Vuitton deck shoes and matching purse. Did it make you happy? Yes, and I bought a second pair. If your life were a movie, what would be your theme song?

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“It’s a Long Way to Tipperary.” MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN

OCTOBER 2006

F Y I B O O KS

A First Lady Revisited In Janis Cooke Newman’s new historical novel, Mary, there’s more to the famous president’s wife than meets the eye. BY OLIVIA BOLER

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

anis Cooke Newman admits that if it weren’t

Her own fascination began years ago when

for her son Alex, she wouldn’t have two

she took Alex on a Washington D.C., tour of

published books under her belt. The first,

Ford’s Theatre, where the president was shot,

The Russian Word for Snow, is a memoir chroni-

and of the boardinghouse across the street

cling her adoption of baby Alex from an orphan-

where he died. The tour guide described

age in Russia in the 1990s. Her second book,

Lincoln’s final hours, including Mary Todd

released this fall, is a vast departure in topic and

Lincoln’s wailing cries that prompted General

style—it’s a gripping historical novel about Mary

Edward Stanton to shout, “Take that woman

Todd Lincoln, our 16th president’s wife, simply

out of here!”

titled Mary ($26, MacAdam/Cage). Newman,

Newman was appalled. “I had a very physi-

who teaches at Book Passage and writes travel

cal reaction and felt amazed indignation. How

articles for the San Francisco Chronicle and the

could he throw her out of the room when her

Los Angeles Times, discovered Mary as a charac-

husband was dying? I immediately became in-

ter through Alex’s obsession with John Wilkes

trigued with Mary.” She knew that the presi-

Booth, Abraham Lincoln’s assassin. “Booth had a

dent’s wife had been locked up in an insane

gun—what seven-year-old boy can resist that!”

asylum and was unpopular with the general

she says with a wry laugh.

public of her day. “I wanted to figure out if

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

J OSEPH CAPPUCCI

there was more to her. I found out there was, and that threw me into writing the book.” Some symptoms of Mary’s “madness” in-

SALON & SPA

cluded paranoia—she claimed assassins were hiding in the walls of her hotel bedroom waiting to kill her—which was most likely a side effect of being on laudanum and chloral hydrate prescribed for her insomnia, Newman learned. She attended séances trying to contact her dead husband and was what today would be called a shopaholic, falling deeply

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into debt with merchants until her name was mud around Washington and New York. She was also, in a time when ladies were not supposed to be, outspoken and passionate about politics, about her sons, and about her husband, whom she deeply loved. Rather than finding her subject insane, Newman concludes that Mary was “very highly strung. It also appears she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, and it really got worse at the ten-year anniversary of Lincoln’s assassination.” It didn’t help that three of her four sons died before age 18 and that her one surviving child did not like her very much.

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Robert Lincoln was, in fact, the one who had his mother committed to the asylum. After spending three years in the isolating process of writing and research—“I felt like Martha Stewart under house arrest!”— Newman relishes the thought of being on book tour and concentrating on the classes she teaches at Book Passage. The former Corte Madera resident (she now lives in San Francisco) has a strong connection to the venerated bookstore. After her son became part of her family, she decided to write down the story of his adoption since she knew nothing about his background or who his birth parents were. She took a portion of that story to Book her writing caught the attention of Bay Area– based literary agent Amy Rennert, who eventually found a publisher for the memoir. “As a child I wanted to be a writer,” Newman confesses. “But it was my son who got me started. I adopted him and he gave me the gift of his story. And he also helped me find Mary.”

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Passage’s Travel Writers Conference, where

82 2nd Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco 415.247.9897 . josephcappuccisalon.com

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

LOCAL TYPE

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Collaborative Divorce: The Revolutionary New Way to Restructure Your Family, Resolve Legal Issues, and Move on with Your Life by Pauline H. Tesler, M.A., J.D., and Peggy Thompson, Ph.D. ($25.95, Regan Books) Tesler, who lives in Stinson Beach and practices law in Mill Valley, and coauthor Thompson explain the destructive nature of the current divorce system. In their new book, they offer divorcing couples the collaborative divorce method, which approaches divorce as a complex life transition involving far more than just the law. A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History’s Greatest Traveler by Jason Roberts ($26.95, HarperCollins)

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

BOOKSELLERS RECOMMEND FAVORITE HISTORICAL NOVELS

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The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett ($13, NAL Trade)“This book is not like the suspense and thriller novels Follett usually writes. It’s set in England and is about the building of Gothic cathedrals around the 12th century. There are kings, power struggles, betrayal…it’s a lot of fun and full of historical details.” —Barbara Wechsberg, Stinson Beach Books

March by Geraldine Brooks ($14, Penguin) and The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber ($15, Harvest Books) “March, which won the Pulitzer Prize, is about the absent father, Mr. March, in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. One of my favorite historical novels is The Crimson Petal and the White, which takes place in Victorian London and is the story of a prostitute who is just an amazing woman—readers will fall in love with her. You get immersed in the dark side of Victorian life, but there’s also that more ornate aspect of the era as well.” —Anna Bullard, Bookshop West Portal, San Francisco

My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk ($14.95, Vintage) “Throughout, the voices of the various characters are fascinating and go on to include those of red ink, a tree, a coin and a horse, each providing insights into the history, politics, and social mores and practicalities of the time from their point of view. Pamuk, who is from Turkey, has the ability to tell a story on so many levels—history, romance, suspense—and to write passages that beg to be read aloud.” —Sharon Jones, Habitat Books, Sausalito

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F Y I PERFORMING ARTS

HUEY’S COMING HOME THE NEWS: MARIN’S HUEY LEWIS RETURNS AS CHICAGO’S BILLY FLYNN BY JIM WOOD

rom rock-and-roll guy to song-and-

band for over 25 years, “the character is me

As for the rewarding aspect, “the musi-

dance man is the transition that part-

and there are no worries about how I look; I

cal Chicago is very much an ensemble pro-

time Kentfield resident Huey Lewis

can improvise,” he says. But an entirely differ-

duction and everyone onstage is dependent

has faced in the past year. “It’s been very chal-

ent performing approach is required when he

on each other,” he says. “And the level of tal-

lenging,” says Lewis in a phone interview. “It

plays Billy Flynn in the razzle-dazzle Broadway

ent I’m working with is both humbling and

musical Chicago. “I can’t improvise. I must be

exhilarating.”

has also been very rewarding.” Challenging in that when he appears with Huey Lewis and the News, his rock-and-roll

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

concentrated on how I look; the time I’m onstage calls for a lot of discipline.”

The Chicago performance is the first onstage dancing Lewis has done since appear-

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

“

I can’t improvise. I must be concentrated on how I look; the time I’m onstage calls for a lot of discipline.

”

— HUEY LEWIS

ing in a prep school production of No Time for Sergeants almost 40 years ago. Then, in 1978, after years of false starts and hitchhiking through Europe, Lewis was playing Monday night harmonica gigs at Uncle Charlie’s in Corte Madera, and things began picking up. Contacts in the music world started noticing him. Huey Lewis and the News—a name created by music manager and Rancho Nicasio owner Bob Brown—soared to fame in the 1980s with Grammy awards, over $20 million in album sales and such charttopping hits as “If This Is It,” “The Power of Love” and “The Heart of Rock & Roll.” In Chicago, unlike in his music gigs, there’s no familiar band backing him up. But “it’s really fun,” he says of the 55 minutes he is onstage. “Although I definitely dance, the dancing isn’t a big part of Billy Flynn’s role; it’s mostly singing and acting.” When he’s back in the Bay Area, he intends to “hang out with my family and old friends” and play golf at “any one of Marin’s beautiful courses.” In addition to his Kentfield residence, Lewis and his family also maintain a home in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley. Chicago, starring Huey Lewis as the infamous Billy Flynn, with music and lyrics by awardwinning composers John Kander and Fred Ebb and based on the book by Ebb and the legendary Bob Fosse, will be at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco October 24 through November 5. Performances are Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. (exceptions: Sunday 10/29 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday 11/1 at 2 p.m.). Tickets are $25 to $85; call 415.512.7770 (415.551.2020 for groups of 20 or more).

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

FYI FOOD

Autumn Apple Desserts Crumble, galette, tart, tortino de mela or pie –however you dish it up, it’s autumnal heaven. With the fall harvest fresh off the fields - there is no better time to enjoy an apple dessert. Here is how a few local chefs celebrate the

Apple Pie from Bubba’s

season. –MT

POGGIO CHEF: Peter McNee DISH: Tortino di mela “Gravenstein apples from Sonoma are my favorite to use during their short season for this dish. The crostada dough uses cake flour, giving it a lighter quality and the filling has a dash of aceto balsamico to balance the acidity in the dish.”

BUBBA’S DISH: Apple Pie

YANKEE PIER LARKSPUR

Apple pie should be simple. Use only

CHEF: Anthony Bowman

the best ingredients at their peak of

DISH: Apple Crumble with Vanilla

flavor. Crisp firm apples, cane sugar, fresh

Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce

milled flour, fresh ground cinnamon, nut-

“This dessert is special because my moth-

meg and butter. That is it. At Bubba’s Diner

er used to make it all the time at home and

we use organics from the butter to the flour.

it was terrible - always dry and falling apart!

We believe that you should always top

I decided I liked the concept and reworked

your apple pie with a vented top layer of

it by adding dried fruit to the apple mixture

crust. Anything less is well, a tart. Don’t try

and serving it with a scoop of vanilla bean

to make apple pie something it is not! Skip

ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

the caramel and clove.

Even mom told me how good it is.”

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

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BUBBA’S AND P OG G IO PHOTOS: S ASH A GU ILISH

CHEF: Johnny Sarran

AN APPLE A DAY

There is some truth, to the idea of eating an apple a day and keeping the doctor away. Unpeeled apples provide their most plentiful nu-

“I’ll bet Gatsby had a whitewashed Walnut floor just like this one. My guess … he thought it was beyond just great.”

trients just under the skin. Apples are a good source of potassium, folic acid, and vitamin C. And then there’s the fiber. Apples contain pectin, as well as malic and tartaric acids, which all aid in digestion and inhibit fermentation in the intestines. They also pack a healthy dose of antioxidants called flavonoids, which prevent some cancers, prevent heart disease and improve immune function.

BASICS: A medium apple, approximately 5

Yours, alone.

ounces, has only 81 calories and a whopping 3.7 grams of fiber from pectin, a soluble fiber. A medium apple supplies 159 mg of potassium, 3.9 mcg of folic acid, 7.9 mg of vitamin C, and 9.6 mg of calcium. Ad d i t i o n a l l y, t h e re a re t ra c e amounts of B vitamins, iron, magnesium and zinc

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Your wood. Your widths. Your surface treatment. Your color and finish. We’ll make it. Call 262-551-5513 or visit www.tmorton.com or come see us Amber Hardwood Floors, Inc. Emeryville, CA

Amber Handcrafted Hardwoods, Inc. Danville, CA

5” Hand Sculpted Solid Walnut. Light Whitewash finish.

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

F Y I EVENTS

Bob Placak

THE ANNUAL TIBURON MILE More than 800 will splash across Raccoon Strait BY JIM WOOD Bob Placak is excited. His hands are moving right and left. His eyes are sparkling. He’s saying phrases like “Olympic gold medal winners,” “all around the world” and—more prosaically—“wetsuit and non-wetsuit divisions.” “I’m obviously passionate about this,” says Placak, referring to the annual RCP Tiburon Mile, an early-morning dash across Raccoon Strait from Angel Island to Tiburon. Placak is the founder and host of the race, and his enthusiasm is not difficult to understand. The event involves 50 interna-

P H OTOS C OURTESY OF RCP TIBUR ON MILE

Crossing the ﬁnish line

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Top competitors will complete the distance in less than 20 minutes, about the time a ferryboat takes to make the crossing. tional superstars, more than 700 other hopefuls, 20 Special Olympics competitors, 200 volunteers, two dozen commercial sponsors, and countless permits and contracts. Placak, a Marin County insurance executive and a world-class swimmer, thrives on it all. “I love doing this,” he says. This year, the race’s seventh, it takes place on October 1, beginning at 9 a.m. on the beach at Ayala Cove on Angel Island and finishing at the tiny beach of the Corinthian Yacht Club in the cove off downtown Tiburon, exactly one nautical mile across Raccoon Strait. “The water temperature will be between 63 and 64 degrees, currents can be strong, and more than 800 athletes will dive into the water,” Placak says. Top competitors will complete the distance in less than 20 minutes, about the time a ferryboat takes to make the crossing. Those close to the sport (Swimming World magazine, for one) say the RCP (for Robert C. Placak) Tiburon Mile is the best-organized and most competitive open water swim in the world. “This year we’ll award $30,000 in cash and prizes,” says Placak, “which is huge for an open water swimming event.” The top elite man and woman will win $10,000 each. The remaining prize money will be spread among winners in other categories. In turn, the hope is that this year’s event will raise over $200,000 for the Northern California Special Olympics. Since its inception in 1999, the Tiburon Mile has raised over $500,000 for the endeavor. Women swimmers in this year’s event include former U.S. Olympians Brooke Bennett (three-time gold medal winner), and Janet Evans and Amanda Beard (each being a fivetime gold medal winner). Men’s competitors include U.S. gold medal winner Klete Keller along with two-time Tiburon Mile winner and South African gold medalist Ryk Neethling,

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

“

Everyone in Marin, whether they’re swimmers or not, is invited—it’ll be a real community party.

”

— BOB PLACAK Germany’s champion Thomas Lurz, and Russia’s premier open water swimmer Evgueni Bezroutchenko. The field also includes swimmers from Taiwan, Korea, the Netherlands and Israel, as well as the entire men’s and women’s swimming teams from UC Berkeley. Fox Sports Network—with Olympic swimmer Rowdy Gaines calling the strokes—will cover the event. Local swimmers include Belvedere’s Bill Price (who recently turned 50 and is a sponsor of the race), Tiburon’s former mayors Denis Rice (now 74) and Andrew Thompson, and the Tiburon husband-and-wife team of Jim and Lynette Crombi (also sponsors). The youngest competitor to date is Marin’s eight-year-old Bradley Kline; the oldest woman is 74-year-old Janet Lehman; and the oldest male is 80-yearold Fred Rogers. Competitors will have an electronic chip strapped to their ankles to accurately record finishing times. Similar to Marin’s famed Dipsea cross-country foot race, the Tiburon Mile is handicapped according to age and sex so everyone has a chance of winning their division. On Friday evening before the race, participants will dine at a Competitor’s Banquet at The Lodge at Tiburon. “At that dinner,” says Placak, “there are amusing talks and incredibly emotional moments.” Following the race, there’ll be a $15 brunch buffet along Shoreline Park featuring a live band and food from San Anselmo’s Comforts, Tiburon’s Sam’s Anchor Cafe, and many other local restaurants. “Everyone in Marin, whether they’re swimmers or not, is invited,” Placak says. “It’ll be a real community party.”

415.923.9386

•

WWW.GREGJOHNSONARCH.COM

For more information, call 415.721.9990 or go to rcptiburonmile.com.

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

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FYI HEALTH

WOMEN’S COMMUNITY CAUSE

BY SOMER FLAHERTY

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

IT SEEMS LIKE WE ALL KNOW someone with

risk. Some believe demographics shouldn’t

breast cancer. The high rate of the disease lo-

take the blame alone and possible factors could

cally has made us unable to ignore the prob-

also include the high prevalence of serpentine

lem–why Marin? Some believe the key is in

rocks in Marin or the radioactive material in

the lifestyle and demographics. Although hav-

the Farallon Islands. For others it’s thought to

ing money and a great education doesn’t cause

be purely genetics, an inherited alteration in

cancer, a high socioeconomic status may lead to

the genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2. What is

certain choices. We know that our county has a

for certain are the strides we are making to

higher percentage of women who have fewer

combat this disease. More than ever, it can be

children and have them at a later age than the

cured through early diagnosis and treatment.

rest of the nation. We also have a high number

Nowadays, digital mammograms (like the one

of Caucasian women and a higher than average

available at the Marin Cancer Institute’s Breast

rate of alcohol consumption—both of which

Health Center) provide improved cancer detec-

increase chances of getting breast cancer. Of

tion. What is also evident is that our community

course, no one thinks that only white, wealthy

is putting up a strong fight. The 11 organiza-

women get this disease. Just ask groups like

tions we feature in this issue provide support,

the Marin Asian Advocacy Program and Marin

screening and fundraising services to help those

Friends of Women, which help underserved,

who are afflicted. And for one of these groups,

low-income women who are diagnosed or at

the ultimate goal is to find a cure.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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B R E A ST CA N CE R GR OU P S I N M A R I N American Cancer Society Marin “We continue to collaborate with other local groups to educate women over 40 about the importance of getting regular mammograms; numerous studies have shown that early detection saves lives and increases treatment options.” — Director of the Community Services of the Marin Unit of the ACS Linda Campbell With over 3 ,4 00 offi ces throughout the photo by jackcarroll.com

country, this group is committed to fi ghting cancer through balanced programs of research, education, patient service, advocacy and rehabilitation. I n M arin, it provides R each to R ecovery, a peer

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support program for women with breast

(415) 945-8863 • Across from Book Passage

cancer, and R oad to R ecovery, a transportation program for cancer patients who need help getting to treatment appointments. ( San R afael) 4 15.4 54 .8 4 6 4 , cancer.org

Breast Cancer Coordinating Council of Marin “We are fortunate to have this unique group that is willing to come together regularly to share resources so that if a problem arises in the community or

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people are falling through the cracks we can solve it.” —Council Coordinator Kathy Koblick The B reast Cancer Coordinating Council consists of representatives from 2 0 community groups, health care organiz ations and local government who are engaged in breast cancer and breast health activities. They meet every two months to keep tabs on developments related to breast health and cancer services in M arin. ( San R afael) 4 15.507 .2 57 8 , marinbreastcancer.org

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

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La Sede Bella Sale

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La Sede Bella 535 San Anselmo Avenue, San Anselmo, CA 94960 Open Daily • 415-453-8200 Offer good 9/15/06 thru 10/15/06. See store for details.

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The Marin Asian Advocacy Project “The women in these communities face additional challenges because the cultures they came from often do not encourage them to speak for themselves, address their own needs and take an interest in their bodies or health.”

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—MAAP Health Educator Du Van Pham This organization primarily serves low-income immigrants and refugees from around the world. Many do not speak English and are not aware of the resources available to them; others have low employment potential or lack health insurance. The project helps non-Englishspeaking clients set up mammography and doctor appointments and provides instruction in how to complete a breast selfexam. 415.259.0178, camarin.org

Marin Friends of Women “Our studies have shown that it is hard for non-English-speaking women to gain access to the health care system.”

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— Director of Hispanic Affairs Rosamaria Hayden

There are some things for which a trip across the busy Golden Gate Bridge is essential. Watching a ballet at the San Francisco Opera House, for instance.

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Comprehensive legal service, however, is available without the toll charge. Hanson Bridgett North Bay brings you the collective knowledge of 125 attorneys with extensive knowledge in numerous legal disciplines. Go to San Francisco when the mood strikes you. For all your legal needs, go to Hanson Bridgett North Bay.

Low-income and non-English-speaking women in Marin have new options with Marin Friends of Women. The group provides financial aid, translation services, housing help, screening and support through its Hispanic Patient Navigation Program. (San Anselmo) 415.721.4612.

Marin General Hospital – Marin Cancer Institute “The Marin Cancer Institute serves our community through an innovative program that integrates the latest medical advances with compassionate care close

Law offices of

80 E. Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ste. 3E Larkspur, California 94939

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

—Dr. Lloyd T. Miyawaki

PH: 415.925.8400

This medical facility provides infor-

FAX: 415.925.8409

mation, support and education to breast

San Francisco

northbay@hansonbridgett.com

cancer patients and to those with breast

Sacramento

www.hansonbridgett.com

North Bay

to home.”

health concerns. The breast health pro-

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gram offers digital mammograms–only

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8 percent of mammography equipment in the United States is digital. Images are viewed on a computer monitor, whereas standard mammograms are recorded on film. Digital mammography decreases Xray exposure by 30 percent, reduces patient waiting times and improves cancer detection—especially for women with dense breast tissue. A lending library, fi-

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nancial aid and a mentor peer-counseling program are also available at this facility. (Greenbrae) 925.7372, maringeneral.org/ services/mci

Northern California Cancer Center

Exquisite vintage reprints— ﬁt to be framed—are disguised as 2007 wall calendars.

“We are committed to furthering the research on cancer prevention through collaboration and to extending the reach of NCCC’s education and outreach programs.”

1699 Market Street, San Francisco Monday–Saturday, 9:30–6:00 415.552.2355 www.flaxart.com

—Chief Executive Officer Donald Nielsen Through population-based research and community education, this organization attempts to understand who gets

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cancer and why, and how to improve the quality of life for individuals living with cancer. The NCCC runs the Greater Bay Area Cancer registry, which monitors cancer incidence in Marin and other communities. From this data, the group has performed studies specifically about Marin. Some of the areas studied are family genetics, physical activity, the environment, sup-

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port groups, nutrition, vitamins and mammography. The NCCC also works closely with the Marin Department of Health and other Marin advocacy groups to monitor the rates of breast cancer. (Fremont) 510.608.5000, nccc.org

Search for the Cause (formerly Marin Cancer Project) “Our purpose and resolve is to investigate how exposures in our daily lives increase the risk of cancer, to reduce

www.kitchensplusdesign.com 901 A Street Suite D San Rafael CA 94901 Telephone: 415/453-9589 Fax: 415/257-4332

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

harmful environmental conditions in

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all of our communities and to educate about healthy lifestyle choices.”

