Marin Magazine September 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

SEPTEMBER 2006

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CONTENTS

Features 90 think

Community for Art Expression

Headlands Center for the Arts provides unique opportunity for artists.

PH OTO: DEBRA MC C LINTON, SEE C RE D ITS ON PAG E 99

story & photos tim porter

96 fashion

Fall Looks

Shot on location at Headlands Center for the Arts. photos debra mcclinton

108 home

California Cape Cod

Tiburon family develops dream home on dream lot. story p.j. bremier photos barbara ries

116 journey

An Andes Adventure

Exploring the Sacred Valley of the Incas and Machu Picchu. story & photos ben davidson

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

CONTENTS

124

Departments 50

letters

at-a-glance

marin album

marin green

snap

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.

fashion trends Warming trends Cozy and warm fall knits. by amy gurvitz Life Style Mill Valley’s Jonas Honick shares fashion insights.

fyi Art Kirsten Shilakes teaches art appreciation. by anne crump ray Garden Green gardening in Marin. by mimi towle City Streets Fillmore Street Chic. by mimi towle Food In search of the perfect BLT. by mimi towle Books Internal Combustion by Joyce Maynard. by olivia boler Education Focus and ﬂow. by mimi towle Health Cancer snifﬁng dogs in San Anselmo. by jeff miller

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

conversation

play

124

Gary Giacomini shares his views on Marin’s past and future. by jim wood

Tennis anyone? Exploring the Marin tennis scene. by maura thurman

Find adventure on all six Hawaiian islands. by m.l. lathan

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163

CONTENTS

186

Departments 132

looking back

142

wine country

145

galleries

151

calendar

163

flavor

164

dish

173

microclimate

186

dialogue

Synanon exposed in the 70s and a Pulitzer for the Light. by jim wood

Fall activities in Wine Country. by katherine martin

A preview of fall exhibits in local galleries. by anne crump ray

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

Gaylord serves authentic Indian with awesome view. by erika lenkert

The latest in restaurant gossip. by graceann walden

Greenbrae—home of Marin General and Bon Air. by jim wood

A visit with David Gockley. by mimi towle

Columns The Cover Fall Wall, photograph

view from mount tam

pov

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

by Debra McClinton. Her work can be seen at debramcclinton.com.

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

Straightening out SMART. by jim wood

Cartier pays tribute to the round watch created in the middle of the last century with a new striking and sporty addition to the Pasha de Cartier collection: Pasha Seatimer. An original model with a daring combination of materials.

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

12/07/2006 2:08:07 PM

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 Olivia Boler, P.J. Bremier, Amy Gurvitz, Erika Lenkert, Katherine Martin, Jeff Miller, Anne Crump Ray, Maura Thurman, GraceAnn Walden

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

production manager Alex French ext 111 production@marinmagazine.com

contributing photographers Sean Arbabi, Ben Davidson, Sasha Gulish, Sheri Montgomery, Barbara Ries 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

SEPTEMBER 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

regional sales offices california media marin associates Lora Dinga 415.898.6400

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 9. 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. member of the bpa worldwide:

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

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

ONE OF MARIN’S MAIN ATTRACTIONS is its abundance of art and art lovers. Art has been important in the history of Marin—from the early days of weekend painters who visited Sausalito by boat 200 years ago and created Marin’s first artistic community, to the inception of the Sausalito Art Festival in 1952. Once again over the Labor Day weekend more than 50,000 art lovers will visit the festival—one of the oldest juried fine art festivals in the nation and a community effort surpassed by none. Every year more than 1,000 volunteers and dedicated artists contribute to the success of this fundraising event. We have expanded coverage of the arts in this issue, with articles ranging from a profile of museum docent Kirsten Shilakes, who makes art accessible to all of us (page 54), to a fall art gallery preview by regular contributor Anne Crump Ray (page 145), to an introduction to a Marin newcomer, David Gockley, general director of the San Francisco Opera, in our Dialogue department (page 186). In “Community for Art Expression” (page 90), Tim Porter takes us on a tour of the unique Headlands Center for the Arts in the Marin Headlands. We were so inspired by this venue that we used it as the location for our fall fashion photo shoot, as artfully expressed by photographer Debra McClinton (page 96). In response to numerous requests for more environmentally oriented articles, we have created “Marin Green” (page 39), a new department highlighting an individual or an organization making a difference by contributing to Marin’s sustainability. Our first subject is Kevin Sadlier, co-owner of Green Jeans Nursery in Strawberry, who is known locally as the “green gardening guru.” Also debuting in this issue is “Conversation” (page 80), an in-depth discussion with a Marin resident who has seen his or her vision become, for the most part, a reality. This month’s discussion is with Gary Giacomini, for 24 years a county supervisor and now a much-in-demand land use attorney. As many of you know, Gary is rarely shy about expressing concerns for (and opinions of) his beloved 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

SEPTEMBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: BARBARA RIES

Marin County. With his remarks in Marin, that reputation will emerge stronger than ever.

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Readers respond As chairman of Marin’s Republican Party,

I picked up a Marin Magazine because of the

I applaud Jim Wood’s spot-on assessment

beautiful cover you have on the July issue. I nev-

of Marin’s nuanced political landscape (“Is

er knew about Eric Zener and I have told a lot of

Marin Turning Conservative?” July 2006).

people about the magazine because of this art-

As Mr. Wood rightly points out, Marin

ist’s work on the cover. Once I got the magazine

Democrats outnumber Republicans two-to-

home I read all the information you have about

one (76,003 to 33,745 at last count), mean-

what is happening in Marin. It is a great maga-

ing that fully a third of us are Republicans,

zine and more power to you. Thank you.

and while we may not be popular at

Beth Casey, via email

dinner parties at the moment we are not

a luxur y general store

exactly a tiny minority. Further, we are unit-

I enjoyed Jim Wood’s article on “Sustaining

ed with our Democratic brethren in the values

Marin” (August 2006). After seeing “An

it took to make Marin County home. Few of

Inconvenient Truth” and a recent Discovery

us arrived here by sheer accident; for most,

Channel program on global warming, the ev-

a combination of hard work, risk, and sacri-

idence of our carbon “footprint” is concern-

fice—the same values that contribute to suc-

ing (to say the least). After changing out light

cess in any enterprise—made it possible for

bulbs and researching the latest hybrid cars

us to live in one of America’s most desirable

(we decided to buy one instead of a convert-

and expensive enclaves. These values are the

ible this fall), we are also making changes in

stuff of pragmatism, which is nonpartisan.

our lifestyle. Thanks for putting out a wonder-

Pragmatists know there is much in Marin

ful and enlightening publication!

County’s political landscape that can use

Jen Reidy, Corte Madera

reform. They are realists who love the coun-

FIVE STAR STATION

EDITH CALDWELL GALLERY

ty but see it as victimized by fiscal irrespon-

What a nice article on nonprofit art galler-

sibility and unaccountability. Public employees

ies you published in a recent issue! But there

at the fiscal trough, indulging pension abuse

was one glaring omission: the Marin Society

that would bankrupt any business along with

of Artists (MSA). This group is the oldest in

the lack of transparency that salary non-

Marin. It has a large membership of dedicat-

disclosure brings—these are the issues that

ed and skilled artists and also serves the com-

make pragmatists of both parties squirm.

munity in many ways, including workshops for

The complex challenges of the national politi-

the visually handicapped, free presentations

cal scene aside, Marinites owe it to one anoth-

on many facets of art, a docent program for

er to look first to the issues that bind us—the

children and a rental gallery to preview art in

conservation of good schools, environment,

one’s home before purchase, to name a few.

sound transportation, efficient government—

MSA is one of Marin’s treasures. Your wonder-

without falling prey to the venomous discourse

ful magazine should not overlook it.

and intolerance of opposing views that char-

33 Caledonia Street Sausalito, CA 415.331.5055 www.fivestarsta tion.com

acterize the radical extremes of both parties. Surely, Marin can do better in conserving a

Letters to the editor may be edited for clarity

Democratic society.

and brevity. Send letters to Marin Magazine, One Mark D. Hill

Chairman, Marin Republican Party

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

Jeanne Scholz, Mill Valley

Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965. Or email to jwood@marinmagazine.com.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

0ACIFIC5NIONAD-ARIN-AG3EPT PDF

P OV

Straightening Out SMART Larkspur’s objections are misplaced BY JIM WOOD

as high as 7,000 on weekdays and 10,000 on

occurrence on Highway 101 anywhere north of

weekends.”

Larkspur. The threat of $5-a-gallon gasoline in

Which brings us to Larkspur. “I have two

our near future is real. And concerns over global

issues with SMART,” says Joan Lundstrom,

warming are rising. These are all reasons people

who’s served on the Larkspur City Council for

are becoming fed up with dependence on the al-

24 years and been mayor of the city six times.

mighty automobile as a means of transportation.

“One is the site of the Larkspur Landing station

My conclusion: Build an alternative to the auto

and the other is the system itself—the number

and we will use it.

of riders doesn’t justify the money being spent.”

Moreover, I doubt that the quarter-cent in-

Lundstrom is concerned that the Larkspur sta-

crease in the sales tax will hurt the economies

tion’s location lacks sufficient parking and that

of Sonoma County and Marin. Sales taxes al-

the terminus will generate more local commut-

ready fluctuate substantially among California

er traffic. My response: The parking concern is

cities, ranging from 7.25 percent to 8.5 percent,

valid; something must be done to accommo-

San Francisco’s being the highest. In Marin, the

date it. However, opposition based on a traffic

sales tax is 7.75 percent, with the exception

increase is misplaced here. An effective train-

of San Rafael (8.25 percent) and Santa Rosa

to-ferry connection may, over time, take away

HERE ARE ONLY TWO VALID reasons

(8 percent). A vote for SMART would raise the

as many cars as it adds.

to oppose the quarter-cent sales tax

countywide tax to 8 percent in most Marin and

hike on the November ballot to pay for

Sonoma cities. Hardly a shopping stopper.

Lundstrom is concerned that the sales tax increase will subsidize a major portion of SMART,

the Sonoma Marin Area Rapid Transit (SMART)

Proponents of SMART argue that con-

but in reality all public transportation is sub-

rail project: 1) Not enough people will ride the

struction of the 14-station line will stimu-

sidized in one form or another. And while her

line to justify its $668 million cost; 2) The sales

late local business, which they say is what

views generally reflect those of the city coun-

tax increase in both counties will negatively af-

happened when similar systems were in-

cil, the truth is Larkspur can’t preclude SMART

fect the local economies. However, there are rea-

troduced in Portland (TriMet), San Diego

from establishing a station in the sparsely pop-

sonable arguments to counter both claims, and

(Coaster), Los Angeles and Orange counties

ulated area near the prosaic Larkspur Landing

there’s much to be said for approving the 70-

(Metrolink), Seattle (Sounder), and Salt Lake

shopping center and the popular ferry terminal.

mile rail line that would parallel Highway 101

City (FrontRunner). “We saw FrontRunner

Why? Because SMART owns the needed right-

from Cloverdale to Larkspur Landing.

as a great benefit to our city,” says Scott

of-way and is its own governmental agency.

First, the negatives. Potential ridership esti-

Halbertson, mayor of Farmington, Utah, “be-

Marinites seem to favor SMART. According

mates, once projected to be as high as 20,000

cause at the time, we were [economically]

to a spring 2006 public opinion poll, 77 per-

a day, have fallen to about 5,000 a day—2,500

struggling.” Marin and Sonoma cities might

cent of the voters in both counties are for it,

in each direction. Granted, with 12 round-trip

not be struggling, but all station cities except

an indication that the November ballot mea-

trains a day, that’s only 200 riders per train,

Larkspur seem to be eagerly awaiting SMART.

sure will get more than the two-thirds yes vote

barely enough to justify SMART’s cost. But

“And ridership estimates don’t include a bike

it needs for approval. Let’s hope November’s

here’s my contention: No one knows for sure

and hiking path to be constructed alongside

vote reflects such progressiveness. That’s my

how many passengers the line will ultimately at-

the rail line,” says Marin County Supervisor

point of view. What’s yours?

tract, and whatever number is projected is likely

Charles McGlashan. “Those user numbers go

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

E-mail jwood@marinmagazine.com.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: BARBARA RIES

to increase. Traffic gridlock is already a regular

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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AT A G L ANCE

SE PT EMB ER SEPTEMBER 2 Quack, Quack

SEPTEMBER 3 Labor Day at the Lake

Over 20,000 works of art including sculptures, paintings and photography. Marinship Park and the Army Corps of Engineers Bay Model Visitors Center (Sausalito). 415.331.3757, sausalitoartfestival.org

Support the Dance Palace and sponsor a yellow rubber duck in this wacky race. If your duck crosses Papermill Creek first you win $1,000! White House Pool Park (Point Reyes). 415.663.1075, dancepalace.org

Fireworks, children’s activities and a concert by the R&B All Stars—what more could you ask for? Stafford Lake County Park (Novato). 415.899.8200, ci.novato.ca.us

▼

SEPTEMBER 1–4 Sausalito Art Festival

SEPTEMBER 4 Labor Day

SEPTEMBER 8 An Elegant Affair

Bring the kids to the Tiburon/ Belvedere Labor Day Parade to see marching bands, clowns and horses. Downtown Tiburon to Belvedere Community Park (Tiburon/Belvedere). 415.435.7373, tiburonchamber.org

A day dedicated to you, the American worker. Travel, throw a party—do anything but go to work.

Sip cocktails before watching the opening night performance of Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera. Following the show, enjoy dinner and dancing. War Memorial Opera House (SF). 415.565.3204, sfopera.com/operaball

▼

SEPTEMBER 3 Parade Time

This legendary comedian will perform along with the Gay Men’s Chorus and emcee Jan Wahl. Herbst Theatre (SF). 415.392.4400, empireplushroom.com ▼

It’s a full weekend of chocolate decadence including a sundaeeating contest, cookie decorating and more. Ghirardelli Square Courtyard (SF). 415.775.5500, ghirardellisq.com

SEPTEMBER 14 Want It!

SEPTEMBER 19 Marin Designers

Tap into the wisdom of your grandparents. President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation establishing this day in 1978.

Come celebrate the kickoff to Saks’s fall fashion campaign —Want It! The evening will feature food, entertainment and multifloor fashion offerings. Saks Fifth Avenue (SF). 415.986.4300

Twenty-five Marin home designers show off their talents in a recently completed 6,500square-foot home thru October 8, Dominican Hills (San Rafael). 415.479.5691, marindesignershowcase.com

SEPTEMBER 20 & 21 Macy’s Passport

SEPTEMBER 24 Take a Tour

This year’s fashion show will feature Hugo Boss, Sean John, Heatherette, 2(x)ist, Bali Platinum and MAC. Fort Mason in the Herbst and Festival Pavilions (SF). 800.334.6158

Discover fine homes, wine cellars and gorgeous pools at the third annual Sleepy Hollow Kitchen and Garden Tour. Various locations (San Anselmo). 415.456.5951, sleepyhollowtours.org

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

▼

SEPTEMBER 26 Bloomingdale’s Opening Party

Head to the grand opening of this shopper’s paradise—expand your closet and listen to Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter Chris Botti. Westfield Shopping Center (SF). 415.502.4337, bloomingdales.com

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

EV ENT S I N MA R IN & BEYO ND

SEPTEMBER 10 Grandparents Day

▼

PH OTO OF C HR IS BOTT BY FABR IZI O FE RR I

SEPTEMBER 9 & 10 Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival

▼

SEPTEMBER 9 Joan Rivers

M A R I N ALBUM

BY TIM PORTER

“Dance till the stars come down from the rafters. Dance, dance, dance till you drop.”

Let’s make sure we’ve got all the ingredients:

expanded each year since. Now, it runs from

• Warm summer night by the water? Check.

May 5 to October 13.

—W.H. AUDEN

That’s a recipe for a good time and

• Good food, drink and company? Check. • Free admission? Check.

erage Friday night and up to 1,000 on the

• Live rock and roll? Check.

warmest nights, says Connie Wiley, the for-

• Dancing in the street allowed? Check.

mer Belvedere mayor who cochairs the event

Tiburon serves it up alfresco when the

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

with Mary Catherine Bach for the BelvedereTiburon Chamber of Commerce.

town closes Main Street to car traffic 26

Each week there is plenty of music to

Friday nights a year and opens the bay-

dine by or dance to, ranging from the blues

side block to food, family fun and all-

to the sounds of Brazil. On a recent Friday,

around frolicking.

rocker Doc Kraft and his band were crank-

Friday Nights on Main began three sum-

ing up the crowd across from Sam’s Anchor

mers ago with only a four-week schedule,

Cafe. Swaying to the music, lost in the mo-

but the street scene was such a success with

ment, was Sophie Vandervoort.

merchants, residents and visitors that it has 36

About 700 people show up on an av-

Good times? Check. MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: TIM PORTER

Dancin’

There is so much to love about Marin: the rolling hills, the bay views, and of course, the lovely shops at The Village at Corte Madera. The lush gardens and sparkling fountains make it the perfect spot to relax, stroll and shop with friends. Join us for SEARCH FOR THE CAUSE UNDER THE STARS, Saturday, October 7 Benefitting The Marin Cancer Project. For tickets, visit www.SearchForTheCause.org 65 fine stores and restaurants including Nordstrom, Macy’s and The Cheesecake Factory. Visit The Village Concierge and purchase the perfect gift…One Great Gift Card.®

The Village at Corte Madera, Highway 101 at Paradise Drive (415) 924-8921 • www.VillageAtCorteMadera.com

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M A RI N GREEN

PHOTO: TIM PORTER

Kevin Sadlier: green gardening guru

BY MIMI TOWLE

Wall Street Journal. The organic gardening

played along the polluted banks of

Sadlier. Today, as the co-owner of Green

the Hudson River. “As a kid,” he says, “I’d be

Jeans Garden Supply in Mill Valley, Sadlier

Besides, says Sadlier, green garden-

the one to choose bottled water over a Coke,

is a veritable veteran of naturally grown

ing can be therapy in a troubled world.

and when my mom sent me to the store for

verdure—and still in the news for his work:

“People are uneasy these days,” he says.

bread, I’d come back with whole wheat.” He

the Journal again last year for his use of bat

“I can see it in their eyes when they come

says, smiling, “She would shake her head

guano and the Chronicle this year for volun-

into the nursery. Should I buy a rose, a

and ask, ‘Why?’ She preferred white.”

teering with an organic garden project in-

bunker or move to British Columbia?

side San Quentin Prison.

Children are dying on television, towns are

evin Sadlier’s interest in all things or-

he says. “I want to offer alternatives for

ganic was planted in his youth as he

movement has since blossomed—and so has

people who want to create a vibrant, responsible garden.”

When Sadlier opened Sloat Garden Center’s ﬁrst organic gardening section as its

Sadlier is passionate about organic

evacuated...the planet is overheating. I think

manager in the 1990s, it was a rare enough

living, but not preachy. “I’m not here to

everyone needs to take a deep breath and

occurrence to merit a story on Page 1 of the

lecture people or make them feel guilty,”

plant a tree.”

MARIN

036-039_Album_Grn.indd 39

SEPTEMBER 2006

8/7/06 2:54:30 PM

Rustic Elegance Design

Anne Thull Fine Art Designs®, LLC Exclusive Estate Designs that express Your Lifestyle Dreams Interior & Exterior ~ Cabinetry, Light Fixtures, Gates, Stonework

www.annethullfineartdesigns.com • Phone: 415.435.1466

SNAP HAPPENINGS

Compassion Through Fashion Dress to Impress Crowds of eager bidders filled the San Francisco Design Center for Belle of the Ball, a fashion show and

Tim Treadway, Carol Treadway, Dr. Mary Mockus

live auction to bene-

Mary Poland

Joel Goodrich, Bella Farrow, Mark Calvano

ﬁt the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. After a reception with Grey Goose martinis and sushi, attendees were ready to raise their paddles for fabulous frocks by designers Lea Ditson, Mario Chacon and others. Sydnie Kohara hosted the event and auctioneer Patrick Meade of Bonhams D ESIG N C ENTER: S HERI M ONTG OME RY / LETTERMA N D IG ITAL ARTS : C RAIG HO LT P H OTO GRA P H Y

& Butterﬁelds kept the bids coming.

Mario Chacon, Laura King Pfaff

Joya Reed, Paige Kelly, Misty-Dawn Brown

Corby Mullins, Carolyn Rovner

Hats Off The Letterman Digital Arts Center was the setting for the fourth annual Looking Good! Luncheon, Fashion Mary Taverna

Victoria Heiges

Tanya Koenker

Cindy Daifotis

Show & Auction. The event was emceed by Joel Bartlett and included a fashion show with designs from textile artist Marian Clayden. But hats were the theme du jour, and for good reason: Jim Wood, Jan Wahl and Lois Lehrman judged participants on the most unusual, beautiful and humorous headpiece of the day. The sold-

Hazel Kawaja, Jan Wahl, Lois Lehrman

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

040-049_Snap.indd 41

out event helped raise more than Nancee Rubinstein

$25,000 for Hospice of Marin. MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

8/7/06 2:49:07 PM

S N A P HAPPENI NGS

The Fast and Philanthropic Auction Preview Future auction bidders spent an evening in the midst of a luxury showcase, Bill and Lucrecia Coomber

Peggy Furth and Barbara Banke

Alessandro Ribola

which included the Maserati Quattroporte and award-winning Chalk Hill and Verite wines. This preview offered a look at the items to be featured at Imagine 2006, an auction benefiting children’s charities including Valley of the Moon Children’s Foundation, Bay Area Juvenile Diabetes Research

Pamela Harrington, Elaine Mellis, Monty J. Sander

Foundation and Voice of Youth.

Familiar Fine Art Art creators, lovers, and collectors were on hand at Marin/ Scapes 2006: Art That Changes Lives to celebrate the community and landscape of Marin. Artists

Dr. Henry and Karin Safrit

Rod Farrow

Diane and William Clarke, ZeeZee Mott

Irene Hunt, Helen Graham

Kathleen Lipinski

Mindy Kavitsy

like Tom Killion (whose work has appeared on the cover of Marin Magazine) paid tribute with urban scenes, renditions of nature, and themes of Marin at work and at play. The proceeds from Marin/ Scapes supported local artists and the Buckelew Employment Services program. 42

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

Chuck Kavitsy

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOS FAST AND PHILANTHROPIC: SHERI MONTGOMERY / MARIN/SCAPES: KATE WIEGEL

Lori Nichols, Mary Warnecke, Joy Venturini Bianchi

S N A P BUSINESS

Wine and Dine Marin

Trisha Figueroa, Stacy Pasko

Diana Sabur, Nicole Grey

Karl Hoagland

Lodge at Tiburon Launched Mayoral proclamations and a multidenominational blessing led the way for the grand opening of the new Lodge at Tiburon and Three Degrees restaurant and bar. Guests sipped the bar’s signature drink, the Tiburon Breeze, and grooved to David Correa

Jonny Moseley christens the Lodge

George and Dora Gavros

Angelo Servino, Steve Sears

as well as Gina Cantina and her band.

A Festivity at Finnegan’s It was a packed house to celebrate the grand opening of Finnegan’s Marin, a classic neighborhood bar and restaurant owned by Henry Hautau, Alex Hautau and Mark Edwards— part of the crew that brought Kitchen to Novato. The crowd enjoyed tasty food, plasma televisions, ample seating, great drinks and a feeling of a home away from home.

Laurie Gibbs and Bill Harris, Barbara andFriedman, Markus Trice Sean Even Ouelette Henry Hautau

MARIN

040-049_Snap.indd 44

SEPTEMBER 2006

Alex Hautau

Lance Taylor, Kyle Terry-Fox

Steve Metcho, Mark Edwards, Lj Silverman

PHOTOS: LODGE: SHERI MONTGOMERY :

Dr. Henry and Karin Safrit

Mindy Kavitsy Chuck Kavitsy Rick and Stephanie Hart

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

8/7/06 2:52:08 PM

S N A P COM MUNI T Y

Supporting Change Speed Dial Tim and Susan Geraghty hosted a cocktail reception at their Tiburon home to celebrate the upcoming

Lydia Cameron

launch of United Way 2-1-1

Susan Geraghty and Jeff Fish

Claudia Canjura, Florencia Parada, Marco Berger

phone service in Marin. The toll-free phone number will refer callers to health and human services, volunteer opportunities and community resources, 24 hours a day and seven

Giving by Golf

Linda Allen

Tracy Ruggles

Pat Wall, Carol Patterson

Ambassadors of Hope

Andy Gellepis, Zara Babitzke, Kathy Severson, Mike Kadel Rick Barbaria, John Randazzo, Tom Yacko

The Frank Howard Allen ofﬁce in Mill Valley and community

To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation held its third

members recently got together to celebrate FHA’s support

annual Tee It Up to Celebrate Life fundraiser at the Sonoma

for Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity. Participating

Golf Club. After the tournament, golfers feasted on a buffet

agents will donate a percentage of their earnings (matched

dinner and took part in an awards party, rafﬂe and live auc-

dollar-for-dollar by the company). AHO is a nonproﬁt organi-

tion. The all-volunteer nonproﬁt raises funds and dispenses

zation that focuses on providing stable housing, guidance and

grants to Bay Area organizations that provide services for

community connections for young adults ages 18 to 25 who

those living with breast cancer.

are homeless in Marin.

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

UNI TED WAY PHOTOS : ROC KY BEAC H / G OL F PH OTOS: PATT Y S PI NKS

Cynthia Murray, Anne Wilson

days a week.

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S N A P COMMUNI T Y

Summer Fun

Unique Opportunities The Family and Children’s Law Center of Marin, which provides high-quality but low-cost legal services to underprivileged families, held its annual Benefit Dinner and

Binky the Elf aka Steve Clay, Jenn Pfeif

Bob Kristoff

Julie McMillan, Tracy Blum

John Boudett

Carole Solomon

Bill Johnson, Dr. Dean Edell

Auction. Former Dating Game star Jim Lange, emceed the event, which raised $87,000 for the center. Guests listened to tunes from the Redwood Wind Quartet and nibbled on selections from Insalata’s.

Lynn Duryee

Joan Brown

Art in San Anselmo Who Let the Dogs Out? The W San Francisco and Bark magazine hosted pooches and their friends for a party to beneﬁt the Pets Unlimited shelter program. Emily Scott Pottruck, author of Tails of Devotion: A Look at the Bond Between People and Their Pets, was on hand for a Dr. Melina B. Jampolis and Madeline

book signing, and pet photographer Lori Cheung took por-

Jan Wahl, David Gemigniani

Sue Lee, Bill Poland

traits of people friends. When

Richard Muhl and Danilo

MARIN

Jim Widmark and Sally

SEPTEMBER 2006

Jennifer Barstow, Jennifer Couture, Marianne Montgomery, Joe Ranno, Connie Rodgers, Bob Gori, Renee Stephenson

the dogs weren’t

Over 160 artists sold one-of-a-kind paintings, jewelry, ce-

running on the

ramics, photography and more at the 23rd Annual San

terrace, they en-

Anselmo Art and Design Festival. Generation Chefs found-

joyed treats and

er Rachelle Boucher coordinated tasty food on the culinary

fresh air, while

stage and beautiful home and garden design demos for a

their owners won

crowd of over 30,000 people.

great prizes.

Bosco Chiu, Jerome Dodson, Beatrice Chan

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTOS: DOGS: LORI A. CHEUNG

with their furry

Stop Wishing. Start Smiling.

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Visit us today for your complimentary Smile Design consultation. We’ll develop a personalized plan for your new look based on your personality, style, and unique smile. Call the office of Dr. James Birrell at 415-461-0940 or visit our Smile Gallery at www.drbirrell.com.

“It has been a privilege to mentor my colleague, Dr. James Birrell, in the art of cosmetic dentistry.” — Dr. Bill Dorfman, ABC Extreme Makeover Dentist

1321 South Eliseo Drive, Greenbrae, CA 94904

warming trends

Sleeveless shawl-collar cardigan and crew-neck cardigan by Ralph Lauren Collection, $1,198 and $1,498 at Ralph Lauren 415.788.7656 and Neiman Marcus (San Francisco) 415.362.3900.