INTERIORS, INC.

finest imported Italian furniture

—Executive Director Judi Shils This grassroots organiz ation is dedicated to educating the community about known and suspected causes of cancer to ensure the health and well-being of

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residents. P rojects include collecting data and comparing M arin with other communities to better understand the reported high cancer rates in our county. ( R oss) 4 15.2 8 9 .1001, marincancerproject.org

The Center for Attitudinal Healing Available in a variety of colors, leathers and wood finishes.

“At the heart of Attitudinal Healing is the belief in the extraordinary ability of ordinary people to be of help to one anoth-

Open 7 Days

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er, and the idea that we have the power to choose our attitude in any given moment, regardless of circumstances.” —Executive Director Louise Franklin Founded in 19 7 5 by Dr. Jer r y Jampolsky, the center bases its approach

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to treating cancer on a peer support model. M ore than 4 00 volunteers provide visitation services or facilitation of groups. The program provides emotional support for all family members touched by breast cancer including children and revolves around teaching people to choose their attitude in any given moment. ( Sausalito)

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4 15.3 3 1.6 16 1, attitudinalhealing.org

The Commonweal Cancer Help Program “The purpose of the retreats is to help people live as long and as well as they can with a cancer diagnosis and, if and when the time comes, to face death and dying as well.” —President Michael Lerner A ddressing the unmet emotional and spiritual needs of people with cancer, this weeklong retreat helps attendees fi nd unbiased information on choices in healing.

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

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Daily activities include support sessions, massage, yoga, meditation, deep relax-

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ation, imagery work, poetry and gourmet vegetarian meals. The Cancer Help Program’s past participants say it has had profound effects on the anxiety, fear, loneliness and helplessness that can often accompany cancer. (Bolinas) 415.868.0970, commonweal.org

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To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation (formerly Marin Breast Cancer Council ) “We’ve been incredibly successful at raising funds because of the dedication and passion of hundreds of volunteers.” —Board President Teri Dowling Created 11 years ago, this all-volunteer group raises money through three annual fundraising events. The funds are

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given in the form of grants to Bay Area

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who have breast cancer or breast health concerns. This year’s recipients included Coastal Health Alliance, Charlotte Maxwell Complementary Clinic, Shanti

CULTURAL WALKING ADVENTURES, CULINARY TOURS AND FAMILY JOURNEYS

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and the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund. A total of $320,000 was awarded to 18 different groups. (Kentfield) 415.455.5882, tocelebratelife.org

Zero Breast Cancer “We are committed to eliminating breast cancer by finding the causes, through community participation in the research

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process.” —Executive Director Janice Barlow Founded by a group of Marin residents who wanted to know why so many of their friends were afflicted with breast cancer, this organization advocates for policies and programs that will reduce the future risk of breast cancer, including research on environmental factors and the role they play. (San Rafael) 415.507.1949, breastcancerwatch.org/ home.html

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

LOCATION SOURCE Local company provides stellar venues for special events BY WENDY ABRAMS

IF AN ALFRESCO BUSINESS LUNCH AT A WINE COUNTRY VILLA or an elegant wedding at a Pacific Heights mansion sounds delectable, all you have to do is call Belvedere-based lifestyle divas Cindi Osborn and Nancy Frumkes. Osborn and Frumkes are the creators of Mint Locations, a company representing private estates and residences as settings for events, films and photo shoots. They began it as two businesswomen whose clients often needed temporary use of gorgeous homes. Frumkes, a Bay Area event planner, and Osborn, a ten-year veteran of the film industry and

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

FY I BUSINESS

art world, had noticed a deficit in exclusive event location services in Northern California. While they knew friends of friends with fabulous places, there was no one brokering those locations for productions and private events. “This is one of the most spectacular destinations in the country,” says Osborn. “The houses reflect the landscapes, light and lifestyles of Northern California’s diverse communities, from oceanfront homes to high-end lofts, boutique private wineries to sprawling mansions— [there’s] a huge range of architectural and topographical choices. We couldn’t find anyone capitalizing on the experiences and different looks these homes and locations offer.” When it comes to throwing a party or producing an event, a rented restaurant or hotel banquet room doesn’t have the same cachet as a breathtaking home. “It’s much more compelling to be in an inspiring home that is all about the event and the place,” says Frumkes. The place becomes “an extension of the visionary behind the party, and these homes have that kind of resonance.” Not all the homes scream luxury, she adds, but they all have a sense of style: For example, a barefoot dinner party has a Zenlike elegance when hosted at a chic Stinson Beach

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

compound complete with canvas yurts and fire

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pits. Event fees range from $ 7 ,0 0 0 to $ 3 0 ,0 0 0 a day. “ It’ s pricey,” says Frumkes, “ but so is [ renting out] a hotel or restaurant.” Before cofounding Mint Locations, Osborn had used her discerning eye as a location finder for television production companies and as an art gallery manager in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Santa Fe.“ Beautiful homes and

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ex ceptional events are part of the Bay Area mystiq ue,” she says. Frumkes also has a background in event planning and art ( “ sourcing a home and working with the owner is an art in itself,” she points out) : She worked on the opening of the G uggenheim Museum’ s SoHo location, managed events at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and ran her own event company, with clients from Pix ar to the G ap. The two met up by accident in 2 0 0 5 when Osborn saw a picture of Frumkes on a friend’ s refrigerator. She recogniz ed her

Mark Singerman, Designer & Goldsmith 814 Grant Avenue, Novato, CA

415.898.1915 www.valentinogold.com

from her gallery days. The reunion was fortuitous because they had both arrived at a similar conclusion: Northern California needed a source for locations. They started Mint

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Locations in J anuary 2 0 0 6 . Some of their signature locales include the “ House Above the Clouds,” an observatory-like modern home with sweeping views of the Wine Country; a Stinson Beach retreat that practically wafts sea spray from the photos; vineyard estates with wisteria-embellished verandas; sleek lofts and Beaux Arts beauties in San Francisco; and even a rock star’ s chateau,

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with a chandelier in nearly every room. Once a space is booked, Mint Locations will offer a concierge on site to liaise between the client and the homeowner during the event. Insurance, permits, security and parking are all handled by the Mint team. Osborn and Frumkes also created “ G iving Mintality,”

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

for homeowners who want to donate the rental fee to a charity of their choice. Mint Locations staff is happy to make those arrangements, whether it’ s a partial donation to a political candidate or donation in full to a homeless shelter, and can even facilitate company-match donations.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Luxury Retirement Living in Marin County

ONLY THREE LUXURY VILLAS LEFT In the natural splendor of Marin County there is a 30-acre community for people of independent minds who require homes reflecting their own expressed wishes and active lifestyles. Where distinctive quality, attention to detail, access to healthcare providers and the abundance of service provide a truly remarkable value.

Smith Ranch Marketing Associates (415) 491-4918 • www.smithranchhomes.com

F Y I GA R DE N

WILD NIGHT IS CALLING Things that go bump in the night BY MELISSA GEBHARDT

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

IN MARIN, WE BENEFIT FROM protected

The solutions, however, are often unseemly.

open spaces, we build our homes among the

Most of us have tried trapping; some then may

trees, and we consider ourselves nature en-

have guiltily moved up to poisons and toxic

thusiasts—at least until nature, uninvited, en-

baits. A few might even have tried to flood out

ters our homes. We are horrified to spy a rat

varmints with a garden hose à la Caddyshack,

running over our roof or a mouse scurrying

with only a bigger water bill to show for it.

through the house. Gophers in the garden—

Les and Velma Cleasby of Novato were able

well, that is intolerable, not to mention voles

to find another way. As proprietors of a quar-

and moles having a heyday.

ter-acre Merlot vineyard, they worried about

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

the holes they saw under their vines and in the grain bags in their barn. The Cleasbys could not and would not use poisons, and plac-

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ing traps outside would pose the unacceptable risk of trapping other animals. So they turned to other grape-growing friends for advice and learned of the Hungry Owl Project, a program of the Terwilliger WildCare Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in San Rafael. Owls are predators, and their natural prey are the pests that cause homeowners such con-

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sternation. At least eight species of owls participate in Marin’s wild food chain by catching rats, mice, gophers, moles, voles and other small animals. Owls do not build their own nests, preferring instead the old nests of hawks, ravens and other birds or cavities in old trees. Owl populations are declining, because tree-clearing for development, clear-cutting of old-growth forests and increased use of herbicides and pesticides have destroyed their habitats and reduced their food sources. One of the most recognizable of threatened birds, the northern spotted owl, was made famous by protesters

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chaining themselves to trees to save it. While it is still endangered across the Pacific Northwest, the Point Reyes Bird Observatory Conservation Science has found that Marin has the highest known breeding density for this owl, which, being a forest hunter, is likely benefiting from local protection of old-growth trees. The Hungry Owl Project teaches the public how to attract owls, how to protect them

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and how they can be used for natural rodent control. Barn owls, for example, threatened in parts of the United States, are meadow hunt-

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ers and like to nest in tree cavities or wood-

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Preserve older trees for nesting and protection for owls.

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Trim trees in late fall, before owl nesting season.

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

en structures. A barn owl family can kill as many as 3,000 rodents in a breeding season.

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The Hungry Owl Project provides homeowners with owl boxes to mimic natural nesting cavities so the barn owl population can thrive.

Box Worthy To receive an owl box, a homeowner must agree not to use pesticides or toxic baits to kill

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invaders, says progam director Alex Godbe. Commercial rodenticides contain an anticoagulant called brodifacoum that causes secondary poisoning when raptors like owls consume poisoned rodents. Moreover, poisons might also kill other animals like small birds or pets.

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Homeowners also need a large tree or pole for mounting the box, and it must be at least half a mile from heavily wooded areas and away from human activity. Different species of owls have different preferred hunting areas—grassland, woodland, dense forest. “If the box is installed correctly, they will come,” Godbe says. Getting to know which type of owl is com-

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mon in your area is key. At the website owling.com, you can learn about the habitats and characteristics of different owls and listen to

1/3 SQUARE

their distinctive sounds. Most do not make the

INTERESTING OWL FACTS •

Owls cannot turn their heads all the way around, but can turn them about three-quarters of the way in order to track prey.

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The barn owl’s heart-shaped-disc face works to funnel sound to the owl’s ears.

•

Owls can see well during the day and exceptionally well at night.

• Owls do not have visible ears; the ears are on the sides of their heads, with one lower than the other to pinpoint prey location. • Owls fly silently, thanks to broad wings and widely spaced feathers. •

Owls swallow prey whole, then regurgitate pellets of bones, teeth and fur.

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

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Owls are the only bird to drop their upper eyelid to wink; other birds raise their lower lid.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

“hoo-hoo” noise commonly associated with owls—that’s the great horned owl hooting—

1/3 SQUARE

but rather screech, scream, hiss or even bark.

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vasions over time, as most of those hunted are the only surviving replacements for rodents already ousted or trapped. For most homeowners, a combined preventive and defensive strategy works best. Progressive pest control companies offer nontoxic solutions and advice on how to keep rodents out of the house. Every day, Mike English, manager of Hitmen Pest Control in San Rafael, gets calls about rodents in or around Marin homes. His service is a way to “manipulate nature a little bit to make the

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homeowner more comfortable,” he says. A crew will inspect a home, report on vulnerabilities, make repairs and trap the intruders. Homeowners can make their property less

1/3 SQUARE

inviting to unwanted creatures, English says, by not leaving out pet food, cleaning up seed around bird feeders, removing hiding places such as ivy and woodpiles, moving compost bins, cutting back overhanging trees that might provide access to a house and sealing up cracks and crevices in the house (rodents can enter an opening as small as a quarter-inch).

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Les Cleasby says his rodent problem seems to have been all but “eliminated” over the past year—in fact, his gardener is so impressed he’s put owl boxes in other clients’ gardens. The Cleasbys recently picked up a third owl box themselves as a preventative measure for the long haul. One of the first two is now home to a mother owl and several chicks, and there’s the hope that the offspring will move into the new one in the near future.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

C O N V E R S AT I O N

CELIA KUPERSMITH Along with the Golden Gate Bridge, this Novato resident also oversees a $147 million budget, 823 employees, 210 buses and a ﬂeet of ﬁve ferryboats. BY JIM WOOD

ow would you handle an ostrich running loose on the Golden Gate Bridge? “When that happen three years ago, what I quickly learned was you get a dark sock and put it over the bird’s head,” answers Celia Kupersmith. “It calms the ostrich down.“ Kupersmith is general manager of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District and, though an ostrich doesn’t break loose

in mid-span everyday, there’s always the threat of terrorism, acts of suicide, seismic retrofitting, corporate sponsorship, and stewardship of an 887,000-ton bridge that’s a worldwide icon. That, along with answering all the questions a 19-member board of directors representing six Northern California counties can ask, keeps Kupersmith busy, in her words, “from seven on Monday mornMarried to a UC Berkeley reference librarian, mother to a grown daughter living in San Francisco, and proud owner of two white Maltese terriers, Kupersmith talked with Marin Magazine about her job and the bridge she’s come to love and respect.

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

TI M P ORTER

ing until seven on Friday evening.”

How does one become the manager of a

example, someday be crossing Kodak’s

bridge? I received an undergraduate degree

Golden Gate Bridge? We have issued an RFP

and then a master’s in city planning from

(request for proposal) for a consultant to assist

Texas A&M. My previous job was director of

the district raising additional income through

the Regional Transportation Commission of

corporate sponsorships. We don’t know how

Washoe County in Reno and I served there

much money is out there and what are the

for five years. There were 16 qualified appli-

trade-offs. Some years ago, Celebrity Cruise

cants for this job and when I arrived, in April

Lines approached us and offered half a million

of 1999, the challenge was to get expenditures

dollars to become “the official cruise line of

in line with revenue. We concentrated on core

the Golden Gate Bridge.” But we weren’t will-

purposes and eliminated superfluous or “fun”

ing to compromise security or safety, nor our

stuff. We’re on a solid course now.

stewardship responsibility. We’re aware the

Please vote for me.

bridge represents something special not only

For the record, I’m not running

Highlight the district’s budget, and

to San Francisco, but the entire county, and

for anything. I’m already up to my

include your salary. The big picture? For fis-

most of the world. And we won’t do anything

eyeballs in my own ofﬁce. But I

cal 2006-2007 expenses are budgeted at $147

that would mess with that. Not now, not ever.

million and revenues around $145 million. As

would appreciate your vote — given November has everyone picking

for revenues, bridge tolls will be $84 million

Current Golden Gate Bridge issues:

and bus and ferry fares about $20 million. The

A suicide prevention barrier. We now call

remaining income comes from various grants

it “a suicide deterrent.” Following years of

along with advertising and concessions. The

discussion, the board has concluded nothing

bridge is a huge structure and nothing is cheap

could be 100 percent effective in preventing

out there. As for the rest of the district, these are

suicides. People will always find a way. Several

I ask you, the people? Personally,

big-ticket items: a ferryboat can cost $10 mil-

years ago, a gentleman leaped from the bridge

I stand ﬁrmly undecided which

lion, buses run about $350,000. My salary? I’m

and landed 50 feet below on a scaffold. He

doesn’t help when customers regularly

paid $205,000 a year, not counting benefits. My

staggered up, looked at some workmen, and

ask me which is the better cut.

counterparts at BART, Muni and VTA average

then jumped again. If someone is determined

around $300,000. I’m very proud of what I do.

to kill themselves, they’ll usually manage to do

My Prime New York Strips are super

and choosing. Is it my Prime New York Strip Steak or Prime Boneless Rib-Eye,

it. However, we no longer report suicides to the

marbled and aged to give this center-

Talk about the Golden Gate’s trip counts

press and for years the media has agreed with

cut a tenderness I promise will ﬂutter

and traffic patterns. Just under 39 million

this policy, they no longer cover the stories. It

cars cross the Golden Gate every year; that’s

seems the more notoriety and media attention

a total count going north and south. That’s

suicides get, the more people are tempted. An

about 112,000 cars a day—56,000 in each di-

estimated $2 million was spent to study a sui-

rection. Annually, we have 9.5 million people

cide deterrent but will not cover its cost; that

taking buses and 1.9 million riding ferries.

was estimated to be over $20 million, which

And bridge tolls subsidize the buses and fer-

the district has stated it will not cover. It’s

ries—but if we didn’t have the buses and fer-

been a very difficult decision; my most difficult

ries, peak hour traffic on the bridge would be

moments have been in listening to families of

35 percent heavier, so it’s a trade-off. Also,

suicide victims pleading for prevention. All of

Fastrak, the electronic toll-paying device used

our staff—patrolmen, painters, ironworkers—

by 70 percent of our commuters, has virtu-

have all been trained to talk down potential

ally eliminated backups at the toll plaza;

suicides; some have spent entire days engaged

estimates say it’s shaved 15 minutes off the

with despondent people. We’re very aware of

commute time. The FasTrak toll is $4; pay

the problem. Still, about 23 suicides a year oc-

cash and it’s $5. Marin people are smart.

cur from jumping off the bridge.

What about corporate sponsorship? The

The $400 million seismic retrofit project.

Giants play in AT&T Park. Will we, for

Phase one, at the north, or Marin, end was

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

your eyelids. On the other side of the ballot is my Prime Boneless Rib-Eye, which for you hipsters, melts on your tongue and is just plain off the hook. So which is it? Polls close at 8:00 PM daily. Come buy everything.

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927.4488 www.bryansfinefoods.com

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

“

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We realize we have stewardship of a national icon and that an attack can come from anywhere.

”

— CELIA KUPERSMITH

Diplomate: American Board of Plastic Surgery American Board of Surgery American College of Surgeons, Fellow

AESTHETIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE PLASTIC SURGERY

Harvard College, A.B., 1961, cum laude

started in 1 9 9 7 and was completed in 2 0 0 1 . A

Harvard Medical School, 1965, cum laude

second phase, on the southern portion, is now

Massachusetts General Hospital Internship and Residency in General Surgery

nearing completion and contracts are being let

The Johns Hopkins Hospital Chief Residency in Plastic Surgery United States Air Force Regional Hospital Chief of Surgery Houston Society of Plastic Surgeons, Past President Mt. Tam Laser and Skin Care, Kentﬁeld Medical Director

for the third and final mid-span phase. The entire proj ect will be completed in 2 0 1 0 . Terrorists making even a dent in the Golden Gate Bridge? We assume that they can. It’s a huge bridge and if attacked could be seriously damaged. The coalition we have in place to see it doesn’t happen is a model to the rest of the country involving not only our staff but H omeland Security, the CH P , FBI, and local police and fire departments, as well as P ark Service rangers. We realize we have stewardship of a national icon and that an attack can come from anywhere, not j ust al Q aeda but, as Oklahoma City taught us, anywhere. The likelihood of pedestrians and bikers being charged for accessing the bridge. A ctually, until 1 9 7 1 , that was the case. There were turnstiles and a fee was charged to walk on the bridge. But there is no talk of that happening again. H owever, for a few days following 9 / 1 1 , pedestrian traffic was prohibited and to me the bridge seemed dead. There’s

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

robes. P eople propose on the bridge; they get 492.3333 Terra Linda 897.9664 Novato 383.4744 Mill Valley www.primamedgroup.com

married out there. That a deer once crossed the bridge. In 2 0 0 4 , that actually happened. The poor

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

thing j umped on the bridge at our north

2/3 VERTICAL

end, got scared, and ran all the way across. Fortunately, traffic slowed or stopped and it eventually reached the south side and j umped into a grove of trees at the first opportunity. We also had an ostrich break loose from a trailer bringing it back to a Sonoma County ranch. It was a real scene but eventually the owner put a sock over its head and led it back into its trailer. Being governed by a 19-member board of directors. Our board has representation from six counties: San Francisco ( 9 ) , Marin ( 4 ) , Sonoma ( 3 ) , D el Norte ( 1 ) , Napa ( 1 ) , and Mendocino ( 1 ) . That dates back to the late 1 9 2 0 s when no one— chitects, consultants—

engineers, ar-

thought a two-mile

bridge across the G olden G ate could ever be built. Too much wind, too strong a current, too vast of a tide, and boats would crash into it—

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all kinds of reasons. At the

time, the state’ s attention was focused on building the Oakland– San Francisco Bay Bridge. Finally, word came that if “ that wild group” on the coast could reach a consensus, a bridge would be considered. After all six

counties voted in favor of the bridge,

because of all the doubters, the bonds to finance it couldn’ t be sold. It was only when citiz ens of the six counties further agreed a lien could be placed against their personal homes if the tolls failed to cover the bonds that construction moved forward. And part of the agreement was that each county would have a say in how the G olden G ate Bridge was managed. What do you do for fun? First let me say from seven on Monday morning to seven on Friday evening I belong to my work. But I try hard to make weekends free. My husband and I are avid kayakers, but in the calm waters of Northern California’ s rivers, not San Francisco Bay. We also pay way too much attention to our two white Maltese pups. This is a second marriage for me and I’ m determined to make it work.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

T H I NK

THE BAY INSTITUTE A FISH STORY THAT JUST HAPPENS TO BE TRUE STORY & PHOTOS TIM PORTER

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

Previous page: The Aquarium’s Under the Bay tunnels are its attraction; This page, above: Grant Davis, Bay Institute executive director.

he story of how the Bay Institute, one of Marin County’s

He was there to meet with Bay Institute head Davis. Frawley had

most respected environmental organizations, came to find itself in

three things with him—a PowerPoint presentation, a crazy idea and the

charge of tens of thousands of fish on Pier 39 could start just about

element of surprise. Davis “had absolutely no idea what I was coming

anywhere.

out there for,” says Frawley.

There’s the angle about how a California mega-lobbyist who once

Frawley had, in fact, begun prepping for that meeting with Davis about

fought a bruising political battle against the institute became its finan-

a decade earlier when he was hired to revive the fortunes of the Aquarium

cial angel.

of the Bay on Pier 39, which at the time was named Underwater World,

There’s the tale of how an affable biologist, hired to turn around a

but labeled Underwhelming World by less-than-impressed local visitors.

money-losing tourist attraction, saw the opportunity to create a world-

“It was really positioned to tap into the tourist market at Pier 39,” Frawley

class environmental education facility.

says. “There wasn’t a lot of conservation education.”

Then there’s the moment Grant Davis, executive director of the Bay Institute, all but did the Funky Chicken in his office. Since all these points eventually merge, let’s start with the last one.

Frawley wanted to “build something that would meet the needs of locals, something they could be proud of, something that speaks to the quality they would want to have in their city.”

Nearly two years ago, in December 2004, John Frawley, the afore-

San Francisco, he points out, sits on “the biggest estuary on the

mentioned affable biologist, drove up to the old Hamilton Air Force

West Coast,” he says. “Forty percent of the watershed of California

Base in Novato, where the Bay Institute occupies the second floor of a

drains into this estuary. Two-thirds of all Californians depend on the

former military building.

estuary, and there’s no one nature center telling that story. What we

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

Water recirculating system above the main 700,000-gallon aquarium.

wanted to do was refocus the mission of the aquarium to being the nature center of the San Francisco Estuary.” Frawley and his team added $2 million in exhibits, diversified the

Here’s where the Funky Chicken comes in. Davis, says Frawley, “stood up, put his hands on his head and turned around in like three circles. And then he sat down and said, ‘Are you kidding me?’”

marine life displays, changed the name and increased revenue so that

In his nine years managing the Bay Institute, Davis had led efforts

what was once a bankrupt liability for the aquarium’s owner, French

to restore wetlands all over Marin and Sonoma, revive wildlife in the

banking company BNP Paribas, had become an in-the-black asset.

San Joaquin River and involve thousands of schoolchildren in conserva-

By December 2004, the bank was ready to sell and Frawley wanted to find a nonprofit buyer. The Bay Institute was Frawley’s first choice.

tion efforts. “The last thing I ever thought I would be doing was be in the aquarium business,” he says.

The year before, the institute had released the San Francisco Bay

Davis and Frawley had their shared vision for the aquarium, but

Index, an environmental scorecard. Frawley saw a good fit. “The one

they still needed money to buy it—and that proved hard to come by.

thing that we were missing was the real connection to science, to the

By August 2005, the Bay Institute still hadn’t raised the funds and time

real raw data about the bay,” he says. “When I saw the report card, I

was running short.

thought, boy, this group has all the connections to the science community out there.” Frawley was in Davis’s office, making his pitch, when he suddenly cut to the chase: “What I’m trying to say is that I want the Bay Institute to buy the aquarium.”

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

“We were expecting to close escrow at the end of the year,” Davis says, “and all we had was … a little bit of seed of money, and we were fighting it out with Ripley’s.” Ripley’s Entertainment Inc., which runs a Ripley’s Believe or Not museum on Fisherman’s Wharf, was “very close to purchasing the

In his nine years managing the Bay Institute, Davis had led efforts to restore wetlands all over Marin and Sonoma.“The last thing I ever thought I would be doing was be in the aquarium business,” he says. aquarium,” Frawley says, “because they had all the capital they needed. They could just write a check. Our effort was running out of time.” That’s when Frawley and Davis met Darius Anderson. A fourth-generation San Franciscan who went to high school in Novato and now lives in Sonoma, Anderson has his fingers in more pies than a Sara Lee pastry chef. He runs Platinum Advisors, a powerful Sacramento lobbying firm. He is one of California’s most powerful Democratic fundraisers, serving in that role for, among others, former Gov. Gray Davis, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and San Francisco’s former and current mayors, Willie Brown and Gavin Newsom. He heads Kenwood Investments of San Francisco, manager of the development of

John Frawley

Treasure Island. He is also an outsize host known for lavish parties on his Sonoma estate (sometimes to the consternation of neighbors) and for shepherding politicos on Hemingwayesque excursions to Cuba. The word that doesn’t come to mind when Anderson is mentioned— at least, didn’t until now—is environmentalist. Indeed, Anderson and

“I loved it,” Anderson said of his first tour of the 700,000-gallon Aquarium of the Bay with Frawley and Davis. “I was like a kid in the candy store. I got to see the dive room. I got to feed the fish.”

Grant Davis faced off a couple of years ago over an Indian tribe’s plans

Lest you think Anderson’s excitement overwhelmed his business

to build a casino on wetlands in southern Sonoma County near Highway

acumen, that wasn’t the case. “I walked out saying, ‘If the financials

37. Anderson was on the side of the Native Americans. Davis was on the

make sense, I can make this happen,’” Anderson says. “In a worst-case

side of the native plants and animals. The environmentalists won, and the

scenario”—meaning the Bay Institute or no one else buys the aquarium

Sonoma Land Trust purchased the 1,679-acre site for $8 million.

from him—“I have to be prepared to run this thing for 20 years.”

In this story, though, Anderson and Davis are not just on the same side; they are would-be business partners.

The financials do seem to look good. Attendance at the aquarium is rising—about 480,000 visitors a year, up 14 percent this summer over

A mutual friend introduced Davis and Anderson in the fall of 2005.

last. The facility earns about $1 million a year, revenue that could es-

They had a two-hour meeting one weekday morning, after which

sentially be, as Davis says, an annual endowment for the Bay Institute,

Anderson suggested they go see the aquarium. So, says Davis, “we

which now gets by on a yearly budget of about $1.6 million.

hopped in a taxi and raced down there on a moment’s notice.”

Had Ripley’s won the bidding war for the aquarium, “they’d be look-

Frawley met Anderson and Davis at the aquarium, and gave them

ing at how to take money out of San Francisco Bay and bring it back

tour. “I just explained the past, the present and the future,” he says, “and

to the corporate office,” Davis says. “We want to take the money that

Grant talked about the Bay Institute’s (potential) role and on his way out

comes into the aquarium and dump it back into the health of the bay.”

the door Darius just looked me and said, ‘What is it going to take?’ I told

All that stands between the Bay Institute and fulfillment of that goal

him very straightforwardly, ‘It’s going to take a very aggressive acquisition

is $10 to 15 million, what the institute must raise in the next two years

process in the next few weeks.’ At that point he took over.”

to take ownership of the Aquarium of the Bay, provide some financial

Within months, Anderson had formed a new company, Kenwood Bay Aquarium, made the deal and gave the Bay Institute a two-year exclusive right to buy the aquarium.

operating reserves and expand the facility’s already impressive education programs. The fundraising is under way and the story of how the Bay Institute,

It would be unfair to Anderson’s larger civic intentions to say he

which turns 25 this year, will fare in this effort isn’t over yet. But this

played financial angel for the Bay Institute just because he likes fish,

much we know so far: Frawley found a partner for his conservation

but certainly the presence of a 350-gallon tank filled with saltwater

dream, Davis got a platform to tell the continuing story of the San

puffer fish, eels and other aquatic life in his Sacramento office had to

Francisco Estuary and Anderson got a bigger fish tank.

have something to do with his decision.

For more information, visit www.bay.org.

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

FROM PARADISE TO PARADISE Tiburon family catches the aloha spirit STORY P. J. BREMIER PHOTOS BARBARA RIES

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

J OURNE Y

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

o most observers, Tiburon residents Marc Cabi, a private equity investor, and his wife, Lisa, a former lawyer turned chef, live in paradise. Two years ago they moved from San Francisco to a Ring Mountain hillside home, and the area has everything they’d wanted—proximity to the city’s cul-

tural and social life, fabulous weather, great views, immediate access to outdoor activities and a nurturing environment for raising their two young daughters. When they hear the alluring call of aloha drifting toward them on Pacific trade winds, though, they answer eagerly, hopping a flight to Kona, where they are soon ensconced in another paradise, their other home on the South Kohala Coast. “We were hooked,” Lisa Cabi says of their first visit to the islands. “We would vacation in Maui and I kept hearing about the Four Seasons’ Hualalai on the Big Island.” Six years ago, when they decided to see it for themselves, they “landed

Hawaii home opens

on a lava field in Kona and Marc loved the

to outdoor living from

stark beauty and energy of the lava,” she

most rooms. Interior

recalls. “He started looking at real estate

designer Peggy Chestnut chose a palette of

and that was the end of that.” What drew

greens, oranges and

him, Marc adds, was the “natural beauty

earthy browns to keep

of the island combined with the hedonistic

the look true to its

amenities of the Hualalai Resort.”

Hawaiian roots.

The Cabis built their second home on a golf course at Hualalai three years ago, and they now enjoy full use of the resort’s facilities, including a private golf course reserved for residents. Large sliding doors that open the rear of their house to the outdoors also frame dramatic views of the course, with its lush greens, black lava and dazzling blue ocean beyond. The private garden holds its own enticements. An infinity pool, a hot tub, a pair of outdoor Hawaiian beds, a natural pond with tropical plants and fish, and outdoor showers surrounded by fragrant pikake plants are irresistibly seductive. It’s where the Cabi family loves to swim, dine, nap outside and feel the Hawaiian breezes. The couple chose a local designer, Peggy Chesnut, to give the home an authentic island flavor. “She has a fabulous sense of color and style,” Lisa says. “I wanted it to be light and colorful and traditional.” With a palette of vibrant greens and oranges and earthy browns, the home is true to its Hawaiian roots. Art by local artists, several koa wood furnishings by a local craftsman, and upholstery in fun patterns all work together to achieve the regional sensibility the Cabis desired.

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

The girls’ rooms are where the Hawaiian motif really takes off, with magenta and lime-green hues and bedskirts made of the type of grasses hula dancers wear. “They have really funky hula girl rooms,” Lisa acknowledges with a laugh. “They’re very bright and very fun.” Outside, a small guest house with its own kitchen also has a tropical flavor, with vintage Hawaiian posters on the wall. “The island is like home to us,” says Lisa. “It’s environmentally diverse, [with everything] from snow to rain forests to volcanoes, and we’ve explored most of it. It remains very old Hawaii.” Visiting their island home during school vacations and for at least half the summer, the Cabis integrate their daughters into Hawaiian culture through courses offered by the resort’s on-site cultural center. “They are definitely teeny wahinis,” Lisa says. “The hotel has an amazing kids’ program, so they take part in crafts, eagle ray feedings and hula lessons.” There is also no shortage of outdoor activities. “We take long walks along the

Tiburon home is deco-

water, exercise and golf, paddle in outrig-

rated in a contempo-

ger canoes and spend lots of time in the

rary South of France

pool,” Lisa says. Marc, who has compet-

villa style. Interior

ed in the Keauhou race, a half-Ironman competition, enjoys biking the Ironman

designer Steven Miller carefully selected furniture, colors and objects

Hawaii route. “I like to take long rides of

to work together in

two to three hours,” he says. “The beauty

harmony with all rooms.

of the volcano mauka (toward the moun-

Below: Cabi family.

tains) and the ocean makai (toward the sea) makes the ride very enjoyable.” Despite the geographic distance, life in Kona has a strong Marin connection. “There are quite a few Marinites with homes there,” Marc says. “We have made new friends here in Marin as a result of meeting them in Hawaii first. We share a bond with them and our children are growing up with friends that they get to see each summer and on holidays.” Back in Marin, the Cabis have their routines. Marc drops the girls off at a private school in the city on his way to work; Lisa tests recipes in her home kitchen, working on food product development for Marc’s newly acquired bakery and preserving fruits and vegetables that she’s harvested from her extensive garden. Like the Cabis’ home in Kona, their French Mediterranean–style home in Tiburon takes advantage of the natural landscape through extensive use of windows, providing vistas of San Francisco, the East Bay, Angel and Belvedere islands and the grassy Tiburon hillside. “The views feel very Mediterranean, so we decorated in a contemporary South of France villa style,” Lisa says. “The house is very colorful and, at times, playful.”

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

“

The kitchen called for stronger colors of orange, yellow and green. There’s a liveliness to it. It feels like a family kitchen but it’s suitable for entertaining as well. — STEVEN MILLER

”

They achieved this effect with the skillful help of their favorite Bay Area designer, Steven Miller of Steven Miller D esign G roup in San Francisco. He had plenty to work with, including a gym, library and media room, a dining room and living room, kitchen, pantry, laundry room, family office, guest suite, master suite and bedrooms for each daughter. A swimming pool, orchard, and lawn make up the outdoor living area. The blue and white of the living room were chosen to suggest the colors of the Cô te d’ Az ur. Rust and teal add drama to the library; off-white and rustorange enliven the dining room. The kitchen called for stronger colors of orange, With Lisa Cabi being a chef, the kitchen is an important room and place to gather.

yellow and green, Miller says. “ There’ s a liveliness to it. It feels like a family kitchen but it’ s suitable for entertaining as well.”

Stronger colors were

Miller sought “ to create an instant his-

used to create a lively

tory for the house,” he ex plains. “ I want-

family atmosphere

ed to make it feel collected and assembled

and also be conducive

over time rather than look like a newly

to entertaining guests.

built house with new furniture.” He deliberately retained harmony among all rooms that opened up and were visible to each other by carefully selecting the furniture, obj ects and colors. “ We wanted each room to look good and to look good with one another.” He also designed several of the home’ s furnishings, including the ottomans and the rug in the living room, the headboard in the master bedroom, the kitchen island and hood, case-work for the media center and the girls’ desks in the media room, as well as their bedroom furniture. All of it was integral to his elaborate design narrative. “ In my mind, this was a house that belonged to a French-Mediterranean family who travels a lot, with relatives in Turkey and children from Asia,” he says. “ So there would be a layered collection, with castoffs from a house in Paris, some fine European and Asian antiq ues, some stylish upholstery, and art that was either modern or had a historical contex t.” Nowhere in their Tiburon home, however, is there a nod to the Pacific Islands. That’ s because “we like Hawaii to be our special family getaway,” says Marc. K eeping their private island retreat a world apart is how they make sure it stays that way.

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

No Sour Grapes MARIN’S TINY WINEMAKING COMMUNITY WORKS TOGETHER TO PRODUCE STELLAR STUFF STORY SAMANTHA SCHOECH PHOTOS BARBARA RIES

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

L I FE

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

f you’re into instant gratification, this is not the

Marin may be overshadowed by the Sonoma and Napa valleys in

business for you,” says Jonathan Pey as he tromps through his muddy

the world of wine, but it actually has a longer winemaking history.

West Marin vineyard examining newly pruned rows of Pinot Noir. It’s

Padres of the San Rafael Mission brought vitis vinifera grapes to Marin

January, eight months before harvest and years before anyone will

in 1817, predating the grapes’ arrival in Napa by 20 years. Vineyards

taste the wine made from the grapes that have yet to appear on these

spread across hundreds of acres in the county in the 19th and early

bare vines. Each bottle of wine represents about two and a half years

20th centuries. A souvenir booklet printed in 1893 states, “There is a

of work.

vineyard connected with almost every estate in the county…all over

Susan and Jonathan Pey, of Pey-Marin and Mount Tamalpais

San Rafael…and in the outskirts are vineyards of the choicest varieties

Vineyards, represent a handful of Marin winemakers who are dedicat-

of grapes…every dweller from Fairfax to Sausalito has his little vine-

ed to putting the tiny Marin County terroir on the map by growing su-

yard.” After the 1906 earthquake devastated parts of Marin, though,

perior grapes. First and foremost they are farmers, people who believe

the vineyards were ripped out in favor of development.

great wine can only be made from great fruit. Tend your vineyards well

Today there are fewer than 150 acres of grapes planted in Marin,

and they will reward you. As Pey walks, he reads his vines like a parent

not even a thousandth of a percent of California’s wine grapes. By com-

watching a toddler for signs of the future. “It’s kind of like a baby—are

parison, Napa has more than 43,000 acres planted. Fortunately, like

you going to prison or are you going to be a scholar?” he says.

many things having to do with food and beverages, small often means

100

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

“Marin Pinot Noir has shown itself to be exemplary.” —MARK PASTERNAK

Opposite page: Sean Thackrey tests latest vintage; above: Mark Pasternak takes a moment to reﬂect while checking out his Devil’s Gulch vineyard.

better, and Marin wines are receiving glowing reviews. Wine Spectator

ties than Sean Thackrey, Mac McDonald [of Vision Cellars] and Mark

opined of the Peys’ 2001 Mount Tamalpais Merlot: “What a pleasant

Pasternak [of Devil’s Gulch].”

surprise from Marin! Vanilla bean and mocha-laced oak and a lively

Although Marin wines generally appeal to a select group of aficiona-

core of ripe currant and plum fruit render a wine of complexity and

dos partial to high-quality artisan wines, many larger winemakers have

depth.” In a profile of Bolinas winemaker Sean Thackrey, a GQ maga-

taken notice of the grapes grown here. Craig Roemer of Schramsberg in

zine writer called Thackrey’s 2000 Orion Old Vines “the best bottle of

Calistoga buys Marin grapes for his winery’s upper-tier sparkling wines,

wine I have ever tasted.” Other Marin wines and vineyards have won

including J. Schram and the Pinot-based Reserve. He gets Chardonnay

numerous medals at fairs and competitions statewide.

from Pasternak’s Devil’s Gulch vineyards and Pinot Noir from the Corda

Still, Margaret Grade of Manka’s Inverness Lodge, where most of

Winery in Chileno Valley, where Pasternak manages the vineyards. He

the wines sold by the glass are from Marin, isn’t convinced she could

also buys grapes from Herb and Debbie Roland of Pacheco Ranch in

pick out a Marin wine in a blind tasting. Marin has proven to be a

Novato, Marin’s oldest vineyard and winery. “I buy grapes from four

great place to grow Pinot, she says, but “it’s still the case that the wines

counties [Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino and Marin],” Roemer says. “Marin

in Marin are an expression of the winemakers rather than of where the

grapes are another spice to add to the pot. The Pinot adds juicy berry

grapes are grown. Marin winemakers are mavericks and nonconform-

fruit, depth and lots of acid. The Chardonnay brings bright, tropical

ists. You couldn’t find three more interesting and different personali-

fruit characteristics.”

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

101

“We really try to make wines that speak to a place rather than a process.” —JONATHAN PEY

WHO’S MAKING WHAT WITH MARIN GRAPES? Corda Winery Corda Reserve Blend, Marin County Pinot Noir, and Marin County Chardonnay Dutton-Goldfield Devil’s Gulch Vineyard Pinot Noir Pacheco Ranch Winery Marin County Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon Pey-Marin and Mount Tamalpais Vineyards Mount Tamalpais Merlot, Pey-Marin “Trois Filles” Pinot Noir, Mount Tamalpais Vin Gris and Pey-Marin Vineyards “The Shell Mound” Riesling Point Reyes Vineyards Brut Cuvée, Blanc de Noir and Blanc de Blanc sparkling wines Niebaum-Coppola Estate Vineyards and Winery Skywalker Ranch Viandante del Cielo Marin County Chardonnay and Merlot Ross Valley Winery Marin County Stubbs Vineyard Chardonnay Sean Thackrey “Andromeda” Devil’s Gulch Ranch Pinot Noir Stubbs Vineyards Marin County Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (organic) Vision Cellars Pinot Noir Chileno Valley Vineyard Marin County

Jonathan and Susan Pey stroll through their Marin vineyards.

As might be expected within such a small community, Marin winemakers routinely buy grapes from one another, make blends from sev-

land, he knows what it is and who you are. Pasternak rattles off Marin’s wine-growing past and future like a man in love.

eral vineyards and often share the expertise of the same winemaker.

“The first plantings were in the ’70s,” he says from the cab of the

The Peys, for example, lease their seven acres from the Cordas, a Swiss-

pickup that often serves as his mobile office as he drives the back roads

Italian dairy family whose roots in West Marin reach back to 1870.

of West Marin between vineyards. “But 1990 was when people start-

For their Mount Tamalpais label, the Peys buy Merlot from the Cordas.

ed showing real interest and planting more. Now Marin Pinot Noir has

Mac McDonald, who started making wine as a hobby, also uses grapes

shown itself to be exemplary. People are experimenting with Riesling and

from Corda to produce a well-received Pinot for Vision Cellars. Ross

Gewürztraminer that may also prove to be great matches for Marin.”

Valley Winery, on the other hand, doesn’t grow any of its own grapes. It

Whatever the future of Marin winemaking, one thing is sure: the high

makes a Chardonnay from grapes grown by Tom and Mary Stubbs on

cost of land and water and soil issues will keep the wine industry here

their 11-acre vineyard in West Marin.

comparatively small. It will remain an industry run on passion rather

The man who is most familiar with all this intra-winery con-

than profit and will emphasize quality over quantity. Jonathan Pey, who

nectedness is Pasternak, who grows Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and

walked away from the corporate wine business to devote himself full

Gewürztraminer and manages or consults for more than half of Marin’s

time to his vineyards, admits he has no set financial goals. “I want to

vineyards. He is on the boards of both the Marin County Grape Growers

make great wines that really enhance a great dinner,” he says. “I want

Association and the North Coast Grape Growers Association. His brain

to make wines that speak to a place rather than a process. It’s really our

is the Google of Marin grapes. If you have a vine anywhere on your

passion and it’s fun. I hope I’m still out there when I’m 75 years old.”