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

BY AMY GURVITZ

This fall, knits are it. From New York to Pa r i s , to p d es ig n e rs i n cl u d i n g Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Stella McCartney and Stefano Pilati (for YSL) blanketed their runways with cozy, chunky cardigans and pullovers. Perhaps the season’s most wearable trend, these often supersized and always ﬁgure-ﬂaw-concealing sweaters pair perfectly with everything from ofthe-moment leggings and skinny pants to skirts and light-as-a-feather dresses (not to mention your favorite jeans). Neutral and earthy hues including ivory, oatmeal, gray and green ruled the catwalk, all versatile shades that should match well with practically every item in your wardrobe. Snuggle up.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

FASHION

WA R M A N D COZ Y K N I TS F O R T H I S FA L L S E A S O N

Clockwise on this page: Natalie cardigan by Amo & Bretti, $286 at M Clothing (Corte Madera) 415.924.8891. Turtleneck by Kenneth Cole, $198 at Kenneth Cole (San Francisco) 415.981.2653. Boyfriend cardigan by Yves Saint Laurent, $995 at YSL (San Francisco) 415.837.1211. Cowl-neck by 3.1 Phillip Lim, $415 at Canvas (Larkspur) 415.924.4505. Wool cardigan and cashmere cardigan by Eileen Fisher, $318 and $358 at Eileen Fisher (San Francisco) 415.346.2133. Mohair sweater by DKNY, $495 at Bloomingdale’s (San Francisco) 800.232.1854. Cashmere cape by TSE, $1,350 at TSE (San Francisco) 415.391.1112. Indigo V-neck by Stella McCartney, $665 at Saks Fifth Avenue (San Francisco) 415.986.4300.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

FA S H I O N

life style Name Jonas Honick Home Mill Valley Occupation High school teacher and boys’ varsity basketball coach at Branson School What are you wearing? Zegna blazer, Rodin cotton shirt, Canali slacks, blue socks, Mezlan loafers. No jewelry, ever. I usually don’t wear socks except for special occasions, like coaching basketball games, attending graduations, weddings (maybe), attending functions at my wife’s law firm (mandatory). The last time I wore this outfit was during our [team’s] only loss of the season this year. I’ll have to think hard about wearing it again for coaching. Where would you wear this outfit? Coaching basketball games (except I would add a “lucky” tie); out to dinner. How long does it take you to get ready? A quick shave, shower and hair drying (no styling involved). I make quick decisions for work. I am much more careful about what I wear for coaching games. I am very superstitious not only about what I wear against each opponent but also the order in which I put on my clothes for coaching. Describe your personal style. Mostly casual. Formal when appropriate— probably more so than native Californians. Who are your fashion influences? NBA coaches. Larry Brown, who was most recently with the New York Knicks, is the sharpest dresser in the league. However, the man one of the owners of Gene Hiller Clothing in Sausalito. I’ve always worn a coat and tie to coach, but Tom nudged me to adopt a more fashionable look for coaching MCAL (Marin County Athletic League) games. 52

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PH OTO: BAR BARA RIES

who created a style for me is Tom Gangitano,

Favorite designers? Zegna, Canali, Zanella. Where do you love to shop in Marin?

Featuring the Latest American and European Fashions

Gene Hiller Clothing in Sausalito. The best men’s store in the county, if not the country. What is the single most essential piece in your wardrobe? I have a black Canali blazer that I always take with me when I travel, and it is my “good luck” blazer that I wear for important games, including this year’s state championship game. What would you never be caught dead in? A Hawaiian shirt. I just can’t go there. I grew up in a blue-collar town near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and I would have difficulty explaining myself to the guys back home. What is your best cheapo secret? I get a fair amount of free basketball-related clothing. Lynn Merritt, a Novato High grad who is now with Nike, outfits the Branson boys’ team and sends some Nike “fits” my way. I get an annual allotment of free (sometimes used) NBA gear from a friend who is the head trainer with the Orlando Magic. What’s your fashion pet peeve? Birkenstocks, with or without the wool socks. What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought? A tanzanite necklace and matching earrings for my wife on a recent trip to South Africa. Did it make you happy? Yes, but more important, it made her happy. If your life were a movie, what would be

Apparel • Shoes • Jewelry • Accessories A Common Thread • Anett Röstel • Burning Torch Calleen Cordero • Catherine Malandrino • Ivan Grundahl James Perse • Love, Melody • Mason’s • Stitch’s Jeans • Vince

your theme song? One of the following Rolling Stones favorites:

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My (hopeful) choice: “Gimme Shelter.”

Private appointments by request.

Most accurate: “(You’ll Never Make a)

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Saint of Me.” Critics’ choice: “Out of Control.” MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

FYI ART

Art for Everyone Kirsten Shilakes unlocks hidden secrets and encourages art appreciation BY ANNE RAY PHOTO TIM PORTER

MARIN RESIDENTS ARE POISED to become

A docent, says Shilakes, can help reveal

some of the best-informed art appreciators in

those ideas in art that “are not immediate-

the Bay Area, thanks in part to the efforts of

ly accessible to the viewer. Some art objects

Kirsten Ditterich Shilakes.

seem deceivingly evident, but ask a docent

An international marketing professional, author and Mill Valley mother of two, Shilakes

Stem cup with Dragons, porcelain with underglaze blue decoration, Yuan dynasty (1280-1368), China

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

and you’ll find out that there is a hidden story in every object.”

has devoted six years to serving as an arts am-

Shilakes’s fascination with art began dur-

bassador to the community through docent

ing her childhood in rural Michigan. Her

programs at the Asian Art Museum in San

father, a German immigrant, was a textile de-

Francisco and the Fine Arts Museums of San

signer who ran a studio and retail space in

Francisco. While docents typically lead muse-

a 19th-century building; her mother, a clas-

um tours, Shilakes has been instrumental in

sical music teacher, ran the textile shop and

expanding their reach through the Community

gave music lessons. Shilakes remembers be-

Speakers Program, which brings presentations

ing dazzled by her father’s beautiful weav-

about art to libraries, health facilities, busi-

ings and the skeins of colorful yarns lining

nesses and private events.

the shop’s walls.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

2/3 VERTICAL

“

Docenting is an unconventional way to acquire an art history education, but it is very practical and it never stops. —KIRSTEN SHILAKES

Robert Deyber calling...

”

“It was a modest life,” she says, “but I was truly privy to a beautiful aesthetic environment—nature, foreign language, music, design—that fostered my appreciation for the arts.” In 1997, living in the Bay Area, Shilakes enlisted in the volunteer docent program at the Asian and underwent the three years of intensive training the museum requires to ensure its

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docents are qualified to lead fun and informative tours. She then signed on for the docent training program at the Fine Arts Museums, including the California Palace of the Legion of Honor and the de Young—a similar three-year course. “Between the two programs—six years total—I estimate that I have written over 120 papers, listened to 400 art history lectures and presented hundreds of gallery tours,” Shilakes says. “Docenting is an unconventional way to acquire an art history education, but it is very practical and it never stops.” Shilakes spends about four hours weekly leading tours through the museums, but she is increasingly involved in leading off-site talks and developing the Community Speakers

Bird Call, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48 inches

The freshest thing in art since paint…

Program, which taps into a pool of hundreds of docents to share their knowledge and passion

To see the works of Robert Deyber, please visit

for art with the broader community. Marin’s li-

Martin•Lawrence Galleries

braries offer the talks for free, providing audiences with an introduction to the museums’ collections, a preview of upcoming exhibitions, or deeper insight into a specific selection of

366 Geary Street, San Francisco (between Powell & Mason) (415) 956-0345

works through multimedia presentations and

w w w. m a rt i n l aw r e nc e . com

discussions. The libraries also have passes that

n e w yor k • b o s t o n • c h i c ag o • n e w o r l e a n s • b e v e r ly h i l l s n e w p ort b e ac h • l o s a n ge l e s • s a n f r a n c i s c o • m au i • da l l a s

visitors can check out and use for free admission to the de Young.

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MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

2/3 VERTICAL Find All Your Fall Essentials

“We communicate [about] art to a wide audience, whether you are a connoisseur or just want to relax and view beautiful visuals,” says Shilakes. Ultimately, she hopes, the talks will inspire everyone who attends to visit the museums. The same goal applies to the talks she and fellow docents deliver at private events, where they customize the presentations to address specific themes such as, say, art’s relationship to food and drink. Shilakes conducts a talk through the Asian Art Museum called “Raising Spirits: Art and Wine in East Asia” that draws on her expertise in art history, Asian culture and wine. She has presented this educational and festive program at conferences, corporate events, fundraisers and dinner parties. “It’s wonderful entertainment,” she says. “I’ve been doing wine talks for two years, but

Diane Von

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now I’m able to use wine to introduce people to the museum’s collection.” The private talks can be geared to groups ranging from 30 to more than 300 and also serve as fundraisers for the Asian, with proceeds benefiting its docent program. Shilakes also is a contributing author for the forthcoming book Wine and Philosophy (Blackwell Publishing), in which she examines the connections between wine, philosophy and art. “Art really lends a proximity to genius that is found nowhere else, and I enjoy bringing it closer to people,” she says. Shilakes says she, her husband, Chris, and their daughters, ages five and six, love life in Mill Valley. “We are very connected to our little village,” she says, “and have daily rituals that [continue to] connect us: We stop into Peet’s every morning before we zip over the bridge to take our girls to school in the city. We can walk to buy a sack of groceries at the Mill Valley Market; the girls love to snap up pink

green apples

Behrman daisies at the flower shop on the way home. Nearly every Tuesday my husband and I have a ‘date night,’ hitting one of the restaurants downtown and going to comedy night at 142 Throckmorton. I have an office in the Presidio at the [San Francisco] Film Centre, and I just love the energy/calm dichotomy between San Francisco and this town.”

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN ART TALKS FALL SCHEDULE de Young Museum & Legion of Honor: Price: $75, series of three for $200 Contact: Kay Payne, 650.941.1374

2/3 VERTICAL

Asian Art Museum of San Francisco: Price: $75, series of three for $150 Contact: Docent Ofﬁce, 415.581.3664 Sept. 6, 1 p.m. “Monet in Normandy,” San Rafael Public Library, 1100 E St., San Rafael; 415.485.3323; cityofsanrafael.org/Government/Library.htm Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m. “Chicano Encounters,” Belvedere-Tiburon Public Library, 1501 Tiburon Blvd., Tiburon; 415.789.2665; bel-tib-lib.org Sept. 14, 7 p.m. “Highlights of the Asian Art Museum,” Mill Valley Public Library, 375 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley; 415.389.4292; millvalleylibrary.org Sept. 21, 7 p.m. “Angles on Art at the New de Young Museum,” Mill Valley Public Library, 375 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley; 415.389.4292 ext. 203; millvalleylibrary.org

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Oct. 4, 1 p.m. “The Quilts of Gee’s Bend,” San Rafael Public Library, 1100 E St., San Rafael; 415.485.3323; cityofsanrafael.org/ Government/Library.htm Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m. “The Quilts of Gee’s Bend,” BelvedereTiburon Public Library, 1501 Tiburon Blvd., Tiburon; 415.789.2665; bel-tib-lib.org Oct. 19, 7 p.m. “Hidden Meanings: Symbolism in Chinese Imperial Arts,” Mill Valley Public Library, 375 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley; 415.389.4292; millvalleylibrary.org Nov. 9, 7 p.m. “Raising Spirits: Art and Wine in East Asia,” Mill Valley Public Library, 375 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley; 415.389.4292; millvalleylibrary.org Shilakes’s “Raising Spirits” multimedia presentation, exploring connections between wine and Asian art, is available to organizations for fundraisers, dinner parties and other events. Proceeds beneﬁt the AAM Education Department. Please call 415.581.3664 for more information. FREE ART MUSEUM PASSES. Mill Valley, Sausalito and Belvedere-Tiburon libraries offer passes for admission to select San Francisco museums. Just go to the library and check out a pass!

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

F Y I GA R DE N

THE GRASS CAN BE GREENER Marin gardeners unite BY MIMI TOWLE

I REALLY LIKE MY NEIGHBORS. They’re fun:

swath of green grass with the concentration

by statistics from groups like Pesticide Action

he’s a generous oenophile, she’s a first-rate

of a surgeon. To me it’s like he’s painting his

Network North America (PANNA), which say

chef and our kids are the same age—a scenar-

lawn with a wand of poison.

that “each year, homeowners apply at least 90

io for a lifetime of memories. There’s just one

I have a feeling Dan and I aren’t watch-

million pounds of pesticides to their lawns and

problem. Every few weeks, Dan, an engineer

ing the same movies (An Inconvenient Truth)

gardens.” PANNA also reports that in a break-

who clearly likes to be über-efficient, puts on

or listening to the same radio programs (NPR’s

down of 30 commonly used lawn pesticides,

his worn-out long-sleeve button-down shirt, a

Science Friday) or browsing the same websites

19 are carcinogens, 13 linked with birth de-

stained baseball hat, and a mask and gloves,

(greenguide.com, losha.org, panna.org).

fects, 21 with reproductive effects, 15 with

then hitches a dirty-looking plastic container

With so much information linking chemi-

neurotoxicity, and 26 with liver or kidney

with the remnants of the word “ORTHO” to

cals to reproductive issues, neurological and

damage; 27 are irritants, and 11 can disrupt

his back. He spends a good hour spraying his

respiratory disease and cancer, I’m given pause

the hormone system.

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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“Hey,” says Dan, mask pushed onto his

set standards for the large-scale use of pesti-

forehead. “Do your kids want to come over for

cides, they’re set up to educate and protect

a while?”

the general public—not to monitor every pur-

If I ever get the nerve to approach him

chase or yard spraying.

about my paranoia, I know what he will say.

Locally, though, “there is an organized ef-

“This stuff is regulated. They wouldn’t allow

fort to help everyday gardeners have beauti-

anything too bad to be on the market.”

ful gardens without poisoning the kids, dogs

John Ossa, of the Gardeners’ Guild, a San

and neighborhood,” says PANNA communi-

Rafael–based landscape company with about

cations director Stephenie Hendricks, who

110 employees tending lawns across the coun-

lives in San Anselmo. “It’s the Healthy Lawn

ty, disagrees. “A homeowner can purchase

Campaign, put out by PANNA, which has in-

and use far more ‘harmful’ pesticides than a

formation on nontoxic pest management. You

licensed, trained and certified landscape con-

can even download a doorknob hanger for that

tractor is legally allowed to use,” he says. “We

addicted-to-pesticides neighbor who might be

advocate a ‘least toxic methodology’ approach

triggering your child’s asthma or be part of

to all situations.” He does have to set “ex-

the reason your dog got cancer” (go to panna.

pectations” for his clients when using alternative methods, h e s a y s , b e c a us e these are usually more expensive and less effective; still, “careful implementation of nontoxic methods, combined with diligent monitoring, can produce successful results.” I have to admit, I don’t maintain my yard, and I have never asked

org). “Unfortunately,

“

the way pesticides

A homeowner can purchase and use far more ‘harmful’ pesticides than a licensed, trained and certiﬁed landscape contractor is legally allowed to use.

are,” she adds, “you

— JOHN OSSA, GARDENERS’ GUILD

us who like a green

my gardener if he

”

may not realize until years from now that accidental exposure is the reason your daughters have trouble getting pregnant or have kids with birth defects, or you and your husband come down with Parkinson’s disease.” This unknown is a big deal for those of yard, a bountiful

was licensed, trained or certified. I hired

vegetable garden and colorful cutting flowers.

him because I liked his price and I’ve used

“Gardening is America’s favorite pastime,”

his services for eight years because he does

says Kevin Sadlier of Green Jeans Garden

a good job. I do tell him not to use any pes-

Supply in Mill Valley (see page 38). “It’s part

ticides, and I trust that he doesn’t; however,

of our hunter-gatherer genetic code.” Sadlier

there are no guarantees. Ossa confirms that

aims to provide customers with an alternative

since landscape maintenance is not a tightly

to chemical-laden lawns and gardens while

regulated industry, it’s pretty easy for a not-

helping them achieve their aesthetic goals.

so-virtuous company to go into Home Depot

Here is his planet-healthy advice for handling

and purchase bulk containers of products

some common gardening issues.

containing ingredients like 2,4-D and mala-

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

thion—known carcinogens. While govern-

Fertilizers

ment entities like the federal Environmental

“I equate nonorganic fertilizer with steroids:

Protection Agency (EPA) and the California

They will beef up plants in the short term,

Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) do

but after long-term use they will degrade the

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

integrity of the soil with the buildup of salts and harmful chemicals. Using something as common as fish emulsions or as exotic as bat

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guano is a healthy alternative—and these products can be found at most garden centers.”

Soil preparation “Soil is like a giant organism—soil and plants are connected with the air and sun. Your job is to feed it the optimal diet. Any regimen should include the following: • Rock dust, for the remineralization of the

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soil, which may also prevent Sudden Oak Death, though the jury on that is still out. • Add seaweed to the soil; it provides a

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healthy dose of trace nutrients that will make your garden really come alive. • Compost provides excellent nutrition for your garden. If you don’t want to make your own, you can buy it.”

Sustainable, FSC Certiﬁed

Lawn substitutes “Since keeping a lawn green does usually go hand in hand with chemicals, reduce the size of the grass area. Keep what you need for sports or whatever your family requires, then plant other types of groundcover that looks good but doesn’t require the water or maintenance of a green lawn. These include thyme, either woody or elfin; chamomile; or any of the California fescues. For a dry, rocky slope you can go with something like myoporum or rosemary or for color, opt for gazania; all of

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these are easy to maintain.”

Go native? “I always like to choose a native plant or grass when possible, but I feel people have a right to grow whatever they want—as long as they do it responsibly. If you are going to choose something like the popular licorice plant Helichrysum petiolare, which has taken root as an invasive species on Mount Tam, make sure you are putting it in a container or a place where it won’t spread to other environments.”

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MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

F Y I CIT Y STREETS

Fillmore Street Chic The beat goes on BY MIMI TOWLE WITH HIGH-END FASHION AND BEAUTY SHOPS LINING THE STREET, is the Upper Fillmore becoming yet another international hub of haute couture? Not just yet, but it is and has always been a dynamic center of commerce, diversity and entertainment. Most of the daily shoppers, diners and dog walkers along Fillmore don’t realize the national attention this humble stretch of Victorians and Edwardians has experienced throughout the last century. Since it was virtually untouched by the 1906 earthquake, many businesses relocated there after the disaster. The neighborhood boomed, and by 1909 it was called “the most highly illuminated street in America” due to the 14 electrically lighted steel arches that were erected over the street. (The

PARKING TIPS There is residential (two-hour) parking and decent meter turnover. However, the lots at 2405 Clay (a multistory garage open 24 hours) or 2100 Webster (under the California Paciﬁc medical building) or the two-hour metered lot on California between Fillmore and Steiner are usually your best bet.

arches were taken down and used for steel in 1942, for the war effort.) In the ´20s Japanese monk Nyogen Senzaki opened the world of Zen Buddhism to the Western world from his nearby apartment-zendo, just off Fillmore on Bush Steet. This positive addition to the world of spirituality was followed by a more controversial figure a few decades later. In the 1970s, Jim Jones opened the Peoples Temple on Geary Boulevard, right next to Bill Graham’s Fillmore Auditorium. Famous for creating multiracial churches that helped impoverished members, Jones was eventually found to be a cult leader—among other things—who led over 900 of his followers in what he referred to as a “revolutionary suicide.” Many of the victims were from the Fillmore. The ´30s and ´40s marked highs and lows. The lows included the internment of hundreds of Japanese Americans who were forced to leave their homes in the Western Addition. The highs included musical legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane playing at the hopping neighborhood jazz clubs. These spots included Jimbo’s Bop City, the Blue Mirror, Club Alabam and the Plantation Club at the time the street’s nickname was “the ‘Mo.” After a few decades of hard living took their toll on the stately Victorians, Fillmore Street became a target for the national fervor for urban renewal. In the search for utopia, hundreds of buildings in the lower Fillmore Street neighborhood were demolished, displacing more than 4,000 ed. In the fall of 1955, just over the hill at Fillmore and Greenwich, poets from around the country converged at 6 Gallery, drank hearty amounts of wine and experienced Allen Ginsberg’s first public reading of Howl. It is also said to be the night the Beats made themselves known to the world. Today, the area is often referred to as “the Triangle” featuring popular restaurants like Plump Jack’s Balboa Cafe, a favorite spot for locals to grab a drink and mingle.

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PH OTOS: M IMI TOWLE

residents. The lots sat empty for many years before modern steel-and-glass apartments were erect-

A decade later people were swaying to a new beat, supplied by bands like Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead—all regulars at clubs along the Fillmore. By the ´80s, Upper Fillmore began to experience another renaissance, this time reflecting the upwardly mobile professionals living in nearby Pacific and Presidio Heights, starting in 1981 with the opening of Fillamento, a landmark design and home furnishings center, followed by several chic home design boutiques. These days, Rachel Ashwell’s Shabby Chic occupies the 3,000-square-foot showroom at 2185 Fillmore, and the tony new additions of Simon Pearce and Jonathan Adler fit right in with their neighbors. “We chose Fillmore Street because the fit was so natural for us,” explains Kelli Pippin, marketing director at Simon Pearce. “Fillmore’s collection of specialty retail stores and home goods nicely complements our handmade original designs in glass, pottery and home accents.” “Today people call it Beauty Alley,” says Amy Darland, co-owner of International Orange (I/O), a yoga and spa lounge at 2044 Fillmore. Darland grew up in Kentfield and now lives right across the street from her work. “These days, Fillmore has more skin/ body product shops (Jurlique, Kiehl’s), more makeup (Benefit, MAC, Shu Uemura), more spas (Treat, RelaxNow, Therapeia, Sally Adams Spa). Also, Marc by Marc Jacobs just opened, which brings some more high-style cachet. It just keeps getting better.” Margaret O’Leary, Eileen Fisher and smaller independent boutiques are also thriving. Darland points out that Fillmore Street is a place where boutique businesses do very well, and it’s not a street where corporate chains have typically succeeded. “While it’s the second largest shopping destination behind Union Square, ours is still a street about the small business.” Darland and her partners named their business after the actual paint color of the Golden Gate Bridge: “A bridge is such a great symbol of transformation and movement that we couldn’t resist naming our renewal/wellness business after such a landmark.” Transformation, movement, renewal…these words aptly describe Fillmore Street as well.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

FYI FOOD

Mmm... the BLT Is there a better sandwich? CRISP LETTUCE, sweet tomato and savory bacon neatly packed between two slices of bread—variations of this classic combo can be found on menus across the country. As the end of summer marks the peak of summer tomatoes, there is no better time to indulge. Here are a few unique recipes from local chefs. Try one at

BLT from Toast

home, or better yet, sample theirs.–MT

“I LIKE THE CLASSIC BLT—why mess with something that works? Unless someone asks for another type of bread, I use toasted multigrain, a little dab of mayo, and a thick slice of applewood smoked bacon. We use ripened large red tomatoes, romaine lettuce because it has more flavor than iceberg, and for those who want to add a little something extra, the peppered bacon or grilled prawns are great too.” —Mike Garcia,

“I LIKE A BRIOCHE (toasted on both sides),

the ingredients. Obviously bacon; we use

good bacon that’s sliced nice and thick,

thick-cut Hobbs applewood smoked bacon.

living butter lettuce and a surprise, such

We marinate the tomatoes in olive oil with

as tarragon or basil aioli. Tomatoes are

a chiffonade of basil. My preference is aru-

key. Don’t even think of making a BLT in the

gula over lettuce. The bread needs to have

winter. I’ve also done a duck BLT made with

some texture and chewiness, and because

smoked Sonoma duck bacon, which is nice

our BLT is a triple-decker it needs to be thin,

for people who don’t eat pork. Oh, and I’m a

so we use toasted six-grain bread. We use

purist. No BLTA’s (avocado).”

house-made mayonnaise; throw some warm

—Thad Lyman, Executive Chef/Proprietor

smoked lobster with a beurre blanc on it

of Napa Valley Grille, a neighbor to the north

and you’re going to have an amazing BLT.” —Mitchell Rosenthal, of Mill Valley,

who often rides his mountain bike on Mount Tam on his days off.

Owner/Executive Chef, Town Hall (SF)

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

TOAST PHOTOS : SAS HA GU IL ISH

Manager/Chef, Toast (Mill Valley)

“IT’S SUCH A SIMPLE DISH…it’s all about

NUTRITIONAL BREAKDOWN

DISCOVER M ARIN’S MOST EXTRAORDINARY MARKET ADVERTISER BACON While there can be pesky nitrates in bacon (unless you opt for a natural brand), you won’t have to worry about added hormones—they are never used in raising pork. Each slice of cooked bacon yields about 43 calories per slice, as well as trace amounts of iron, sodium and potassium.

LETTUCE Besides that delightful crunch, lettuce (of all varieties) is a great source of ﬁber and is always low in calories. Dark green leaves of romaine rank as one of the most nutritious varieties, scoring high marks as a source of vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin C, folate, manganese and chromium.

TOMATO Once thought to be poisonous, this vitamin-packed fruit is a national favorite. While the nutritional stats of tomatoes can vary slightly depending on variety and growing methods, they are all high in vitamin A and vitamin C, as well as offering notable amounts of iron and potassium. Colorwise, green packs the most vitamin C, reds win the vitamin A category and yellows get highest marks for iron.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

FYI BOOKS

The War at Home In her new true crime book, author Joyce Maynard explores the way one Michigan family’s tragedy resonates with us all BY OLIVIA BOLER

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

ith the publication of her fas-

movie of the same title). Then one morning

cinating new book Internal

in December 2004, as she sat sipping coffee in

Combustion: The True Story

her Mill Valley kitchen, a news item caught her

of a Marriage and a Murder in the Motor City

eye: in a tony Detroit suburb, a fourth-grade

($24.95, Jossey-Bass), novelist and journal-

teacher named Nancy Seaman was on trial for

ist Joyce Maynard makes her foray into the

the murder of her husband, Robert Seaman, a

genre of true crime, popularized by a writer

former Ford Motor Company executive. She

she greatly admires, Truman Capote, and his

had killed him in their garage with a hatchet.

groundbreaking In Cold Blood. Yet Maynard is

“What caught my attention more than any-

quick to point out, “My book is ultimately not

thing else,” Maynard writes, “was the reference

about a murder.” In fact, it’s about much more.

to the sons of Nancy Seaman, two brothers [in

Maynard has always wanted to try her hand

their early 20s] who had taken opposing sides

at writing true crime. In 1992, she published

[on] a murder in which one of their parents

To Die For, a novel based on the sensationalistic

had been the victim, the other the accused.”

murder of a man by his wife and her teenage

Maynard, who at 52 is about the same age as

lover in Maynard’s native New Hampshire (it

Seaman and also has two sons in their 20s,

inspired the Nicole Kidman–Joaquin Phoenix

along with one daughter, immediately empa-

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

thized with the woman. Despite her aversion

2/3 VERTICAL

to freezing-cold weather, she hopped a plane to Detroit. It would be the first of many trips to the area as she tried to determine why the problems of this upper-middle-class couple led to bloodshed rather than divorce, never mind reconciliation. A large part of Internal Combustion reaches beyond the murder and subsequent trial—half the book is about Maynard’s pursuit of her interview subjects. “I was very affected by the world of the Seaman family,” she recounts. “P art of the function of a journalist is to let people speak and be heard and to be their conduit.” The story is also about Maynard’s pursuit of a more universal truth. “Much of my writing has to do with exploring again and again where violence and trouble happen in families.” In her memoir At Home in the World, Maynard wrote about growing up with the secret of her father’s alcoholism.

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In person, Maynard is generous and warm, but she admits that she found herself relating to N ancy Seaman in ways that surprised and disturbed her. “Most of us don’t end up killing people,” she says, “but we all possess rage, jealousy, anger, fear.” E ven when she’s hiking Mount Tam on a sunny day or teaching pie-

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making in her kitchen or running one of her memoir-writing workshops from her home, she is constantly thinking about how to “turn the light on that dark piece of one’s own self. In naming what we fear, maybe we won’t fear it so much. And in studying a murder, you put yourself next to a person and know yourself.” For Maynard, who has been writing pro-

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fessionally since she was 1 4 , telling the truth and exposing secrets is the best way to combat their destructiveness. “I go back to growing up in an alcoholic family. For me, the silences were most frightening,” she says. Maynard also went through a painful divorce from her children’s father when they were young. “There’s value in exploring the origins of dysfunction,” she says. “In writing about the war between parents and in naming their victims, I’ve learned some things about my own life,

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and I’m optimistic others will as well.”

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SEPTEMBER 2006

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NEW BOOKS BY BAY AREA AUTHORS

Cinema by the Bay, by Sheerly Avni ($39.95, George Lucas Books) What do Apocalypse Now, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Star Wars have in common? Movie studios in the San Francisco Bay Area produced these post1960s films and many others. George Lucas, with San Francisco– based author Avni, ventures off the screen and into print with this book, the first title from the new George Lucas Books imprint. The Female Brain, by Louann Brizendine, M.D. ($24.95, Morgan Road Books) Did you know that

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every brain begins as a female brain? It only becomes male eight weeks after conception, when excess testosterone shrinks the communications center, reduces the hearing cortex, and makes the part of the brain that processes sex twice as large. Brizendine, a pioneering neuropsychiatrist and Sausalito resident, brings readers a fascinating study of why women think the way they do. Born to Be Wild, by Catherine Coulter ($7.99, Jove) From the New York Times best-seller-listed author comes a new novel of contemporary romance and suspense.

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Mary Lisa Beverly is a popular soap opera star, but with threats to her life she flees Hollywood and returns to her Oregon roots. Trouble, however, has a way of traveling too. Coulter, who lives in Mill Valley, has written more than 40 historical and contemporary romance novels.

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MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

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BOOKSELLERS RECOMMEND FAVORITE TRUE CRIME BOOKS

2/3 VERTICAL

The Lost Night: A Daughter’s Search for the Truth of Her Father’s Murder, by Rachel Howard ($15, Plume) “This memoir explores a life lived in the shadow of the author’s father’s murder, a tragedy that occurred when she was ten years old while she slept in an adjacent room, and has haunted her ever since. Howard is a San Francisco Chronicle writer and works from her office at the Writers’ Grotto on Bryant Street in San Francisco.” —Eric Whittington, Bird & Beckett Books & Records, San Francisco

A Death in Belmont, by Sebastian Junger ($23.95, W.W. Norton) “By the author of The

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Perfect Storm, this book is about Albert DeSalvo, the confessed Boston Strangler, who did some handyman work in Junger’s home when the author was a baby. A black man had been wrongly accused of one of the murders, which is a sad thing. Junger’s book is a good examination of race and justice.” —Henrietta Morgan, 1st Street Books, Kentfield

The Executioner’s Song, by Norman Mailer ($18, Vintage) “This is a lot like In Cold Blood in the way it’s told. It’s about Gary Gilmore, the first man to be executed in the United States after the reinstitution of the death penalty. It’s a classic and very well written.” —Dawn Steiner, Point Reyes Books, Point Reyes Station

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MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

F Y I E D U C AT I O N

Focus & Flow

Preparing kids for the school year BY MIMI TOWLE

ith the school year already upon

life,” including “low anxiety, emotional stabil-

us, kids and parents are prepar-

ity and self-esteem,” says Dr. Nancy Diamonti,

ing for new classrooms and cur-

head of Ring Mountain Day School in Tiburon

riculums. Gearing up for the rigors of academia

and Mill Valley. Diamonti, who has a doctor-

is never easy, so here are a few tips to get ready

ate in child and adolescent psychology and has

for this coming school year.

been an educator for 40 years, says helping

First, getting kids to focus on school at all—especially in the first few weeks after sum-

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

kids in these three areas is essential to getting them ready to learn.

mer—is an age-old challenge. “The ability to

One way to lessen anxiety is by introduc-

focus depends of specific variables in a child’s

ing your child to the actual classroom. If you

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2/3 VERTICAL

can’t show kids the room itself, Diamonti says, “just talking about what will be expected of them as a student will help put them at ease.” Emotional stability and self-esteem are grounded in the connectedness between a child and family and school, she points out; a secure child is happy and ready to engage with the world. “Our job at school and as parents is to help children find creativity and passion in whatever they do,” she says. “If we teach kids to think for themselves and discover what their passion in, they will be motivated to immerse themselves in learning.” Even students who have trouble focusing “can learn to manage their own behavior

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

and schoolwork, but they need structure, not just encouragement,” adds Karen Amende of Novato. Amende has a master’s in special education and provides Marin school districts with teacher training on developing self-directed learners; her programs apply research on “selfefficacy” developed by Stanford University psychologist Albert Bandura, who has demonstrated that a student’s expectation of success is more motivating than self-esteem. To raise a child’s expectation of herself for school, Amende has developed a formula, summarized by the acronym FOCUS. “F” stands for first things first. Students

often fail to settle at their desk because they don’t have the materials to begin. “O” stands for organize. Even if parents don’t understand a subject they can help children organize their homework assignments before the after-school snack. “C” stands for curiosity. Ask your child what she hopes to learn from her daily assignments. “U” stands for unbundle. Help your child break down big goals into small manageable goals. “S” stands for success. Have children chart on a piece of graph paper their

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SEPTEMBER 2006

goals, so they will begin to build a sense of

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self-efficacy—the belief that they can make things happen. “Success is habit forming,” Amende says. (Find out more about Amende’s programs at 80-20teacher.org.) After working on focus, the next step is learning itself—and for that, Diamonti is a fan of the psychological concept known as flow. “Flow is a term used to describe the state of joy a person feels when experiencing total immersion in a task that is challenging yet closely matched to one’s abilities,” she says. A number of studies have shown that when musicians, painters, athletes and scientists are in “the zone,” they are totally absorbed in what they are doing, lose track of time and are happy. “Happy people have a greater chance of improving their performance,” she says. “They think faster, are more creative, are more efficient and productive,

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and are better problem solvers.” Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, developer of the concept of flow, cites the example of playing tennis. “You know where you want the ball to go…there’s concentra-

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Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, in a recent issue of Edutopia, the monthly education magazine produced by the George Lucas Education Foundation. Flow, he adds, occurs “when a person is completely involved in what he or she is doing and...concentration is very high.” It’s the same state of concentration educators hope kids have when learning

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the basics like the three Rs. How do parents encourage this type of experience? “Give kids their own space,” Csikszentmihalyi says. “We find that kids who are often in flow have a place at home where they feel private, where they can be by themselves.” It doesn’t have to be a big space, really—just anyplace where they can say, “Okay, here I can do what I want to do.” He also advises keeping children away from television: melting into the couch and watching hours of Cartoon Network or even Animal Planet does not encourage active learning.

Issued by HSBC Mortgage Corporation (USA) ©HSBC Mortgage Corporation (USA) 2006

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SEPTEMBER 2006

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GOAL-SETTING

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Anastasia Burke is proof that setting goals works. After competing in and coaching horseback riding professionally for 20 years, she lost her sight in 1997. Along with having to learn how to function with limited and undependable vision, she also had to change the way she coached. The result was a new career conducting one-on-one and group goalsetting workshops for young athletes in

55 Throckmorton Ave • Mill Valley Phone 415-380-0880 Hours: 11:00 AM to 5:30 PM Daily www.alixandcompany.com

a wide variety of sports. In Burke’s new book Hoofprints: A Goal-Setting Journal for Young Riders, she advises young people to create a clear goal and an action plan. “This is fundamental to all Fortune 500 companies,” Burke points out. “I took these tools and simplified them for young athletes.” It’s a balancing act, she adds. “So many young people today are distracted by what is going on in their lives, be it at home, within their social circles, or at school. My goal-setting tech-

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niques help kids find balance between all those demands and what they want to achieve in their sport.” But changing your thinking works, she insists. “How you think is the number one factor in determining success—or failure.” Because she believes success-oriented thinking creates successful results, teaching kids how to think for success is a big part of her program. “Henry Ford summed it up perfectly,” she says. “‘Whether you think you can do a thing or not … you are right!’”

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SEPTEMBER 2006

Sniffing Out Cancer in San Anselmo

BY JEFF MILLER PHOTOS BARBARA RIES

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SEPTEMBER 2006

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F Y I H E A LT H

ogs have long been prized for hunting down everything from illegal drugs to earthquake victims buried in rubble. N ow cancer specialists may also have reason to cheer the canine sense of smell.

The reason comes out of the P ine Street Clinic in San Anselmo,

where researchers have reported that three L abradors and two P ortuguese water dogs, presented with patient breath samples, identified lung cancer in the samples a staggering 9 9 percent of the time. The dogs’ record for detecting breast cancer in breath samples was an also-impressive 8 8 percent, a figure comparable to mammography. These are high marks in anyone’s book and so near perfection to give, excuse the pun, pause about the results. Knowing, too, that the research was done in “open-minded” Marin County, and that the clinic’s sponsor, the P ine Street Foundation, welcomes research into nontraditional cancer treatments like acupuncture and herbal medicines, must surely have raised some eyebrows in the traditional cancer research community.

Opposite page: Michael McCulloch studies cancer research data in his Pine Street ofﬁce; this page, above: Ling, the greeter poodle, relaxes in the ofﬁce; middle: Pine Street Clinic entry; bottom: collection tube used for breath samples

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MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

But in a clear vindication for the study organizers, the dog trainers and the scientific method (and the dogs, too), the doubters have found little to criticize. The research received favorable coverage in such varied publications as New Scientist and the New York Times. As Nicholas Broffman, executive director of the Pine Street Foundation, says, “Dogs aside, the big news here is that cancer has a smell.”

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Smart and Sensitive A dog’s sense of smell is one of nature’s wonders. The canine olfactory lobe, which processes scent information from the membranes behind the nose, is four times larger than that of humans and 10,000 times more sensitive. And dogs can discriminate among scents; the keenest breeds are able to detect parts per trillion of a given ingredient. “That’s like being able to detect a drop of ink in an Olympic-size swimming pool,”

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Broffman says. Despite all that smell power, dogs have never been considered diagnosticians—and not just because they didn’t go to medical school.

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In Broffman’s view, when it comes to detecting

that cancer patients deserve more treatment options, the 17-year-old foundation welcomes the novel and the anecdotal, then tests the worth of such premises in rigorous trials. “Everyone knows that cancer outcomes are

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better with early detection,” says Broffman. “If

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a dog’s sense of smell is a way to do that and to give people hope, we thought, ‘That’s wonderful. Let’s test it.’ ”

Dogs on Trial Dogs occupy a special place at the Pine Street Clinic. Two peach-colored, standard-size poodles named Ling and Ming serve as sentinels, “Don’t make something unless it is both necessary and useful; but if it is both necessary and useful, don’t hesitate to make it beautiful.” - shaker proverb

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SEPTEMBER 2006

mascots and official greeters in this former 16 main street tiburon, ca 415.435.1916 getkoze.com

auto body shop turned Chinese herbal pharmacy and alternative cancer therapy center. Two previous studies, in Britain, had hinted at canine scent detection of melanoma and

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bladder cancer. And, 2,000 years of Chinese medicine, which is both practiced and well respected at the clinic, credit smell with being a valid clinical tool. To move from tradition and intriguing hints to solid evidence, though, required being able to prove that ordinary dogs could sniff out cancer. Local dog owners and Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael provided 13 dogs that were tested for their eagerness to sniff objects and take commands. Five were chosen.

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One of those dogs was Kobi, a Labrador owned by Pinole resident Maria Frianeza. “I stumbled across the study because our dog trainer was involved with it,” she says. “He thought Kobi might be a good choice and I agreed with no second thoughts.” Kobi, who has since died, proved particularly adept. “When I would tell Kobi it’s time to ‘go to work,” he would always get very excited,” Frianeza says. The work itself was straightforward. In three-week training sessions, the dogs had

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been rewarded for entering a room and sniffing “breath stations,” which consisted of plastic containers and breath sample tubes collected from people who had cancer and those who didn’t. A dog “succeeded” when it sat or

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lay down in front of a station that contained a cancer patient’s specimen. The real experiments, which took place in a house in Ross, were then stripped of cues or clues: For a scientifically valid double-blind test, neither the dog handlers nor the experimenters knew which breath samples were from cancer patients.

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When the study was published in the Journal of Integrative Cancer Therapies in March 2006, there was instant acclaim—and an occasional brickbat. “Some people assumed that we were advocating that dogs should be in every examination room,” says Michael McCulloch, an acupuncturist at the Pine Street clinic and one of the study’s coauthors. “Even if that were possible, dogs, like human beings, have off

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chemical analysis to rise to the standard set by the dogs. It remains to be seen if they can.”

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SEPTEMBER 2006

Finding Hope in Health Kentfield resident Hillary Peterson contributed more than her breath to the cancer detection study. As a patient at the Pine Street Clinic and a foundation member and supporter, she helped raise the seed money that funded the project. “I’m in awe of the power of nature,” she says. “That’s the larger context here. This study has opened the door. There is so much poten-

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tial. Just think about being able to breathe into a tube and find out if you have [early stage] breast cancer. It’s all noninvasive. No mammograms. No radiation.” The clinic itself hardly seems a center for such revolutionary thought. True, it has several studies either under way or near publication that

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evaluate the benefits of Chinese herbal medicines for different types of cancer. And yes, its walls are lined with books about nutritional can-

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cer cures and displays on Eastern medicine, including a dozen wax models of different-colored tongues. The decor is also non-Western: lots of Buddha photos, Chinese tapestries, pleated door covers and tassels. But apart from a finger-wagging poster that reads “The Chinese cured the common cold in 1791,” the mood here is meditative, not confrontational. On average, 100 patients per month come to the center for treatments ranging from massage therapy to acupuncture. Others just show up for a cup of tea, a conversation or a quiet moment on one of the sofas. Still others shop at the herbal pharmacy, whose products include the clinic’s own “Emerald Energy,” an

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algae-based concoction said to benefit those undergoing chemotherapy. Everything associated with the cool, antiseptic, hard-edged modernism of a typical medical office space is absent. Yet McCulloch clearly is thinking about those other spaces and the authority they conjure when he warms to the task of defending the cancer detection study. “Body odors have long been associated with different diseases like diabetes, bacterial pneumonia and stomach inflammation, so the concept of smelling a disease is not new,” he says. And in the study, McCulloch and his coauthors point out that volatile organic compounds “potentially diagnostic of cancer” such

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

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as alkanes, methylated alkanes, aromatic compounds and benzene derivatives have been detected in the exhaled breath of lung and breast cancer patients using sensitive machines and techniques. It was left to the Pine Street Clinic to follow the trail that others dismissed. And in doing so, says McCulloch, the clinic’s cancer detection study furthers the larger institutional purpose. “We are interested in preventive ap-

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proaches to disease.”

NEXT STEPS As word of the cancer detection study has spread, so have the questions from the curious and the ill. How can I get my dog involved in your research? We’ll get back to you if we get funding for future studies. Can your dogs screen me for cancer? No, but be alert if your dog begins to display “persistent and animated behavior around specific body locations.” How do I join your next study? We’ll be in touch. Research partners from the University of Maine, interested in creating an “electronic nose,” have also emerged. “We hope the next dog study will look at ovarian and pancreatic cancer,” says Broffman. Skin cancer is another target. Scientifically, the goal is to understand precisely what compounds the dogs are sniffing out, Foundation Executive Director Nicholas McCulloch says: “We plan to add even more stringent controls in the future.” Indeed, one valid criticism of the canine detection study—namely, that the cancer patients had already been identified when the breath samples were taken—should be negated next time around. In the meantime, be aware that those persistent nose nudges so common when dogs encounter humans could be a signal of something more than curiosity or a shower delayed. And if the dog doing the sniffing is a Labrador or a Portuguese water dog, you might want to give your doctor a call.

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SEPTEMBER 2006

C O N V E R S AT I O N

GARY GIACOMINI After 35 years in the middle of many of Marin’s political battles, he talks about what delights him, what saddens him, his concerns for the county and how he found life after politics. BY JIM WOOD

ary Giacomini has been involved in Marin politics since 1972. He spent 24 years (1972-1996) on the Board of Supervisors, 20 years on the Golden Gate Bridge District board and ten years on the California Coastal Commission, and he’s halfway through a four-year term on the board of

the Marin Community Foundation. Giacomini played a major role in the preservation of open space and ranching

in West Marin, the founding of the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, the building network of open space and parklands. Now 67 and in private practice as a land use attorney with the law firm of Hanson Bridgett, Giacomini talked with Marin Magazine about those turf wars and others yet to come. 80

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SEPTEMBER 2006

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TI M P ORTER

of the Buck Institute for Age Research and the formation of much of Marin’s vast

From a long list of accomplishments, what are you most proud of? No question,

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the saving of West Marin. But that doesn’t mean I saved it myself. Those were heroic times, in the young `70s. We swept across the county and stopped development dead. In one fell swoop, using A-60 zoning (one unit per 60 acres), over several years, West Marin went from having 1.1 million building sites down to 3,600. Today, driving home to San Geronimo Valley and stuck in traffic, do you ever rethink what you did? Like maybe Sir Francis Drake Highway could have been wider? No, not at all. Traffic has always been like this— and it probably won’t get worse. Because, like I’ve always said, we may breed cars, but Marin is the slowest-growing county in the country, something like 0.1 percent a year. But I’ll tell you something we didn’t see coming—an unintended consequence of halting development that makes me very sad: the gentrification of West

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Marin. It’s very, very expensive to live there. Our kids and parents can’t afford it. We thought the A-60 zoning would keep property values down, eliminate development and the area would forever be farmland. But now, very wealthy people are saying, “Hey, I can buy a ranch in West Marin cheaper than a lot in Tiburon.” So people are paying $2 million for a 1,000-acre backyard playground and our kids are forced to go to Petaluma for a home they can afford. In a way, I feel responsible for that and it nags at me. What is West Marin’s future? That battle is still being played out. Old-time farming isn’t the answer many think it is. Cows have to be milked every 12 hours, then you stomp around in cow shit and that’s romantic for about 30 minutes. My cousin Bobby (Giacomini) practices a new kind of dairy farming. He cut his 1,000-head herd down to the best 200 cows, started making the finest blue cheese around. Now they’re

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shipping cheese all over the world. It’s amazing. But ranchers are not having that happen more than they are having it happen. It’s a race out there: Will younger, progressive farming prevail

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or will rich people with no intent of ranching overwhelm the area? I worry about this.

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SEPTEMBER 2006

What about the rest of Marin? Has it

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turned out as you envisioned it? Well, I may have helped save Marin from development, but I also contributed to young people

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not affording to live here. It’s not healthy. There’s a drawbridge mentality—the dark side of Marin’s activism that says “no” to everything. Along comes an affordable housing project, and right away everyone fights it. In 1973, we established a countywide plan with three distinct areas, three broad corridors. There was a rural, ranching corridor and that’s West Marin; then there was the open spacerecreational corridor, which is now thousands of acres of state and federal parks, including Point Reyes National Seashore. Last came a

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city-centered corridor with (Highway) 101 going down its middle, and that’s where people would live and work. Essentially, the city-centered corridor was the price we’d pay for saving 90 percent of the county as open space.

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But now people won’t let that happen. Talk about building two houses on a nice lot near

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101 and the whole world comes unglued. It’s absurd! The supposedly high-density living and working corridor is now a “no-build” zone. It’s normal to want interesting development,

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but Marin wants no development. Hopefully, someday the pendulum will swing back. But I don’t see it happening anytime soon. As someone who devoted his adult life to governing the county, you seem a bit disenchanted with Marin today? I love Marin County. And I know people consider it a “liberal” county, but it’s not liberal. It’s what I call “hilltop liberal.” Marin is liberal when it’s safe. Oh, people here want to save the Guatemalan rain forest and stop the Iraq war, but let someone come up with a good plan for affordable housing and the viciousness of the attack makes your conscience curl. I still think the activists are afraid of “them,” meaning people of color, possibly people from the East Bay moving here. Up close, the mentality of the Marin electorate is extremely solipsistic. It has an

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“I’ve got mine and that’s f---ing enough” attitude. The thinking is “I don’t need anyone else in front of me on the freeway in the morning.”

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SEPTEMBER 2006

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I find the selfishness prevailing here—which is combined with more and more wealth—

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to be sad. N ow that 9 0 percent of Marin is protected, and I know this sounds corny, we must have a balanced economy. There must be sensible places for attractive infill housing, for affordable housing, for new development. In fact, Marin is now looked upon as a dead zone by people who want to do business. And to a lot of people that’s great, but someday we’ll realize that without a vibrant economy, we can’t maintain these toys we have, the things that make Marin a great place to live— open space, schools, parks, colleges, those sort of things. Respond to these current Marin County issues: Nick’s Cove (restoration of a restaurant and 11 cabins along Highway 1 between Marshall and Tomales): I did that. I represented ( owner/ restaurateur) P at Kuleto. It took five years. The place was collapsing

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into Tomales B ay, and a huge element of the opposition wanted it left that way. Most people

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how the activists often win, by wearing you down. B ut it’s under way now and it will be a stunning place. I’m very proud of N ick’s Cove. Development of the St. Vincent’s/Silvera Ranch land (1,100 acres inland of Highway 101 between San Rafael and Novato): The Countywide P lan of 1 9 7 3 allowed for 2 ,4 0 0 homes there. The poor rancher, he’s in his 8 0 s, his leg has been amputated and he’s now being taxed at fair market value, but can’t develop it. It’s killing the poor guy. W hat’s reasonable? I’d think something like 7 0 0 to 1 ,0 0 0 units, with a good portion being senior housing. W e all know the county is “graying” and seniors don’t develop much traffic. SMART (Sonoma Marin Area Rapid Transit, a proposed $340 million rail line connecting the two counties): They should pave the railroad right-of-away and put buses on it. It could be done for a fraction of the cost of trains. Can you imagine being stalled in traf-

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SEPTEMBER 2006

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fic ( on H ighway 1 0 1 ) in the N ovato N arrows and look over and see buses whizzing by? You’d wonder, “W hat the f--- am I doing here? ” The trouble with trains is they can’t go where people want to go, ( like) Fireman’s Fund in N ovato and the ferry terminal here in L arkspur. Trains can’t take people there, but buses can. Am I going to oppose SMART? N o, but it’s not going to win.

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The lengthy imbroglio at Marin General Hospital: B ecause I represent Sutter H ealth, I’ve been in the middle of those matters and it now appears Marin G eneral and Sutter will be getting a “divorce,” ending their lease/ management agreement earlier than anticipated. My hope is to keep Sutter here. They’re doubling the size of N ovato Community H ospital and

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L ooking out my office window, I see San Q uentin every day, but I only get involved in things that can possibly be changed while I’m alive. And that’s not San Q uentin. The state will always trump a county; the economies are such that San Q uentin isn’t going anywhere.

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hated the death penalty, felt the best way to get rid of the death penalty was to shove it in everybody’s face, not tuck it away in places like P elican B ay. I agree with that, because if it’s out of sight it’s out of mind.

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Declining enrollment at College of Marin: Declining enrollment isn’t a big surprise. W hen we don’t allow development, not many families having college-age kids can afford to live here. The college will have to trim its sails. It will be almost impossible to sustain the Indian

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V alley ( N ovato) campus. It’s a ghost town—they can’t even fill a restroom. Can they sell it? I don’t know. Folks up there don’t think much of College of Marin, but they sure don’t want it

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The Marin Community Foundation: I’ve been very interested in changing its philosophy.

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SEPTEMBER 2006

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They have over a billion dollars of B uck Trust funds and I thought it was a mistake every year to do rollover grants to hundreds of nonprofits. Instead, I wanted us to do big-impact grants— like community centers, gymnasiums, affordable housing and open-space parcels. So I proposed, and the board adopted, a reduction of 5 0 percent in rollover grants. Years ago, when I was a supervisor, there were 7 2 nonprofits; now there are 1 ,7 0 0 . They’re all doing good things, but in

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many cases what we were really doing is paying for everyone’s administrative staff. They get addicted to the money; it’s like cocaine. Another thing I’m in heaven about, and it was hell to get, is watching the B uck Center for Research in Aging really soar. It’s having chances to do great things for humanity. Conventional wisdom says there’s no life after politics. You proven that wrong. How? It’s because I’ve been able to keep the same

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themes going. The law firm I’m with does a lot public agency work, and I like the altruism of that. So now, as a land use attorney I’m basi-

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cally doing many of the same things I did as a county supervisor. Also, the firm allows me to call the shots. For instance, if an oil company wanted to start drilling offshore—something I fought against my entire time on the B oard of Supervisors—I wouldn’t take the assignment. As a result, lots of times I fire clients. The fascinating thing is, I think I have more power out of office than in. The reason is I

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so I exited. What do you do for fun? I have five grandkids close by and we spend time together on our 1 2 -acre old place in San G eronimo V alley. I spoil my grandkids rotten, then give them back to their parents.

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SEPTEMBER 2006

PLAY

Tennis Anyone? Marin County courts get lots of action BY MAURA THURMAN PHOTOS TIM PORTER

From left: Thora Blaine, founder of the Marin Tennis League, at McGinnis Park in San Rafael. Cally Wertheimer practices her volleys during a lesson with pro Erik Johanssen in Fairfax.

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

rowing up in Marin in the 1940s,

Things hadn’t changed much by 1975,

Joy Best had no inkling that the

when Thora Blaine started the Marin Tennis

county might one day be counted

League with 50 players she rounded up

among the nation’s tennis capitals. “People

through postcards. “There was no interclub

worked on Saturdays and went to church on

play, and the Bay Area Ladies’ League meant

Sundays, so tennis wasn’t a very big deal,” says

driving to San Leandro and San Mateo and

Best, who plays regularly at Ross Valley Swim

places like that,” says Blaine. The league now

& Tennis Club. “We used to go up to the one

involves more than 1,200 women and expects

court at Larkspur–Corte Madera School and

to include more than 60 teams in the upcom-

bat the ball around.”

ing September-to-April season.

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Even the presence of star players like Andre Agassi and Steffi G raf, who were spotted occasionally in local cafes when they owned a home in Tiburon, did not seem to lift a malaise in the sport captured by a 1994 Sports Illustrated cover headline that read, “Is Tennis Dea d?” F itness habits seem to have served up a change lately. Spectators flocked to Marin last year to see Martina Navratilova at the first Women’s Tennis Classics at the Harbor Point R acquet and Beach Club in Mill V alley. A U .S. Tennis Association survey last year found 24.7

million tennis players nationwide,

a 4 .1 rise percent over the previous year, the most since 1992 . In Marin, an estimated 8 .5 percent of locals claim to play tennis, putting the county at the top of the list in per-capita participation.

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“It’s extrapolating from a large survey, but we think it’s a fair reflection of the fact that tennis is very popular here,” says L oretta Conway, the association’s coordinator for community tennis in the North Bay. Conway ticks off some simple reasons tennis has hit a groove. “It’s exercise and it’s social,” she says. “You can learn how to get better as you get older. You can play in public parks anywhere. And it’s fun.” Blaine, who still serves as Marin Tennis L eague president and continues to bat the ball around during a regular game at the McG innis Park courts in San R afael, also senses an upswing: “It seemed like tennis had reached its peak for awhile, but it looks like it’s growing,” she says. A second women’s league that spans Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties, along with leagues run by the U .S. Tennis Association, helps fill local courts with players. The association promotes a 13 -level rating system for players, 1.0—

beginning with

“just beginning to play tennis”—

and

progresses to 5 .0, described as someone

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MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

And now, a word from your President.

Hello, Bryan Flannery here. I am President of Bryan’s Fine Foods (although this didn’t occur to me until recently). Once it did, though, I thought of all the responsibility and immediately sent myself home for the day. Now back on the job, the ﬁrst thing I plan to do is change my slogan. At the end of every ad, it has always said, “Come buy some.” While this has proven useful, as your President, I believe we can do better. So, from now on, all ads will end with, “Come buy everything.” This gives everyone an opportunity to clean me out daily, which I’m thinking will be just the ticket to jumpstart my economy. So if you’re on the fence about what to buy here, take it from me, Bryan, your President. Come buy everything.