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

103

View from Pey-Marin vineyard; opposite page: Mary Stubbs shares a moment with her daughter, Juliette. 104

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

WHERE TO BUY MARIN WINES Many restaurants in Marin and San Francisco carry local wines. Ask for them at Manka’s, the Olema Inn, Fork, Kitchen, Sushi Ran, the Lark Creek Inn, the Buckeye Roadhouse, El Paseo, Bungalow 44, Poggio, Zuni Cafe, Asia de Cuba, Jardinière, La Folie, Quince and Ana Mandara.

For retail information on Marin wines check winemakers’ websites: marinwines.com (Pey-Marin and Mount Tamalpais) stubbsvineyard.com rossvalleywinery.com ptreyesvineyardinn.com pachecoranchwinery.com wine-maker.net (Sean Thackrey) visioncellars.com rubiconestate.com (Niebaum-Coppola) cordawinery.com

THE LAND OF THE DRAGON A mysterious country opens to tourism STORY & PHOTOS PATRICIA WOEBER

106

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

J OURNE Y

IN THE DENSELY FORESTED HIMALAYAS, an inaccessible little kingdom—a place of mythical creatures, magical legends, rich culture and traditional values—lies veiled by high mountains. Although it has purposefully isolated itself from the world for centuries, now changes are afoot in Druk Yul, the Land of the Dragon, what we know as Bhutan.

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

107

Previous page: Crane Festival, an important

A small country the size of Switzerland,

Laos, so I expected an outstanding tour and

yearly celebration held at the colossal Gangtey

Bhutan copes with formidable mountain-

Monastery in Phobjika Valley, where tourists join

ous terrain: One main road, as looped as a

Our affable American tour leader Patrick

locals for the festivities; above clockwise from

telephone cord, spirals from west to east over

Moffat, a permanent resident of Paro in west-

ley; women threshing rice in ﬁeld; takin in Takin

mountain passes as high as 12,000 feet and

ern Bhutan, set the easygoing tone of the trip.

National Park; typical large farmhouse found

dips down into valleys a mile below.

By minibus we traveled from Paro Town to Ura

left: locals wear traditional dress; Phobjika Val-

throughout Bhutan.

108

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

wasn’t disappointed.

For centuries, some cultural influences

Town in the east and back to Paro. Most of our

came in from neighboring Tibet, Nepal and

drives passed through mountainous forests of

India, yet the rest of the world was kept out.

pine and fir with breathtaking views of pre-

The country of Bhutan only opened its borders

cipitous valleys and gorges. We hiked on high

to tourists a scant 30 years ago. In November,

forested roads and in valleys with fallow fields

I joined a group of 12 Americans on a two-

and golden rice paddies, alongside of which

week itinerary organized by Geographic

grew avenues of maples, willows, bamboo,

Expeditions of San Francisco which promised

oak, and apple orchards.

“the Essence of Bhutan.” I’d previously trav-

This was a true adventure, as we never knew

eled with GeoEx to Vietnam, Cambodia and

what lay around the next bend. Our surprises?

One day, rounding a mountain curve, the bus

Bhutan boasts the most pristine landscape

had to stop for a herd of fuzzy, bulky, primordial-

in the world, thanks to its successful preser-

looking yaks. Another time, we watched a fam-

vation of land and reverence for all species,

ily of fearless, curious golden langurs (monkeys

including the auspicious, rare black-necked

unique to Bhutan) swinging in the trees. Hair

cranes. In the meadows and rice paddies of

framed their faces, and a tiny bright-eyed baby,

scenic Phobjika Valley, about 350 such cranes

backlit by the sun, looked as if it had a halo.

had arrived for their five-month stay—flying

We didn’t glimpse snow leopards, Siberian tigers, red pandas, wild boars, black bears or

in each winter from Tibet. The World Wildlife Fund lists only 6,000 in existence.

elephants—some live south, others north in na-

Luckily, we had the opportunity to attend

ture reserves. Still-to-be-seen yetis (abominable

the crane festival, an important yearly celebra-

snowmen) hid out in their park. Yes, there’s ac-

tion held at the colossal Gangtey Monastery

tually a Yeti National Park! In the Takin Game

in Phobjika Valley, where we joined locals

Enclosure in Thimphu, we saw takins (the of-

watching festive dances welcoming the cranes.

ficial national animal), rare bovid mammals the

Frequent, spectacular religious rituals and cer-

size of donkeys with rounded noses and bellies.

emonies, as well as secular festivals with their

“

We hiked on high forested roads and in valleys with fallow ﬁelds and golden rice paddies, alongside of which grew avenues of maples, willows, bamboo, oak, and apple orchards.

”

—PATRICIA WOEBER

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

109

Clockwise from above: Woman vendor at market

share of humor (occasionally even lewd), are

conch shell (dung), which represents the reso-

sells her goods; town of Ura in eastern Bhutan;

popular with the Bhutanese.

nance of Buddhist teachings; the eternal knot

textile weavers in Phobjika Valley; Ura school children pose for a photo.

Among the varied delights, actually the

(palbeu), symbolizing the enlightened mind;

architecture thrilled me most. Impressive

the lotus flower (pema), which stands for free-

dzongs—medieval fortresses housing administra-

dom of body, speech and mind; and the vase

tion centers and monasteries—enclose glorious-

(bumpa), which brings wealth, prosperity and

ly decorated Buddhist temples full of treasures.

longevity. Even sounds represent symbols. For

The abundance of ornate, expertly crafted deco-

example, in ceremonies the lamas (priests)

rations on the dzongs, town buildings and farm-

ring bells, and the chimes denote the dia-

houses is exceptional. Colorfully painted wood

mond-thunderbolt, dorje, a symbol of wisdom

carvings featuring animals, flowers, and other

cutting through ignorance. Creatures with reli-

designs festoon windows, door frames, balco-

gious attributes include the holy dragon-snake,

nies and corniced eaves of all buildings.

naga, considered a god. Elephants, deer, birds

Popular motifs are the eight auspicious signs, tashi tagye. Some of these include the

110

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

and other animals symbolize such positives as luck and happiness.

On some homes, painted images of erect penises adorn the exterior walls—an unusual

Drukpa. Other ethnic groups include the Sharchops, Ngalops and Lhotshampas.

sight for our Western eyes. They had nothing

Thanks to the efforts of King Jigme Singye

to do with virility; they were icons conveying

Wangchuck, Bhutan has the best record for con-

safety and good luck. At every opportunity, our

servation in the world. Logging is controlled.

group photographed these and the wood phalluses hanging from the eaves.

During our trip, we enjoyed picnics and hotel and restaurant buffets with tourist fare

Everywhere, children waved to us with

similar to Indian cuisine: stewed chicken, beef,

gleeful “Hellos!” Small kids greeted us, “Hello,

lamb, pork or fish, sometimes curried. Other

how are you?” (In Thimphu, one small boy

dishes included rice or sliced potatoes in a de-

said to me, “Hello! How old are you?”) The

licious creamy cheese sauce, cauliflower, green

Bhutanese are extremely courteous and speak

beans, green chilies and carrots.

English, which they learn in school, although

Since I found the food a bit bland, I re-

their national language is Dzongkha. The in-

quested a side dish of red chilies, heyna, which

digenous populations are the Ngalong and

dry on the roofs and walls. The national dish,

“

Creatures with religious attributes include the holy dragon-snake, naga, considered a god. Elephants, deer, birds and other animals symbolize such positives as luck and happiness.

”

—PATRICIA WOEBER

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

111

Clockwise from above: Bondey Valley farmhouses

hemadatsi, is made completely of hot red

ularly sacred, including Paro and Bumthang val-

among terraced rice paddies; Punakha Dzong

chilies! We sampled red rice (exported inter-

leys, which the Buddhist saint Padmasambhava,

between two rivers; in box: typical farmhouse.

nationally to gourmet shops) and feasted on

also known as Guru Rinpoche, visited in the

momos—dumplings like large dim sum, stuffed

sixth century. It’s believed this great master

with vegetables, meat or cheese.

flew in on the back of a tigress and brought

Preserving ancestral conventions, the

Buddhism to the land. The Bhutanese practice

Bhutanese wear their national dress daily. Men

Mahayana Buddhism in Tantric form with a

(including our competent 24-year old local

pantheon of symbolic deities.

guide, Sonam Tshering) wear khos, garments

Punakha’s imposing 17th-century dzong

like kimonos reaching below the knees, with

lies in the parental embrace of two rivers,

long socks and Western shoes. Women wear

the Mo (mother) and Po (father). Inside, the

ankle-length kiras, consisting of cloth wound

temple’s treasures include a dazzling 30-foot-

around the body and secured at the shoulders

high golden Buddha, 100 pillars covered with

by silver clasps called korma, and belted at the

gold leaf, and 1,000 paintings of the Buddha.

waist. The geometric patterns of the fabrics re-

Carvings of dragons and the eight auspicious

minded me of Scottish plaids.

signs garland the courtyard’s balconies. The

Throughout Bhutan, Buddhism has shaped the culture and attitudes. Many areas are partic-

112

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

Punakha and Trongsa dzongs held my favorite temples.

IF YOU GO

In Punakha Valley’s rice paddies, women

Both boasted splendid carvings. Imagine—

thresh rice by hand and build haystacks of

a team of three crews of wood sculptors

dried rice stalks—an age-old scene repeated

worked for three years carving Zhiwa Ling’s

throughout Asia. In Paro, we saw a farmer till-

decorations.

ing the soil with two buffalo, while a tractor was being used to till another field.

In Thimphu we found an exceptional variety of purchasable items: handwoven tex-

As we moved east, Ura Pass (11,180 feet)

tiles, including yatra, the woolen cloth from

gave views of Bhutan’s highest peak, the snow-

Bumthang, baskets, handbags, exquisite pa-

covered Gangkhar Puensuum (23,750 feet).

per products, jewelry (old silver with coral or

Sheep- and yak-breeding and potato-growing

turquoise) and thangkas (intricate paintings,

make up the Ura Valley’s economy. At the Ura

icons of Buddhist devotion). These irresistible

Lower Secondary School, two of our group

objects were sold in shops at the Handicraft

gave the children pens, crayons and books.

Emporium and at the weekend outdoor mar-

Ashamed that I’d forgotten to bring a gift, I

ket. I went nuts!

spoke with the principal, and he suggested I mail novels for boys ages 15 to 18. Will do! We stayed in two new deluxe hotels: Zhiwa Ling in Paro and Dawachen in Phobjika Valley.

Even though we never saw a tiger or a yeti—or even a peaceful dragon—we were not disappointed. We’d truly experienced the

Fly to Paro (which has the country’s only airport) on Druk-Air from Bangkok, Calcutta, Kathmandu or Delhi. The flight between Paro and Kathmandu goes over ten of the highest mountains on earth. Druk-Air has new Airbuses and a helicopter service. Twenty-five years ago it took a five-day walk over mountains to reach Paro from India. Geographic Expeditions (800.777.8183, geoex.com) arranges visas and flights and gives detailed advice and information on cultural and religious events, clothing, reading lists and more. It offers a variety of trekking, cultural, festival, and sacred-places-oriented trips. Bhutan is not for everyone, notably not those prone to carsickness (given the winding roads and sometimes long drives) or altitude sickness. Several hotels are substandard. The outstanding Amanresorts in Punakha, Gangtey and Thimphu have recently opened. The country is developing its tourism infrastructure. Bottled water was available everywhere. The Bhutanese make pure malt whiskies and import Indian beer. The best seasons to visit are autumn (September, October, and November) and spring (March, April, and May). Museums include the Bhutan Heritage Museum as well as the Textile, Royal Silver, and Goldsmith Museums. Visit the handmade paper factory and the post office for stamp collecting. For more information visit kingdomofbhutan.com. I also highly recommend the book Bhutan by Francoise Pommaret, available at amazon.com.

essence of Bhutan.

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

113

Entry for Hotel Healdsburg. The property was a collaboration between David Baker + Partners, Frost-Tsuji Architects, and landscape architect Andrea Cochran.

H E A LDSB U R G The word is out on this tasty town BY MIMI TOWLE ealdsburg has attracted an

Some attribute the town’s new cachet to

unusual amount of attention

the opening of Hotel Healdsburg, the 350

in the last couple years. This

thread-count, $500-a-night, refreshingly mod-

little “gem” has been featured

ern resort right on the plaza. Was it a risk to

in the New York Times, Travel

put in such a high-end venture? Hindsight is

October is a great time to visit: the summer crowds are gone, the last grape of the harvest has been crushed, and colorful foliage marks a summer well spent. H ere are just some of

& Leisure, Sunset, Food & Wine and most recent-

20/20 but the answer is apparently no, con-

the activities happening this month.

ly Town and Country Travel. Word’s out—the

sidering that since the doors opened five

small tony town is the place to see and be seen.

years ago, the town’s lodging tax revenue has

Besides the relentless engine of San Francisco’s

doubled to over $1 million a year. “Everyone

Glodow Nead (the town’s public relations firm),

I knew liked Healdsburg better than other

October Thur-Sat, Twilight Ghost Walk Walk historic H ealdsburg and learn ghostly legends and lore: healdsburgwalkingtours. com, 7 07 .4 8 4 .6 2 4 9

why is Healdsburg in so many magazines and

parts of the wine country and wanted a first-

newspapers? How has a town where 4-H club

class hotel there, so it was a natural,” says

membership is considered a social advantage

Kentfield’s Merritt Sher, the principal owner,

become an international travel destination?

who spearheaded the project. And with this

Perhaps one reason is that Prada-esque fash-

venuture, Sher, along with fellow Marin res-

ion, posh hotels and pricey Cabernets are just

ident Paolo Patrone, Healdsburg local John

part of the story. For nearly a century, prunes

Holt, and nationally acclaimed chef Charlie

were the main export and Levi Strauss the label

Palmer, have hit a home run. The hotel, spa

of choice. And while the crop is now fine wine

and restaurant, Dry Creek Kitchen, have be-

and blue jean labels might have changed, the

come integrated into the community as well

practical agrarian sensibilities still reign. Private

as a destination for out-of-towners. The part-

one-on-one tasting rooms, smaller restaurant

ners are set to break ground on another hip,

venues and free parking in the plaza have kept

energetic and possibly less expensive hotel

Healdsburg intimate and easy.

right down the street.

114

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

OCTOB E R A CTI V I TI E S

October 14, Healdsburg Crush Festival Over 4 0 wineries will be pouring a selection of hard-to-fi nd and award-winning wines, at St. John the B aptist Catholic School; crushfestival. org, 7 07 .4 7 3 .9 7 15 October 14, 15 & 21, 22, ARTtrails M eet local artists in their studios, learn about their creative processes, and purchase fi ne arts and crafts. V arious locations. arttrails.org, 7 07 .57 9 .2 7 8 7 October 27-29, Pinot on the River Festival P inot N oirs from more than 7 5 wineries. 7 07 .9 3 5.03 2 6 October 28, Healdsburg Farmers’ Market Pumpkin Festival N orth & V ine Sts. 7 07 .4 3 1.19 56

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Other contributions to the town’s tourism

great, underserved local clientele to support a

like Cyrus, Barndiva, Manzanita and Zin and

success are the 16-room Les Mars Hotel, with

store like hers. “Healdsburg offers the quality

more casual venues. A branch of the land-

luxury French villa–style accommodations, and

of life that people from Marin enjoy, such as

mark gourmet deli Oakville Grocery has been

Hotel Duchamp, which has likewise earned ac-

restaurants that serve delicious organic food,

serving up tasty pizzas, salads and sandwich-

colades from the national press. If your budget

world-class shopping, art and of course wine

es for over 20 years on the southeast corner

calls for less than four-or-five-star-fabulous,

tasting,” she says. Murphy, who knows her wine,

of the square. Plaza Farms is a relatively new

there’s a diverse range of accommodations,

doesn’t mind divulging her local favorites: “I

food cooperative where local artisan pro-

from the Dry Creek Best Western, which starts

love Armida’s Zinfandels and Cabs, Thumbprint

ducers like Bellwether Farms (cheese) and

at $90 a night, to more than a dozen B&Bs;

Cellars’ Cabernet Franc and Viognier, Coppola’s

Scharffen Berger (chocolate) sell their goods;

check Healdsburg.org for complete descrip-

Claret, and Gallo of Sonoma’s Barbera (sold

Bovolo, a deli in back, sells prepared foods to

tions and locations.

only at the tasting room in Healdsburg).” The

eat there or take out to the plaza. Restaurant

Just down the street from Hotel Healdsburg

plaza features nearly a dozen tasting rooms; a

Charcuterie is also a local favorite, with de-

is M Clothing, which has been compared to a

recent addition is La Crema’s sleek and modern

licious salads and Mediterranean-French cui-

micro Barney’s or Fred Segal. Owner Marty

setting, with complimentary tastes available

sine. Palette Art Cafe allows diners to enjoy

Murphy, who lives in Larkspur (near the sec-

seven days a week.

cafe fare surrounded by works from Northern

ond M location in Corte Madera), worked for

Besides wine, farm-fresh food is on al-

California’s top artists. For those with a sweet

years in the Wine Country, then decided that

most every menu in town. Seasonal treats

tooth the Downtown Bakery & Creamery has

Healdsburg had just enough tourism and a

are available both at high-end restaurants

delicious treats all day long.

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

115

HEALDSBURG WINE Nestled between the Russian River, Dry

by appointment only, that highlight the many

Creek and Alexander Valleys, Healdsburg

nuances of wine in a fun and informative

boasts a variety of internationally acclaimed

style. The “Enthusiast” and the “Zealot,” walk

varietals and wineries. Wineries range from

guests through an in-depth tasting of four or

the boutique Brogan Cellars makeshift win-

five wines of their choice and are tailored to

ery in a carport behind the Irish Rose B&B to

cover any wine-related topics about which

Ferrari-Carano’s 19 vineyards in four appella-

participants have always wanted to know;

tions totaling about 1,400 acres. Jess Jackson

Scentiments provides an opportunity for par-

of Jackson Family Wines recently opened

ticipants to test their “smell memory,” famil-

Stonestreet tasting room. Jackson purchased

iarizing themselves with 12 fresh aromas and

this land on the picturesque Alexander

then trying to identify those aromas in the

Mountain back in 1989, named it after his

wines; and Matchmaker, which explores the

late father, Jess Stonestreet Jackson, and be-

science of food and wine pairing, offers sam-

gan producing award-wining varietals. The

ples and helps participants choose the ap-

winery has just recently been opened to the

propriate wines to complement and enhance

public for sampling limited-production vine-

flavors in food.

yard-designated wines. Jordan Vineyard and

The following are just a few of the many

Winery is another superb viticulture experi-

For those who are attracted to modern inte-

great wineries in the area; check out healds-

ence: created back in 1976, the estate chan-

riors, Zinfandel and art, Roshambo Winery

burgwineries.com for a comprehensive listing

nels 18th century French chateau. The tasting

and Gallery should be on your list. Finally,

and websites.

room is the only place to sample the rare es-

there’s Ferrari-Carano; besides their tasting

•

Brogan Cellars: brogancellars.com

tate vintages and purchase large bottles and

room and five-acre garden with meander-

•

Jordan: jordanwinery.com

the estate-made olive oil; call ahead to make

ing paths and ponds open to the public, it of-

•

Ferrari-Carano: ferrari-carano.com

an appointment, as there are no public tours.

fers four private tasting programs, available

•

Roshambo: roshambowinery.com

1/2 HORIZONAL

•

Stonestreet: stonestreetwinery.com

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

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Palette Art Cafe in the Courtyard at 235 Headlsburg Avenue, is designed by international designer, Myra Hoefner, and shows work from artists like Dugald Stermer, Barbara Ravizza and Pete Le Compte, check out patett-art.com for a complete artist list.

Is all this fancy food and fuss about wine a surprise to the town’s old-timers? “Not at all,” says 30-year veteran Eric Drew of Healdsburg Realty, who has handled a variety of transactions such as the land acquisitions for Hotel Healdsburg and Les Mars Hotel. “Most of the people who move here, have visited quite a few times and realize that Healdsburg has all the big-city luxuries with small town comforts.” Perhaps what makes Healdsburg so special is the fact that a 4-H membership is a badge of pride—here, farmers rule the land and have a successful symbiotic relationship with the local chefs. Oh, and the fact that there are nearly a dozen world-class wine tasting rooms within five minutes of each other.

1/2 HORIZONAL

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

117

W I N E CO UNT RY

If Music Be the Food of Love... Play on, say the vintners of Napa and Sonoma

From left: Bruce Cohn, Russ Kunkel, Pat Simmons, Jackson Browne and Mark Volman

BY LUCAS DAVIDSON

THE FINE ARTS BEG IN to take over from the

manager of the Do obie Brothers band, moved

enological arts in wine country this month

from San Anselmo to the wine country 3 4

as growers pick the last of their late-ripening

years ago and founded the B.R. Cohn Winery

Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and prepare to cele-

in Sonoma County’ s G len Ellen. He q uickly

brate the end of harvest. Fortunately, wine coun-

made a very good reputation for the Cabernet

try visitors can enj oy a whole month of rock,

Sauvignon from his 4 6 -acre property, Olive

blues, open art studios and elegant auction fes-

Hill. He also began staging a music festival

tivities while the vintners finish the urgent work

at the winery as a benefit for children’ s chari-

of fermentation and get their wines tucked safe-

ties. October 6 -8 will bring the 2 0 th edition

ly away for the winter in oak barrels.

of the B. R. Cohn Annual Fall Music Festival

Bruce Cohn is one vintner who doesn’ t

& Celebrity Golf Classic ( 7 0 7 .9 3 8 .4 0 6 4 ex t.

wait for the end of harvest to invite friends

2 4 ; brcohn.com, ticketmaster.com) and the

over and start the party. Cohn, the long time

lineup has never been better.