Erik Johanssen

“

The whole idea is to try to make the most of local courts and ﬁnd new faces for the sport. way to keep them playing,” she says. A novice

of hitting to a weakness or setting up an of-

team program for eight- to 14-year-olds will

fensive situation.” Ratings are adjusted de-

be offered in Fairfax, Novato and Mill Valley

pending on match results.

this fall.

Some of the biggest clubs have spiced up

While Marin boasts a dozen enjoyable pri-

competition with the Marin Grand Prix, a

vate clubs, Erik Johanssen, tennis pro at Canon

spring and summer weekend doubles tourna-

Swim & Tennis Club in Fairfax, says novices—

ment hosted at a different spot each month.

especially children—usually do better starting

“It’s good, competitive, but sociable tennis,”

out on public courts. He and his business part-

says Elizabeth Winterhalter, who coordinated

ner George Zahorsky founded Tennis in Marin

the 2006 season. “If you win, you have brag-

more than 20 years ago to build programs

ging rights for Marin County, and we have

using public courts and now run tennis pro-

some pretty good rivalries.”

grams for five recreation agencies as well as

Unlike competitive sports that lose appeal

two clubs. “The whole idea is to try to make

as players grow older, tennis can be fierce at

the most of local courts and find new faces

any age. “I’m having a ball with an over-65

for the sport,” Johanssen says. The club host-

group and there are more of us all the time,”

ed tennis classes last year for 600 students at

Best says. “It’s a game where age and treach-

neighboring White Hill Middle School.

that being old can be a decided advantage.”

Corte Madera Town Center

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MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

— ERIK JOHANSSEN

whose “serve is placed effectively with intent

ery overcome youth and energy often enough

Bryan’s Fine Foods

”

The novice teams, which debuted last year, are designed for players who may lack expo-

While that advantage helps retain players

sure to the sport through friends or family.

for life, Conway says, the tennis industry now

“As it’s been perceived in the past, team ten-

focuses equally on programs for young peo-

nis was for people who already knew how to

ple. She teaches a class for kids in Novato’s

serve and to play the game,” Johanssen says.

Hamilton neighborhood. “We believe in start-

“Kids here are the focus. If you get a kid to

ing young and we believe team tennis is the

like it, what parent isn’t going to try it?”

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WOMENS TENNIS CLASSICS

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Grand Slam winner Chris E vert and U .S. Open Champion Tracy Austin lead the field of players in the Comcast Women’ s Tennis Classics at Harbor P oint R acq uet & Beach Club in Mill Valley, October 14 and 15 . Also featured are J ana N ovotna, Mary J oe Fernandez, R ick Leach and Wayne Ferreira. A pro-am tour nament that includes local celebrities takes place on Saturday, along with play between the headliners and local pros. Sunday pairs the champions with members of the Stanford U niversity and U C Berkeley women’ s teams. “ There hasn’ t been professional tennis in Marin in a big way, but we’ re looking at this as a long-term event,” says Tennis Hall of Famer R osie Casals, who is producing the event. Organizers expect 2 ,000 people per day, with proceeds to benefit To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation and Y outh Tennis Advantage. This year’ s calendar adds a black-tie gala and auction at Osher Marin J ewish Community Center. Casals, the former Sausalito resident who teamed with Billie J ean K ing to dominate doubles play and worked to further women’ s tennis in the 1960s and 197 0s, also will present a tennis clinic and serving contest October 7 and 8 at the Strawberry Village Shopping Center. Tennis remains close to Casals’ s heart. The daughter of Salvadoran immigrants, she learned the game in Golden Gate P ark. “ Tennis and those public courts opened my eyes and gave me opportunity,” she says. “ I’ ve been lucky to be able to play tennis.” Fo r m o re i n f o r m at i o n , go t o womenstennisclassic.org.

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MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

THINK

COMMUNITY FOR ART EXPRESSION Headlands Center for the Arts provides unique opportunity for artists STORY & PHOTOS TIM PORTER

FROM THE OUTSIDE, the two main buildings of the Headlands Center for the Arts seem identical—twin three-story structures sitting imperiously in their white-shingled exteriors above Rodeo Lagoon. But, inside, they couldn’t be more different—and in this disparity lies the complicated personality of one of Marin’s truly unique arts programs. Much of the main building, prosaically named 944, is sparsely furnished inside, refurbished to celebrate the original wood, stone and tin from which it was built in 1907. The openness glorifies the rectilinear design of the heavily windowed spaces. The dining hall, the kitchen, the meeting rooms—each is its own work of art. Even the unisex bathroom, named the Latrine, elevates an everyday human necessity to a type of involuntary performance art. By contrast, 944’s westerly sibling, Building 945, which houses the studios of the center’s artists-in-residence, is an unrepentant mess. Well-worn furniture sits here and there; muddied bicycles lean against the foyer wall; tree branches occupy one corner, a discarded office machine another. The bathroom consists of three sheets of plywood and a rickety latched door surrounding a commode. If Picasso was right and art does indeed cleanse the soul of the dust of everyday life, then Building 945 stands as a glorious, slovenly testament that art’s housekeeping work stops where the soul ends.

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“

I believe that art is not individually driven, though it’s often individually made. It’s driven by a sense of collective identity, representation and shared agreement about what images mean and how sensory experiences affect them. The collective agreement determines value in a way and historical significance of artwork and has an influence on the next generation of artists.

”

—GARY SANGSTER ON ART

Presiding over the center’s yin of gleam-

The primary activity of Headlands is offer-

Founded in 1982 by a group of local artists

ing restoration and its yang of creative clut-

ing fellowships and studio space to painters,

and operating under an agreement with the

ter is Gary Sangster, the center’s executive

sculptors, dancers, writers and other artists of

National Park Service, Headlands consists of

director. He embraces both elements of

all stripes, but it’s fair to say the center’s focus

nine buildings spread over a mile of forested

Headlands: The piles of paper and boxes in

is more about the artistic process than about

and tufted hillside above Bunker Road at Fort

his office have already claimed his desk after

art itself. Think of it as emphasizing the jour-

Barry. The center selects 25 to 30 artists each

less than a year of his being on the job and

ney over the destination.

year from among 600 U.S. and international

are well en route to the 15-foot ceiling. Yet

If you’re an artist showing your work in

applicants for three- to six-month residential

his vision and voice for the center are clean,

a museum, says Sangster, “you’re not there

fellowships, which consist of shared housing,

crisp and focused.

to experiment. You’re not there to fail. You’re

studio space and a stipend. Headlands also has an affiliate program for local artists.

“The thing about the program here,”

not there to explore. You’re there to present

Sangster says, “is that it appears very enor-

and to achieve.” At Headlands, though, says

Parts of the center are open to the pub-

mous or loose, [but] it’s really been structured

Sanger, “the whole environment has been de-

lic. Visitors can view the restored rooms in

over a long period of time to create a kind of

veloped in a way to focus [instead] on that

Building 944 or drop in on the Project Space,

intellectual space and a welcoming environ-

notion of exploration. This is about creating

an 1,800-square-foot open studio where one of

ment in which people feel comfortable learn-

a climate of intellectual and artistic pursuit

the artists is at work several hours a day. For

ing from each other.”

that’s very, very productive.”

the bargain price of $15, you can also join the

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SEPTEMBER 2006

artists for their sumptuous evening meal in the

Epiphany may be desirable, but it is not

Mess Hall (call a day ahead for reservations).

mandatory. “People might come here and

And three times a year Headlands bares all

do nothing,” says Sangster. “We don’t make

with open studios, when anyone can drop by

a demand on them. They don’t have to do a

and watch the artistic sausage being made.

show. They don’t have to produce X number of

The open studios are key to broadening

works. They don’t have to write a chapter.…

public understanding of the artistic experience,

What there is is this process of community in

says Sangster. “When people visit museums

which we’re looking to support the directions

and look at a finished work, they’re looking at

they’re going, but give them some kind of cata-

the conclusion of a long process,” he says. “It’s

lytic experience.”

like jumping to the end of a novel to find out

Community is a big word around

what happened. In general, audiences look at

Headlands. Sangster talks of all the center’s

art with a sensory experience in mind. Art is

communities—the natural environment of the

very visceral—it generally affects you in the

Headlands, the organic food movement ex-

heart, the lungs or the gut; it can transform

pressed in the Mess Hall meals and the local

your mood, even. So when people come into a

arts world of Marin, of which Sangster would

process experience like a studio visit, they are

like Headlands to play a bigger role.

very engaged by the materials, the media and the arrangement of space.”

“We’re not as visible in the Marin community as we should be given the kind of service

The roster of artists who have called

we are,” he says. “We’re one of the biggest fine

Headlands home is as diverse as art itself, but

arts agencies in the county, and I think a lot of

they share a common trait. “We’re looking for

our focus has been directed toward contempo-

the potential transformational moments in the

rary art at the national and international level,

artist’s development,” Sangster says, “people

so we haven’t played as strong role in Marin as

who are looking to consolidate the substances

we could, and we’d like to develop that role.”

of work they’ve been doing and break through

Headlands’ most important community,

into the next phase of work.”

though, is that created by the artists who live

GARY SANGSTER

BY JORDAN ROSENFELD

IN ITS 24-YEAR HISTORY, Headlands Center

“research agency” for the arts through a

see how it lends itself to a deeper level of

for the Arts has had only three executive di-

variety of initiatives.

excavation for artists,” he adds.

rectors. Its third and most recent, appointed in

“The research component is really about

As for the program itself, Sangster sees

2005, is Gary Sangster, an art historian with

the process of seeking answers to questions,

“Headlands as providing a kind of postdoc-

both curatorial and academic experience and

and seeking questions to ask,” he says.

toral experience to the artist where, after

a belief that art should be accessible to the

Sangster would like to see HCA publish

they have studied and practiced their art in

layperson. He brings expertise from his posi-

more. “Not glamorous, coffee table books,

the world, they can come to Headlands and,

tions at such prestigious institutions as the Art

but work that exposes our learning-opera-

in the context of other artists, reﬂect on their

Institute of Boston and the New Museum of

tional function. We don’t drive our program

professional practice in terms of what its re-

Contemporary Art in New York.

toward an educational outcome, or even a

lationship might be to the larger context.”

Sangster joins the organization at what

spectacle outcome, which is unique in art-

he feels is a pivotal juncture in the center’s

residency programs,” he says. “Artists really

position in artistic discourse. Not only has

adore this place because it’s unique and a

HCA received the largest single grant in its

tremendous cultural asset. It’s near wilder-

history—$350,000 from the James Irvine

ness and within a several-mile distance from

Foundation last year—but he feels HCA

a major urban center—San Francisco. So

is poised to play an important role as a

when you think of all those things you can MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

Nicola Lopez

there. For them the town square is the Mess

Indeed, the Mess H all and accompanying

H all, where the evening dinner bell rings five

kitchen were rebuilt in 1 9 8 9 with this type of

days a week at 6 o’clock.

convening in mind. The large dining room is

“That,” says Sangster, “is when most of the

open, lit by two rows of windows and book-

informal, artist-to-artist discussion takes place,

ended in warmth by a towering green hearth

and that is a very important component of

on the outside wall and the massive brick oven

the program,” because of “the informality, the

anchoring the kitchen.

peer-to-peer discussions, the professional, ev-

H eadlands christened this rebuild with

eryday exchange between people from differ-

a “kitchen shower” attended by local artists,

ent fields who are relatively high achievers.”

each of whom donated a chair and crockery.

FASHION AS ART McClinton got her chance when she, her photo assistants and a team of assorted stylists took over much of the Headlands to make the beautiful fashion images seen on pages 96-107. The serenity of the pictures belies the controlled chaos of a big fashion shoot. Half of a huge artist’s studio became an impromptu dressing room packed with racks of ready-to-wear and table-tops crammed with makeup, brushes, clips, pins If there’s one thing a photographer loves more than great light, it’s great light in a great location. San Francisco photographer Debra McClinton had always wanted to shoot in the Rodeo Room at the Headlands Center for the Arts. Restored in 1986, the room’s textured, ocher-colored walls are an enticing catch basin for the soft light that flows through a bank of north-facing windows.

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and food—coffee, bagels and schmears in the morning, sandwiches, cookies and sodas as the day worn on. Since the Headlands was once a military outpost, the phrase long march is apt. Work began when morning fog still shrouded the center and finished only as the sun slid below Rodeo Beach. In between, models posed, assistants hung out windows with bright reflectors and McClinton shot, first testing the scene with Polaroids, then recording it on 4x5 film. (Here, she and the models discuss a shot.) Amid the bustle, the Headlands staff worked. So, when it came time to photograph Excecutive Director Gary Sangster, it seemed appropriate to place him before the same yellow walls that had hosted the models. See the result on page 93.

The result: The Mess Hall’s 12 identical long,

to be around a lot of other people who are mo-

says Sangster, “but only one person in each

wooden tables sit in uniform patience amid

tivated,” she says while working in the Project

category will take home an award.”

a motley collection of unruly chairs, straight-

Space on a drawing, “and it’s great to have an

backed, curved, padded, hard-seated, black,

exchange between different disciplines.”

brown and green. The effect is early Salvation Army—disorder with purpose.

The event will also feature an auction of 20 artistic works expected to fetch $1,000 to

Like all nonprofits, Headlands is always

$25,000 each. The proceeds will be divided

looking for ways to fund its $1.2 million annu-

evenly between the center and the artist or the art dealer.

“It’s very unregimented,” says Sangster.

al budget. Some of that money comes from in-

“This being a military base, which is what it

dividuals, some from foundations—such as the

“Our goals for this new award series,” says

was, it’s a way of disrupting that regimenta-

$350,000 grant it recently received the James

Sangster, “are to recognize artists but also to

tion in a very nonconfrontational way.”

Irvine Foundation, its largest ever—and some

stimulate people’s response to the ways cre-

Forget the furniture, says Nicola López, a

from events like the Innovation Awards, a new

ativity needs to be nurtured, and to develop

Brooklyn printmaker and installation artist

ceremony and benefit auction Headlands is

long-term relationships with businesses and

who has a summer fellowship at Headlands—

sponsoring on November 4.

corporate partners to instigate new creative

the food in the Mess Hall is “amazing.”

Awards will be given in a variety of artis-

For López, a prime attraction of Headlands

tic categories, with winners chosen by a jury.

was indeed its sense of artistic community. She

“It will be kind of like the Academy Awards in

shares a house with two other artists. “It’s great

that many worthy people will be nominated,”

research and cultural innovation on all levels.”

Jordan Rosenfeld contributed to this story.

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SEPTEMBER 2006

THIS FALL, FASHION COMES NATURALLY PHOTOS DEBRA MCCLINTON STYLIST MICAH BISHOP/ARTIST UNTIED ART DIRECTOR TRPTI TODD HAIR & MAKEUP SHAWN BURKE MODELS ROBIN/LOOK MODEL AGENCY, GEOFF/LOOK , ARIEL AND AYALA ASSISTANTS SOMER FLAHERTY, MARIN MCCALLEN, MINA DRAKE/ARTIST UNTIED SHOT ON LOCATION AT HEADLANDS CENTER FOR THE ARTS

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FAS H I ON

On Robin Canary yellow diamond with white diamond earrings by Simayof, $31,287 at Simayof (SF) 415.391.0152. Blouse by Rebecca Taylor, $284 at M Clothing (Corte Madera) 415.924.8891. On Table of Contents Page 15: On Ariel Chiffon cami dress by Rebecca Taylor, $372 at Dish (SF) 415.252.5997. Greta bias slip by Erica Tanov, $150 at Bread and Jam (San Anselmo) 415.454.7300. Faux fur coat by Rebecca Taylor, $570 at Bread and Jam (San Anselmo). Knee-high socks by Hue, $6 at Macy’s West (SF) 415.397.3333. Calzature Donna shoes by Miu Miu, $335 at Gimme Shoes (SF) 415.441.3040. On Ayla Trinity lariat necklace by Cartier, $1,800 at Cartier (SF) 415.397.3180. Moth wine sweater dress by Anthropologie, $98 at Anthropologie (SF) 415.434.2210. Lace camisole by Erica Tanov, $190 at Erica Tanov (SF) 415.674.1228. Stockings by Wolford, $42 at Macy’s West (SF). Eva boots by Fiorentini & Baker, $528 at Gimme Shoes (SF).

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On Ayla Silk chiffon blouse by Milly, $258 at M Clothing (Corte Madera) 415.924.8891. Opposite page, on Robin Sasha dress by Burberry, $475 at Burberry (SF) 415.392.2200. Belt by Bebe, $69 at Bebe (Corte Madera) 415.924.0213. Riding boots by Louis Vuitton, $1,100 at Louis Vuitton (SF) 415.391.6200. Berlin leggings by DKNY, $12 at Macy’s West (SF) 415.397.3333.

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8/7/06 12:11:03 PM

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On Ariel Gilda and Yabba bracelets by Jeanine Payer, $852 and $1,760 at Blanc Boutique (San Anselmo) 415.485.0104. Voile puff-sleeve top by Rebecca Taylor, $196 at Bloomingdale’s (SF) 1.866.593.2540. Tennyson pants by Erica Tanov, $306 at Erica Tanov (SF) 415.674.1228. Raceway platform shoes by Michael Kors, $128.95 at Nordstrom (SF) 415.495.5656. On Geoff Button-up shirt by Ermenegildo Zegna, $275 at Gene Hiller (Sausalito) 415.332.3636. Pants by Brioni, $797 at Gene Hiller. Tie by Tino Cosma, $110 at Gene Hiller. Belt by Bardini, $295 at Gene Hiller.

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On Ariel Sweet trinity ring by Cartier, $2,925 at Boutique Cartier (SF) 415.397.3180. Dolman top by Rebecca Taylor, $375 at Oceana Rain (SF) 415.346.2797. Pleated skirt by Iisli, $326 at M Clothing (Corte Madera) 415.924.8891. Chosil belt by Michael Kors, $65 at Macy’s West (SF) 415.397.3333.

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CALIFORNIA CAPE COD Tiburon family creates East Coast aesthetic on dream lot STORY P. J. BREMIER PHOTOS BARBARA RIES

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“MY HUSBAND HAD THE VISION,” says Kari Cusack of the Tiburon property now graced by their recently completed 3,900-square-foot home. She points to a home uphill from hers and recalls the day he picked up their daughter from a playdate there and asked her friend’s father about the property below. “It was an overgrown lot with an old abandoned house that had been on and off the market for years,” Jeff Cusack says. And while the spectacular views were not immediately apparent, it did look like it was a flat lot that could accommodate a yard. “Typically, in this area if you want a view you can’t have a yard and if you want a yard you can’t have a view,” he says. The Cusacks wanted both.

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Architect Steve Wisenbaker of Corte Madera created the floor plan

Inside, these same rooms open airily to each other along a central

and sited the house. He found the ideal vantage point by walking the

hallway and yet, through the unimposing use of separating walls, each

property with a blanket and asking the Cusacks where they would

has its own well-defined space. The floor plan, furniture placement,

choose to picnic. He then declared that place as the “sweet spot” and

and lowered-patio elevation in all of the rooms work together to re-

future outdoor living room, Kari recalls.

spect the views.

The Cusacks called in Holscher Architecture of Tiburon to complete

With its soaring ceiling and two sets of F rench doors opening onto a styl-

the project. “I like the way the house just wraps around the site,” says

ish pillared veranda, the living room dramatically frames the San F rancisco

D avid Holscher, who worked with the couple using photographs they had

skyline and bay as well as the tip of Belvedere and Tiburon’s Main Street.

taken of houses and architectural details during a vacation on Nantucket and Martha’s V ineyard. “It’s a modern plan in traditional clothes.”

The room is an instant destination for arriving guests, who can admire the vintage telescope, the antique English pond yacht atop the

Both Kari, a design consultant ( her company is Kari Cusack D esigns

mantel or the exotic zebra-skin rug here before mixing a cocktail at the

of Tiburon) , and Jeff desired the traditional Cape Cod look but needed

built-in wet bar. F rom there, they can step outside to take in the view

it to reflect their lifestyle. “We wanted to build the house the way we

or gather around the fireplace during Super Bowl and Oscar parties to

lived— indoors and outdoors,” she says, “and for entertaining.”

watch the flat-screen TV that rises sleekly from a marble countertop.

The result is a shingled house that curves gracefully around a step-

Standing on the hand-cut squares of Connecticut bluestone that

down garden where a soothing lawn, simple carefree beds of bou-

form the veranda floor, Kari gestures toward the water. “This house is

gainvillea, landscape roses and azaleas, and boxwood hedges meet a sparkling blue pool and spa. F rom there, an exciting display of rooflines—

straight, gambrel,

pitched, and even an eyebrow window— on the house add an illusion of height and unexpected complexity to the design. Just below them, the kitchen and living and dining rooms, symmetrically presented through windows and F rench doors, offer a balanced counterpoint.

Photo on page 110: view from front patio overlooking Tiburon and the San Francisco Bay beyond, teak furniture with orange cushions from Terra Teak. Opposite page: upper; pool house chairs from Ralph Lauren, antique light ﬁxtures and portholes contribute to a nautical theme; lower, view from poolhouse with Terra Teak furniture in foreground; this page, above; porch outside living room provides shaded seating area to enjoy the view of downtown Tiburon.

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111

more about bay appeal than curb appeal,” she says. “It’s fun. We get to

“I love color,” says Kari, “but this house called for white. I only

see Jeff come [home] and go to work on the ferry, and right out there

used color whenever impact was needed, and a touch of blue is in ev-

is where the Friday night sailboat races start.”

ery room.” With the exception of two bedrooms, the flooring is dark

The kitchen is the couple’s favorite room. The old-fashioned charm of white painted beadboard on both the walls and the ceiling, along

stained Brazilian cherrywood throughout. For the family room, Kari chose robin’s egg blue accented with tan-

with the light-reflecting, beveled-glass-fronted cabinetry and shiny sub-

gerine. There, another flat-screen television is flanked by individual

way tiles, holds it own against the whimsy of the tower-shaped break-

homework stations for their two daughters. When not in use, the sta-

fast nook and its clerestory windows.

tions hide neatly behind floor-to-ceiling cabinets inset with raffia wall-

Suspended over the custom breakfast table and window seat is a wheel-shaped chrome chandelier. Over the distressed indigo-blue island is a slab of Carerra marble chosen for its whiteness. A pair of custom-paneled Miele dishwashers, a six-burner Wolf range with a pot-filler, a built-in hutch and a walk-in pantry to store colorful sets of dishes serve as useful conveniences.

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SEPTEMBER 2006

paper that subtly suggests beach sand. Photo above: Wolf Range is focal point in the kitchen with Sub-Zero refrigerator and Miele dishwashers. Center island is ﬂanked by McGuire barstools. Opposite page: furniture details in living room, white walls and dark-stained wood ﬂooring create dramatic environment for placement and use of accent color.

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Nearby, the laundry room and Kari’s crisply designed office (with

Twin loft beds, accessible only by built-in ladders and outfitted with

a secret vertical gift-wrap drawer), adjoin each other. Jeff’s office, ad-

authentic boating lifelines for railings, accommodate clusters of young

jacent to the living room, is dark, quiet and masculine, with a desk

slumber party guests. A pullout sofa, more hospitable for adult guests,

placed to take full advantage of the water views.

is available below. A working pair of old ship lanterns throws green and

The master suite downstairs was planned as a restful retreat with a

red light from above, and antique porthole windows mark the doors to a

color scheme of pale aqua and gold and French doors leading to a seclud-

bathroom where there’s faucetry in the shape of a ship’s wheel and to a

ed garden. In the bath, an antique chandelier and twin crystal sconces

storage room where boat cleats are used as hooks.

add glimmer and glamour to the mosaic-and-marble floor and walls. A

“I always dreamed of having a house like this,” says Jeff, “but this

custom furniture-style cherry vanity is decked out with crystal doorknobs,

one has exceeded my wildest dreams. It’s such a warm, open, friendly

a feature common to many doors throughout the house.

and inviting home that I love being here.”

The girls’ bedrooms offer different takes on pink. A blush shade is

He credits Kari for pulling it off. “I’m so lucky to have a wife with

paired with soft yellow for six-year-old Devon’s perfect-for-a-princess

such an incredible sense of color and texture,” he says. “She’s amaz-

room, while nine-year-old Hailey’s room takes its hot pink and lime

ingly talented. I just get out of the way.”

green cue from a pillow covered with a lively Manuel Canovas fabric. The nautical motif is carefully restrained in the main house, but it goes full-speed ahead in the pool house, where a NanaWall folds back completely to open the room to the outside.

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Above: dining room and adjacent living room both enjoy spectacular views to downtown Tiburon and the San Francisco Bay; right: media room provides space for family to gather; walls are painted robin’s egg blue with orange accent Hermes painting by local artist.

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J O U R NEY

AN ANDES ADVENTURE Exploring the Sacred Valley of the Incas STORY & PHOTOS BEN DAVIDSON

I L AND ED

IN CU SCO, the ancient center of the Incan world, and my

head was in a spin. Blame the 11,2 00-foot elevation and the red-eye flight from Miami to L ima, plus a healthy dose of disorientation. Our main guide, Canadian Pam F rich, met me at Cusco’s modest airport and had a quick remedy— sorochi pills, a local antidote for altitude sickness. She also advised I avoid drinking alcohol and instead have the coca tea available in the lobby of our hotel, the luxurious Hotel Monasterio. The sorochi worked its magic on my mixed-up mind and body and after a day or so more of spinning I was feeling grounded enough to sip a pisco sour and celebrate my arrival in this faraway place. Acclimatization is the key to an enjoyable visit to the lofty Peruvian Andes. It’s a good idea to take it easy for a couple of days after arrival. I had the good fortune to spend three days in the splendid surroundings

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The ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu is hidden in cloud-swept peaks high above Peru’s Urubamba River cloud forest

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Above: Women villagers of the hillside village of Huilloc, a small Quechua weaving community. Opposite page: Woven hats for sale at the Chincheros’ weekly market. Colorful dried corn, an Andean staple.

of the Monasterio, formerly the colonial-era Old

speak Spanish, native Quechua and, occasion-

San Antonio Abad Seminary, built more than

ally, English.

300 years ago in the heart of old Cusco and now

We ambled through ancient alleyways,

converted into our hotel. It was in this tranquil

many lined with monumental walls construct-

oasis, where monastic music imbues the ancient

ed of Incan stone. Each massive piece was

stone corridors throughout the day, that our

carved with laserlike precision, fitting together

group of 16 gathered for a week of hiking, bik-

to form fascinating oversize jigsaw puzzles.

ing and cultural exploration in the timeless landscape of Peru’s Sacred Valley.

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In the local artists’ district, we came to the 16th-century adobe church of San Blas,

First on our agenda: an introductory walk

whose ornate cedar pulpit is considered the

through Cusco. This onetime center of the Inca

finest example of baroque wood carving in the

empire was transformed by Spanish conquis-

Americas. Nearby, we visited two of Cusco’s

tadors in the 16th century, and the old and

most significant cultural sites: Coricancha, a

new worlds blend here in a dizzying mélange

colonial church built atop the ruins of an Incan

of Incan and colonial architecture. The locals

temple, and the main cathedral, filled with

Spanish and Incan artwork. L ater, we finished

our descent to P uca P ucara, a former Incan mili-

with an Incan beer overlooking the P laza de

tary and administrative center. W e walked amid

Armas, the town’s grand central square.

the llamas until we stopped for lunch; an Incan music group played songs on traditional piped

Into the Andes

instruments as we ate.