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Cohn says it’s natural for wine and music to

Road (www.wineroad.com) and taste elegant

to the public, followed by an evening outdoor

share the stage: “The Doobie Brothers have done

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at any number of

concert at Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena

15 albums in their career, and each is different

wineries before taking in the Smothers Brothers

featuring Ron Thompson and His Resistors and

depending on what they were thinking at the

evening performance at the Wells Fargo Center

the Radiators. On Sunday the music venue will

time, how the personnel of the band changed

for the Arts near Santa Rosa (707.546.3600;

be Calistoga’s Pioneer Park.

and so on. Every time we did a record it was like

wellsfargocenterarts.com). Tom and Dick

Napa Valley showcases its visual artists on

a new vintage, coming from the same source

Smothers deliver folk songs and comedy ban-

the weekends of October 28 and 29 and again

but a little different because of what was going

ter, but they were rebels in their younger days

on November 4 and 5 with Open Studios, but

on, and that’s the way it is with wine.”

when CBS canceled their Smothers Brothers

first comes the Magnanimous Magnums Party

The Doobie Brothers (including guitar-

Comedy Hour for being too politically contro-

on Friday, October 20, at St. Supery Winery in

ist Tom Johnston, a Marin resident) play both

versial. Tom settled in Sonoma County and

Rutherford (707.963.4507; artscouncilnapaval-

Saturday and Sunday afternoon concerts, and

owns Remick Ridge Vineyards and Smothers

ley.org). Each participating artist will exhibit one

Willie Nelson, Michael McDonald, Pablo Cruise,

Winery (smothersbrothers.com; 800.795.

work ranging from paintings to ceramics to jew-

Little Feat and the Rowan Brothers fill out the

WINE). Visit the Wine Room in Kenwood, a

elry and textiles, while the public may bid on

bill. The weekend begins Friday, October 6, with

six-winery tasting room, to sample Smothers’

magnum bottles of choice Napa Valley wines

the Fairway to Heaven celebrity tournament

and others’ wines.

while enjoying other wines and food.

at Chardonnay Golf Club in Napa, followed by a

If your tastes run to blues instead of rock,

In recent years October’s most formal affair

tasting, dinner and auction back at Cohn’s win-

and Napa instead of Sonoma, then spend the

has been a health-care fundraiser for northern

ery and olive grove. Tickets are available for the

October 7-8 weekend in Calistoga, where the

Sonoma County, the Vines & Wines Black Tie

different days on an a la carte basis.

Napa Valley Blues Festival (707.944.0799;

Gala and Auction. The atmosphere will loosen

If the ’60s are more your bag than the ’70s

calistogajazz.com) infuses this friendly resort

for this year’s event on Saturday, October 14, in

(see above) then motor up Highway 101 on

town with rhythm. Saturday will see various

Windsor (707.473.0583; vinesandwines.org).

October 6 to tour the Russian River Wine

blues acts perform in downtown Calistoga free

Accepted attire is black tie or early Californian.

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

119

Featuring Chris Evert Tracy Austin Jana Novotna Mary Joe Hernandez & Other Tour Players and Celebrity Guests

Plus Members of the University of California Berkeley & Stanford University’s Womens Tennis Teams

October 14 & 15, 2006 475 E. Strawberry Drive Mill Valley, CA

Ticket Information: 415.383.6114 • www.womenstennisclassic.org

Tennis Legends Come to Marin GREAT TENNIS PLAYERS—the legends of the game—inspire us. They provide sports enthusiasts with motivation, hope and the opportunity to imitate. We may share the rudiments of their game, but their skill, style and dedication to excellence elude us. And when it comes to watching an authentic sports legend in person, the occasions are rare. We now have the opportunity to see four true legends of tennis in action—Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, Mary Joe Fernandez and Jana Novotna. On October 14 and 15, these peerless players and others will compete at The Comcast Women’s Tennis Classics at the picturesque Harbor Point Tennis Club in Mill Valley. Chris Evert won 18 career Grand Slam titles and made the two-handed backhand fashionable among a generation of women players. She still holds the top women’s record for the most consecutive wins. Tracy Austin is the amazing tennis prodigy who at 16 used her sharp ground strokes to become the youngest player to win the U.S. Open and to become ranked No. 1 in the world.

Evert and Austin, Fernandez and Novotna, will step on to center court to play their own signature style of championship tennis. They will be joined by celebrities and pros Rick Leach and Jared Palmer and members of the Stanford and Cal women’s tennis teams. The Comcast Women’s Tennis Classics is more than a highlevel competition. Your ticket supports two nonprofit causes: To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation and Youth Tennis Advantage. Bay Area Sports Hall of Famer Rosie Casals and Harbor Point Charitable Foundation are producing this must-see event. World-class tennis along with refreshments and activities at the Classics Tennis Village add up to an unforgettable day for family and friends in a beautiful bayside setting. This extraordinary opportunity for all ages to see the world’s legends and be inspired is not to be missed! October 7 and 8, 12 pm-3 pm Kicking Off the Classics - Visit our Fast Serve Tennis Contest & Ticket Booth, during the grand opening of Strawberry Village Shopping Center, Mill Valley.

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LO O K I NG BACK

Sally Stanford Sausalito’s very real legend— a madam and a mayor BY JIM WOOD Stanford lived life large. She appeared on

grifter and soon wound up serving two years

names and two children ( adopt-

J ohnny Carson’ s Tonight Show; a 1 9 7 8 movie

in the Oregon state prison for “ obtaining goods

ed) ; she was arrested 1 7 times,

starring D yan Cannon was made about her life;

under false pretenses.”

but convicted only twice; she

and her 1 9 6 6 autobiography, The Lady of the

Over the nex t 2 5 years, Stanford would

had five husbands and an unde-

House, was published by G . P. Putnam’ s Sons.

be arrested many times for crimes reported-

terminable number of divorces; she ran for the

When she died at age 7 8 , hundreds turned out

ly ranging from charging ex cessive rents in

Sausalito City Council nine times and was elect-

for her funeral mass at Saint Raphael Mission

the Bay Area to keeping a house of ill repute.

ed three times; she suffered a doz en heart at-

Church in San Rafael. “ The place was packed;

According to news accounts, her two convic-

tacks, the last in 1 9 8 2 — and that one killed her.

you couldn’ t find a place to sit,” says Robin

tions resulted in, respectively, a $ 5 0 0 fine,

Stanford became a legend the old-fashioned

Sweeny, who served with Stanford for ten years

and a $1,50

on the city council, “ and everyone was dressed

the late 1 9 2 0 s, faced with the annulment of

in their very finest.”

a second marriage and hesitant to return to

way—

she earned it. Her rise to notoriety be-

gan in San Francisco in 1 9 3 1 when she opened

fine and 30-

day j ail sentence. In

several houses of prostitution. She presided as

Stanford’ s life hardly began with such at-

any of her former names, she faced a crisis:

madam with great success until 1 9 4 5 , when,

tention or splendor. She was born Mabel Busby

what to call herself? Then, after hearing the

sensing the arrival of a postwar law-and-order

on May 5 , 1 9 0 3 , in Baker, Oregon. In her au-

song “ I Wonder What’ s Become of Sally” on

attitude among local authorities, she crossed

tobiography, she described her family as con-

the radio, she spotted a sports page headline:

the G olden G ate and settled in Sausalito. In

sisting of “ my poor mother, an ineffectual but

“ Stanford Beats California.” “ Suddenly, I had

1 9 5 0 , Stanford went into the restaurant busi-

well-intentioned father, my three brothers, two

a new name,” she would later write ( though

ness, starting the unabashedly plush, Victorian-

sisters, and myself—

she didn’ t legally become Sally Stanford un-

themed Valhalla Inn on Second Street, which

gedy-assed kiddies fighting starvation and pov-

she operated for 3 2 years until her death in

erty in an Oregon gulch.”

six lighthearted and rag-

til 197)

. Stanford arrived in San Francisco in 1 9 2 3

1 9 8 2 . In 1 9 7 2 , Stanford finally won a seat on

Stanford’ s father died when she was young

and, after a series of less-than-profitable ven-

the city council, and she served on it for ten

and she spent her early years helping her moth-

tures and an inability to avoid accusations of

years, including two as mayor ( 1 9 7 6 -7 8 ) .

er support the family. She eloped at 1 6 with a

involvement in prostitution, she decided to not

122

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MARINMAGAZINE.COM

P H OTO: SAUS ALITO HI STORICAL SOC IET Y

ally Stanford had nine different

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

123

Firm thighs. Lifted seats. Flat abs.

only actually become a madam, but, as she put it, “be the very best one in town.” Fivefoot-two,110 pounds, and not particularly glamorous, she did consider herself skilled at selecting and training attractive “girls” and soon had four “working establishments” on Geary, Franklin, Bush and Stockton streets. Her real fame began with the Pompeian Court, the plush “grand temple of love” she developed at 1144 Pine on lower Nob Hill. As detailed in The Lady of the House, rates ranged from “an average of forty dollars for half an hour up to five hundred dollars” for an evening of “dinner, dancing and horizontal exercise.” To her, it was a creative and fulfilling

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way of earning a living. “I didn’t set out to be a madam,” Stanford says in the prologue to her autobiography, “any more than Arthur Michael Ramsey, when he was a kid, set out to be the Archbishop of Canterbury. Things just happened to both of us, I guess.” During World War II, the Pompeian Court was a regular stopping place for members of the armed forces heading overseas. Then, following V-J Day, customers in turbans, tunics and tuxedos visited while in town for the

1/3 SQUARE

United Nations Charter Conference. By 1946, Stanford sensed San Francisco would soon be cleaning up its act and opted for a new career in a new location. She purchased a decrepit former German beer garden located on a pier in the southern reaches of Sausalito and, after a costly makeover, the Valhalla Inn was born. (Today it is Gaylord India restaurant.)

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“Sally was a good businessperson,” says Sweeny, her former city council colleague. “She was a tough lady who knew how to run a restaurant.” Part of her approach was to sit in a chromium barber’s chair at the end of the Valhalla bar and, after holding court with customers all night, have the entire kitchen staff pass by her at the end of their shift. “That way she could see they weren’t leaving with a turkey under one arm and a ham under the other,” Sweeny says. Stanford was never far from her animals, a menagerie that included a talkative parrot named Loretta, a white German shepherd named Leland (as in Leland Stanford)

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

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and two stray cats named Radar and Bessie. During her later years at Valhalla, her pet of choice was a pit bull named Pitiful Pearl. In her signature deep voice, Stafford would often advise guests, “Just call her P. P.” Sweeny remembers the gregarious Stanford as a moderate J&B Scotch drinker and, “when people wanted to buy her a drink, which they always did, it was always a weak one but she made sure they were charged full price.”

You’ve been thinking about it for ages. Isn’t it finally time you bought property on Kauai?

Stanford first ran for the city council in 1962, using the name Marsha Owen (taken legally after she adopted an infant named John Owen in the early 1930s), and campaigned every two years thereafter until she was elected in 1972. In the 1976 election, Stanford won by such a resounding majority that her colleagues voted her mayor. According to local history buffs, her years

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on the council were marked by a disdain for bureaucracy, a desire to build a downtown “that accommodated merchants, tourists and residents alike,” and ambivalence between protecting the environment and respect-

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ing individual property rights. “We’re fooling around with a man’s purse strings here,” she reportedly said during one heated debate regarding open space, “and I’m not sure we have the right to.” Stanford left a legacy of philanthrop-

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ic involvement. Along with establishing the Sausalito Foundation, she helped purchase underwater lots along Sausalito’s waterfront, contributed to the acquisition of Dunphy Park and underwrote the local Little League program. A bronze plaque on a drinking fountain at the Sausalito Nursery School commemorates her generosity. “Have a drink on Sally,” it reads. In The Lady of the House, Stanford wrote, “Not to the throb-in-the-throat sweet-talkers, the fee-needing friends nor the escape-clause pals is this book dedicated. Instead, I dedicate these memories to the loyal companions who were around when the chips were down, my back was against the wall, the breaks were few, and my luck was bad. You know who you are and well do I. Someday we will hold a reunion in a good-sized telephone booth.”

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

125

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MARIN

OCTOBER 2006

415. 824.5756

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

GA L L E RI E S

Paradise Found, and Lost BY ANNE CRUMP RAY

acteristics that have become signature touch-

Francisco presents striking works by

The gallery’s presentation of paintings

San Francisco–based painter Mark Stock

by Lille, France–based Jansens marks the

and the French artist Catherine Jansens.

artist’s ﬁrst exhibition at Modernism. Gallery

rom September 14 through October 28, Modernism in downtown San

es in Stock’s paintings.

Modernism, 685 Market St., Suite 290, San Francisco, 415.541.0461, modernisminc. com; 10–5:30 Tues–Sat; closed Sun–Mon

rom October 3 through 28, San Francisco’s Hespe Gallery presents

A longtime ﬁxture on the gallery’s roster,

owner Martin Muller discovered her work on

Stock is known for moody, mysterious and

a recent trip to Paris, where he “was struck

often unsettling portraits that suggest love

by the relationship between time and image

amiss—a butler captivated by lipstick-smudged

that she articulates, echoing a Proustian

Since graduating from the University of

glassware, a young woman peering through

sensibility,” explains gallery director Danielle

Texas with a BFA in 1998, the Santa Fe–based

a hidden hole in the ﬂoor, a man with his ear

Beaulieu. Jansens’s dark and layered water-

artist has been garnering a bevy of accolades

to a keyhole, a couple stealing an adulterous

colors showcase exquisitely detailed still lifes

for her highly stylized portraits, which marry

kiss. The current exhibition builds on Stock’s

that suggest a palpable intimacy and an ar-

beautifully rendered ﬁgures with minimalist

oeuvre to date while exploring love’s devastat-

resting quietness.

abstraction. Though she has not yet exhib-

ing power through a new channel: the “Dear

The works in this pair of exhibitions share

John” letter. His new paintings present mo-

a complementary solemnity, an air of mys-

ments of desolation and defeat, bathed in

tery and indisputably accomplished artistry,

the seductive glow of candlelight and rife with

which makes them an intriguing juxtaposi-

hollow representations of glamour—two char-

tion and a thoughtful combination.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

the work of painter Erin Cone in her

ﬁrst exhibition with the gallery.

ited widely outside the Southwest, Cone’s

Painting above: Mark Stock, Michael, 2006, oil on canvas, 52” x 62”. Next page: Erin Cone, Tied, 2006, 36” x 36”, acrylic on canvas.

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

127

star is unquestioningly on the rise. In 2003 Southwest Art Magazine included her among its picks for the top 21 artists age 31 and younger, and in 2005 Santa Fean Magazine named her as one of Santa Fe’s “Five Artists to Watch.” Cone captivates viewers with strong lines and rich colors that fuel a sort of hyperrealism that is nonetheless decidedly painterly. Flat, abstract geometry frames and isolates her ﬁgures, acting as a dramatic counterpoint and alluring background—and adding visual and conceptual depth to her compositions. The gallery will highlight Cone’s recent paintings during the First Thursday downtown gallery walk on October 4, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and it will host an opening reception for the artist on Saturday, October 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Hespe Gallery, 251 Post St., Suite 420, San Francisco, 415.776.5918, hespe.com; 10:30–5:30 Tues–Sat

128

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Robert Beck Gallery

Stroud Schelling&

ﬁne art photography 415 927 4642 / 415 388 8137

California Plein Air Paintings • 1900’s to Contemporary

Asian Antiques

William Dorsey

Santa Barbara Coast

(415) 456-7898 (415) 706-2174 (415) 456-7314 fax

222 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., San Anselmo, CA 94960

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Oil on canvas board

MARIN

OCTOBER 2006

129

S T R AW B E R RY VILLAGE

Grand Opening Weekend October 7 & 8, 12pm – 4 pm

GRAND OPENING ENJOY A WEEKEND OF MUSIC, WINE, FO OD, FLAMENCO D A N C I N G A N D A N A R R AY O F C H I L D R E N ’ S A C T I V I T I E S .

STRAW BERRY VILLAG E

G r and Opening We e ke nd Even t Li st in g S t r aw b e r ry Vi l l a g e : Gather and Shop Visit our brand new array of stores; including everything from unique boutiques to hands-on services, from eateries to specialty shops. Enjoy our new restaurants, shop the brand new Smith & Hawken or simply sit back and enjoy the Piazza Centrale while sipping on a glass of wine. Your senses will be filled with fragrant flowers and vibrant colored cottage gardens changing with the seasons. We are bringing you a new Village where friends can gather, shop and slow down their pace of life.

Mill Valley Film Festival Gala Fundraiser Thursday, October 5th, 2006 Please join us at the Strawberry Village Shopping Center for the Bay Area’s most highly anticipated party, the Opening Night Gala of the 29th Annual Mill Valley Film Festival, an elegant celebration with fine food and wine to launch the 2006 Festival. Tickets go on sale to CFI Members September 14 and to the general public September 17. Visit www.mvff.com or 925.866.9559 for details.

Strawberry Village Grand Opening Saturday & Sunday, October 7th & 8th, 2006 12 pm - 4 pm

Win Prizes. Daily 12-3pm. Meet Tennis Legend Rosie Casals on October 7th.

• Flamenco Dancers; • Live Music: Brazilian Jazz, Smooth Blues, and Latin Harmony; • Children’s Entertainment: Face Painters, Balloon Artistry, Jugglers and many other surprises!

The Comcast Women’s Tennis Classics Ticket Booth & Exhibit: Take a Swing at our Fast Serve Tennis Contest with the Pros!

Purchase with Purchase October 5th through 8th: Spend $75 at Strawberry Village, bring accumulated receipts to Mill Valley Candleworks and purchase a beautiful candle for $5 ($18 value). Proceeds from the sale will be donated to Light A Heart Foundation and To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation. One per person, while supplies last. Must be 18 or older.

1204 Frank Howard Allen Realtors . . 381-3000 1206 Mill Valley Pediatrics. . . . . . . . . 388-3364 60 Pacific Union Residential Brokerage . . . . . . . 383-1900 601 RAM Print & Communications . . . . . . . . . . . 383-4177 619 Spotless Cleaners . . . . . . . . . . 383-8786 335 Strawberry Shoes & Repair . . . 381-3398 613 Strawberry Village Dental Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380-3600 209 Wells Fargo Bank. . . . . . . . .Coming Soon 1222 Westamerica Bank. . . . . . . . . . 389-4800

Store Directory: Fashion / Beauty 206 ArchRival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383-0275 216 Evo Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383-3223 616 Golden Strawberry Beauty Salon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383-5700 617 Jenny’s Nail Salon . . . . . . . . . . 389-9668 805 Jos. A. Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381-5557 310 Kidiniki. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383-3110 120 Marin Beauty Company . . . . . . 381-6275 306 Patrick James . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383-2174 121 Pendleton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389-9396 110 Safeway Pharmacy . . . . . . . . . 388-6216

120 The Salon at Marin Beauty Company . . . . . . . . . . . 381-1231 Restaurants/Food 125 Boulange Bakery . . . . . . . . . . . 381-1260 401 Harmony Restaurant . . . . . .Coming Soon 118 High Tech Burrito . . . . . . . . . . . 388-7002 900 In-N-Out Burger . . . . . . . . 800-786-1000 308 New York Bagel . . . . . . . . . . . . 381-3599 205 Pasta Pomodoro . . . . . . . . . . . 388-1692 705 Pizza Antica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383-0600 610 Rain Tree Cafe . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380-8886

50 Round Table Pizza . . . . . . . . . . 383-5100 110 Safeway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388-6216 306 Starbucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381-8308 1216 Strawberry Gourmet Deli . . . . . 381-2088 215 Sushi Gourmet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381-8521 615 Thep Lela Thai Restaurant . . . . 383-3444 802 Woody’s Yogurt Place . . . . . . . . 383-4881 Services 229 Bank of America . . . . . . . . . . . 388-3219 1209 Cellular World . . . . . . . . . . . . . 927-8100 1210 Countrywide Home Loans . . . . 389-4783

Specialty Shops 614 FrameCrafters Gallery . . . . . . . 383-8793 329 Gymboree Play & Music. . . . . . 383-9771 1212 Ideal Stationers . . . . . . . . . . . . 383-2600 1217 Medi-Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Coming Soon 114 Mill Valley Candleworks . . . . . . 381-8081 211 Nancy Koltes at Home . . . . . . . 924-5811 606 Rims & Goggles . . . . . . . . . . . . 383-9480 405 Smith & Hawken . . . . . . . . . . . 381-1800 16 Telford’s Pipe & Cigar, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388-0440 609 The D.F. Davidson Co . . . . . . . . 383-9000 123 The Spanish Table . . . . . . . . . . 388-5043 612 Think Personal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381-3868 618 Travel Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381-4646 214 Wolf Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383-6477 701 Woodlands Pet Food & Treats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388-7387 218 World of Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . 383-4343

CA LE N DAR

OCTOBER 2006 October 28 Momix Using props, light, shadow, humor and the human body, the group comes back to Marin with the Bay Area premiere of Lunar Sea. Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6800

COMEDY October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 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 up-and-coming comics work on new material. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmortontheatre.com

October 28 Momix at the Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium October 28

THEATER

struggle of survival. Berkeley Rep (Berkeley). 510.647.2949, berkeleyrep.org

4 Over 40 Comedy for Your Midlife Crisis Jimmy Gunn, Anthony Hill, Michael Slack and Ross Turner are four middle-aged comedians who never grew up. Larkspur Café Theatre (Larkspur). 415.924.6107, larkspurcafetheatre.com

Thru October 8 Orson’s Shadow Get a look at the drama of theatre. Egos collide on and off stage when Orson Welles senses his foothold in the screen industry is slipping and is coaxed by his friend to direct Laurence Olivier. Marin Theatre Company (Mill Valley). 415.388.5208, marintheatre.org

Thru October 22

October 19–November 5

The God of Hell An ode to our current administration from the Magic Theatre’s signature playwright. The slow and predictable life of a midwestern couple is turned upside down when a salesman shows up at their door selling patriotic paraphernalia. Fort Mason Center (SF) 415.441.8822, magictheatre.org

Pardon My English A young British gentleman who suffers from amnesia is unaware that he has been leading a double life as a cabaret owner. 42nd Street Moon at Eureka Theatre (SF). 415.255.8207, 42ndstmoon.org

Thru October 22 Mother Courage As a religious war ravages the civilized world a peddler sells supplies to whichever side will pay in this 132

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Proof This pulitzer prize and Tony Award– winning drama combines mystery and suspense when a daughter of a professor arrives at a mathematical breakthrough. The Barn Theatre (Ross). 415.456.9555, rossvalleyplayers.org

October 24–November 5 Chicago The Broadway hit musical that spawned an Academy Award–winning ﬁlm stars Huey Lewis as Billy Flynn. Orpheum Theater (SF). 415.551.2000, shnsf.com

MUSIC October 1 Latin Jazz Festival Jimmy Bosch will be headlining this annual festival along with a ten-piece ensemble from New York and Puerto Rico. Yerba Buena Gardens (SF). 415.543.1718, ybgf.org

Thru October 13 Die Fledermaus On his way to go to jail for insulting a public ofﬁcial, Gabriel von Eisenstein attends Prince Orlofsky’s party, where he meets a glamorous Hungarian countess with intentions. SF Opera (SF). 415.864.3330

October 3–8 Paul Williams Listen to “An Old-Fashioned Love Song” by this Oscar, Grammy, and MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Golden Globe–winning songwriter. Williams is known for hits like “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “Rainy Days and Mondays.” Empire Plush Room (SF). 866.468.3399, empireplushroom.com

October 4–8 Joshua Bell Plays Beethoven Grammywinning violinist Joshua Bell will play the epic Beethoven Concerto. The second half of the program will feature Carl Nielsen’s Fifth, a work that depicts triumph over the odds. Davies Symphony Hall (SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org

October 5–27 Tristan and Isolde While escorting the Irish Princess Isolde to be King Mark’s bride, Tristan ignites her warth and much more. SF Opera (SF). 415.864.3330

October 8 Lost in the Stars German award-winning singer and choreographer Jutta Czurda performs the work of Kurt Weill. Jewish Community Center (SF). 415.292.1233, jccsf.org

October 8 & 10 Marin Symphony Italy comes to Marin with a Rossini overture. The Thieving Magpie, Grieg’s Piano Concerto, and Respighi’s The Fountains of Rome and The Pines of Rome. Marin Symphony (San Rafael). 415.479.8100, marinsymphony.org

October 19 & 21

October 27

Diamanda Galás in Defixiones: Orders from the Dead, is a theatrical spectacle five years in the making. Defixiones is a haunting mass that excavates the Armenian, Assyrian, Anatolian and Pontic Greek genocides that occurred between 1914 and 1923. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (SF). 415.978.2787, ybca.org

Natalie MacMaster This Canadian ﬁddler has performed with Alison Kraus, the Chieftains and Luciano Pavarotti. See her perform in Marin for one night only. Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6800

October 20 The Ruminators Hailing from wine country, this group is making a stop in Larkspur to show off its Celtic sound. Larkspur Café Theatre (Larkspur). 415.924.6107, larkspurcafetheatre.com

October 27 Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings Check out this Grammy Award–nominated modern master of the slide guitar. Rancho Nicasio town square (Nicasio). 415.662.2219, ranchonicasio.com

DANCE October 22 The Breast of Broadway Take a musical journey through the classics of Broadway to support Zero Breast Cancer and Rally to Celebrate Life. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmortontheatre.com

October 27 Doug Adamz & BRAVO! Solo guitar instrumentals, rock and roll and Irish ﬁddle tunes await you. Larkspur Café Theatre (Larkspur). 415.924.6107, larkspurcafetheatre.com

October 5–7 Printz Dance Project An evening of new and repertory works by Stacey Printz. Cowell Theater (SF). 415.345.7575, printzdance.org

October 5, 12, 19, 26 Shaman Dance Join in for two hours of sweat-provoking freestyle dancing offered by ex-professional ballet dancer Grier Buehler and singer/songwriter Muneca Osorio. Baywest Dancesport Studio (San Rafael). 415.302.2739, shamandance.com

SPOTLIGHT ON: RAPTOR ON THE MOVE This month Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands is the place to see thousands

October 12–14

of red-tailed and Swainson’s hawks,

Haydn and Mozart Classical favorites with Blomstedt, as well as Stephen Hough, who will play one of the composer’s most loved Piano Concertos. Davies Symphony Hall and Flint Center (SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org

peregrine falcons, ospreys and other species of birds. For centuries these thermal soaring predators have followed the same seasonal flight plan in search of food. Since they rely on air movements created over land to keep them in ﬂight,

October 14

a route over the Headlands (where ris-

Ramana Viera “The new voice of Portuguese music” will be performing her emotionally charged music. Larkspur Café Theatre (Larkspur). 415.924.6107, larkspurcafetheatre.com

ing thermals and updrafts are created)

October 17–November 12

season to spot the birds, how do you

San Francisco Jazz Festival Featuring such artists as Sonny Rollins, Marisa Monte, the Heath Brothers, Meshell Ndegeocello, Alice Coltrane and many more. This event will be unforgettable. Various locations (SF). 800.225.2277, sfjazz.org MARINMAGAZINE.COM

allows the birds to cruise over large expanses of water—like the two-mile gap between there and San Francisco. Considering this month is the prime know if it’s a broad-winged, ferruginous or rough-legged ﬂying overhead? Check out the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory’s free Hawk Talk, each weekend in October. A docent will teach you shortcuts and tips to identify the different species and you’ll meet a newly banded raptor. The best time to see the birds is midday so bring your lunch and binoculars. Raptor Migration at Hawk Hill (Sausalito). 415.331.0730, ggro.org

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October 7 Tango Number 9 A tango concert, introductory class and dance party. Dance Palace (Point Reyes). 415.454.5238, noevalleymusicseries.com

October 21 Mount Tam Swing Kelly Casanova, a twotime U.S. Open Swing Dance Champion, will teach a beginning and intermediate West Coast swing lesson. So you think you can dance? Following the instruction take part in the open dancing to Jules Broussard and his swinging band. Mount Tam Racquet Club (Larkspur). 415.924.6226

October 26–29 Batsheva Dance Company Ohad Naharin brings his latest work Three to San Francisco. Themes of beauty, nature and existence are examined. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (SF). 415.978.2787, ybca.org

GALLERIES MARIN

Apartment A Art From Personal Keepsakes Work by Jennifer Parker, thru November. 10 Locust Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.0140

canvas and handmade surfaces, thru October. 735 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo. 415.256.1112, artabloom.com

Art Works Downtown Artrageous Month This full month of events features an exhibition by Mark Grieve and installation artists, October 12; Pumpkin Pandemonium and Art Walk (in conjunction with Trick or Treat on Fourth St), October 28; 1337 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.451.8119, artworksdowntown.org

Claudia Chapline Gallery New Abstractions Abstract paintings on paper, canvas and plastic by Claudia Chapline and Etta Deikman, October 13– November 12. 3445 Shoreline Hwy, Stinson Beach. 415.868.2308, cchapline.com

Documenting Life Gabriella Spina Drake’s oil paintings on

Gallery Bergelli House/Home New work by Sanjay Vora, thru October. 483 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.945.9454, gallerybergelli.com

Gallery Route One Bridge Builders Photo essays depicting families who have recently arrived here from Mexico, thru October 22. 11101 Hwy One, Point Reyes Station. 415.663.1347, galleryrouteone.org

Garzoli Gallery Ongoing exhibits. 930 B St, San Rafael. 415.459.4321, garzoligallery.com

Donna Seager Gallery Unearthing Color Work by Claudia Marseille, October 3–October 31. 851 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.454.4229, donnaseagergallery.com

Hanson Gallery

Edith Caldwell Gallery

Marin Society of Artists

An overview of contemporary realism through paintings and drawings. 819 Bridgeway, Sausalito. 415.331.5003, edithcaldwell.com

2006 National Juried Show Open to the national community of artists; there will be over 100 works from around the country in an array of media and subject matter, October 1–October 21. 30 Sir Francis Drake, Ross. 415.454.9561, marinsocietyofartists.org

Falkirk Galleries Art Abloom

demonstrates their ongoing relationship with nature, thru October 14. 1408 Mission Ave at E St, San Rafael. 415.485.3328, falkirkculturalcenter.org

Alone in Nature The works of Jennifer Bain, June Yokell and Shelley Gardner

Work by Mackenzie Thorpe, thru October. 669 Bridgeway, Sausalito. 415.332.1815, hansongallerysa.com

O’Hanlon Center for the Arts West Coast Encaustic Artists Exhibit Contemporary pieces on display employing the ancient technique of encaustic, a medium made of beeswax, dammar resin and pigments applied in a molten state; October 3–28. 616 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.4331, ohanloncenter.org

The Painters Place Gallery artists, thru October. 1139 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.461.0351, thepaintersplace.com

Robert Beck Gallery Ongoing exhibits. 222 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo. 415.456.7898

Robert Green Fine Arts

The Archer, oil on panel, 76” by 60” 2006, David Linn at Frey Norris Gallery thru Oct. 3. 134

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

Paintings from the 1970s by Paul Jenkins, thru November. 154 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.381.8776, rgﬁnearts.com MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Sam the Butcher Georgette L. Osserman is the featured artist at this new gallery, thru November. Artist Opening October 1. 19 Ross Common, Ross. 415.902.1019

Studio 333 Group Show Work by Beijing artists, October 20–27. 333A Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.8272, studio333.info

William Lester Gallery Ongoing exhibits. 11101 Shoreline Hwy, Point Reyes Station. 415.663.9365, williamlestergallery.com

SAN FRANCISCO

ArtHaus The Cherry Paintings A solo exhibition featuring work incorporating oil and metal leafs on both canvas and panel by Ricardo Carbajal Moss, thru October 28. 411 Brannan St, 415.977.0223, arthaus-sf.com

5–November 4. 14 Geary St, 415.433.2710, gallerypauleanglim.com

Caldwell Snyder Gallery

George Krevsky Gallery

Ongoing exhibits. 341 Sutter St, 415.296.7896, caldwellsnyder.com

Mary Robertson: New Paintings/New Direction Oil paintings of the southwestern desert and the Russian River, thru October 28. 77 Geary St, 415.397.9748, georgekrevskygallery.com

Elins Eagles Smith Gallery New Work by Timothy McDowell on display, thru October 3. 49 Geary St, Suite 520, 415.981.1080, eesgallery.com

Fraenkel Gallery Eye of the Beholder Photographs from the collection of Richard Avedon, thru October. 3049 Geary St, 415.981.2661, fraenkelgallery. com

Frey Norris Gallery David Linn: Gathering Light This second solo exhibition by the artist will include allegorical paintings, mixed-media illuminated boxes, sculptural objects suspended from the ceiling and conceptual tools presented in ceremonial contexts, thru October 3. Who’s Afraid of San Francisco A headﬁrst plunge by Bay Area artists into our biggest anxieties including what drives and motivates fear, October 5–November 16. 456 Geary St, 415.346.7812, freynorris.com

Grand Canyon 1978, oil on canvas, 12” x 16”, Mary Robertson at George Krevsky Gallery

Gregory Lind Gallery New Work by Sarah Bostwick using Hydrocal (a plaster) and incorporating woods and antique ivory, thru October 14. 49 Geary St, 415.296.9661, gregorylindgallery.com

Hackett-Freedman Gallery A Survey 1958–2006 Work by sculptor Brian Wall, thru October 28. 250 Sutter St, 415.362.7152, hackettfreedman.com

Hang Art and Hang Art Annex Surface Work by artist Dana Chen, New Growth Work by artists Jessica Martin and Heather Patterson, October 5–October 30 at Hang Art. 556 & 567 Sutter St, 415.434.4264, hangart.com

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Mixed media by Hugh Shurley and oil paintings by Carl Dobsky on display, thru October 7. 750 Post St, 415.441.1138, johnpence.com

LightHouse Insights This juried art exhibition features works by artists who are blind or visually impaired, thru November 22. 1 Dr Carlton B. Goodlett Pl, 415.431.1481, lighthouse-sf.org

Linda Saytes New San Francisco Series Works by artist Linda Saytes, October 28 & 29 (or by appointment). Hunters Point Shipyard Bldg 101 Studio 2120, 415.824.5756, saytesart.com

Meyerovich Gallery Part 1, Modern Art: Picasso at Meyerovich The gallery’s ﬁrst exhibit 20 years ago included works by Picasso. To celebrate its anniversary the Meyerovich Gallery will once again join forces with the Picasso estate, thru November 14. 251 Post St, 415.421.7171, meyerovich.com

Newmark Gallery San Francisco Jack Hanley Gallery Ongoing exhibits. 395/389 Valencia St, 415.522.1623, jackhanley.com

Gallery Paule Anglim David Ireland The artist presents works from his studio including, sculptures, paintings and works on paper in mixed media, October

John Pence Gallery

John Berggruen Gallery Seydou Keita, thru October. 228 Grant Ave, 415.781.4629, berggruen.com

A Journey Through Drawing and Painting: Public Space/Private Space This series by local artist Larry Morace will take you on an expedition from cityscapes to landscapes and through a world of still lifes, thru October 28. 251 Post St, Suite 412, 415.392.3692, newmarkgallery.com MARIN OCTOBER 2006

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2006 Marin Designers Showcase September 19 – October 8, 2006 presented by The Auxiliary of the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership

Paul Thiebaud Works on Paper Drawings done in oil on prepared paper by local artist Michael Tompkins, thru November 4. 718 Columbus Ave, 415.434.3055, paulthiebaudgallery.com

Rena Bransten Gallery Visionary Output: Works by Creative Growth Artists, a group exhibition, and Paintings by Joseph Park thru October 14. 77 Geary St, 415.982.3292, renabranstengallery.com

SF Camerawork Ghosts in the Machine This exhibit explores how elements in the past return to haunt the present in works of photography and digital media, October 5–November 18. 1246 Folsom St, 415.863.1001, sfcamerawork.org

MUSEUMS MARIN

ADVERTISER 37th Annual Fundraiser Benefiting: The Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership & The 2006 Heart Tug Recipients: Bridge the Gap Tutoring, Marin City St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin County • WildCare, San Rafael

Twenty-five designers are featured in this year’s just completed Tuscan style 6,500 square foot home located in the Dominican Hills of San Rafael.

Bolinas Museum Continuing the Plein Air Tradition: Painters From the “Outsiders Group”, thru November 17. Photography: Rolphe Horn, thru November 17. 48 Wharf Road (Bolinas). 415.868.0330, bolinasmuseum.org

Marin Museum of the American Indian Spirit Speaks Exhibit on contemporary and historic expressions of Native Peoples, photographic images of American Indians by Scott Ridgway, and work by contemporary California Indian artists, on display, thru October 27. Marin Community Foundation (Novato). 415.897.4064, marinindian.com

B AY A R E A

Gift Shop ~ Lunch ~ Fashion Shows Meet the Designers Wine & Hors-d’œuvres • Thursday Evenings

Hidden Meanings: Symbolism in Chinese Imperial Arts By surrounding themselves with symbols many Chinese believed that wishes would be fulﬁlled. This exhibit unlocks the mysteries of the hidden meanings, October 7– December 31 (SF). 415.581.3500, asianart.org

TICKETS: General: $28 • Senior & Advance: $25

COPIA

HOURS: Tues-Sat: 10 am - 3 pm, Sun: 11 am - 4 pm, Thurs Eve: 6 pm - 9 pm, Closed Monday

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Asian Art Museum

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

FOR INFO: Call (415) 479-5691 visit www.marindesignersshowcase.com

Counter Culture: The American Diner Celebrate the diner as an icon of American culture and examine the hold it continues to have on our appetite, thru October 2 (Napa). 888.512.6742, copia.org MARINMAGAZINE.COM

de Young The Quilts of Gee’s Bend Don’t miss your ﬁnal chance to see an exhibition the New York Times calls “some of the most miraculous works of art America has ever produced.” The exhibit includes 60 quilts made by 42 African American women in Alabama between 1930 and 2000; on display thru November 26 (SF). 415.863.3330, thinker.org/deyoung

di Rosa Preserve California Dreamin’ 5th Annual Beneﬁt Art Auction This art auction, dinner and afterparty supports the cultural and educational programs at the center, October 21 (Napa). 707.226.5991 ext. 26, dirosapreserve.org

Exploratorium Listen: Making Sense of Sound This 5,000squarefoot exhibit features over 55 interactive opportunities. Listen like a deer does when you try on deer-like ears, or act like a snake: listen with your teeth and jawbone, October 21–December 31 (SF). 415.397.5673, exploratorium.edu

2006/07 Season One

program October 8 & 10, 2006 Alasdair Neale, conductor • Orli Shaham, piano ROSSINI: Overture to The Thieving Magpie GRIEG: Piano Concerto RESPIGHI: The Fountains of Rome RESPIGHI: The Pines of Rome

Two

program November 5 & 7, 2006 Alasdair Neale, conductor • Jenny Koh, violin DAVIES: An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise BRUCH: Scottish Fantasy MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 3, “Scottish”

Three

program January 28 & 30, 2007 Alasdair Neale, conductor • Orion Weiss, piano

ADVERTISER

VASKS: World Premiere MOZART: Symphony No. 35, “Haffner” RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 3

Legion of Honor European Tapestries from the Permanent Collection Selected works in wool, silk and even gold from the Fine Arts Museums’ collection, thru October 2 (SF). 415.863.3330, legionofhonor.org

Four

program February 25 & 27, 2007 Alasdair Neale, conductor • Todd Palmer, clarinet KODÁLY: Galanta Dance GOLIJOV: The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 7

Mexican Museum African by Legacy, Mexican by Birth This exhibition considers an under-recognized segment of the African diaspora, Afro Mexicans living on the Paciﬁc and Gulf Coasts of Mexico, thru November 11 (SF). 415.202.9700, mexicanmuseum.org

Museum of Craft & Folk Art Menagerie: Artists Look at Animals focuses on contemporary animal art by craft and folk artists. More than 50 works of art will be on display—drawn mainly from local collections and from Bay Area artists, thru October 22 (SF). 415.227.4888, mocfa.org

SFMOMA Alexander Girard: Vibrant Modern A selection of lively, bold designs including textiles designed for Herman Miller and works created for La Fonda del Sol Restaurant in New York, October 14–February 25 (SF). 415.357.4000, sfmoma.org MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Five

program March 25 & 27, 2007 Alasdair Neale, conductor • Marin Symphony Chorus DURUFLÉ: Requiem VOLKERT: Song of the Sea DEBUSSY: La Mer

Six

program April 29 & May 1, 2007 Alasdair Neale, conductor • Rebecca Evans, soprano STRAUSS: Wind Serenade STRAUSS: Four Last Songs STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben

SUBSCRIPTION PRICES 6-20% Subscriber Savings vs. Single Tickets # Concerts: 6 Sec. I $365 Sec. II $280 Sec. III $150 Savings 20%**

5 $325 $250 $135 16%**

3* $185 $140 $75 6%

*new subscribers **with companion ticket

To subscribe: 415.479.8100. Call to discuss seating options and subscriber beneﬁts. Single tickets: $65, $50 and $27, students half price. Call 415.499.6800.

Concerts: 7:30pm, Marin Center, San Rafael • Programs and Artists Subject to Change

4 1 5 . 4 7 9 . 8 10 0 • w w w. ma ri n s y mp h o ny. o rg MARIN OCTOBER 2006

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YBCA Cosmic Wonder Emerging artists work is put side by side with work from their predecessors, all paying respect to the psychedelic era of the ‘60s; on display thru November 5 (SF). 415.978.2787, ybca.org

FAMILIES/KIDS MARIN

Thru October 7

Mystery Ball 2006 The Beneﬁt Season’s Most Innovative Art Happening October 28, 7PM – Midnight, Headlands Center for the Arts. Headlands’ Limited Edition Prints: 20th Anniversary Boxed Sets Edition of 30. Launched at Mystery Ball 2006. Contact mysteryball@headlands.org for Details.

Headlands’ Benefit Auction An Opportunity to Celebrate and Support Headlands’ world-recognized Artists-in-Residence Programs. November 17, 6:30 PM – 9 PM Golden Gate Club, The Presidio, San Francisco Contact hwills@headlands.org for Details. www.headlands.org, 415.331.2787

Marin’s Finest Collection of Boutique Hotels Escape, Explore, Experience Whether it's a moonlit kayak trip on Richardson Bay, a sunset cruise on the Bay, or a relaxing spa treatment, our collection of boutique hotels can enhance your hotel stay with one of our signature packages that offers personalized activities and services.