After a hearty early breakfast and a few cups

Continuing downward, we came to

of coca tea, we shuttled to 1 2 ,0 0 0 feet in the

the Temple of the Moon, where our guide,

hills above Cusco. Today’s hike, almost entirely

Aurelio, explained the role of celestial objects

downhill, brought us through Tambo Machay,

in the Incan religion, and to Q uenco, a tem-

site of sacred ritual baths, then leveled out along

ple marked with rock carvings. Our meander-

a ridgeline with a wide view of the Cusco val-

ing route saved the best for last: the massive

ley. As we passed through a small village where

Incan complex of Sacsayhuaman, often called

farmers were working the land with primitive

the Stonehenge of the Andes. L ike many Incan

hand tools and ox-drawn plows, two Incan wom-

sites, the complex was used for both religious

en and their herd of llamas accompanied us on

and military purposes. B y late afternoon we

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119

Above: A frisky llama and her amiable tender. Right: Cyclists cruise the wide-open altiplano of Peru’s Sacred Valley.

were back in Cusco, shopping for handicrafts

of Moray, huge circles etched into the hillsides.

and sweaters made of soft alpaca wool.

In the distance lay a vast panorama of glaciercovered mountain peaks and deep valleys.

Andes Up, Insides Down

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Continuing our bike ride to the village of

On the third day, our group was feeling accli-

Maras, we stopped to hike a dirt path that

matized, although a nasty stomach bug plagued

winds down into the Urubamba V alley through

a few. W e shuttled by bus to Chinchero, even

a working salt mine—a honeycomb of tiny

higher at 1 2 ,4 0 0 feet, and strolled through nar-

pools fed by underground salt springs that

row streets to the colonial-era church, built on

have been tapped and harvested for hundreds

the ramparts of Incan stone work. After brows-

of years. W e watched farmers rake and scrape

ing a local market for crafts, blankets, hand-

the pools, harvesting bags of white salt, the

made toys and rugs, we hopped on mountain

purest of which is sold to the J apanese con-

bikes and headed down into the altiplano, fol-

sumer market. W e ended our day at our home

lowing quiet roads through fields and farming

for the next three nights, the peaceful Sol y

villages to the large Incan agricultural terraces

L una L odge, whose hobbitlike cabanas are

in the heart of the Sacred V alley, midway be-

herded cattle in the neighboring fields. At the

tween Cusco and Machu P icchu.

ruins of P isac, we took in sweeping views of

A short drive away is Ollantaytambo, a peaceful town on the northern end of the Sacred

the Sacred V alley and walls that once housed Incan tombs.

V alley. It was a steep ascent up the old stone steps of the temple complex, then a winding

End of the Line: Machu Picchu

route down on a contour of trails. W e continued

From Ollantaytambo, we caught the train to

through town along the P atacanch River, stop-

Machu P icchu, disembarking several miles be-

ping for a picnic lunch, then shuttled to the hill-

fore the end of the line at Aguas Calientes,

side village of H uilloc, a small Q uechua weaving

where we began our most challenging hike

community, where traditional lifestyles have

of the week—an eight-mile uphill grunt with

seen little change for hundreds of years.

a 2 ,2 0 0 -foot elevation gain. W e stopped for

B ack on our bikes, we followed a mostly

lunch at H uinay H uayna, a onetime religious

level, intermittently paved and dirt route along

complex once used for Inca religious pur-

the Urubamba River. Farmers tended crops and

poses; later, our route merged with the Inca

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121

Clockwise from top left: Spicy chicken and rice are a local Andean specialty; an ornate colonial-era cathedral dominates Cusco’s central plaza; colorful wild orchids brighten the Inca Trail. Opposite page: Hikers explore the massive stoneworks of Sacsayhuaman, just outside Cusco.

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Trail, the most renowned footpath in South

tween 1 4 6 0 and 1 4 7 0 , it held approximately

America. Used for centuries by Incan messen-

2 0 0 buildings—residences, temples, storage

gers and pilgrims, it still contains stones and

and other public structures—and was home to

stairs laid in ancient times. W e followed this trail

about 1 ,2 0 0 people, primarily women, children

to the G ate of the Sun for our first view of the

and priests. Most of the structures are built

spectacular lost Incan city of Machu P icchu.

from granite blocks cut with bronze or stone

Machu P icchu ( “manly peak”) lies 4 3 miles

tools and smoothed with sand. The blocks fit

northwest of Cusco and sits atop an 8 ,0 0 0 -

together without mortar, although none are

foot ridge that hides it from the Urubamba

the same size. Most joints are so tight that even

River gorge and cloud forest below. The ridge

the thinnest of knife blades can’t be forced be-

is between a block of highland and the mas-

tween the stones.

sive peak of H uayna P icchu. The surrounding

E ven in its time, few people were aware of

area is covered in dense bush, some of it cov-

Machu P icchu’s existence. A half-century lat-

ering pre-Columbian cultivation terraces.

er, 5 0 percent of P eru’s population had been

This mountaintop place was most likely

killed by smallpox and other diseases the

a royal estate and religious retreat. B uilt be-

Spanish conquistadors had brought. B y 1 5 3 2 ,

when the conqueror P izarro came to Cusco,

the ruins of H uayna P icchu and the Temple

Machu P icchu was already forgotten. It re-

of the Moon.

mained more or less intact and was rediscov-

That afternoon we gathered for a guided

ered in 1 9 1 1 by H iram B ingham, a professor

hike that taught us about the significance of the

from Yale.

sun-worshipping Incans’ astrological creations.

W e arrived late in the day. Most visitors

Machu P icchu is the site of an intihuatana, a

were gone already and a fickle mix of mist, sun

column of stone rising from a block of stone

and fog shrouded the ancient city. W e spent

the size of a grand piano. The word is usually

the last rays of the day enjoying this magical

translated as “hitching post of the sun”: As the

sight. A local bus brought us down to Aguas

winter solstice approached and the sun began

Calientes, where we settled in at the beautiful

disappearing earlier each day, an Incan priest

Machu P icchu P ueblo H otel.

led a ceremony to tie the sun to the intihua-

On the last full day of our P eruvian ad-

tana so it would not vanish altogether. Spanish

venture, we explored Machu P icchu, some of

conquistadors destroyed P eru’s other intihua-

us walking to the Inca drawbridge while oth-

tanas, but because they never found Machu

ers took on a physically challenging hike to

P icchu, its hitching post remained intact.

GETTING THERE Backroads Backroads offers a seven-day guided hiking trip, $3,698; an eightday family hiking and biking trip, $3,998; and an eight-day multisport trip, $3,998, with overnights in the region’s ﬁnest hotels. Prices do not include airfare. www.backroads.com Andes Adventures Andes Adventures offers a 13-day hiking trip, from $3050; a 13-day trekking trip, from $3195; and a 19day trekking trip, from $3495. Prices include airfare from Los Angeles or Miami. www.andesadventures.com

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SEPTEMBER 2006

123

HAWAIIAN ISLAN D ADVENTURES Where palm trees sway…and trouble melts like lemon drops

BY M .L. LATHAN

orn and raised in our 50th state, I’ve watched public in-

of the islands, more than half its coastline has eroded into gorgeous

terest in my homeland ebb and flow with the tides of

sandy beaches. Moviemakers have exploited this feature throughout

politics, popular culture and the global economy. Once

the years. If you’re old enough, you saw Mitzi Gaynor sing “I’m Gonna

again, Hawaii is in the spotlight with President Bush’s

Wash that Man Right Outta My Hair” on the North Shore’s Lumahai

recent declaration to make the Northwestern Hawaiian

Beach in South Pacific. A few decades later, nearby Kee Beach stood in

Islands—a string of small leeward islands and atolls located 120 nauti-

for the Australian-coast backdrop in the popular 1983 TV miniseries The

cal miles west of the main chain—a marine national monument. This

Thorn Birds starring Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward. Ricardo

long-awaited political gesture will protect more than 3.5 million acres

Montalban’s Fantasy Island came to us throughout the ’80s from Wailua

of some of the world’s oldest coral colonies as well as 7,000 sea-life

Falls. And Corte Madera’s own Doug McConnell has filmed four episodes

species. It also creates the world’s biggest marine protected area, larger

of Bay Area Backroads on this island.

than Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

“There is something special that draws me to Kauai,” the TV broad-

While access to this pristine sliver of the planet is limited, anyone

casting veteran says. “It represents the ideal of tropical paradise.” One of

can find his or her own slice of Hawaiian paradise—be it next to a lone

his favorite treks is the Na Pali Coast, which can be explored only by foot

palm on a small patch of sand or by a waterfall hidden behind dark green

or boat because of its imposing 2,000-foot cliffs that rise from the Pacific.

taro plants—on one of the six main islands. With direct flights from San

McConnell urges would-be trekkers of the difficult Na Pali coastal trail to

Francisco and Oakland to most islands, you could leave in the morning

use caution and prepare properly by wearing good hiking shoes, apply-

and be on the beach by noon Hawaii time.

ing sunscreen and carrying a lot of water. “It’s a great adventure to back-

Here’s our island-by-island guide from west to east.

pack the entire 11 miles over several days,” he says, “but even those who make just a day trip, hiking the first two miles to Hanakapiai Valley and its

Kauai, formed by the volcanoes Kaiwaikini and Mount Waialeale, is the fourth largest of the islands, with 552 square miles of land and a population of about 60,000. The “Garden Isle” is the easternmost and geographically oldest of the Hawaiian islands. Since Kauai has a few million years on the rest

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Opposite page, top row: mountain bikers on Molokai, plumeria, waterfall in Waimea Canyon on Kauai. Middle row: Hikers trek Haleakala Crater on Maui, snorkeler at Kahaluu Beach on the Big Island, Big Island sunset. Bottom row: Surfer at Oahu’s north shore, hibiscus, windsurfer in Maui.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

P H OTOS MO LOKA I BIKERS / HALE AKALA /WI NDSUR FER: RO N DAHLQUI ST / NORTH S HO RE S U R F E R: K I R K L E E / A L L OT H E R P H OTOS : B A R B A RA R I E S

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125

wonderful hidden beach, find it an unforgetta-

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ble experience.” Besides Na Pali, Kauai boasts two other distinctive geologic sites: Mount Waialeale and Waimea Canyon. Mount Waialeale is one of the wettest places on the planet, accounting for the lushness of the island. “It is perfectly situated right in the trade wind flow to catch the showers—up to 39 feet a year at the peak,” says Glenn James, a Maui weatherman and expert on the islands’ geography who hosts a local cable TV show and produces the website hawaiiweathertoday.com. Waimea Canyon, on Kauai’s west side, is a 3,000-foot deep, 10-mile-long valley formed

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by a catastrophic volcanic explosion. Over a few million years, the black walls of canyon cliff have been painted red by minerals, and “the water (and runoff) cut deeply into the rocky sides, which is a very inspiring sight,”

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canyon floor, Kukui Trail, ends at a large swim-

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trails into the valley; the shortest route to the ming hole—a welcome treat on a hot day. Oahu, formed by the volcanoes Waianae and Koolau, is the third largest of the islands, with 597 square miles of land and a population of about 900,000. Oahu, across the Kauai channel from the island of Kauai, is aptly called the Gathering Isle: 75 percent of the state’s population lives here and about 5 million tourists visit annually. It also holds the distinction of housing

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SEPTEMBER 2006

riders. “The north shore of Oahu has the perfect orientation for those wintertime swells,

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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making for the largest waves in the islands,”

ignated kapu (forbidden), which nowadays

until he died of the disease in 1889. While

says James. “The source of those waves is the

means “keep out” in Hawaiian.

there still isn’t a stoplight or a dry cleaner on

winter storms that migrate off the Asian conti-

Hiking is a year-round event on Oahu.

Molokai, KFC Express and Subway have man-

nent, across the Pacific into the Gulf of Alaska.”

Certain trails, however, especially those that run

aged to wash ashore, and the island is mak-

This is great news for those who consider navi-

along the jagged volcanic cliffs, are best saved

ing its way onto the tourist map.

gating a 25-foot wall of water fun, as well as

for the dry summer months. The Pali Lookout

Its supercasual laid-back lifestyle earns it

for those of us who are content to watch.

trail is safe year-round because it is paved. This

the nickname “the Friendly Isle.” Still, “the

For those who define adventure without

approximately two-mile trail leads through the

structure of the island makes accessibility

the words “killer waves,” Oahu offers plenty

rain-forest environs of windward Oahu and in-

challenging,” acknowledges Judith Bicoy of

of other options. For example, the three-acre

cludes waterfalls and amazing views. For more

the Molokai Visitors Bureau. “The impenetra-

(give or take an acre, depending on the tide)

than 80 trails with descriptions and photos, visit

ble sea cliffs, one airport and lack of public

sandbar in Kaneohe Bay on the windward side

backyardoahu.com and choose according to sea-

boat harbors make getting here a challenge.

of the island is a world away from the hassles

son and level of difficulty.

Visitors have to come either by airplane or

of life (except for the droning of the airplanes

ferry that comes in twice a day from Maui.”

from a nearby military base). Look closely and

Molokai, formed by volcanoes Kamakou,

For more than 100 years a large portion of

you’ll spot camouflaged flounders undulating

Mauna Loa and Kalaupapa, is the fifth

the island was privately owned by the Molokai

in the currents, translucent pencil-like cor-

largest of the chain, with 260 square

Ranch and used for cattle, pineapple and other

net fish, or even a juvenile blacktip reef shark

miles of land and a population ranging

agricultural purposes. Fifth-generation panio-

swimming in the distance. Green sea turtles

from 6,000 to 8,000 in season.

los, or Hawaiian cowboys, still live on and

are a common sight, too; more than 500 are

Molokai, across the Kaiwi Channel from

work the land. But these days they also offer

said to live in the protected bay. It’s not a sur-

Oahu, is the least developed of the islands

visitors a taste of Hawaiian cowboy life in ses-

prise that this pristine stretch of sand is on the

and is famous as the isolated realm of Father

sions called Paniolo Roundup, wherein city

preservationist radar and soon might be des-

Damien, who treated lepers on the island

slickers can learn basic rodeo skills. Mountain

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128

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SEPTEMBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

biking is also popular on the ranch, which has

patients still reside there, visitors are limited to

on the B ig Island. H is superior, Captain J ames

more than 6 5 miles of trails, including the apt-

a guided tour.

Cook, had just been killed and Clerke had no

ly named G ravity B ike Ride, with panoramic views and a 1 ,1 0 0 -foot descent.

time for further exploration. Lanai, named after the volcano that

San Francisco attorney G riff Towle spent a

Despite its small size, Molokai boasts the

formed it, is the smallest island in the

summer in his youth picking pineapples and

longest beach in the islands: P apohaku stretch-

chain, with only 140 square miles of land

living in the little town called L anai City. “It’s

es for three miles and is 3 0 0 yards wide. It

and a population of about 3,000.

my favorite island,” says Towle, who fondly

ranks as one of the most beautiful beaches in

W ell before L anai was purchased by J ames

recalls afternoons of exploring the island with

the world and is usually empty, except for the

Dole in 1 9 2 2 for $ 1 million and became known

a friend. “It was paradise. W e went out to

occasional lone monk seal or a few green sea

as the P ineapple Island, H awaiians celebrated

Shipwreck B each, took a jeep ride up Munro

turtles sunning themselves on the white sands.

the island’s natural beauty. The carved canyon

Trail and went scuba diving at Cathedrals.”

Molokai is also known for numerous ancient

of Keahikawelo, also known as the G arden of

Towle also made it out to remote P olihua

H awaiian fish ponds and the largest coral bar-

the G ods, could be mistaken for a Salvador

B each, one of the most famous green sea tur-

rier reef system in the islands, both of which

Dali– inspired rockscape, baking undisturbed in

tle nesting beaches in H awaii. Today, he revis-

provide an underwater paradise to explore.

the arid heat for centuries. H ulopo’e, an area

its these places with his family, Keahikawelo.

The island’s most dramatic feature is a gigan-

teeming with wildlife ( fronting the Manele B ay

H owever, now he spends time on the golf

tic sea cliff—the tallest in the world—rising

Resort) , is a protected marine reserve that’s

course and lounging on the beach. “It is a truly

along a sheer face more than 3 ,0 0 0 feet above

home to spinner dolphins, green sea turtles

unique place on the planet, and every time I

the waves. To get a glimpse, of these cliffs is

and many colorful tropical fish.

go there I’m in awe,” he says.

not easy, one way is to visit the former leper

L anai was first spotted by a E uropean on

The paucity of people here, even when ho-

colony of Kalaupapa V illage, nestled below the

February 2 5 , 1 7 7 9 : Captain Charles Clerke

tels are at capacity, creates the feeling of it be-

cliffs and accessible by a steep trail via hiking,

scribbled his sighting in a ship’s log while mak-

ing your own personal island—hence one of

mule ride or bus. Since a few surviving leprosy

ing a quick departure from Kealakekua B ay

L anai’s other names, “the P rivate Isle.”

1/2 HORIZONAL

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(APUNA "EACH 0RINCE (OTEL s -AUNA +EA "EACH (OTEL MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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129

BRIEF HAWAIIAN HISTORY Maui, formed by the volcanoes Mauna

Maui offers plenty of less adrenaline-

The Hawaiian Islands archipelago is

Kahalawai on the west and Haleakala in

pumping opportunities as well. At Haleakala

1,5 00 miles long and has been in geo-

the east, is the second largest of the is-

National Park, Haleakala Crater has 27 miles

logic production for more than 7 0 mil-

lands, with 727 square miles of land and a

of trails for hikes that range from one-hour to

lion years. The P acific P late slowly drifts

population of about 135,000.

all-day; for an overview, visit nps.gov/hale.

across the Hawaiian Magmatic Hot

Maui is known as the best place to wind-

The leeward side of Maui, where most of the

Spot at an average rate of 3 .5 inches

surf in the islands. For 20 years Geoff James

hotels are, is known for snorkeling and scuba

a year. At the far eastern end are the

of Sausalito has been going there to do just

diving. In the winter, the ‘Au‘au Channel be-

E mperor Seamounts, followed by the

that—these days with wife Sandy and daugh-

tween Maui, Lanai and Molokai is a temporary

N orthwestern Hawaiian Islands includ-

ters Daphne and Lucy in tow. The James fam-

home for migrating humpback whales, a pro-

ing Midway, which dates back 2 5 mil-

ily bypasses the hotels on the leeward side,

tected and endangered species.

lion years, and finally stretching east to

instead renting a home on the North Shore

the Big Island, a mere 600,000 years

to be close to their favorite sailing spots:

Hawaii was formed by five volcanoes—

young. The islands were the last place

Sprecklesville, Kanaha and Hookipa.

extinct Kohala, dormant Mauna Kea and

discovered on the planet that was inhab-

“The windward north shore of Maui has a

Hualalai, and the active Mauna Loa and

ited by people. Tahitian explorer Hawaii

perfect combination of trade wind angle and

Kilauea. It is geologically the newest of

Loa ( 8 8 B.C.) is said to have crossed the

strength, coupled with lots of breaking waves

the islands and the biggest, with more

P acific in search of food for his village;

most of the year,” confirms meteorologist Glenn

than 4,000 square miles of still-expanding

legend has it he named the first island

James (no relation to Geoff). “These two aspects

land and a population of nearly 160,000.

after himself, Maui after his eldest son,

are what make the North Shore, especially from

Known as the Big Island, Hawaii’s land

Oahu for his favorite daughter, K auai for

Kanaha Beach on up the coast to Hookipa Beach

mass is not the only thing about it that is over-

his youngest son, and so on.

Park, one of the most favorable windsurfing and

size. “The incredible fact about the Big Island

kiteboarding locations in the world.”

is not only its immense size but its spectacular

1/2 HORIZONAL

No strings or roof attached.

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Child admission to Bishop Museum

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MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

range of diverse climates,” says James. “Some

a smaller-scale yet still impressive experience,

continents do not have the variety of climates

head to Kiholo Bay along the Kohala coast. The

the Big Island has.” With arid desert, rain for-

surest way to find the trail is the public access

ests and a snowcapped peak, Hawaii is often

parking lot at the new Marriott resort. Look for

called the land of fire and ice.

an ancient path, marked by white rocks, called

One of the most visited spots here is

the alii trail. This trek is not for the lazy or the

Kealakekua Bay, a Marine Life Conservation

infirm; the weather can be hot and the ter-

District where swimmers of all abilities can ex-

rain tricky in spots. It takes about an hour to

plore a large reef teeming with tropical fish;

reach your destination, but you won’t be disap-

this is a favorite resting spot for spinner dol-

pointed. Salt water and fresh water combine

phins. It’s also the site of a memorial to Captain

to create a palette of bright blues, surrounded

Cook, leader of the first European crew to

by jet-black lava. A white-sand island topped

make contact with native Hawaiians. While

with green palms can be accessed by wading

hundreds of people visit the Cook monument

through a cool, crisp channel; there’s a good

each day, few know about a more isolated trib-

chance a giant green sea turtle might be sun-

ute to famed adventurer and naturalist David

bathing somewhere along the beach.

Douglas, namesake of the Douglas fir. Douglas died in July 1834 by falling into a hunter’s trap at the untimely age of 35, alone, along the

CALL FOR PROTECTION

flank of Mauna Kea. Not long ago, Bay Area

Hawaii, the 50th state, is the endan-

Backroads’ intrepid Doug McConnell led his

gered species capital of the world,

broadcast team to Douglas’s remote gravesite.

according to the Bishop Museum

“I’ve always been in awe of David Douglas,”

in Honolulu, with reportedly more

McConnell says. “To think of all he did in such

such creatures per square mile

a short time is quite inspiring.”

than any other place on earth.

The journey to the grave consists of a long

While most are plants and insects,

drive on a desolate road and a hike through

generally not too popular as plush

the same wooded area where Douglas spent his last hours, until finally one arrives at a lone monument erected by men on horseback and mules in the 1930s. For McConnell, the trip is worth its “splendid isolation,” he says. “It’s a bittersweet reminder of a remarkable man who died in the pursuit of knowledge on a distant island he had come to cherish.” With a summit of 13,796 feet, Mauna Kea itself is known for a host of activities, from hiking or mountain-biking its miles of trials to visiting the observatory to snow sports during the

toys, a few others—the monk seal, a handful of sea turtle species, and the state bird, the nene goose, all

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decidedly qualifying as cute—have become poster animals for environmental protection in the islands. These species can be spotted on a few different islands, eating or sleeping as they have for centuries, undisturbed. Some, however, are found in primarily in one area,

winter. Fluming—once the pastime of mischie-

such as the `akohekohe or crested

vous kids who trespassed on sugar plantations

honeycreeper bird, which lives in

to ride abandoned canals on inner tubes—is

high elevations in the rain forests of

now a full-blown tourist attraction complete

eastern Maui, or the palila, a finch-

with rubber rafts, life jackets and tour guides.

billed honeycreeper found solely in

Waipio Valley, a.k.a. Valley of Kings, is a

the dry forest high on the slopes of

mile across and six miles deep. Many mov-

Mauna Kea. For more information

ies have exploited its beauty, including Kevin

on island endangered species, go

Costner’s Waterworld, and hikers, horseback

to bishopmuseum.org.

riders and kayakers continue to visit today. For

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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SEPTEMBER 2006

131

LO O K I NG BACK

P H OTOS CO U RT E SY O F P O I N T R E Y E S L I G H T

When The Light Shined on Synanon

“I THINK IT HAPPENED IN JUNE of 1975,”

“We knew the Cabrell boy, our neighbor, was

says Doris Gambonini, who has lived on the

home alone, so we went to check on him and

Marshall-Petaluma Road in West Marin for

ran into this gang who began shaking our car,”

nearly 50 years. “Their heads were shaved and

she says. “They tried to pull my husband out,

shiny in the moonlight; there were probably 20

then they punched him, broke a tooth and

or 30 of them. I’ve never been so petrified.”

bloodied his face.”

Gambonini, her late husband Alvin and their

At the time, the Gamboninis and Synanon—

three children lived across from what is now the

a Southern California–headquartered drug re-

Walker Creek Ranch, a 1,741-acre Marin County

habilitation foundation for at-risk youth with

environmental and educational camp.

three Marin locations totaling over 3,000

“Back then,” she recalls, “people called it Synanon.”

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SEPTEMBER 2006

acres—had had minor differences concerning a road easement that crossed over both of their

The night of Gambonini’s terror, the family

properties. In the years that followed, however,

was returning from a meeting in San Rafael.

Doris and Alvin Gambonini would help dozens

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

AERIAL PH OTO C OURTESY OF SA N F RANC ISC O C H RONIC LE

How West Marin’s weekly newspaper exposed a cult and won a Pulitzer BY JIM WOOD

P H OTOS CO U RT E SY O F P O I N T R E Y E S L I G H T

of youths run away from Synanon. “It turned

and numerous assaults in March of 1978. “Up

out to be a cult,” she says.

until then,” he says, “I was mostly impressed

Four years later, in April 1979, the

by seeing firsthand the happy, articulate people

weekly Point Reyes Light (then-circula-

in their various environments leading produc-

tion: 2,750) was awarded a Pulitzer Prize

tive lives, even though many talked of previ-

for Meritorious Public Service for the role it

ous drug and criminal problems.”

played in exposing the misdeeds of and even-

However, as Mitchell now recognizes, there

tually bringing down the Synanon Foundation,

were several indicators that Synanon was not

Inc. In the 62-year history of the Pulitzer, The

the big happy family it appeared to be. In late

Light was only the fourth time a weekly news-

1977, Time magazine and the Los Angeles

paper had won such recognition.

Times published critical articles. The Times it-

“Basically, three of us contributed,” says

self went so far as to describe it as “a respect-

Dave Mitchell, 62, who after 36 years of a rare-

ed drug program” that had become “a kooky

ly (and then only barely) profitable operation

cult.” In January 1978, reports surfaced that

recently sold The Light to a lawyer/journalist

the foundation had purchased $60,000 worth

living in Bolinas. “There was Cathy, my wife

of guns and ammunition in San Francisco. And

and co-publisher at the time; Richard Ofshe,

that March, a former Synanon resident, visit-

who had a home in Marshall and was a Cal

ing from New York, was severely beaten by

Berkeley sociologist specializing in cults; and

current residents when he attempted to show

myself.” Actually, Mitchell wasn’t drawn to the

the Walker Creek site to his wife.

dark side of the Synanon story until reading a

Mitchell and a few others believed that

critical Marin County grand jury report looking

Marin County Sheriff Lou Mountanos, who’d

into possible child abuse, zoning infractions,

championed Synanon’s presence as “peace-

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Opposite page: A 1970s aerial view of Synanon’s extensive compound at the old Maggetti Ranch; above: Cathy and Dave Mitchell celebrate word of winning a Pulitzer Prize with San Francisco Chronicle reporter Ralph Craib (right); below: At the time, the Mitchells were sought out by local and national newspapers.

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

133

keepers in the area,” attempted to suppress press coverage of the beating by making po-

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lice reports of the incident challenging to obtain. At that time, in addition to locations in Santa Monica and Central California, Synanon occupied three West Marin properties—the aforementioned Walker Creek Ranch; the 65acre Marconi Center (now a state conference center) on Highway 1 in Marshall, and the Maggetti Ranch (now occupied by the Straus Family Creamery) on the Marshall-Petaluma Road. “My guess is, in Marin they had 900 residents, more than 400 vehicles, three large boats moored in Tomales Bay, and six airplanes tied down at Gnoss Field in Novato,” Mitchell says. In spring of 1978 the following was also known: 1) Synanon had sued Tim e magazine for libel and sought $76 million in damages. 2) The M arin Indep endent J ournal and the

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Pacific Sun had taken, according to Mitchell, a rather “accommodating” stance toward Synanon. 3) The sheriff’s office, the county counsel and most county supervisors were also maintaining a wait-and-see approach to the

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growing Synanon imbroglio. 4) Along with Synanon members personally harassing individual grand jury members with middle-ofthe-night phone calls and accusatory threats to their children, Synanon attorney Dan Garrett issued a virulent statement: “The grand jury report was full of lies and we’re not going to take this lying down.” More million-dollar lawsuits were clearly the implication.