ADVERTISER

Film Night in the Park Catch one of the classic, cult or family ﬁlms being shown outdoors in San Francisco and Marin. Check website for venue information (SF/Marin). 415.453.4333, ﬁlmnight.org

October 7 Family Campout Spend the night under the stars with an ocean view. Slide Ranch (Muir Beach). 415.381.6155, slideranch.org

October 7 Grape Festival Don’t miss the ﬁnal Sunny Hills Grape Festival. Larkspur Landing (Larkspur). 415.256.1580, sunnyhillsservices.org

October 8 Harvest Day at the Farm Celebrate the history and future of Marin’s family farms. Pick a pumpkin, take a hayride, plant seeds, spin wool and ride a pony at this event. Nicasio Valley Farms Pumpkin Patch (Nicasio). 415.663.1158, malt.org

October 14 Harvest Celebration Unmask the Cure Don’t miss out on this masquerade ball honoring Celebrity Cruises for its work with those affected with cystic ﬁbrosis. Proceeds go toward ﬁnding a cure. Palace Hotel (SF). 415.331.0650, cff.org

October 14–January 7 Acqua Hotel • 555 Redwood Highway, Mill Valley, CA 94941 • 415.380.0400 Mill Valley Inn • 165 Throckmorton Avenue • Mill Valley, CA 94941 • 415.389.6608 Waters Edge Hotel • 25 Main Street,Tiburon, CA 94920 • 415.789.5999

Book online at www.MarinHotels.com or call to make a reservation. These hotels are managed by Joie de Vivre Hospitality. www.jdvhospitality.com Guestroom Photo: Cesar Rubio

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Your House, My House Check out homes from around the world including a Mongolian herder’s ger, an m’bure from the tropics of Fiji and a stilt house from a Malaysian ﬁshing village. Bay Area Discovery Museum (Sausalito). 415.339.3900, baykidsmuseum.org MARINMAGAZINE.COM

October 21 & 22

B AY A R E A

Goblin Jamboree Get in the Halloween spirit with a festival for the whole family. Wear a costume and explore the museum as a transformed haunted wonderland. Bay Area Discovery Museum (Sausalito). 415.339.3900, baykidsmuseum.org

October 28 Halloween Celebration Come dressed up as your favorite farm animal and carve a pumpkin at this ghoulish celebration. Slide Ranch (Muir Beach). 415.381.6155, slideranch.org

October 28 Trick-or-Treat on Fourth Street Bring the whole family for traditional Halloween fun and candy. Fourth St, Lincoln to E St (San Rafael). 415.720.5591, downtownsanrafael.org

October 31 Halloween Join a parade and see a spooky haunted house. Trick or Treat Lane, Caledonia St to Johnson St (Sausalito). 415.289.4152, sausalito.org

Thru February 4 Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils New Discoveries Bring the whole family and journey back in time as you explore life-size models of dinosaurs, reptiles and birds and examine evidence for feathered dinos. California Academy of Sciences (SF). 415.321.8000, calacademy.org

October 30 Halloween Heroes Kids can enjoy trick-ortreat stations, pumpkin and mask decorating and a photo booth alongside their favorite Bay Area sports team mascots. Proceeds beneﬁt Junior Giants Baseball. The Exploratorium (SF). 415.440.9049, wenderweis.org

EVENTS October 14 Family Festival Get into the fun zone for games, races, fortune tellers and prizes; the art zone to create your own mask, necklace or hat. Step into the info zone to discover resources available to families in the city. Yerba Buena Gardens (SF). 415.543.1718, ybgf.org

Thru October 15 Bird-A-Thon Grab your binoculars, get your ﬁeld guide and help raise money for research and education programs. Point Reyes National Seashore (Point Reyes). 707.781.2555 ext. 320, prbo.org

October 1 October 29 Halloween Costume Walk Head over to the city dressed as a ghost, princess or your favorite tree and join a parade around the rooftop gardens in your favorite costume. Yerba Buena Gardens (SF). 415.543.1718, ybgf.org

Glide Floss Bridge to Bridge Run This 12K/7K race and walk raises money to support Special Olympics. You’ll run through Crissy Field wetlands and the Golden Gate Promenade before returning to the Presidio Parade Grounds. Ferry Building (SF). 415.995.6899, bridgetobridge.com

Love seafood but concerned about Mercury levels?

ADVERTISER

Look for the Safe Harbor Certiﬁed Seafood label at Paradise Foods.

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October 5

October 7

Celebrating H2O Headwaters to Ocean Join the Bay Institute to celebrate 25 years of working to protect and restore the San Francisco Bay. Learn about what the institute does and has been doing and how you can get involved. Enticing auctions, as well as food and wine, await you under moonlight on the bay. World Trade Club (SF). 415.506.0150 ext. 22, bay.org

Visions of Nature: the World of Walter Anderson More than 55 works celebrating South Mississippi’s natural environment are on display, thru October 14. Beneﬁt party featuring entertainment and food, Bay Model Visitors Center, 2100 Bridgeway, 415.289.4100

October 7 & 8 Fleet Week Watch the Blue Angels, a parade of ships and more. Then after the show, listen to musical entertainment at Pier 39. Entrance plaza stage (SF). 415.433.3939, pier39.com

October 5–15 Mill Valley Film Festival Founded in 1978 by Director Mark Fishkin, the festival has a track record for launching new ﬁlms and careers. More than 150 ﬁlms from around the globe including documentaries, tributes and international features will be presented. Various locations (Mill Valley). 925.866.9559, mvff.com

October 8 Marin Symphony Opening Night Gala Sip champagne, feast on a buffet and mingle with Maestro Alasdair Neale and guest soloist Orli Shaham at this black-tie event. Marin Center Grounds (San Rafael). 415.479.8100, marinsymphony.org

October 6–14 Litquake Head to the city to see more than 300 authors reading their work. This literary festival will bring fans up-close with their favorite literary masters. Various locations (SF). 415.750.1497, litquake.org

October 8 WildCare’s 2006 Italian Bocce Festival Get out and enjoy the outdoors! This 32-

team round-robin tournament for recreational and competitive players will beneﬁt WildCare—a nonproﬁt dedicated to advocating for wildlife. 415.453.1000 ext. 13, wildcarebayarea.org

October 9 International Rescue Committee Bay Area Dinner Join cohosts Tom Brokaw and Anderson Cooper for a dinner and reception to honor international rescue committee staff. St Regis Hotel (SF). 510.869.2313, theirc.org

October 12 Business Expo Appetizers, power networking and educational sessions–what more could you ask for? Promote your business or discover new talent at this event sponsored by the Sausalito Chamber of Commerce. Bay Model (Sausalito). 415.331.7262

October 12 Oktoberfest by the Bay Capture the spirit of Munich with German cuisine, beer and authentic music. Festival Pavilion (SF). 888.746.7522, oktoberfestbythebay.com

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October 13–15 The Women’s Tennis Classic Come for a match or the entire weekend. This exhibition weekend features some of the biggest names in tennis as they come together to beneﬁt local charities. Harbor Point Tennis Club (Mill Valley). 415.383.6114, womenstennisclassic.org

October 14 Unmask the Cure Don’t miss out on this masquerade ball honoring Celebrity Cruises for their work benefiting those with cystic fibrosis. Proceeds go toward finding a cure. The Garden Court, Palace Hotel (SF). 415.331.0650, cff.org

Hotel’s pool? Enjoy poolside cuisine from San Francisco restaurants and bid on a pool-toss, to beneﬁt the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation’s after-School program. Phoenix Hotel (SF). 415.358.3937, tndc.org

October 19 Sausalito Chamber of Commerce Mixer Do you have a business in Sausalito? Learn about up-and-coming events and enjoy food and wine as you network and mingle. The Marin School (Sausalito). 415.331.7262, sausalito.org

October 18 The Marin Scuba Club Divers of all levels and ages can socialize with people who share a love of diving as they dine on delicious food from the sea. Learn about upcoming activities and meetings. The Seafood Peddler (San Rafael). 415.453.9556

October 28 Mystery Ball In this one-of-a-kind costume ball more than 400 Bay Area artists and art lovers will enjoy food and drinks while watching a variety of performances. Proceeds beneﬁt the Headlands’ artist residency program. Headlands Center for the Arts (Sausalito). 415.331.2787 ext. 27, headlands.org

October 19 October 14 Tasting Event Taste local wines, microbrewed beers and locally grown food to beneﬁt the Tomales Regional History Center. Tomales Town Hall (Tomales). 707.878.9443

October 17 Celebrity Pool Toss Who wouldn’t want to toss a local celebrity into the Phoenix

The Marine Mammal Center’s 10th Annual Gala Celebrate the center’s work in providing medical care for ill seals, sea lions, dolphins and other marine animals. Learn more about this amazing resource right in our backyard. A cocktail reception, gourmet three-course dinner and an exciting live auction await you! San Francisco City Hall (SF). 415.289.7335, marinmammalcenter.org

October 28 Shanghai 1930’s Supper Club Enter the mysterious atmosphere of Shanghai, “The Paris of the Orient.” Then take part in an auction, enjoy fabulous cocktails, indulge in a three-course dinner and dance to the Tommy Castro Band. Proceeds beneﬁt the Center for Attitudinal Healing. Marin Center Exhibition Hall (San Rafael). 415.331.6161 ext. 116, attitudinalhealing.org

Join us as we celebrate 25 years of working to protect and restore San Francisco Bay and its watershed, from the headwaters to the ocean. • delicious food and wine • enticing silent and live auctions • champagne toast • moonlight on the Bay

ADVERTISER

For tickets or sponsorships: (415) 506-0150 x22 or moskow@bay.org 25th Anniversary Event Chairs Carol Lind & Nancy Carlson Thursday, October 5, 2006 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. World Trade Club One Ferry Plaza San Francisco, California

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R E TA IL T HERA PY

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS Thru October Art Classes Find your inner Picasso and check out this new series. Thursdays are for teens, Sundays are for adults, youth classes are offered on Wednesdays, toddlers get a shot on Mondays and Saturday mornings are reserved for parents and children. Studio 333 (Sausalito). 415.331.8272, studio333.info

Thru October 11 Writing Your College Application Essay Former College of Marin instructor Dylan Pike shows high school seniors how to write the personal essay. Book Passage (Corte Madera). 800.899.7909, ext. 233, bookpassage.com

October 7 Thru December Film and Fashion Bring in your Lark Theater movie stub and spend 100 dollars on fabulous fashion at Blanc to get a free ticket to your next Lark Theater movie. Blanc Boutique (San Anselmo). 415.485.0104

An Evening With Barry Lopez Best known as the author of Arctic Dreams, this writer has been compared to Henry David Thoreau. Proceeds beneﬁt the Point Reyes National Seashore Association. Toby’s Feed Barn (Point Reyes Station). 415.663.1542, ptreyes.org

October 19 Madeline Levine in Conversation with Katherine Barron Author of The Price of Privilege, Levine offers thoughtful and practical advice as she debunks one childrearing myth after another. Osher Marin JCC (San Rafael). 415.444.8000, marinjcc.org

October 23 City Arts & Lectures An evening with screenwriter, director and novelist Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle). Herbst Theatre (San Francisco). 415.392.4400, cityboxofﬁce.com

October 25 Senator Barack Obama Don’t miss the only Bay Area appearance of the Illinois senator speaking about his new book, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. Book Passage (Corte Madera). 415.927.0960, bookpassage.com

October 30 City Arts & Lectures Stephen King (Carrie, The Shining) will be in conversation. Herbst Theatre (San Francisco). 415.392.4400, cityboxofﬁce.com

October 11 Thru October The Blues Jean Bar It now pays to be addicted to designer jeans. Belly up to the bar where the jean-tenders will help you select your favorite wash, brand, size and style. When you ﬁnd the perfect pair, use the new sixpack punch card—after you buy ﬁve pairs of jeans you get the sixth free. The Blues Jean Bar (SF). 415.346.4280, thebluesjeanbar.com

City Arts & Lectures An evening with Mary Karr (Sinners Welcome, The Liars’ Club) and Calvin Trillin (A Heckuva Job, Alice, Let’s Eat) for the Talking About Memoir event. Herbst Theatre (San Francisco). 415.392.4400, cityboxofﬁce.com

October 16 Art Abloom Join an open art discussion to talk about various topics. Artists are invited to bring in work for comment (San Anselmo). 415.256.1112, artabloom.com

NATURE WALKS/TALKS October 7–8 Making Connections–Ecological Investigations of Point Reyes Increase your understanding of the living systems including climate, geology, soils, ﬁre, microbes, plants and animals (Point Reyes). 415.663.1200, ptreyes.org

October 7 Amazing Amber See the various colors and shades this stone can come in. Spirits in Stone (Sausalito). 415.332.2388, spiritsinstone.com

October 17 City Arts & Lectures New Yorker cartoonists Matt Diffee and Gahan Wilson host “The Rejection Show.” Herbst Theatre (San Francisco). 415.392.4400, cityboxofﬁce.com

October 24 Juicy Couture Pick up cute fashion ﬁnds at the San Francisco grand opening of this casual lifestyleclothing store. 105 Grant Ave and 865 Market St. (SF). juicycouture.com

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October 18 Wild Places, Wild Things Speaker Series Eric Dinerstein talks of his evolution into a nature-lover and tells stories of his work in some of the most remote, beautiful and threatened places on the planet. San Francisco Zoo (SF). 415.753.7073, sfzoo.org M A R I N sense M A G AofZ sound I N E . Cthru OM Listen: making December at the Explaratorium

Views li k e thi s — Come with homes like these

We have worked with Anna Boucher on 3 properties in the past year and were very pleased with her service and professionalism. She bent over backwards to make sure that our interests were being best served. Her advice on one issue in particular ended up saving us thousands of dollars. Not only is she a pleasure and joy to work with, her attitude in life is refreshing and heartfelt. We continue to be excellent friends and treat her as one of the family. –MS & LK Mill Valley, CA

Photo by Classic Kids of Mill Valley Photography

You supply the dream, and I’ll supply the passion, experience, and knowledge to make it a reality. Whether you’re buying or selling your luxury dream home in San Francisco or Marin, put over 15 years of local expertise to work for you.

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

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FL AVOR

ROONEY’S CAFÉ & GRILL Tiburon’s longtime local favorite Paciﬁc crab stack

BY ERIKA LENKERT PHOTOS SASHA GULISH

f you didn’t know one of Marin’s best-kept

rors and hardwood floors. With well-spaced

dining secrets was tucked into a small, nar-

tables and no music to contend with, conver-

row space at the end of Tiburon’s tourist-

sation is refreshingly easy.

heavy Main Street, join the club. The 46-seat

Self-taught chef Hinman’s menu is equally

Rooney’s has remained surprisingly clandes-

honest, eschewing the kind of pomp that per-

tine for the past 36 years, despite the fact that

vades most of today’s white-tablecloth dining

the owners, general manager John Rooney and

experiences. Here crusty bread arrives with a

chef David Hinman, have a reputation among

good old-fashioned stainless-steel ramekin of

neighbors for serving up authentic old-fash-

butter, and the menu is familiar and diverse

ioned hospitality alongside hearty portions of

enough to appeal to every palate. Yet the wide

tasty California-influenced American fare.

array of moderately priced salads, pastas, sea-

True to its name, the cozy dining room

food, meats and sides take advantage of supe-

emulates café and grill characteristics through

rior local ingredients and are seasoned with

a hybrid of quaint New England–style and

enough creativity to make old favorites taste

classic steak house decor. Here warm butter-

fresh and new.

scotch-colored walls, soft window treatments,

At lunch you’ll find shrimp Louis, tuna, and

lanterns and an 18-seat back patio nook coun-

sautéed rock shrimp among the salad options,

terbalance white tablecloths, dark woods, mir-

five burger choices (sadly, without fries, because

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David Hinman

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DISH BY GRACEANN WALDEN Change has been good for Dion Brennan and Catherine Bragg, the owners of Flour Chylde Bakery in Novato. Both left careers in the apparel industry to sell their baked goods, first at farmers’ markets and now on Grant Avenue. Be sure to try their tortes—especially the Meyer lemon. More changes this month: chef Michael Otsuka has left Larkspur’s Lark Creek Inn. His replacement is veteran chef Jonathan Wright, who comes to Marin via New Orleans. Wright is certainly in sync with owner-chef Bradley Ogden’s farm-fresh philosophy: He’s moved to a small farm and will grow herbs and vegetables for the restaurant. Owner Sam Duval has sold Izzy’s in Corte Madera to Blake Andros, owner of four Blake’s Auto Body shops. The restaurant will remain an Izzy’s, but one innovation will be lunch beginning this month. GM Mike Lang says there will be lots of salads and lighter dishes, created especially for the ladies. Last month, Myth Café in San Francisco added dinner service Monday-Friday. The café is adjacent to the three-star Myth restaurant, where a reservation means hitting “redial” a lot. The new chef at Le Colonial in San Francisco is Joe Villanueva, who worked his way up from prep cook. He replaces the well-regarded Mike Yakura. He has joined the team revamping La Suite on the Embarcadero. The rumor is that it’s turning Asian. Bye-bye steak frites. Mill Valley’s chef Roland Passot is owner of the four-star La Folie in San Francisco and a partner in the Left Bank chain. The chain’s latest creation is Tanglewood on Santana Row in San Jose. The American-style food will be made from the day’s best seasonal ingredients supplied by local sustainable farms, ranches and ﬁsheries. One item is the “sustainable” Coca-Cola– braised pork belly. Mmmmm. Email gaw@sbcglobal.net.

a fryer can’t fit into the kitchen), a handful of

milk-soaked seared sea scallops, which ar-

pastas and grill entrées, and a whole page of

rive drizzled with delicious warm lemon vin-

classic and contemporary sandwiches, including

aigrette and accompanied by orange wedges,

Reuben, knockwurst and hot corned beef.

capers, fingerling potato shavings and green

The dinner menu is equally accommodating.

beans. Even the out-of-place sprinkle of dill

With nearly a dozen appealing appetizers, it’s

couldn’t throw the dish off track. For meat

hard to choose between crab cakes, roasted beet

lovers, grilled boneless Niman Ranch rib eye,

salad, steamed mussels or ahi tartare—a struc-

topped with crumbles of Stilton cheese and a

turally composed block of raw fish cubes atop

tangle of crispy onion strings alongside garlic

seaweed flanked by petite piles of pickled gin-

mashed potatoes and broccolini, is carnivo-

ger, daikon and cucumber sticks, wasabi and to-

rous perfection.

biko. If you’re craving raw fish the tuna does the

Thankfully, the concise, mostly California

trick, but a far better seafaring option is to share

wine list is a fast read. Order and you can get

the Pacific crab stack entrée as a first course. A

down to the business of relaxing and enjoying

large cylindrically shaped tower of Dungeness

what is certainly one of Marin’s most authenti-

crab, mango, avocado, sprouts, cilantro, cucum-

cally charming dining experiences, one that’s

ber, red onion and chopped peanuts unified with

sweetened only by a finale of unapologetically

spicy ginger-lime dressing, it’s decadent, light

rich crème caramel.

and wholly satisfying all at once. Entrées require equal deliberation, but you won’t go wrong with the plump, moist sautéed

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

Rooney’s Café & Grill, 38 Main St., Tiburon; 415.435.1911.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Flavor, Friends and Fine Authentic Italian Dining 931 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 456-2425

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

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VALUE, Like No Other...On Top Of The Hill

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Villa Marin is designed for comfort, security, and the enjoyment of leisure • Own your own condominium with 100% equity • Physicians, around the clock nurses and rehab services on site • Activities, Excursions, Lectures and Entertainment • Exercise classes, indoor swimming pool and spa, paddle tennis

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See your way to Marin’s ﬁrst and only store dedicated to reading glasses. Come in for our latest Fall trends in great colors and fabulous styles. Receive the superb service that Cheaters reading glasses is known for. Come To CHEATERS And You’ll See!

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Remodeling • Custom Homes

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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Custom Finish Carpentry Certified Green Builder 415.342.6884 . www.veritasbuilders.info CA Lic. #880020 . Fully Insured

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

CHOOSE YOUR WOOD RESPONSIBLY. Sustainably harvested wood & bamboo flooring f rom E C OT I M B E R

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Showroom Virtual Tour on Website Serving Marin since 1978 • www.marinﬂoorcompany.com 777 Grand Ave. @ Second Street, San Rafael • 415.453.3310

(415) 331-3886

showroom by appointment

• Antique Beams • Rustic Wide Plank Flooring • Exquisite TimeCrafted Timbers and Flooring

Protect Your Investment Cleaning, Sealing and Restoration of Natural Stone 415.924.5005 www.marin-wood.com

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www.blacksfarmwood.com San Rafael Showroom By Appointment 415.454.8312

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Encore 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)

How to become an item.

1102 MAGNOLIA AVE. / LARKSPUR / 451.925.0109 www.item-shoes.com / MON. - SAT. / 10:30 - 5:30

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item shoes & accessories

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adl i b

MARIN ADVERTISERS SPEAK UP

Marty Murphy

Sue and Hardin Abrams

Michael Fiscus

M Clothing, women’s designer clothing boutique, Corte Madera

Meadowlark Gallery, one-of-a-kind, American-made gifts, Corte Madera Town Center

Harris’, a premier San Francisco steak house

“For 27 years we’ve had the joy of offering gifts

enjoying cold, crisp martinis, world-renowned

Asked to summarize her business, Marty Murphy replies: “Service, service, service, with an offering of a well-edited collection of 30 of today’s best designers.” To that she adds, “And all of it in a friendly atmosphere.” M Clothing has a store in Old Square Corte Madera and on the plaza in Healdsburg.

crafted by more than 400 American artists,” remarks Hardin Abrams, who with his wife Sue owns Meadowlark Gallery in Corte Madera Town Center. “Jewelry is a favorite; we have gifts in all price ranges and offer an exclusive collection of

For over 20 years, San Franciscans have been beef and smooth dinner jazz at Harris’, on Van Ness Avenue. According to General Manager Michael Fiscus, “it’s easy to forget the roughand tumble world once you enter Harris’; it’s an homage to traditional San Francisco dining.

Sticks furniture.”

Describe your dream customer. A woman who knows what she likes—but is open to suggestions. People often apologize for not liking something, but clothing is as unique as each person. Bravo! for a strong sense of self.