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All this was happening months before the Peoples Temple mass murder-suicide tragedy in Guyana and 20 years prior to the tragic Heaven’s Gate mass suicide in Southern California, so the dangerous nature of cults was not yet common knowledge. Mitchell and a few others were concerned about more than Synanon’s tendency toward violence and abuse. The group also had an open disregard for county zoning and building permit process-

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MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

es. “We heard they were constructing a road to a private airstrip,” Mitchell says, “and when I checked with the county, neither project had ever been permitted. “Something was happening that I wasn’t understanding.” Seeking

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

answers, he phoned one of two county supervisors who’d been openly critical of

You.

Synanon. “Is somebody getting paid off?” Mitchell asked. “I don’t know,” was the answer, “but we seem to be hanging out there alone—with the grand jury.” That Marin supervisor was Barbara Boxer, now one of California’s U.S. senators. The other supervisor was Denis Rice, a former mayor of Tiburon and today a

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Synanon buying lots of guns,” Rice re-

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calls. “But the station was intimidated by

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prominent San Francisco attorney. “I got a call from a KGO-TV reporter about

the threat of lawsuits, so I agreed to bring it up at a supervisors meeting where information discussed is privileged—meaning not subject to lawsuits. Synanon seemed to have an incredible number of aggressive lawyers, many of them recovering drug addicts, who really knew how to harass and intimidate.” The result was a Board of Supervisors hearing that Rice has never forgotten. “I mean, the place was packed. West Marin residents were weeping, saying they were afraid of Synanon, they’d seen abused children, all kinds of horror stories.” But Rice also remembers not all civic leaders being as concerned as he and Barbara Boxer were. The sheriff “didn’t want me to talk about Synanon. He felt they were helping to keep West Marin peaceful.” In fact, Sheriff Mountanos administered the oath so that two Synanon members could serve as reserve deputy Marin County sheriffs. It would take more than two years before Synanon was no longer a matter of concern in West Marin. Meanwhile, the Point Reyes Light, and Mitchell, never let

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up. By the summer of 1978, Synanon had filed libel lawsuits totaling nearly $175 million against various major news organizations, but none against the Mitchells and The Light. “Cathy and I had one advantage,” Mitchell says. “We were really small.” But the crusade was taking its toll. The Mitchells’ marriage, already a survivor of

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MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

135

(the couple divorced in 1981). “Cathy, who always felt I spent too much time with the paper, now believed I was obsessed with Synanon,” Mitchell says. Obsessed or not, Mitchell was relentless in his coverage of Synanon. In 1978, in his mid-30s and occasionally suffering from undiagnosed depression, he wrote more than 100 articles and editorials about the group. Often, he wondered if his efforts were having any impact. Letters to the editor about Synanon were rare, major media sources seemed intimidated by the lawsuits, and county government remained agonizingly slow in

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reacting to his and others’ concerns about the

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violence, possible abuse of young wards, code violations, and Synanon’s business practices, which included a tax-exempt status while paying high-end salaries and declaring some $20 million in assets.

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had left Synanon rather than undergo the

Synanon’s downfall. In the first, a man who group’s mandatory vasectomies was beaten nearly to death after suing Synanon to regain custody of his child. Mitchell overcame his emotions and wrote a reasoned editorial that summarized all the violence and ended with the plea, “Is anyone out there listening?” “It reached a wide audience,” says Mitchell, “including former members who realized they were the only ones in a position to reveal wrongdoings inside Synanon.” A second, and now-notorious, incident damaged Synanon nationally. A Southern California attorney who had won a $300,000 settlement against Synanon reached into his mailbox and was bitten by a rattlesnake. The lawyer survived, but again the party behind

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Synanon’s actual demise was rather slow. After numerous criminal and civil lawsuits, in 1981 the government finally revoked the organization’s income tax exemption.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Also in 1981, the San Francisco Foundation, which administered the Buck Trust, used more than $6 million of trust funds to buy Synanon’s three properties. One is now the Marconi State Conference Center; one is the county’s Walker Creek Ranch; and one is the processing center for Straus organic milk. In contrast, the Point Reyes Light’s ascent to national recognition was rapid. “A couple in Inverness had their son-in-law in New York pick up (a Pulitzer) entry form for us,” says

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Mitchell, “and a Chronicle reporter, who’d closely followed the story, stopped by with a letter of nomination, so we thought, why not?” To beat the entry deadline, Mitchell drove the filled-out paperwork and a scrapbook of clippings through a downpour to reach the San Rafael post office just before it closed. On the Monday after Easter in April 1979, just before 9 a.m., Cathy Mitchell answered a phone call from the Washington Post. “A Bay Area weekly might have won a Pulitzer Prize,”

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she was informed. A confirming call soon followed, and “the party went on for six hours,” according to The Light on Synanon, a 1980 book the Mitchells and Ofshe wrote about their two-year battle to expose the group. In the days and weeks that ensued, interview requests came in from every Bay Area newspaper and TV and radio station and others ranging from the New York Times to the BBC. The Mitchells appeared on The Today Show in New York and at a National Press Club luncheon in Washington, D.C. “It was a heady time, no doubt about it,” Mitchell says now, sitting on the deck of the Point Reyes Station home he’s lived in for almost 30 years. The Pulitzer brought fame, but not riches, as the public service award “is the

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only Pulitzer that doesn’t involve a cash prize, and it’s given to the publication, not a person,” he says. However—with a smile of satisfaction only Dave Mitchell can smile—he then points toward his home. “But if you look inside those doors you’ll see a gold medallion the size of a mason jar lid. Ben Franklin’s image is on it, and below Ben are the words, ‘For Meritorious Public Service.’”

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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SEPTEMBER 2006

137

FIRST PE R S O N

ACCIDENTAL SAFARI BY NANCY BARRON

THE GRACEFUL TAIL TRACED a perfect ques-

a spear of sorts. I tried

tion mark against the bright blue winter sky.

to imagine myself as a

Standing on the path 50 yards ahead, the large

Masai warrior. In Nike

spider,

cat did not see us. But we had somehow star-

shoes and a Little League

coyote and other daunt-

tled its prey. Our scent, carried by an onshore

baseball cap.

ing fauna. And so, I have

breeze up Tennessee Valley, now drew the

A native Californian, I grew

to say, this encounter was

predator’s gaze. Once it fixed us in its granite-

up with tales of mountain lion

not a total surprise.

like stare, the mountain lion did not move.

attacks, dismissing them as

How often have hik-

hyperbolic urban myths.

ers blithely passed by

The three-year-old who

trailhead warnings of

With silent, assertive intent, it blocked our re-

was killed when run-

mountain lion sightings? The

turn to the trailhead. An invisible pall hovered

ning ahead of his

strong-jawed head, sleek physique and

in the air.

parents on a dusty

“What should we do?” asked my hiking

whiskered visage peering out from the

trail. The cyclist who mistakenly

laminated government-issue posters is so com-

companion. I tried to retrieve from my bank of

thought she could outride a cougar. The trail

mon that we ignore it. Like riptide warnings

worst-case-scenario trivia all the sage advice I

runner ambushed at an overhanging boulder.

or out-of-date shark sightings or faded rattle-

had heard for braving such encounters. Don’t

Those stories never deterred me. As a teen-

snake signs.

separate. Stand tall. Don’t bend over to pick up

ager, I would pack a lunch and often head up

a rock.

alone into the canyons of Los Padres National

“Don’t run,” she recited as though read-

Forest behind Santa Barbara.

So why did I feel this residual wave of fear in my veins? This particular lion wasn’t moving out of

ing my mind. “Here, take this.” Rosalind hikes

Since then, I’ve hiked hundreds, if not

the way. We had the eerie feeling that we were

with a pair of trekking poles. She handed me

thousands, of Marin trail miles. I’ve run across

at the zoo and a keeper had opened the door

one staff. So now we were each armed with

a tarantula, rattlesnake, scorpion, black widow

to a cage. We thought the animal would return

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SEPTEMBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

I LLUSTRATION: D UGALD STER MER

Our thrill at seeing this fine specimen of Felis concolor up close quickly turned to concern.

to stalking its small prey. Instead, we faced the unsettling reality that it might be stalking us.

“Stand our ground,” came my hoarse, but decisive, reply.

There is a reason the animal is not called a

ing cars. The tiny silhouettes of a few other hikers were pointing at us, none venturing

“Maybe it’s just a bobcat,” she breathed.

down the now-blocked path. Their body lan-

mountain kitty. It is of the family felidae, and

That was wishful thinking. Although the

guage seemed to be saying, “Hey, glad we’re

aptly termed a lion. As Beryl Markham wrote

Lynx rufus can be quite fierce, it may weigh a

in the classic Africa memoir West with the

mere 20 pounds. The animal in front of us was

“Observe his eyes,” Markham’s African

Night: “No animal, however fast, has greater

as large as a golden retriever. Its long, lissome

tribesman had said. “He thinks very hard of

speed than a charging lion over a distance of a

tail drew another curlicue.

many things. He believes that we also think

few yards. It is a speed faster than thought— faster always than escape.”

not them”—meaning us.

In unison, we took a giant step slowly back-

of those same things. We must show him that

ward. Our opponent took two lithe steps toward

we are fearless as he himself is fearless, but

My husband, who is six-foot-three, likes to

us, keeping the distance even. After an intermi-

that his desires are not our desires. We must

teasingly tell me he need not fear mountain lions,

nable minute, we took another step back. It met-

walk straight past him firmly and with cour-

because they always go for the little one—that

ed out another two steps forward. The orbit of

age, and we must shame his anger by laugh-

would be me. Funny, huh? I looked at Rosalind.

its tail decelerated ominously. This went on in

ter and loud talk.”

Together, she and I weigh 230 pounds.

slow motion for 15 minutes. Rosalind claims it

Rosalind and I decided to maintain the

“Don’t crouch,” she said.

was 20. But the dream time of such moments

status quo until other hikers appeared, hikers

“Right,” I replied.

loses reference points. Still, the large cat would

coming up from the beach who, like us, had no

“It can smell your fear,” she continued.

not move out of our way.

easy means of retreat. When we hit a tipping

That was not helpful, as I was sure I was reeking of it.

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139

Two strangers eventually approached and

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we did just that, waving our sticks, staying together and yelling. With the strength of our number, we managed to convince the mountain lion to saunter away, to a distance that felt safe enough so that we could pass. As it slunk off into the tall grass, its tawny coat instantly camouflaged into the drab flora of grassland

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and chaparral. At home, I decided to find out whether we had handled things right. After all, I could well face a mountain lion again. My friend Philippa, whose husband’s family owns one of the largest private game preserves in South Africa, assured me we had done the best thing. “Stand your ground,” she says. “Whatever you do, don’t turn your back and run away.” The scientific literature agrees. One’s own courage and perceived willingness to fight back can be the

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best defense. We have the privilege in Marin to live in proximity to the natural world, but our metropolitan mentality can leave us arrogant and naive. Injury attacks by mountain lions are rare, but they do happen. The website

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users.frii.com/ mytymyk/ lions/ lists a history of reported maulings in the western U nited States, and links will take you back a century or more. Although they are no more an everyday occurrence than shark attacks, there are 5 0-plus incidents recorded for the 1990s alone, and most experts believe that mountain lion attacks in the West, like alligator aggression in

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F lorida, are on the rise as habitat decreases. The most common severe injuries are those to children, although lone hikers, bikers and runners are also targets. A remarkable number of incidents occur close to park visitor centers or suburban development. That night, my dreams conjured up an image of the many times I had let my young son scamper down the Tennessee V alley trail ahead of me—

not out of sight, but out of reach.

Interwoven in the dreamscape was my last glance at the great gray feline. In the words of Markham’s fictional Masai: “We left him slicing the tall grass with his heavy tail…

He was

thinking many things.”

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SEPTEMBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

SAFETY TIPS DON’T 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Don’t hike, bike, or jog alone in lion territory Don’t plan outdoor activities during the hours from dusk to dawn Avoid walking near dense growth, rock outcroppings, or under ledges Don’t act afraid of a lion if you encounter one Don’t try to soothe it verbally, as this may backﬁre Don’t bend over, crouch, or kneel Never turn your back on a lion Never, never run from a lion

DO Keep children and pets in sight at all times 2 Always look up and behind you: emulate other prey by being constantly vigilant 3 Wear a helmet, hood, or hat whenever outdoors. Paint eyes on the back and/or top 4 If you do encounter a lion, try to give it a way out 6 Look a lion in the eyes 7 Make loud, ﬁrm noises: you may even show your teeth and make snarling sounds 8 Make yourself look big a Raise your coat, jacket, or any clothing with your arms b Stand up straight and swell your chest c Children with no adult should always be in a group and bunch together d Adults should pull children close to appear larger and to prevent them from running e Without kneeling, pull a small child on your shoulders to appear larger 9 You may back away slowly, if you feel you can retreat 10 Use anything available as a weapon if the lion displays aggression

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141

W I N E CO UNT RY

T’is the Season Harvest is in full swing

BY KATHERINE MARTIN

W IN E COUN TRY RE SIDE N TS and aficionados

The harvest season starts with a bang with

know that as far as the grapes go, September

the Sonoma Valley Harvest Auction, held

is the busiest and most exciting time of the

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year here. H arvest is in full swing and there’s

leywine.com) in Sonoma. The event is always

electricity in the air as winemakers and vine-

raucous, always eclectic, and you’re guar-

yard hands scour the vines for the new crop,

anteed to see famous winemakers onstage

lugging vibrant mounds of fruit to facilities all

turned out in some type of drag ( especially

over the valleys. For anyone with an interest

given this year’s theme of V iva L as V egas) .

in the process of winemaking, or just eager to

The lots and wine are top-notch too, so be

kick it with vintners who after a successful sea-

prepared to drop some dough. On September

son are more than ready to make merry at the

9 , whoop it up harvest-style at the Freemark

countless harvest celebrations, September is

Abbey Harvest Party (800.963.9698; free-

simply not to be missed.

markabbey.com), where oysters, wine,

1/2 HORIZONAL

Welcome to your dream home without changing your address

Luxury Renovation • Quality Cost Control • Punctuality 415-925-8585 • proyo@royoco.com California Contractors License #631878

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SEPTEMBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

dancing and barbecue (de rigueur in Wine

Finally, for those who want to swing the

If you’re still feeling energetic, there are

Country) immerse you in the celebratory spir-

wrenches a little in honor of harvest and

several other festivals to choose from while in

it and bring you close to the vines.

for a good cause (St. Helena Hospital), the

the area stomping grapes, emptying vats or

For some, hanging out on the harvest side-

Harvest Invitational Golf Tournament at

simply sipping on the sidelines. On September

lines is not enough, and for those adventurers,

the Napa Valley Country Club on September 18

16 in Napa there’s the Staglin Family Music

I always recommend events like Trentadue’s

(707.967.5819; sthelenahospital.org) is a

Festival for Mental Health (707.944.0477;

Harvest Crush Party and Grape Stomp,

huge hit every year.

staglinfamily.com), an elegant, upscale recep-

held on September 16 (888.332.3032, ext.

Lest we forget the beloved Wine Country

tion, concert and dinner that benefits a great

108; trentadue.com). Here, you’ll have the

holiday of Labor Day, two events are on

cause. On an entirely opposite track, check

chance to jump all over a vat of grapes in a nod

my own radar this year: the Labor Day

out the Katmandu Fall Festival in Sonoma

to the old ways of crush, and perhaps even win

Celebration at Ledson Winery in Sonoma on

on September 16 and 17 (707.938.1807; so-

a prize for it. The party also includes live music,

September 2 and 3 (707.537.3810; ledson.

nomavalley.com). Who would have thought

food, gondola rides though the vineyard and,

com) and the September 1–4 Aloha Party at

the cultures of Nepal, India and Tibet would be

of course, Trentadue wine, so it’s a fun and in-

J Vineyards (707.431.3646; jwine.com). In

the subject for a wine country festival? I love it

teresting way to learn more about what’s hap-

addition to the typical Labor Day touches like

and it’s perfectly in keeping with Sonoma’s taste

pening at this time of year in the big WC. You

a barbecue, the Ledson party will be featuring

for the offbeat and ethnic.

can also learn a lot about harvest at the collec-

Latin gypsy jazz by David Correa and Cascada

Harvest is the go-to time for Wine

tive Alexander Valley Celebrate the Harvest

band. On the quirky side, J is decking its win-

Country—a frenetic and fascinating time for

event on September 15–16 (707.431.2894; al-

ery out in beach guise and serving food and

novices and experts to rub elbows and watch

exandervalley.org). These tours tend to be as

wine with a tropical theme. Call me a sim-

the process of winemaking at its zenith. A

lighthearted or sober as you like, so if you really

pleton, but the idea of sipping a fine glass of

September sojourn here provides a classic up-

want the lowdown on how things work beyond

bubbly while lounging around in flip-flops

close encounter with the brains and the beauty

the tasting room, ask away.

sounds pretty good to me.

that make this region so stellar.

1/2 HORIZONAL

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GA L L E RI E S

Fall Gallery Preview A guide to what’s in store at galleries around the bay BY ANNE CRUMP RAY

he Bay Area is blessed with an abun-

At Claudia Chapline Gallery in Stinson

hint at her previous career as a psychothera-

dance of galleries in which to view

Beach, landscape paintings by Suzanne

pist. In October, the richly layered paintings

great art—works that can inspire,

Siminger capture the inimitable beauty of

of former archaeologist Claudia Marseille of

cheer, challenge and amuse—and the ever-

Northern California in the artist’s first solo

Oakland offer an exploration of time, labor

changing selection means there is always

exhibition with the gallery, from September

and experience within the confines of the

something new to see, from debut works by

8 through October 8. Siminger is a longtime

picture plane. Printmaker Kay Bradner, who

emerging artists to classic pieces by estab-

resident of Mill Valley whose paintings re-

founded the esteemed Katherine Lincoln

lished masters.

veal her afﬁnity for the land and the light of

Press in San Francisco, takes center stage

Seeing the work of local artists can

Marin County in remarkable detail. The gal-

for the gallery’s November exhibition, which

be one of the most exciting and interest-

lery hosts a public reception for the artist on

features her hypnotic combinations of repre-

ing ways to savor the cultural richness of

Sunday, September 10, from 3 to 5 p.m.

sentational images—often depicting water-

an area, and a number of upcoming exhi-

Over in San Rafael, Donna Seager

bitions celebrate the Bay Area’s artistic

Gallery hosts a trio of exhibitions by local

Paule Anglim Gallery stacks the decks

heritage with displays of locally mined

artists, each with her own distinctive and in-

with three standout shows in its fall lineup.

treasure. To whet the appetite for the fall

triguing style. In September the gallery spot-

harvest, we took a peek at what’s on the

lights the figurative paintings of Sausalito-

horizon and made note of some highlights to

based Devorah Jacoby, whose ethereal com-

put on the calendar.

positions pulse with psychological subtext—a

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

craft—amid hazy, abstract expanses.

Painting above: Paul Jenkins, Phenomena Weathervane, acrylic on canvas, 55” X 39” at Robert Green Fine Arts in Mill Valley

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

145

BAY AREA GALLERIES

Multitalented Ann Chamberlain, former pro-

Mill Valley displays a series of paintings

gram director at the Headlands Center for

by renowned Abstract Expressionist Paul

Caldwell Snyder Gallery,

the Arts, consistently uncovers new ways to

Jenkins from the 1970s. Many of the can-

341 Sutter Street, San Francisco,

engage her viewers, whether by alternat-

vases were painted while suspended from

415.296.7896, caldwellsnyder.com

ing among media, creating public artworks

the ﬂoor, allowing Jenkins to achieve a va-

or collaborating with other artists. She

riety of unusual and unpredictable effects

Claudia Chapline Gallery,

shares the gallery space with painter David

with his medium.

3445 Shoreline Hwy., Stinson Beach,

Hannah from September 6 through 30 in

San Francisco’s Meyerovich Gallery

415.868.2308, cchapline.com

an exhibition unlikely to disappoint. From

continues its 20th Anniversary celebra-

October 4 through 28, works by legendary

tion with a special presentation developed

Crown Point Press, 20 Hawthorne

Bay Area conceptual artist David Ireland

in conjunction with the estate of Pablo

St., San Francisco, 415.974.6273,

offer a reﬂection on the wit, innovation and

Picasso—a tribute to the gallery’s ﬁrst ex-

crownpoint.com

thoughtfulness that characterize Ireland’s

hibition, which featured rare prints from

long and fruitful career. And Gay Outlaw

the estate—from September 14 through

Donna Seager Gallery, 851 Fourth

fills the gallery with new examples of her

November 14. Paul Thiebaud Gallery in

St., San Rafael, 415.454.4229,

inventive sculpture—which previously has

North Beach similarly celebrates a modern

donnaseagergallery.com

made use of such disparate materials as

master from October 31 through December

sugar, clear vinyl and lead—from November

16 with a selection of paintings by Giorgio

Gallery Bergelli, 483 Magnolia

1 through 25, alongside works by video art-

Morandi, designed to highlight the breadth

Ave., Larkspur, 415.945.9454,

ist Dean Smith.

and importance of his work.

Both Gallery Bergelli in Larkspur and

At George Krevsky Gallery in San

Stephen Wirtz Gallery in San Francisco

Francisco, new works by local literary hero

Gallery Paule Anglim, 14 Geary

present works by up-and-coming artists who

Lawrence Ferlinghetti are on view through-

St., San Francisco, 415.433.2710,

seem poised for great and interesting things

out November. While Ferlinghetti first

gallerypauleanglim.com

to come. Beginning in October, Bergelli hosts

gained fame as a trailblazing Beat poet,

an exhibition of paintings by Sanjay Vora,

visual art has been at the core of his cre-

George Krevsky Gallery,

who graduated from the San Francisco Art

ative expression for most of his life, earn-

77 Geary St., San Francisco,

Institute’s master’s program in 2005. An ac-

ing him international acclaim and respect

415.397.9748,

complished musician and trained architect,

for its thoughtfulness and often politically

georgekrevskygallery.com

Vora imbues his paintings with the precision,

charged subject matter.

gallerybergelli.com

complexity and harmony critical to those Meyerovich Gallery, 251 Post St., 4th floor, San Francisco, 415.421.7171, meyerovich.com Paul Thiebaud Gallery, 718 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, 415.434.3055, paulthiebaudgallery.com Robert Green Fine Arts, 154 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley, 415.381.8776, rgfinearts.com Stephen Wirtz Gallery, 49 Geary St., 3rd floor, San Francisco, 415.433.6879, wirtzgallery.com

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SEPTEMBER 2006

practices and achieves mystical effects.

Caldwell Snyder Gallery rekindles the Bay Area’s Mediterranean connection and

Wirtz offers sculpture and minimal-

cosmopolitan ﬂair with an exhibition of shad-

ist paintings by California College of the

ow-dappled paintings by Barcelona-based

Arts 2005 MFA graduate Sean Smith in

Josep Cisquella from September 7 through

September, followed by a photography ex-

21. The artist will be on hand for a public re-

hibition by Arkansas-based newcomer Dave

ception from 5 to 7 p.m. on September 7.

Anderson in November. Smith explores the

Finally, at Crown Point Press, seven new

geometry of pixilated images, building intri-

etchings by Pop art superstar Ed Ruscha

cate compositions with small blocks of color,

take the spotlight from September 14

while Anderson strives to uncover humanity

through October 30. Inﬂuenced by the visu-

in an East Texas town steeped in the legacy

al language of commercial design, Ruscha’s

of the Ku Klux Klan.

expertly executed works on paper showcase

Several galleries revisit some of modern and contemporary art’s most celebrat-

his skills as a printmaker as well as his wit and decidedly American sensibility.

ed stars with exhibitions that pay homage

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it

to classic works, offer glimpses of rarities

offers a taste of what’s to come at Bay Area

and showcase new creations. In October

galleries in the coming months—and clearly

and November, Robert Green Fine Arts in

points to a very colorful fall. MARINMAGAZINE.COM

LOLLIPOP

Georgette L. Osserman

LAYERS

AFTER POUR

OPENING RECEPTION WITH THE ARTIST B U T T E R F LY

1PI?<T±->O ± ± ± ±KH

Sunday, October 1, 2006

W±

3:00 to 5:00 pm

c o n t e m p o r a r y

a r t

19 Ross Common Ross CA 94957 (415) 902 1019

Stroud & Schelling

Linda Saytes

oil on canvas

‘Together’

www.saytesart.com

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SEPTEMBER 2006

18” x 24”

415.824.5756

Fine Art Photography 415 927 4642 415 415 388 8137 scheduling now for the holidays

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

“Autumn Intent”, acrylic painting

new paintings by Steve Emery artwork by Steve Emery & Kathleen Lipinski view by appointment, San Anselmo also on exhibit at San Rafael Joe’s (415) 453-3648 • emerylipinski.com

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2 0 , 0 0 0 W O R K S O F A R T, F I N E W I N E , G O U R M E T F O O D S , 3 0 P E R F O R M E R S O N 3 S T A G E S , C H I L D R E N ’ S A C T I V I T I E S No pets, please • Directions: Take Sausalito/Marin City exit off Highway 101 on the north side of town, head south and follow the signs

54TH ANNUAL ALL LABOR DAY WEEKEND F R I D A Y September 1, 2006

S A T U R D A Y - M O N D A Y September 2 - 4, 2006

SINGAPORE FLING

Eddie Money, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Ten Years After, The Lovemakers, Jackie Greene, and many more...

An Asian night of Music & Dancing with sumptuous dining by Celebrity Caterer Dan McCall

Saturday & Sunday 9-6, Monday 9-5 • Adults $20, Seniors $10, 6-12 $5, under 6 Free • In Marinship Park and The Army Corps of Engineers – Bay Model Visitor Center Info: 415-331-3757 • Gala Tickets: 415-331-3738 • Advance Tickets: 415-705-5555 or www.telesails.com • www.sausalitoartfestival.org

CA L E NDA R

SEPTEMBER 2006 September 15–October 22 Proof This Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award– winning drama combines mystery and suspense when a daughter of a professor discovers a mathematical breakthrough. The Barn Theatre (Ross). 415.456.9555, rossvalleyplayers.org

September 16 & 17 Chinese Opera Beneﬁt A live orchestra of cymbals, gongs, a gan-ling, and the butterﬂy piano. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater (SF). 415.677.7668, ybca.org

COMEDY September 5, 12, 19, 26 Mark Pitta & Friends 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

September 9 Joan Rivers See this legendary comedian perform with the Gay Men’s Chorus and emcee Jan Wahl. Herbst Theatre (SF). 415.392.4400, empireplushroom.com

MUSIC Double trouble with Marin Shakespeare Company’s The Comedy of Errors.