What is your business philosophy? Describe your business philosophy. Every day we practice “the art of being unique.” Our primary purpose is to promote American handmade gifts—in all price ranges. And we’re convinced we have the best selection, value, and

What were you going to be growing up? I was a Foreign Service Officer with a degree in Russian from Columbia University in New York City who served in Europe and Asia. Then came marriage and children and I returned to my first love, fashion.

They say, “Do what you love and the money will follow.” Having these stores just feels right to me; I’m truly in my element. I love people, sales, and fashion. I love offering a place where women of all stages and ages can feel comfortable, beautiful, and well taken care of. I’m exactly where I

PHOTOS: SHERI MONTGOMERY

want to be in life—what an amazing thing! M Clothing, 8 Tamalpais Dr., Corte Madera, CA 94925, 415.924.8891, martymclothing.com

experience no other steak house can equal. Which, I’m confident, is what we do. And in achieving that, we’ve found the effort has become enjoyable and natural. It’s a celebration of life. To say we

quality in the Bay Area.

are here simply to make money is absurd.

What is your competitive edge?

A wide range of price points backed up by sincere and helpful customer service and satisfaction. We’re also well known and respected for our selection of jewelry, greeting cards, furniture, whim-

What allows you to excel at what you do?

It is to enjoy myself while providing a dining

That we never have—and never will—allowed ourselves to become complacent. San Francisco has many extremely talented chefs and well-appointed restaurants; there’s no room for arrogance or

sical art, and custom gift wrapping.

incompetence.

What allows you to excel at what you do?

Which product or service that you offer is your favorite?

We are members of U.S. Crafts, a new national association that promotes the best of American craft persons. We have a tremendous pride in our gallery and the response the community has given it. Meadowlark Galleries, 412 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera, CA 94925, 415.924.2210, meadowlarkgalleries.com

Tough question! To watch chef Michael Buhagiar orchestrate our kitchen is amazing. However, wine is an art form and our sommelier Jonathan Tennenbaum is an artist. Then again, Susan Chen might be the best jazz pianist I’ve ever heard. Experiencing all three in one night is unforgettable. Harris’ Restaurant, 2100 Van Ness Ave. (at Pacific), San Francisco, CA 94109, 415.673.1888, mfiscus@harrisrestaurant.com

ADVE RT IS IN G P R OMOT ION

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Furniture Made from Recycled Wood

Opening September t 1848 4th S San Rafael

2919 Seventh Street, Berkeley, CA 94710 • 510.848.3575 • Mon-Sat 10-6/Sun 12-5 • www.thewoodenduck.com

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M ICROCL I M ATE

STRAWBERRY VIEWS FOREVER Quality of life and a central location are its assets BY JIM WOOD PHOTOS TIM PORTER

AS A COMMUNITY, STRAWBERRY SNEAKS UP ON YOU. At first you think it’s just a group of houses surrounding a recently refurbished shopping center. That center—loaded with tenants like Safeway, Smith & Hawken, Woodlands Pet Food & Treats, the Spanish Table, Evo Spa, and Rims & Goggles—is Strawberry Village. However, before long you’re thinking it’s the other way around: Strawberry Village is there because of the surrounding community. MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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Consider this: Strawberry, consisting of at most 5 ,0 0 0 residents, boasts a public recreation center with four tennis courts, a pool and spa, an indoor basketball court, a colorful tot lot, and grassy playing fields that accommodate baseball, softball and soccer. Strawberry Rec Center operates on an annual budget of $ 1 .2 million. Strawberry is also home to the Harbor Point Racq uet and Swim Club, which has seven tennis courts, a large adult pool as well as a children’ s pool, a fitness center, Previous page: Views across the bay to San Francisco are a community asset. This page, above: walking paths abound; middle: Strawberry Village shopping center is a community gathering spot; lower: recently opened Smith & Hawken is Strawberry Village anchor. Next page, left: Pasta Pomodoro; right: the pool at Harbor Point Racquet and Swim Club.

and a 3 ,0 0 0 -sq uare-foot clubhouse with bar and restaurant. Harbor is hosting the Comcast Women’ s Tennis Classics on October 1 4 -1 5 , a charitable tournament featuring Chris Evert and Tracy Austin. The hilly Strawberry neighborhoods are home to several Marin notables, among them Elaine and Bill Petrocelli, owners of the Book Passage bookstores, K it Cole, a founder of Tamalpais Bank; and J ill K elleher, president of K elleher and Associates, an international matchmaking firm. Strawberry—

located within

Mill Valley’ s 9 4 9 4 1 area code— has Tiburon Boulevard as its northern border and Highway 10

partially

bordering its west side. The community is a peninsula that ex tends a mile into Richardson Bay. As a result, many Strawberry homeowners enj oy views of the bay and of San Francisco. The open space and forested hills of the G olden G ate Theological Seminary occupy considerable acreage in the center of the community on a site that was considered in the mid-1 9 4 0 s as a potential home for the United Nations. As a place to live, Strawberry is a real treat. “ We like the prox imity to everything,” says D onna Cook, who moved to Strawberry from downtown Chicago ten years ago with her husband Allan, a software sales ex ecutive. “ We’ re close to the freeway and in the middle of everything— Tiburon, Mill Valley, Corte Madera, and Sausalito; plus, we have Ring Mountain open space for hiking.” According to J eff Sterley of Pacific Union G MAC Real Estate, in the past year, the least ex pensive Strawberry property to sell was a

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945 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. This gorgeous, 2-year “new,” custom, gated home sits proudly above Magnolia Avenue and is reminiscent of Larkspur’s stately older homes. It is rare to find a house with the charm of an older home plus all the amenities of a new home. Four bedrooms, three baths, exceptional architecture and quality finishes, and a great floor plan with the master suite plus two additional bedrooms upstairs and one bedroom on the main level, large living room/dining room with 10’ ceilings, and a kitchen/family room combination with French doors leading to a patio and fenced lawn. A feeling of serenity, yet close proximity to schools, shopping and restaurants.

Offered at $1,995,000

For more information and photographs, please visit: www.MarilynRich.com.

Marilyn Rich

415.464.3741 www.MarilynRich.com

Whitney Rich

415.464.3729 wrich@pacunion.com

two-bedroom, one-bath home with just over 1,000 square feet on a

Lynn and Roger Kuhn bought their first home in Strawberry

quarter-acre lot and “tons of potential.” It sold, according to Sterley,

in 1969 for what was then, in Roger’s words, “an astronomical

“for $680,00, which was roughly $50,000 below the asking price.”

$75,000.”

And the past year’s priciest property? That distinction, says Sterley,

“It was a 20-minute commute to my job in the Marina,” he says,

belongs to a five-bedroom, four-bath property in a Strawberry Point

“and we had a large lot with a great view of San Francisco.” The

neighborhood respectfully referred to as “the Shore” but, because

Kuhns still live Strawberry, but in a different home—one on an acre

of its sliver of land waterfront location affectionately known as “the

and a half by the bay. “The view goes from the Bay Bridge and in-

Spit.” The listing price here was $4,150,000 and included, according

cludes the city clear up to the Marina,” says Kuhn.

to a marketing piece, “spectacular views of San Francisco, the bay, Mount Tam, and Sausalito’s yacht harbor.”

“We absolutely love it,” he says. “The only way I’ll leave Strawberry is feet first.”

1/2 HORIZONAL

ADVERTISER

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MARIN OCTOBER 2006

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This intriguing modern masterpiece harmoniously blends contemporary architecture, sophisticated living, and natural beauty. • 3 Bedroom, 2 Baths • Pacific Ocean, Muir Woods & Bay Views • Impeccable Designer Finishes • Luxurious Master Bedroom • Pampering Master Bath • Gourmet Kitchen • Stainless Steel Countertops • Open Concept Living Room • Vaulted Ceilings • Dual Sided Fireplace • Skylights • Large Level Yard • Exquisite Hardwood Floors • Floor to Ceiling Windows & Sliding Doors • View Decks • 10 minutes to Downtown Mill Valley • 20 minutes to San Francisco • Two-Car Attached Garage

www.354Panoramic.com

Offered at $1,999,000 Matthew Pouliot 415.265.7020 matthew.pouliot@pacunion.com

Robert Young 415.407.7775 robert@robertyoungrealestate.com www.robertyoungrealestate.com

*UST A FEW MINUTES NORTH OF THE 'OLDEN 'ATE YET A MILLION MILES AWAY IS 3TINSON "EACH &OR OVER YEARS 3EADRIFT #OMPANY HAS BEEN THE EXPERT IN 2EAL %STATE SALES AND PREMIUM VACATION RENTALS IN 3TINSON "EACH AND THE PRIVATE GATED COMMUNITY OF 3EADRIFT #ALL US TODAY TO RESERVE YOUR BEACH HOUSE FOR A WEEK A SUMMER OR A LIFETIME ~ Architecturally signiÀcant residence with unobstructed ocean views. Private, raised setting directly on the sands. Designed by John Marsh Davis, this unique property is alive with wit, detailed with Àne craftsmanship, and situated on one of the Ànest beaches in the world. Offered at $4,475,000 6)%7 /52 02/0%24)%3 /.,).% !4 777 3%!$2)&42%!,49 #/- !.$ #!,, 53 !4

OPES/opés/ • n./latin for wealth

Melanie Victor-Smith Jeffrey T. Smith Kim Locklin 101 Larkspur Landing Circle Larkspur, CA 94939 (415) 464-9500

opesadvisors.com 160

MARIN OCTOBER 2006

What happens when the fixed rate period on your mortgage ends? We can help. Mortgages

•

Investments

•

Advice MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Kentfield

$3,400,000

COMING SOON!! N EW C USTOM H OME D ESIGNED BY W ENDY P OSARD & A SSOCIATES

Brand new, recently completed construction Gated, traditional style home Most sought after floor plan Approx. 3100sq. ft. Lot size Approx. 11,000sq. ft. 5 BR, 3.5 BA Proper Foyer Gracious LR w/10' coffered ceiling Formal DR with wainscotting Butler’s pantry

Fabulous state-of-the-art chef’s kitchen Family room, with FP, off kitchen Designer’s signature mud room All 5 BRS on upper level 5th BR could be Au Pair quarters with full BA MBR suite w/walk-in closet, built in wardrobe and cathedral ceiling Plank hardwood flooring Wired for sound & communication

Two zone heating Central air conditioning on upper level Wonderful level play yard with built-in BBQ Oversized garage w/work area In the flats of Kentfield at end of a private lane Sunny lot Walking distance to Ross Common, College of Marin and Woodland Market

Barbara Major 415.381.7369 47E Tamal Vista Blvd. Corte Madera CA 94925

www.marinhomes.net

We are proud to announce the opening of our second Marin County office in Belvedere

The Fine Art of Fine Property

Ross Office 23 Ross Common, Suite Three Ross, CA 94957 415.464.8686

Belvedere Office Boardwalk Shopping Center, 1550 Tiburon Blvd. Belvedere, CA 94920 415.789.8686

Tracy Mclaughlin and Morgan Lane Present S

ituated at the end of a private lane that is just steps from Ross School and Ross Common, this elegant residence has been designed for the way people live today. All of the home’s main rooms have large windows and doors that open directly to sweeping level lawns and a gorgeous in-ground pool. The residence enjoys a rare combination of complete privacy in a “close in” location. The rear yard and gardens are south facing for all day sun. • Formal powder room • Stunning, grand scale living room with extensive built-ins, wood burning fireplace and “walls of glass” that overlook the rear yard and gardens • Elegant, large dining room with doors that open to the level lawns and gardens • “Open” kitchen with recently upgraded stainless appliances, granite slabs and counter seating • Adjoining pantry and laundry room • Elegant master suite large sitting area, 2 walk-in closets with custom built-ins, French doors leading to a patio and large master bath • Additional bedroom with built-in desk • Large bathroom with second door access to the pool and yard

• Hardwood flooring throughout • Exercise room with glass doors overlooking the pool • Formal foyer • Large, family room with extensive built-ins and adjoining full bath (This could be the fifth bedroom) • Home office/den • 2 car garage with interior access • Detached pool room or “playhouse” • Off street parking for up to 8 cars • Fully irrigated level lawns and gardens • Large in-ground pool Offered at $3,995,000 • www.7allenlane.com

arely available Peacock Gap Estates home situated on over an acre, abutting open space. Private, resort-like backyard with 60 ft. waterslide, in-ground pool and spa, putting green, barbeque area and level lawn. This grand residence boasts large spaces and traditional floor plan with all the main rooms opening to the backyard.

• 5 bedrooms • 4 1/2 bathrooms • Media room • Grand formal living room • Formal dining room • Fabulous high end chef’s kitchen with state of the art appliances and adjoining family room

• Large laundry room • 3 car garage • Cul-de-sac location • Walking distance to nearby parks and golf course • Completely fenced Price Upon Request • www.12pheasantcourt.com

Offered exclusively by

For additional information, please call:

Tracy Mclaughlin 415/464-8686

The Fine Art of Fine Property

www.marinfinehomes.com

Truly Meadowsweet! 1080 Meadowsweet, Corte Madera PRICE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

This home sits on over half an acre amongst nature. Inside the home are hardwood floors, four bedrooms, and all of the amenities families are looking for including a kitchen great room, living room, dining room, and true master suite and spa. This 3200 square foot home has been impeccably maintained and updated with designer colors. The outside space includes a large flat lawn, sprawling rear deck and privacy. Great weather, and convenient access to schools, town and San Francisco make this the perfect home. Additional information and disclosures are available upon request or at www.JimmyMarin.com

THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN VERIFIED, IT IS NOT GUARANTEED AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

•

THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN VERIFIED, IT IS NOT GUARANTEED AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

•

Wonderful Wilson Way 374 Wilson Way, Larkspur PRICE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Situated at the end of one of Marin’s most prestine canyons, this home includes breath-taking views from Mt. Tam to Mt. Diablo, with impressive water and mountainside views in all directions. Every room inside this 4,000 square-foot home, has a sweeping view. The dramatic master suite is situated on the top level of this home. The main level includes an eat-in kitchen great room, a formal dining room and living room with fireplace, and one bedroom and bathroom. The lower level has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a media room and wine cellar all with access directly to the outside spaces. This home, located next to some of Marin’s finest hiking and biking trails is just minutes from downtown Larkspur and close to all of the schools and shops in Larkspur and Corte Madera. Additional information and disclosures are available upon request or at www.JimmyMarin.com

REAL ESTATE KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN TRUST

Carol L. Spence and Jimmy Wanninger 415.990.8990 24/7 Check out the Mt. Tam Cam at www.JimmyMarin.com

,OCATION ,OCATION ,ARKSPUR 4HIS RARE OFFERING WHICH HAS BEEN IN THE SAME FAMILY FOR OVER YEARS SITS ON OVER A ACRE LOT 3ITUATED ON A PROMINENT SITE AND SURROUNDED BY A PEACEFUL NATURAL SETTING THIS PROPERTY OFFERS GREAT POTENTIAL FOR RENOVATION AND POSSIBLE EXPANSION 4HE PRIME LOCATION IS JUST A SHORT WALK TO CHARMING DOWNTOWN ,ARKSPUR S SHOPS RESTAURANTS AWARD WINNING SCHOOLS 4HREE BEDROOMS ONE AND ONE HALF BATHS DECK AND PLENTY OF YARD GARDEN AREA ONE CAR GARAGE

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7ESTERN /AKS 6ILLAGE 4OWNHOME .OVATO #OME HOME TO THIS CHARMING THREE BEDROOM ONE AND ONE HALF BATH TOWNHOUSE WITH TASTEFUL UPDATES 2ECESSED LIGHTING ON ST FLOOR DUAL PANE WINDOWS WAINSCOTING IN MASTER BEDROOM SWEET NURSERY DESIGN IN ND BEDROOM RD BEDROOM CURRENTLY USED AS OFFICE ,AUNDRY AREA ON UPPER LEVEL FULL BATH WITH SEPARATE SHOWER STALL 0OWDER ROOM ON MAIN FLOOR 0RIVATE PATIO OFF LIVING ROOM #OVERED CARPORT COMMUNITY POOLS CLUBHOUSE KIDS PLAY AREA BASKETBALL COURT 3PACIOUS AND CONVENIENTLY LOCATED NEAR SHOPPING TRANSPORTATION AND FREEWAY

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4IBURON 6IEW #ONDOMINIUM 4HIS WONDERFUL TWO BEDROOM TWO BATHROOM GROUND FLOOR UNIT BOASTS VIEWS OF 3AUSALITO "ELVEDERE )SLAND THE 4IBURON ,AGOON AND -OUNT 4AMALPAIS )T ALSO FEATURES 4EAK PARQUET FLOORING TWO FIREPLACES A FORMAL DINING ROOM AND A VIEW DECK TO SIT AND WATCH THE WORLD GO BY %VERYTHING IS CONVENIENTLY LOCATED "US FERRY SHOPPING RESTAURANTS BIKE AND WALKING PATHS YACHT CLUBS TENNIS AND THE 4IBURON 0ENINSULA #LUB WHICH MAKES FOR EASY LIVING /FFERED AT

!NNA "OUCHER WWW WORLDCLASSPROPERTIES COM

ANNA WORLDCLASSPROPERTIES COM

-ILL 6ALLEY Fabulous retreat in soughtafter Blithedale Canyon. This 3 bedroom, 3 bath contemporary home oﬀers tons of natural light, open views and lots of privacy. Decks oﬀ of every room make this home perfect for entertaining and indoor/ outdoor living. Minutes to downtown Mill Valley.

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+AREN &AIRTY WWW -C'UIRE COM

+&AIRTY -C'UIRE COM

McCall, Idaho

Adirondack Home on 3 Wooded Acres

Complete privacy in a lodge-style Adirondack home just 1 mile from town and Payette Lake. Built in 2000, a main house, 3-car garage with gym and art studio, and gamehouse sit on 3 lush acres. This home is without equal in the city of McCall. All furnishings, MasterCraft waterski boat, Yamaha 4X4 ATV and much more included. Please call for details! $2,500,000

MIKE SMITH 208-634-6623

D I A LO GUE

Vernon Glenn

BY MIMI TOWLE

You could live anywhere. Why Marin? My wife. When we were dating in the City in 1996, we came back to my apartment from dinner and discovered that my car had been keyed! That was it. She had told me how wonderful Marin was, having grown up in Mill Valley. This happened in April of 1996. We moved to Sausalito in May. At ﬁrst it was too quiet, but I got used to it. What makes you happy in Marin? There’s a sense of calm here. I have a very stressful job. It starts to wear off when I hit the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. Almost all of the people I run into are super cool: dry cleaners, mail carriers, checkers at Safeway or Mollie Stones. What gets on your nerves here? I’ll let you know when it happens. It’s been 10 years! What’s your personal idea of luxury? That gets into the whole material thing issue. Luxury to me is being able to do what you want, get what you want without having to budget, or even worry about it.

lmost as familiar as his easy smile, and self effacing humor, in his role as Mr. Involvement—a regular guy who bungee jumps, rides bulls and takes a few hits from a professional boxer, Vern Glenn, veteran sportscaster is also recognizable as the

guy who drives the KRON NEWS red Pontiac Vibe around town. In his 16-year career as a sportscaster, some of his highlights include working the Olympic Games in 2000, broadcasting from multiple SuperBowls and working alongside Gary Radnich, his mentor and friend. When he’s not working, you’ll spot him toting his kids Zack, Jake and Nicholas, or out on a rare date at Joe’s Taco Lounge, the Cantina or Bungalow 44 with his wife, Nicole. Glenn grew up in Richmond, Virginia, which in its day [1860], he likes to point out, “was known as the capital of the Confederacy; is Virginia’s state capitol, and is near Washington D.C., where I got my start in television.” It’s also where as tenth grader he dreamed of becoming a sportscaster. A decade later, after graduating from University of Virgina, Glenn landed a cub reporter job at WXEXTV, where he and another ‘cub’ Matt Lauer (two years prior) got their training. Around this time, he had a chance meeting with Larry King while dining with his father at restaurant in D.C. called Duke Zeibert’s. When Glenn asked the veteran newscaster for advice, King responded, “be yourself. ” Glenn took his advice and has never forgotten those words. Twenty-one years later, he is doing what he loves, reporting on sports, having fun and raising a family. 170

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SEPTEMBER 2006

What do you value everyday? My wife, my kids and the fact that I own a home. What person has influenced you the most? That’s easy. My dad. We all want our dads to be proud of us. I wish I had done everything he told me, but I think I turned out all right. I ﬁnd myself saying the same things to my boys that dad told me. That’s kind of scary. I wish I had his ﬁnancial instincts. I didn’t get that gene. What’s been the most fulfilling moment in your work? Wow! After covering SuperBowls, the Olympics, World Series, some of the great moments in sports...I have to say interviewing Hank Aaron back in 1993. He was at Candlestick to give Barry Bonds the MVP award. I had him on for our 6pm sports. On the outside, I was cool...on the inside I was thinking “Holy &^%$#@!! I’m interviewing Hank Aaron!” What’s your desert island book or album? I’d have to have a family album and any Patricia Cornwell novel. Do you have a favorite Marin view? The view from the outside deck of the Mountain Home Inn. What do you like about yourself? I’m really a homebody. I love just hanging out. I’m completely happy and secure with that. I know quite a few people who just can’t be by themselves and that’s a shame. Give me a good play-off game, remote control, a cold beer and I’m done! What is your favorite journey? The one that led me to the Bay Area from Baltimore in 1990. What a ride since then—a wife, 3 boys and a loyal dog. How do you want to be remembered? As a good-natured guy, who loved his job and family.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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