THEATER Thru September 24 The Comedy of Errors Two sets of twins create confusion and trouble in the city of Ephesus. Marin Shakespeare Company (San Rafael). 415.499.4488, marinshakespeare.org

September 1 & 2 A Chorus Line The longest-running American musical in Broadway history MARINMAGAZINE.COM

September 4

chronicles the lives and labor of Broadway dancers. The Curran Theatre (SF). 415.551.2000, shnsf.com

Young Performers International This nonproﬁt children’s group performs all over the Bay Area with its infectious, upbeat music. Sausalito Art Festival (Sausalito). 415.420.2960, youngperformersintl.org

September 7–October 8

September 6

Orson’s Shadow Get a look at the drama of theater. Egos collide on and offstage 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

San Francisco Symphony Opening Gala Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas and the SFS will open the 2006-07 concert season with a dinner and special gala performance featuring world-renowned violinist Christian Tetzlaff. Davies Symphony Hall (SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org MARIN

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151

Edith Caldwell Gallery An overview of contemporary realism through paintings and drawings with artists John Gibson, Karen Horn and Philip Michelson, thru September. 819 Bridgeway, Sausalito. 415.331.5003, edithcaldwell.com

Falkirk Galleries Alone in Nature The work of Jennifer Bain, June Yokell and Shelley Gardner, September 14–October 14. 1408 Mission Ave at E St, San Rafael. 415.485.3328, falkirkculturalcenter.org

Gallery Bergelli House/Home New work by San Francisco Art Institute graduate Sanjay Vora, September 16–October 31. New work by Chilean painter Carlos Catasse, thru September 15. 483 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.945.9454, gallerybergelli.com Walker Creek 48 x 60, oil on canvas, by Suzanne Siminger, at the Claudia Chapline Gallery

September 10

September 30

Opera in the Park Enjoy an afternoon of song under the sun. Get your vocal cords primed for the traditional ﬁnale and public sing-along to “Libiamo” from Verdi’s opera La Traviata. Sharon Meadow (SF). 415.861.4008 sfopera.com

Tango Fire Etampas Porteñas, the hottest tango company in Buenos Aires, is coming to Marin. Musicians, dancers and singers perform the music of Astor Piazzolla with energy and precision. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org

Gallery Route One The Magic Box Show Simple pine boxes, transformed into works of art by 150 artists; thru September 10. Latino Outreach Community Bridge Builders by Steve Pring, September 15–October 22. 11101 Hwy One, Point Reyes Station. 415.663.1347, galleryrouteone.org

Hanson Gallery September 10 The Tommy Castro Band The accomplished songsmith performs with a combination of blues, rock and soul at the Rancho Nicasio BBQ on the Lawn event. The town square (Nicasio). 415.662.2219, ranchonicasio.com

September 17 The Beach Boys “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” to take your “Surfer Girl” and have “Fun, Fun, Fun” listening to some “Rock and Roll Music” by the Beach Boys? Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org

GALLERIES

Mackenzie Thorpe, thru September. 669 Bridgeway, Sausalito. 415.332.1815, hansongallerysa.com

MARIN

Marin Society of Artists Art Works Downtown Anne Wienholt, Painting & Sculpture This local artist’s work is on display thru September 28. 1337 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.451.8119, artworksdowntown.org

Fall Rental Show Member artists present their new artwork for rent or sale, thru September 24. 30 Sir Francis Drake, Ross. 415.454.9561, marinsocietyofartists.org

O’Hanlon Center for the Arts Barking Dog Gallery Images of the Himalayas by Grover Meyrose and Sculptures by Suzie Buchholz on display. 480 Gate Five Rd Number 268, Sausalito. 415.331.2333

Paintings by Peller Marion This member artist uses abstraction to explore the enigmatic, the otherworldly and the chaotic, September 5–29. 616 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.4331, ohanloncenter.org

September 13

Claudia Chapline Gallery

The Painters Place

Square Dancing Join the Tam Twirlers Square Dancing Club of Marin for good music (Madonna, Dixie Chicks, Uncle Kracker and Johnny Cash), social connections, exercise, a mental challenge and fun! 19 Corte Madera Ave (Mill Valley). 415.389.9622, tamtwirlers.org

Running Fence: Recycled Fine art created from the panels of Christo’s famous fence of white fabric; thru September 5. Contemporary Realist Landscapes Work by Suzanne Siminger, September 8–October 8. 3445 Shoreline Hwy, Stinson Beach. 415.868.2308, cchapline.com

Landscapes, abstracts and prints by gallery artists, thru September. 1139 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.461.0351, thepaintersplace.com

DANCE

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Robert Green Fine Arts Group Show Paintings by Ed Moses, Paul Jenkins, Sam Francis and John Grillo, thru MARINMAGAZINE.COM

September. 154 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.381.8776, rgﬁnearts.com

Sam the Butcher Georgette L. Osserman is the featured artist at this new gallery, thru September. 19 Ross Common, Ross. 415.902.1019

2006/07 Season

Studio 333 Art Walk Businesses stay open late to showcase work from local artists, September 13. Art Show on September 23. 333A Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.8272, studio333.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

Caldwell Snyder Gallery Touching Reality Recent paintings by Spanish mixed-media artist Josep Cisquella on display, September 7–21. 341 Sutter St, 415.296.7896, caldwellsnyder.com

Elins Eagles Smith Gallery New Work by Timothy McDowell on display, September 7–October3. 49 Geary St, Suite 520, 415.981.1080, eesgallery.com

Fraenkel Gallery A Gallery in Ink Books, posters, announcements and ephemera since 1979, September 7–September 30. 3049 Geary St, 415.981.2661, fraenkelgallery.com

Gallery Paule Anglim David Hannah and Ann Chamberlain; September 6–September 30. 14 Geary St, 415.433.2710, gallerypauleanglim.com

George Krevsky Gallery Jack Levine: Works on Paper, thru September 9. 77 Geary St, 415.397.9748, georgekrevskygallery.com

Gregory Lind Gallery New Work by Sarah Bostwick using Hydrocal (a plaster) and incorporating woods and antique ivory, September 5–October 14. 49 Geary St, 415.296.9661, gregorylindgallery.com MARINMAGAZINE.COM

One

program October 8 & 10, 2006 Alasdair Neale, conductor • Orli Shaham, piano

ADVERTISER

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

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

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 ho ny. o rg MARIN

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Hackett-Freedman Gallery Raimonds Staprans: Fifty Years, September 1 & 2. Milton Avery Selected Paintings. A Survey 1958–2006 Work by sculptor Brian Wall, September 7–October 28. 250 Sutter St, 415.362.7152, hackettfreedman.com

Hang Art and Hang Art Annex Where We Live Ines Kramer’s paintings narrate a collision of imaginary places, September 7–30 at Hang Art. 556 & 567 Sutter St, 415.434.4264, hangart.com

September 14–November 14. 251 Post St, 415.421.7171, meyerovich.com

Newmark Gallery San Francisco 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, September 5–October 28. 251 Post St, Suite 412, 415.392.3692, newmarkgallery.com

Marin Museum of the American Indian Spirit Speaks Contemporary and historic expressions of Native Peoples exhibit. 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

BAY AREA Paul Thiebaud

Jack Hanley Gallery As the Stars Go By, by Anna Vonmertens on display, September 1 & 2. 395/389 Valencia St, 415.522.1623, jackhanley.com

Works on Paper Local artist Michael Tompkins works on display, September 5–October 28. 718 Columbus Ave, 415.434.3055, paulthiebaudgallery.com

John Berggruen Gallery

Rena Bransten Gallery

Local artist William Wiley uses current political and social issues to comment on life, thru September. 228 Grant Ave, 415.781.4629, berggruen.com

Visionary Output: Works by Creative Growth Artists A group exhibition and Paintings by Joseph Park on display, September 7– October 14. 77 Geary St, 415.982.3292, renabranstengallery.com

John Pence Gallery Mixed media by Hugh Shurley and oil paintings by Carl Dobsky on display, September 8–October 7. 750 Post St, 415.441.1138, johnpence.com

MARIN

Meyerovich Gallery

Bolinas Museum

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,

Art Auction Preview Check out art in three different galleries that will be up for bid at the annual auction, thru September 16. 48 Wharf Road (Bolinas). 415.868.0330, bolinasmuseum.org

MUSEUMS

SPOTLIGHT ON MILL VALLEY FALL ARTS FESTIVAL This month marks the Mill Valley Fall Arts

Asian Art Museum A Curious Affair: The Fascination Between East & West Explore the relationship between East and West as it is shown in paintings, ceramics, furniture and other decorative arts from the museum and Bay Area collections; thru September 3 (SF). 415.581.3500, asianart.org

COPIA Dishing It Out: Career Waitresses Across the USA Candacy Taylor has documented waitresses around the country through interviews and photographs, showing just how important they are to the community; on display thru September 11 (Napa). 888.512.6742, copia.org

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

Festival’s 50th anniversary. Despite being courted by big-name companies, the

di Rosa Preserve

committee has kept the festival about art

The Collection in Context: Bay Area Figurative Art Work by California artists from the Bay Area ﬁgurative movement on display, thru September 23 (Napa). 707.226.5991, dirosapreserve.org

and its patrons in the purest form without corporate sponsorship. This year’s festival will feature work from over 130 artists, a retrospective gallery show of previous award winners, a booth chronicling the festivals past and special editions commemorating the last 50 years. See a slice of history at the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival at Old Mill Park on Sept 16 & 17. 415.381.8090 Ruby Christensen School of Ballet by Ed Smith

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mfaf.org.

Exploratorium In the Land of the Lilliputian: Artists Visualize the Very Small Artists attempt to see the nano world in this exhibit, thru September 24. Science Onstage 2006. Meet the playwright, the artistic staff and do a scientiﬁc expert, September 14, 21 and 28 (SF). 415.397.5673, exploratorium.edu MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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. Monet in Normandy Monet’s artistic relationship with Normandy had never before been the focus of a scholarly exhibition. The 53 impressionist paintings are on view thru September 17 (SF). 415.863.3330, legionofhonor.org

Mexican Museum

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

~ Gift Shop ~ Lunch ~ Fashion Shows Preview Party Saturday, September 16 (Reservations Required)

ADVERTISER

African by Legacy, Mexican by Birth This exhibition considers Afro Mexicans living on the Paciﬁc and Gulf Coasts of Mexico. Photographer Ayana Jackson and writer Marco Villalobos trace the shaping of contemporary Afro Mexican roots while exposing this under-recognized segment of the African diaspora thru November 11 (SF). 415.202.9700, mexicanmuseum.org

Meet the Designers Wine & Hors-d’œuvres Thursday Evenings HOURS: Tues-Sat: 10 am - 3 pm Sun: 11 am - 4 pm Thurs Eve: 6 pm - 9 pm Closed Monday TICKETS: General: $28 Senior & Advance: $25

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

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.

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

FOR INFO: Call (415) 479-5691 or visit www.marin designersshowcase.com

SFMOMA The Art of Design: The Architecture and Design Collection An installation of 26 contemporary rock posters by design studio Urban Inks and artist Rex Ray, on display thru September 5 (SF). 415.357.4000, sfmoma.org

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 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 MARINMAGAZINE.COM

ADVERTISER

Mystery Ball 2006 The Beneﬁt Season’s Most Innovative Art Happening. October 28, 7PM – Midnight, Headlands Center for the Arts Contact: mysteryball@headlands.org for Details. www.headlands.org, 415.331.2787

Headlands’ Benefit Auction An Opportunity to Celebrate and Support Headlands’ worldrecognized Artist in Residence Programs. November 17, 7PM – 9PM Golden Gate Club, The Presidio, San Francisco, Contact: hwills@headlands.org for Details.

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September 2

September 16

September 1–4

Dance Palace Duck Derby Support the Dance Palace and sponsor a duck in this wacky race. Thousands of numbered yellow rubber ducks will race down Papermill Creek; the ﬁrst duck to cross gets the owner $1,000! If your duck isn’t ﬁrst there’s also a chance to win other cash prizes, T-shirts, and duck paraphernalia. White House Pool Park (Point Reyes). 415.663.1075, dancepalace.org

Viva Las Americas Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with live performances from Loco Bloco, Orquesta da Soul and dance performances from Mexico and Central and South America. Bring the kids for traditional Latin-American crafts and face-painting. Theatre 39 on Pier 39 (SF). 415.433.3939, pier39.com

Sausalito Art Festival This annual event features over 20,000 works of art including sculptures, paintings and photography. Marinship Park and the Army Corps of Engineers Bay Model Visitors Center (Sausalito). 415.331.3757, sausalitoartfestival.org

September 2–4 September 16–February 4

September 3 Labor Day at the Lake Enjoy ﬁreworks, children’s activities, food and a concert by R&B All Stars. Stafford Lake County Park (Novato). 415.899.8200, ci.novato.ca.us

Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils New Discoveries Journey back in time as you explore lifesize models of dinosaurs, reptiles and birds and examine evidence for feathered dinos. California Academy of Sciences (SF). 415.321.8000, calacademy.org

Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction At this charity fundraiser, celebrate a weekend of ﬁne wine with tours, dinners, wine tasting and the grand ﬁnale auction. This year’s event is themed Vino Las Vegas…Get Lucky in Sonoma. Various locations (Sonoma). 707.935.0803, sonomavalleywine.com

September 3 September 4

Belvedere-Tiburon Labor Day Parade Make your way to this good old-fashioned community parade, with marching bands, horses, clowns and kids. Downtown Tiburon to Belvedere Community Park (Tiburon/ Belvedere). 415.435.7373, tiburonchamber.org

Marin City Blues and Soul Party Enjoy live music, food and crafts. 271 Drake Ave (Marin City). 415.332.8316

September 8 An Elegant Affair, Opera Ball 2006 and BRAVO! CLUB’s Opening Night Gala Choose one of two events to celebrate the San Francisco Opera season kickoff. War Memorial Opera House and City Hall Rotunda (SF). 415.565.3204, sfopera.com/ operaball and 415.864.3330, sfopera.com/bravo

September 9 & 10 Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Festival Chocolate lovers of all ages can enjoy a full weekend of chocolate decadence including a sundae-eating contest, cookie decorating and more. Proceeds beneﬁt Project Open Hand. Ghirardelli Square Courtyard (SF). 415.775.5500, ghirardellisq.com

September 9 September 15, 16, 17 Open Hearts, Open Homes This weekend of ‘50s nostalgia celebrating the 50th anniversary of Eichler architecture in the community will beneﬁt the Hospice of Marin. The kickoff starts with a Fab ‘50s Sock Hop, September 15 at the McInnis Park Golf Center (San Rafael). The main event takes place with Eye-on-Eichlers Home Tours. September 16 (San Rafael). The grand ﬁnale is the ’50s Fun Family Faire, September 17 at the Mall at Northgate (San Rafael). 415.526.5580, hospiceofmarin.com

Watch Chris Evert at the Comcast Women’s Tennis Classics October 14 and 15. Tickets on sale now: 415.383.6114 or womenstennisclassic.org

EVENTS

Return to Cool Ride and Tie Don’t miss this exciting endurance sport event in which two runners trade off running and riding a horse as quickly and efﬁciently as possible; a beneﬁt for the Michael Gray Trust. Olmstead Trail (Cool). 530.886.0890, rideandtie.org

Thru September Architecture and the City Architectural tours, ﬁlm screenings, exhibitions, design lectures and home shows make up this monthlong celebration. Sponsors include Heath Ceramics, Green Fusion, Headlands Center for the Arts. Check event venue listings (SF). 415.362.7397, aiasf.org

B AY A R E A

September 10 Barn Beneﬁt Show The Ross Valley Players invite you to their Barn Improvement Fund event featuring a silent auction, rafﬂe, buffet and the musical revue the Four Seasons of Love. Livermore Gardens at the Marin Art and Garden Center (Ross). 415.456.9555, rossvalleyplayers.com

Thru October 15 September 2 Wild Nights Family Overnight Bring the family to a nocturnal safari and then camp under the stars at the zoo. The next morning enjoy a continental breakfast, tours and a souvenir. San Francisco Zoo (SF). 415.753.7073, sfzoo.org 156

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Bird-a-Thon Grab your binoculars, get your ﬁeld guide and help raise money for research and education programs. Individuals or teams solicit pledges and then count the total number of bird species seen in a 24hour period. Point Reyes National Seashore (Point Reyes). 707.781.2555, prbo.org

September 13 Wine Dinner Bid on prestigious Californian wines and help the Marin Charitable Association honor Phil Woodward from the Woodward Graff Wine Foundation. Paradise Bay Restaurant (Sausalito). 415.381.6160 MARINMAGAZINE.COM

September 16 Bolinas Museum’s 14th Annual Art Auction Listen to live music while you enjoy ﬁne wines and delicacies created by Bay Area gourmet chefs at this annual event. Oak Mesa (Bolinas). 415.868.0330, bolinasmuseum.org

FIVE DISTINCTIVE HOMES AND GARDENS. DELICACIES PREPARED BY CELEBRITY CHEFS. A FESTIVE FALL HARVEST MARKET. WINE & CHEESE RECEPTION AND RAFFLE.

September 16 An evening of art beneﬁting the dZi foundation, a nonproﬁt dedicated to helping people in the mountainous regions of the world, at the Barking Dog Gallery. 480 Gate Five Rd, Number 268, Sausalito. 415.331.2333

September 16 The Cowgirls Foundation This English and Western Horse Show event will mark the release of the foundation’s calendar and new online store. Willow Tree Stables (Novato). 415.892.5408, cowgirlsfoundation.org

September 16 & 17 Katmandu Fall Festival Celebrate the culture of Nepal, India and Tibet. Enjoy exotic food from Nepalese restaurants, visit the healing sanctuary, learn about alternative medicine, or take part in the auction. Depot Park (Sonoma). 707.938.1807, childrensmedaid.org

September 16 & 17 Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival Celebrate the festival’s 50-year anniversary at historic Old Mill Park (Mill Valley). 381.8090, mvfaf.org

ADVERTISER TOUR BEGINS AT THE SLEEPY HOLLOW CLUBHOUSE 1317 BUTTERFIELD ROAD, SAN ANSELMO

September 17 Taste of Marin Meet farmers, ranchers, cheese makers, bakers and vintners then enjoy food from some of the best local restaurants. Saint Vincent’s School for Boys (San Rafael). 415.663.9667, marinorganic.com

September 19–October 8 Marin Designers Showcase Visit this newly completed Tuscan style home and meet the designers who created it. Proceeds beneﬁt local nonproﬁts. Dominican Hills (San Rafael). 415.479.5691, marindesignersshowcase.com

September 30 Stepping Out to Celebrate Life Dinner catered by Mangia Nosh. Look forward to a live auction and rafﬂe, music, dancing and a fashion show featuring models who are all breast cancer survivors. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.455.5882, tocelebratelife.org MARINMAGAZINE.COM

TICKETS AND INFORMATION: SLEEPYHOLLOWTOURS.ORG 415.456-5951 MARIN

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September 21

September 27

September 30

Sausalito Chamber of Commerce Mixer Learn about up-and-coming events and enjoy food and wine as you network and mingle. First California Realty (Sausalito). 415.331.7262, sausalito.org

Garden Feast Put on your blue jeans and favorite hat. The San Francisco Botanical Garden’s annual garden party and beneﬁt luncheon will focus on organic gardening and sustainability. SF Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park (SF). 415.564.3239 ext. 304

Rock Garden Roll, Copia’s annual auction and dinner, will feature delicious food by Cat Cora —winner of TV’s Iron Chef, a live band during cocktails, and an aution to support Copia’s educational programs. The event will showcase Copia’s wine, food and edible garden. (Napa). 707.265.5846, copia.org

September 23 & 24 San Francisco Blues Festival Celebrate the music of New Orleans with the Louisiana Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars with Cyril Neville on the ﬁrst day and rock to superstar Little Richard on the second day. The Great Meadow at Fort Mason (SF). 415.421.8497, sfblues.com

September 24 Sleepy Hollow Kitchen and Garden Tour Discover ﬁve homes, wine cellars and gorgeous pools, during this Third annual event. Chefs Heidi Krahling of Insalatas and Rachelle Boucher for Standards of Excellence will also be cooking live in the outdoor kitchen and garden at San Domenico School. Various locations (San Anselmo). 415.456.5951, sleepyhollowtours.org

September 28 Westﬁeld San Francisco Centre - Grand Opening. The $440 million transformation of the historical, 1.5 million square-foot, landmark Emporium site includes restoration of the fabled glass dome and historic grand façade, as well as world class shopping, spas and great dining options, 865 Market St. (SF).

September 30 Give My Regards to Broadway The Junior League of San Francisco invites you to the 12th annual home tour. This year’s event will feature historically signiﬁcant homes in the elite Gold Coast enclave along Broadway. Various locations (SF). 415.775.4100 ext. 22, www.jlsf.org

September 30 Floating Homes Tour For one day, you too can experience the unique lifestyle of living on the bay! Residents of carefully selected houseboats and ﬂoating homes open their doors and invite the public in. Various locations on the waterfront (Sausalito). 415.332.1916, ﬂoatinghomes.org

September 30 Peak Hike Join the hike for breast cancer prevention up the trails of Mountt. Tamalpais and then enjoy an organic lunch, live entertainment, and mini-spa treatments. Mount. Tamalpais (Mill Valley). breastcancerfund.org

ADVERTISER

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September 30 Rock ‘n Blues by the Lake Check out this annual event featuring live music including Jefferson Starship and an auction. Stafford Lake Park (Novato). 415.897.9383, rocknbluesbythelake.com

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS September 9 Dr. Shirin Ebadi Hear this Nobel Peace Prize laureate speak on human rights, Islam and the West. Dominican University of California (San Rafael). 415.472.6959, ias.org

September 9 How to Write the Personal Essay SF Chronicle columnist Jon Carrol lets you in on the secrets of humorous writing and shares his wit and wisdom. Book Passage (Corte Madera). 800.899.7909, ext. 233, bookpassage.com

September 10 Women in the Ming Dynasty Lindy Li Mark, Matthew Sommer and Ming Zeng speak.

Hertz Hall on the UC Berkeley Campus (Berkeley). 510.643.6321, calperfs.berkeley.edu

(San Francisco). 415.392.4400, cityboxofﬁce.com

September 20 September 12 City Arts & Lectures As part of its literary series, beneﬁting 826 scholarship programs, CAL presents an evening with screenwriter, director and novelist Nora Ephron (When Harry Met Sally) in conversation with Armistead Maupin. Herbst Theatre (San Francisco). 415.392.4400, cityboxofﬁce.com

September 12 Thermography Discussion Donna Scippa, R.N.N.P., will be hosting a discussion of far infrared imaging, also known as thermography, a no-radiation, preventive scan for breast cancer. EVO Spa (Mill Valley). 415.338.3223, evo-spa.com

September 13 City Arts & Lectures An evening with three American ﬁlm legends based in the San Francisco Bay Area: Phil Kaufman, Walter Murch and Terry Zwigoff, hosted by ﬁlm critic Michael Sragow Herbst Theatre

Ayurveda and Pancha Karma Cleansing with Ragaia Belovarac. Safronya Retreat (San Rafael). 415.259.0433, safronya.com

NATURE WALKS/TALKS Ongoing Sonoma History Local actor George Webber morphs into Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, as he retells the history of Sonoma through Twain’s eyes; speciﬁc dates on website (Sonoma). 707.694.5097, georgewebber.com

September 16 Edible & Medicinal Plants of California Explore the world of Marin County’s bounty of edible and medicinal plants with your guide Autumn Summers. The class also includes a hands-on acorn processing demonstration (Point Reyes). 415.663.1200, ptreyes.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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RE TAIL TH E RAPY Thru September

September 12

September 20 & 21

Evolution Home Furnishings Don’t miss your chance to revamp your dining collection at 20 percent off the regular price. This includes European cherrywood tables and chairs, contemporary collections from Dinec and marble tables by Armen Art. The Frank Lloyd Wright Collection will also be introduced this month (San Rafael). 415.482.1600, evolutionfurniture.com

Giorgio Armani Fall Trunk Show at Neiman Marcus (SF). 415.362.3900, neimanmarcus.com

Macy’s Passport 2006 Opt for an opening night cocktail reception and fashion show featuring designs by Hugo Boss, Sean John, and more. Or a VIP gala evening event, also including a fashion show. Various locations (SF). 800.334.6158.

September 13 Wine Dinner Head to Poggio restaurant for a Robert Foley wine dinner. The winemaker will be pouring and Executive Chef Peter McNee will create a special menu for the night (Sausalito). 415.332.7771, poggiotrattoria.com

Thru September EVO Spa Relax and rejuvenate with this month’s featured Oxygen Renewal Complex. It’s full of bio-fermented algae, antioxidants and liquid nitrogen to lift, ﬁrm and smooth the skin from Spa Technologies. When you’re done getting pampered peruse the new bags from Hobo (Mill Valley). 415.383.3223, evo-spa.com

September 14

Thru September

September 14

Lark Creek Restaurant Group Chocolate Festival Indulge your senses with tasty American chocolate. Special menus and a chocolate tasting plate await you at the Lark Creek Inn and Yankee Pier (Larkspur). 415.924.7766, 415.924.7676, larkcreek.com

Rumors Trunk Show Sip on bubbly and nibble on hors d’oeuvres while indulging in some of the hottest fall fashions including designs by Kathy Kamei and the complete fall handbag line from Kale. Mention Retail Therapy to receive 20 percent off one item (Larkspur). 415.927.0226.

Appel & Frank’s Fall Fashion Fête Prep for fall by getting your hands on accessories and handbags from local designers, and be sure not to miss the free beauty treatments and complimentary cocktails at this seasonal shopping event (SF). appelandfrank.com

Thru September Item Shoes and accessories Carrie Bradshaw would be jealous! Get designer shoes for sale prices at this biannual sale (Larkspur). 415.925.0109, item-shoes.com

September 8 & 9 Valentino Bridal Trunk Show at Neiman Marcus (SF). 415.362.3900, neimanmarcus.com

September 8, 9, 10 Western Interiors Design + Home Show Check out ﬁne new furniture and home accessories by top designers, architects and companies. Don’t miss out on complimentary design consultations, shopping opportunities and seminars (SF). 323.549.3449 ext 229, westerninteriorshomeshow.com

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September 22 & 23 Macy’s Passport In-Store Event Tickets to this shopping event provide savings on merchandise throughout the store, and more, Macy’s Corte Madera. 800.334.6158, macys.com/passport

September 22 M Clothing Jewelry Trunk Show Refreshments and appetizers will be provide as you shop for prized pieces by local designers Kathy Kamei, Devon Dowd and LuLu Designs at M Clothing (Corte Madera). 415.924.8891, martymclothing.com

September 26 Bloomingdale’s Opening Celebration Marin’s best-dressed can now head to this shopping mecca to expand their closets and listen to Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter Chris Botti at the grand opening (SF). 415.502.4337, bloomingdales.com

September 28 September 14 Want it! Launch. Celebrate the season’s trends and must-haves during this shopping event. Fashion presentations, music, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres await at Saks Fifth Avenue (SF).

September 15 Anthropologie Store Opening Each item is more than a novelty—a personal discovery at this new 13,000 square-foot store. Anthropologie will feature home decor, furnishings, clothing and accessories at the Village at Corte Madera.

September 15 & 16 Ines di Santo Bridal Trunk Show at Neiman Marcus (SF). 415.362.3900, neimanmarcus.com

Burke Williams Spa Opening Escape the daily grind without a suitcase at this new urban day spa. The second Northern California Burke Williams (San Jose is home to the other) is a massive 16,000square-foot location with a coed lounge, retail salon, men’s and women’s spa, 15 massage rooms, six skin care rooms and a wet room for special treatments (SF). 866.239.6635, burkewilliamsspa.com

September 30 Eileen Fisher Discover cozy cardigans, wraps and shrugs. Enjoy light refreshments, $25 off on event day, a gift with purchase and enter an exciting rafﬂe! As an added bonus, the Charlotte Maxwell Complementary Clinic will receive 10 percent of proceeds (SF). 415.346.2133

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

no. 0891

no. 2130

no. 0956

Katie Lucas

Robin Williams

George Lucas

I wear this tag for Betty Libbert, the mother of my dear friend Gillian.

in memory of my dad Robert F. Williams, and Dana Morosini Reeve.

I wear this tag for my friend Chris Michie.

Search for the Cause Under the Stars The Marin Cancer Project invites you to join us on

Saturday, October 7th for an evening under the stars featuring fine local cuisine and organic wines as well as live music and dancing. To order tickets, log onto searchforthecause.org, stop by the SFTC Kiosk in The Village at Corte Madera or call 415.289.1001.

Food provided by: Insalata, San Anselmo Kitchen at 868 Grant, Novato Piatti, Mill Valley Poggio, Sausalito Wild Fox, Novato Cater Marin, Sausalito Organic wines provided by: Barra of Mendocino Frey Vineyards Parducci Wine Cellars Yorkville Cellars Spirits provided by: Wasabé Vodka

Special thanks to The Village at Corte Madera for hosting the event. The Marin Cancer Project would also like to recognize the following sponsors in appreciation of their overwhelming generosity and support: Iredale Mineral Cosmetics Bain & Company Linda Laskowski Marin Magazine

Marin Independent Journal Duncan/Channon Advertising Hertz Party Rental Andresen Digital, San Francisco

The Search for the Cause tag. Wear it well.

All Seasons C A T E R I N G

C O M P A N Y

PHOTOS BY: JAYKELLYPHOTO.COM FLOWERS BY: PAT GIBBONS

415.383.9355 • www.allseasonscatering.com • Mill Valley

FL AVOR

GAYLORD INDIA RESTAURANT Fine food and awesome view in Sausalito saffron-scented rice

BY ERIKA LENKERT PHOTOS SASHA GULISH

enerally speaking, Indian restau-

surroundings. Step into the beautifully de-

rants conjure visions of cheap and

signed restaurant swathed in putty and simi-

soul-satisfying all-you-can-eat buffet

larly soothing muted tones, pass the long bar

lunches and affordable dinners served in un-

and giant tandoori oven, and the strikingly

remarkable environments. But if you head to

contemporary room’s majesty unfolds. From

Sausalito’s Gaylord India Restaurant, you’re in

virtually any of the well-spaced white-table-

for a surprise. Beyond its convenient free park-

cloth tables and booths are spectacular front-

ing lot, the incognito box of a building that

row views of the bay, Angel Island, and San

once housed the Chart House and Valhalla’s

Francisco. When the windows are open—more

clandestinely shelters one of the Bay Area’s

likely during lunch—the gentle sounds of

most beautiful bayfront dining rooms—and

waves further underscore that this little cor-

the opportunity to sample what happens when

ner of Sausalito is one of Northern California’s

India’s rustic cuisine is kissed with a touch of

most breathtaking spots.

California refinement.

The menu also echoes the local environ-

A longtime family-owned Ghirardelli

ment with its cleaned-up California-fresh ver-

Square restaurant, upscale Gaylord moved to

sion of classic India cuisine. Organic baby

its current location late last year. What it lost

greens aren’t an expected offering, but you’ll

in foot traffic it gained in destination-worthy

find them here with champagne vinaigrette

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

crab cakes

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DISH BY GRACEANN WALDEN Two new San Francisco restaurants that are hot-hot-hot are Nopa and Brick. Both are off the beaten path. Nopa (560 Divisadero St., 415.864.8643) is in the Western Addition and Brick (1085 Sutter St., 415.441.4232) is on the cusp of the Tenderloin. Both have menus of small shared plates with nothing priced above $20. If you go to Nopa, be sure to have something from the rotisserie; at Brick tuck into chef Noah Tucker’s bloomed Pacific scallops . . . If all goes well, in the next few months, Marin County residents will be able to go online and read summaries of county health inspectors’ reports on local restaurants, according to Philip Smith, deputy director of Environmental Health Services for Marin. Additionally Smith said talks are afoot to go to a scoring system . . . Kenny Belov is not only the GM of Fish restaurant in Sausalito, but also owns a commercial fishing boat. The king salmon season has been highly regulated this year, because of overfishing. From late July until the end of this month, or until 20,000 pounds have been harvested, every commercial boat can take only 75 fish per week. Belov said consumers should be prepared to pay more . . .Taste of the month: Of

oughly pureed spinach sidekick. Naan, a stan-

lentil crackers) . Crab cakes were another sur-

dard flatbread, however, is classic perfection,

prise appearance. The most ornately adorned

as are the saffron-scented rice and rice pud-

dish of the day, they arrived plump and pretty

ding sprinkled with pistachio pieces— poised in

atop a white plate surrounded by edible artist-

a pretty copper-coasted goblet and served with

ry of mango and red pepper coulis. Were they

an equally elegant two-tone spoon, it’s an un-

seasoned with a little less of the pungent green

abashed celebration of creaminess.

chili, they would have been ideal. But classic ap-

Though the cuisine is not a complete de-

petizers, such as samosas, hit the spot with their

parture from the norm, the higher prices are.

Bridgeway, Sausalito 415.331.5225),

triangular fried dough exteriors crisply cracking

While there are three price-fixed feasts that

and then there’s the view. But what

to give way to moist and well-seasoned fillings

range from $ 2 5

was really intriguing was the wine I

of ground lamb or potato with veggie bits.

can rise into the double-digits, making a visit

course I loved the octopus salad, the pasta and the veal at Angelino (621

164

dressing and crisp papadum ( pepper-crusted

to $ 3 2 , à la carte entré es

chose, a Sinfarosa Zinfandel Primitivo

Traditional entreé s and sides also grace the

here more of a special outing than the kind of

di Manduria from Apulia, Italy. There

menu, but are definitely lighter than the rich,

carefree jaunt associated with run-of-the-mill

is ongoing controversy about wheth-

rib-gripping offerings I’ve experienced at many

Indian restaurants. But it can easily be argued

er the Zinfandel grape originated in

Indian haunts. The chicken masala curry’s ro-

that the mixture of exotic flavors, sumptuous

Europe or in California. But there is no

bust flavors and exotic spiciness are delivered

environs, and California coastline views are

mystery with this yummy wine. It was

in a sauce that’s less creamy than most. F ish

more than worth the price— they are priceless.

grown from rootstock brought to Italy

tikka kabab, or charbroiled sea bass served on

from our own Ridge Vineyards, ten

a sizzling platter, has clean, pure flavors. Even

Gaylord India Restaurant, 201 Bridgeway,

years ago. Email gaw@sbcglobal.net.

the traditionally rich sag paneer went easy on

Sausalito, 415-339-0172, www.gaylords.com.

the dairy, resulting in a more dense and thor-

Entrées lunch $12.50, dinner $11.95–$23.95

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2006

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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

Now Open Tiburon’s Brand New Full Service Restaurant and Bar Featuring the Cuisine of Chef Patricia Windisch Join us Seven Days a Week for Exquisite Farmers Market-Inspired Fare Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner 1651 Tiburon Blvd. The Lodge at Tiburon threedegreesrestaurant.com • 415.435.5996

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Design to Completion

NORTHBAY Kitchen & Bath

822 Petaluma Blvd North • Petaluma • 707.769.1646 1916 Yajome • Napa • 707.224.1020 www.4kitchens.com

Encore Marin’s Finest Consignment Shop

2004

~ Now Accepting ~ Fall & Winter Upscale Fashions

Open Monday-Saturday 10am - 5pm Consignments Taken Tuesday-Saturday 10am - 3pm (415) 456-7309 www.encoreconsignment.com 11 Mary Street, San Rafael (next to Peets Coffee)

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enhance your home with true limestone plaster from the French Riviera

Mediterranean Colors™

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MARIN

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Susan Martling, M.D. 770 Tamalpais Drive • Suite 301 • Corte Madera Town Center

415.945.9314 • www.marinlaser.com Monday - Saturday 8:30 - 6:30 pm

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Step Into Style &Beauty

A Unique Selection of Finest Quality Flooring Residential and Commercial Sales and Installation BR-111™ - Triangulo Tigerwood

Carpet • Wood • Cork • Linoleum • Tile • Stone

Serving Marin since 1978 • www.marinﬂoorcompany.com 777 Grand Ave. @ Second Street, San Rafael • 415.453.3310

Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence 1976-2006

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Photographer: Leslie Bauer

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“At Bregante + Company LLP, we nurture service partnerships with our clients that enable us to advise strategically and comprehensively.

Unmask The Cure

Our clients are long term business partners and friends, and we are dedicated to their success.”

Jeff P. Belingheri Partner

Bregante+Company LLP C E R T I F I E D P U B L I C A C C O U N TA N T S

A GALA MASQUERADE BALL & AUCTION FUNDRAISER Beneﬁting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Saturday, October 14 The Palace Hotel San Francisco 6:30 p.m. - Midnight For Event Details and Tickets: www.cff.org/chapters/northerncalifornia (415) 331-0650

“We listen to our clients, acknowledge their uniqueness, work side-by-side with them and understand their goals. The result is excellent service and long-lasting client relationships.”

PRESENTED BY: American Airlines, Celebrity Cruises, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, CPMC, Foresters, Paul Hastings, Amos Productions, Vogue Cleaners, thumbprint cellars

Kenneth A. Preston Partner

Furniture Made from Recycled Wood

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adl i b

MARIN ADVERTISERS SPEAK UP

Susan Bierzychudek

Anca Sira, M.S., L.A.C.

Scott Pritchard

The Blooming Box, customdesigned, planted, and installed perennial window boxes

Personalized and integrated fertility care, San Rafael

Sunset Aviation, a private air charter company based at Novato’s Gnoss Field

“The Blooming Box is turnkey,” says Fairfax’s

ance a body’s energies and prepare it to nurture

Susan Bierzychudek (“please, make it ‘Susan B.,’” she interjects). “I come to a home, measure, discuss color preferences, and then prepare an estimate and a computer rendering of the finished product to help people envision the result.” Upon

Ana Sira uses Eastern medical techniques to baland sustain a child. “I offer patients a new way of thinking about themselves, their body, and their health,” she explains, adding, “I also work with couples, to see that their chances of success are greatly increased.”

approval, Susan B. will source unusual perennials, plant the boxes to overflowing, and install them.

What makes your work worthwhile?

tient. No two formulas are alike, just as no two

make customized herbal formulas for each papeople are alike.

When a woman, who could get pregnant natural-

What is your business philosophy?

ty and is anxious to do in vitro fertilization. It also

have a stunning window box that comes back season after season gives me as much joy as it does

ly, has a lack of faith in her reproductive capabiliconcerns me when a woman is told her eggs are “bad” and that she needs donor eggs. Egg quality can be changed with acupuncture, herbs, diet, and lifestyle changes.

my clients.

Narrowing down the planting options for any window box. I think of my window boxes as works of art—miniature symphonies. While there are milPHOTOS: SHERI MONTGOMERY

lions of combinations of notes that might sound fabulous, selecting a single combination is always

range from the elite of the world to a Marin fam-

What part of your business drives you crazy? Never knowing what a day will be like when we walk through the door. We go where people want us to take them—on their schedule. That’s a chal-

What makes you excel at what you do? Two things: 1) I take business very personally. And 2) I’m rarely satisfied. At the same time, we also have a lot of fun.

What is your competitive edge? Again, two things: service and location. Let’s be honest; at altitude, planes are basically the same.

What makes your work worthwhile? What is your biggest challenge in business?

props to midsize corporate jets.” Sunset’s clients

What part of your work drives you crazy?

just love what I do.

they can invest in perennial plants just once and

airplane to nearly 30 aircraft ranging from turbo

lenge . . . and a thrill.

boxes you made me—they make me smile

Sharing knowledge is the key. Teaching people

“Over 14 years, we’ve grown our fleet from one

ily on vacation. I truly see each person as an individual. I

every time I drive up.” That’s what makes me

company in the U.S.,” says owner Scott Pritchard.

What is your competitive edge?

It’s an instant transformation.

My clients call and say, “I love the window

“Sunset Aviation is the ninth-largest air charter

My greatest joy is when a couple deeply wants to have a family—and then they do! I cherish knowing that a man and wife have children they may not have had, and that those children are wanted and deeply loved.

the challenge!

Ana Sira, M.S., L.A.C. 1299 Fourth Street, Suite

The Blooming Box, Fairfax, CA 94930, 415.453.8070,

anasira@anasira.com

208, San Rafael, CA 94901, 415.456.7808,

susan@thebloomingbox.com

We firmly believe the experience with our sales staff, customer service team, and pilots are factors that give us an edge.

What makes your work worthwhile? Sunset Aviation has a large contract with an organ procurement organization. This means we play a role in saving lives. It’s a feeling that can’t be beat. Sunset Aviation, Inc., 351 Airport Road, Novato, CA 94945, 800.FLY.SUN1 (800.359.7861), sunsetaviation.com

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M ICROCL I M ATE

BORDERLESS GREENBRAE Bon Air and Marin General are landmarks BY JIM WOOD PHOTOS TIM PORTER

FEELING OUT-OF-PLACE? BE THANKFUL YOU’RE NOT GREENBRAE. Some neighborhoods in this middle-of-Marin community are in the city of Larkspur; others are in unincorporated areas of Marin County. Another muddling aspect; Greenbrae shares its zip code, 94904, with Kentfield. As for Greenbrae’s borders, don’t ask 20-year resident Chalayne Gallinatti. “I have no idea,” the board member of Greenbrae Property Owners Association will tell you: “they’re all over the place.” Clarification: Greenbrae is an unincorporated community within Marin County, parts of which lie inside the boundaries of Larkspur. Generally speaking, Greenbrae is bordered on the north by San Rafael; on the west by Kentfield; Larkspur and Corte Madera Creek to the south; and Larkspur Landing to the east. “Greenbrae had its beginnings in the 1940s, as a brand-new subdivision”

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recalls venerable Marin IJ columnist Beth Ashley; “I moved there in 1959 and I’m still there—in the same house.” When she arrived in Greenbrae, Ashley recalls nearby stores being an Anchor Grocery, a pharmacy and a hardware store. “The drug store was owned by a friend of baseball great Joe DiMaggio,” she remembers. “And once in a while we’d see him poking around in the store’s tiny sporting goods section.” Another even earlier memory is of her late husband coming home and announcing; “I just met someone in overalls laying out stakes for more houses, maybe a shopping center.” That someone in overalls, Ashley now shares with a sly grin, “was none other than Niels Schultz, Sr.” Schultz was the patriarch of the family who developed most of Greenbrae, as well as the builder of what many consider the heart of the community, the Bon Air Shopping Center. Located on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard just a block off Highway 101, Bon Air Center is a 162,000-square-foot neighborhood shopping center featuring over 50 stores and anchored Previous page: The 178-bed Marin General Hospital; this page, above: common area of Drake’s Landing; at right: crew from the Marin Rowing Association on Corte Madera Creek; below: Bon Air Center, with Mollie Stone’s and Longs Drugs as anchor tenants, is considered the heart of Greenbrae.

by Longs Drugs and a block-long Mollie Stone’s. Businesses in Bon Air Center include such diversity as Arch Rival (sport clothes/shoes), Calico Corner (fabrics), the Bar Method (workout) and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Another of Greenbrae’s claims to fame is the 178-bed Marin General Hospital, home to the Marin Cancer Institute, Marin Heart Institute, an orthopedic specialty program and a maternity and pediatrics services section. “Our location is close to everything in southern Marin including the 101 freeway,” says MGH’s Director of Public Affairs Kathy Graham. “Then add in our beautiful views of Mount Tam and Greenbrae is the ideal place for a hospital.” While maybe not quite the landmark as Bon Air Center or Marin General Hospital, also located in Greenbrae are Drake’s Landing Office Park, with Giorgio’s Ristorante Italiano tucked inside it; the Marin Rowing Association’s launching base on Corte Madera Creek; and the Tamalpais, an 11-story hilltop retirement that’s home to over 330 seniors. As for single-family homes, Greenbrae has no shortage of, well, leafy green neighborhoods. “Greenbrae is a ‘50s-style ‘Leave It to Beaver’ community,” says realtor Patty Oxman, “that prides itself on family living.” According to her, $950,000 is the entry-level price for Greenbrae, with refurbished, one-of-a-kind custom homes reaching the $2.5 million price point. “I’d say a good indication of our strong market,” Oxman of Frank Howard Allen adds, “is that a ranch-style home, built in 1951, then remodeled and enlarged in 2004, recently sold for $1,710,000.” “Greenbrae, the gateway to life in the Ross Valley, combines good weather and an easy commute with quality schools.” Is that a chamber of commerce motto? No, it’s Oxman’s personal mantra for her hometown.

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VILLA DELLA PACE ~ Kent Woodlands BEAUTIFULLY SITED ON A HILLSIDE overlooking Phoenix Lake and on over two and a quarter acres, Villa Della Pace beckons to be admired and enjoyed. Situated beyond two gates and down a gracious driveway, this property features stunning panoramic views of Mt. Tamalpais and hundreds of acres of coastal hills and parklands. Stone terraces, fountains, lawns, gardens, outdoor fireplace, BBQ and a spectacular swimming pool surround the home. Enormous imported Teak doors form a retractable wall of windows in the family room. This grand 6,000 square foot, four bedroom, four and one half bath, European-style home is truly majestic. Upon entering the grand scale, domed-ceiling entry, the masterful design, meticulous construction and amazing finishes are amply evident. Exceptional school system, and proximity to hiking and biking trails.

Offered at $8,995,000

For a virtual tour and additional photographs, visit: www.MarilynRich.com. Marilyn Rich

415.464.3741 www.MarilynRich.com

GREENBRAE BOARDWALK : IT’S ONE OF A KIND PLACE TO LIVE As one old-timer puts it, “If you got drunk, you drowned.” That’s because when Greenbrae Boardwalk emerged 80plus years ago as a hunting and fishing encampment, the walkway connecting the, shall we say, “places where people bunked” was a mere plank. “First it was only one board wide, then three,” recalls Lee Miller, who moved to Greenbrae Boardwalk as a child in 1930. “Then it was four feet wide; now it’s a ﬁve foot wide walkway made of composite weatherproof decking and sturdy white railings.” For those who’ve never seen nor heard of Greenbrae Boardwalk, that walkway— i.e., the Boardwalk—stretches for half a mile over mostly marshlands adjacent to Corte Madera Creek, connecting some 45 colorful homes ranging from one-bedroom former weekend shanties to a twobedroom Cape Cod waterfront home that recently received three offers and sold for over its $749,000 listing price. As for locators, Greenbrae Boardwalk faces the

Larkspur Landing Ferry Terminal and lies less than a mile due west of San Quentin State Prison. “I absolutely love it out here,” declares Gene “Gino” Thomas, owner of Lifespan Video Portraits, Inc. “Like with many neighbors, my studio is in my home, I kayak out the back door, and it’s really quiet—no lawn mowers, leaf blowers, or cars and trucks

driving by.” Thomas, who lives a quartermile out the Boardwalk, admits to the inconvenience of lugging groceries to his home on windswept rainy days, but has an even greater annoyance: “It’s really a pain to leave the house—to almost get to your car—and realize you forgot your keys.” Though it may appear that way, Greenbrae Boardwalk is anything but a patched-together community. “We’re tight; we look after each other without being nosey,” is how Thomas describes the ambiance, adding; “Twice a year, the Greenbrae Improvement Club, Inc. has a workday to tidy up things; then, in the evening, we gather for a potluck dinner.” Regarding the more mundane aspects of Boardwalk life, longtime resident Lee Miller assures residents lack for nothing. “We have legally defined property lines, MMWD water, PG&E electricity, telephones, cable TV, and a sewer system buried four feet in the ground,” he says. Then, in the interest of full disclosure, he corrects himself: “I’m mean buried in the mud.”

OPES/opés/ • n./latin 1/2 HORIZONALfor wealth

ADVERTISER

Jeffrey T. Smith Melanie Victor-Smith Opes Advisors 101 Larkspur Landing Circle, Suite 227 Larkspur, CA 94939 P 415.464.9500 • F 866.561.7155 Palo Alto • Marin • San Mateo

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You’re borrowing a lot of money. Do it wisely. We’ll show you how. Refinance

•

Purchase

Mortgages

•

Equity Lines

•

Construction

Investments

•

Advice MARINMAGAZINE.COM

SOPHISTICATED ELEGANCE Offered at

CLOSE-IN RETREAT

N OVATO

M I L L VA L L E Y

$737,500

Offered at

$989,000

Beautifully designed & remodeled one level 3/2 bedroom, 2 full bath home with maple cabinet kitchen. Hand-crafted door, crown molding, recessed lighting, French doors…2 yards-ideal for play & entertainment. 2 car garage.

3 bedroom/ 2 bath home on large, gated lot. Vaulted ceilings/fireplace/ remodeled kitchen. Decks, lawn & privacy. 2 car garage. Natural setting overlooks Pixie Trail & 3 acres of county land. Easy access to Tam & commute.

LUXURIOUS REMODEL

GOLF COURSE LIVING

M I L L VA L L E Y

Offered at

$1,795,000

This home has been thoroughly updated from kitchen-baths-decking & patio with taste & style. Spacious (3117 sq ft*) 4 BR, 3.5 BA-grand ‘great’ room & family room with surround sound. Approx. 2/3 acre* with privacy & views.

S A N R A FA E L

Offered at

TBD

One level, generous (2963 sq ft*) on a great lot, set back from the street & adjoining Peacock Gap CC. Great floor plan, granite counters & new carpets allow you to move right in. 4 bedrooms/2.5 baths/family & dining rooms.

JEFF STERLEY I 415.464 .3760 jsterley@pacunion.com • www.homesofmarin.com

*Source County tax records – not verified by agent

Coming Soon...Exquisite Valley and Mountain Views This exceptional 4BD/2BA residence boasts commanding views of Mt Tam and the Bay! Custom built, this fine home has been remodeled and updated throughout. With approximately 3,500 sq. ft. amenities include a gourmet kitchen with adjoining family room, formal dining room, a private and luxurious master suite, two fireplaces, decks, sauna, gorgeous lawns and gardens, and easy access to trails for bucolic hikes to downtown Mill Valley, Mt. Tam, Muir Woods and Stinson Beach. Price upon request

Coming Soon...Views, Acreage. Privacy & Prestige Ideally located in Mill Valley, this 4,600 square foot, 3 bedroom and 3.5 bath, distinctive residence on approximately 1.5 acres features a large chef’s eat-in kitchen, formal dining room, family room, media room, pampering master suite, artists’ studio, guest cottage, vaulted ceilings, a level lawn, gorgeous gardens, and beautiful views of the Bay and beyond. Price upon request

MARIN’S

P R E M I E R REAL ESTATE T E A M

Gorgeous Spanish Revival

Modern Home with Dramatic Views

One of a kind home in desirable downtown neighborhood. Main house features a formal living room, sunny kitchen, formal dining, cozy den, majestic curved stairwell, fireplace, generous bedrooms and baths, and a separate guest house. Situated on approximately 1/2 acre of superbly landscaped grounds, expansive lawns and gorgeous gardens, this home also boasts a beautiful sparkling pool. Truly a rare offering. Offered at $2,825,000.

This intriguing 3BD/2BA modern masterpiece captures views of the Pacific Ocean and Muir Woods from nearly every room! Less than 10 minutes from downtown Mill Valley, this distinctive residence features impeccable designer finishes, an industrial gourmet kitchen, an open concept living room, floor to ceiling windows, a luxurious master suite, exquisite hardwood floors, view decks and a large level yard. Offered at $1,999,000.

Fabulous Garden Setting

Nostalgic Bungalow with Big Bay Views

Mid-Century modern residence situated in a peaceful, private setting with fantastic views of the Bay. This light, bright home features 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, soaring ceilings, architectural fireplace, separate living and family rooms, gorgeous gardens and a level lawn. Only minutes to downtown Mill Valley and easy access to San Francisco. This home has a stylish, modern sensibility. Offered at $1,250,000.

This Mill Valley charmer with lush gardens and big Bay views features 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, expansive vaulted ceilings, a romantic stone fireplace, a large eat-in kitchen, spacious view decks and patios, in a private and serene setting just minutes to downtown Mill Valley. Offered at $799,000

Robert D. Young 415.407.7775 • RobertYoungRealEstate.com Matthew Pouliot 415.265.7020 • PouliotProperties.com

Vibrant Views of the Bay, Angel Island and the San Francisco Skyline Designed by renowned Sausalito architect, Don Olsen, this exquisitely tailored 3 bedroom, three and ½ bath home takes full advantage of Sausalito’s unparalleled location, its glorious views and the enviable proximity to one of the most beautiful cities in the world! • Split-level formal living & dining rooms • Chef’s kitchen w/breakfast area • Home office/or 4th bedroom w/French doors to garden • Master suite w/sitting area, fireplace, deck & views • Marble master bath w/spa tub • A commuters dream

Offered at $2,550,000

Visit: www.32LowerCresent.com

A Striking Balance with Nature This captivating custom Arts and Crafts 3BR/2BA home has not been on the market since 1983! A naturally nurturing and perfectly private, sunny setting with a level lawn and mature, lush landscaping surrounds this home of amazing grace. This property is as rare as its surroundings! • Formal living & dining rooms • Copper lined fireplace in living room • Kitchen with breakfast bar & family nook • Master suite opens to large deck area • 1-car garage with storage and workshop space • Street to street lot; expansion potential • Minutes to downtown Mill Valley via Dipsea Steps

Offered at $1,599,000

Visit: www.340MarionAve.com

Stephanie Wickham Witt Fourth Generation Mill Valley Direct: 415.380.6136 Stephanie.Witt@pacunion.com www.SwiftMarinHomes.com

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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.

REAL ESTATE KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN TRUST

Jimmy Wanninger 415.990.8990 24/7 Check out the Mt. Tam Cam at www.JimmyMarin.com

Starting at: $2,795,000

SAN RAFAEL — NEW ESTATES

Located in the coveted Dominican neighborhood, each of the single-story homes is architecturally unique. The finest materials and craftsmanship are found throughout every home. The first home is available now. Scott Cherry • 415.257.2042

SAN RAFAEL — 87 FORBES AVENUE

$1,700,000

This one-of-a-kind Marin Heritage Home is located in the beautiful Forbes area. Built in 1929 by famous San Francisco architects, Wright and Wright, it is a replica of a French country home. Corey Graham • 415.971.0167 • cgraham@fhallen.com

E SAN RAFAEL — COUNTRY CLUB

ROSS — SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD

$3,250,000

Sitting on a knoll top on approx. 2 acres with views of S.F., Mt. Tam., two bridges, the Bay and the Ross Valley this 3BR home has spacious great room designed living. Pool, lawns, patios and privacy. Bankruptcy sale. Gail Koren • 415.518.1110

POINT REYES STATION — 30 KNOB HILL

$3,995,000

Equestrian pleasure, 9.75 +/- acres. Distinctive newer home with Bulthaup kitchen, radiant heat, 2 fireplaces, lap pool, spa, steam room, high tech media room. 2 arenas (1 covered), creek, stocked pond & trails. B.G. Bates • 415.257.2044

XQUISITE ESTATES AND FINE PROPERTIES SEEN WORLDWIDE

$2,795,000

Beyond a private gated driveway, lies a magnificent, newly remodeled home with luxury designer touches. Fabulous floor plan, 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, pool, bar, gazebo, and over 1 acre of level & gently sloping land. There are wonderful scenic views of Mt. Tam from the front of the house and Bay views from the master bedroom. What more could you ask for? Lori Harvey • 415.925.3275

INFORMATION IS DEEMED RELIABLE BUT HAS NOT BEEN VERIFIED BY LISTING BROKER AND IS NOT GUARANTEED

SEBASTOPOL — 5525 VOLKERTS ROAD

$3,650,000

NOVATO — ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!

$1,195,000

Magnificent equestrian estate with 4 homes situated on approx. 23 acres. The main home offers breathtaking panoramic views and features 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, open beam ceilings and oak hardwood flooring. Deb Cheda • 707.775.2203

Beautifully remodeled, 4 bedroom, 3 bath. Gorgeous granite slab kitchen w/mahogany finish cabinetry. Inviting outdoor areas w/picturesque rose gardens, lush level lawn, sun drenched custom deck & mature landscaping. Shana Rohde-Lynch • 415.925.3225 • Shanamarin@aol.com

MILL VALLEY — 663 SEQUOIA VALLEY RD.

SEBASTOPOL — 4845 VINE HILL ROAD

Price Upon Request

This stunning showplace has sweeping Bay views. The 4 bedroom, 3 bath home has a spacious living room, formal dining room, high-end kitchen, family room with built-ins, 2 car garage, 2 fireplaces and more. Jim King • 415.384.2229

$1,650,000

Surrounded by vineyards, down a private road lies a very special estate on 2.55 +/- acres. Custom quality home, wine cellar, pool, tennis court, indoor parking for 8 cars. Caryl Brandes • 707.537.2349

VIEW ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND DETAILS ONLINE Go to fhallen.com and click on FINE PROPERTY COLLECTION

NOVATO — 540 WILSON AVENUE

$3,595,000

Stunning Mediterranean estate, 3 + flat acres in Indian Valley. Indoor and outdoor pools, cabana/guest house and Syrah vineyard. Visit: 540WilsonAve.com for a virtual tour and additional information. Dave Buoncristiani/Ken Licht • 415.899.9238/899.9225 INFORMATION IS DEEMED RELIABLE BUT HAS NOT BEEN VERIFIED BY LISTING BROKER AND IS NOT GUARANTEED

NOVATO — NEW LUXURY HOMES

Starting at: $999,999

Set in the heart of Novato, Virginia Oaks is convenient to shopping, schools and parks. The homes are as stunning as they are practical. Superior quality material and products used throughout the construction. Robert Rees • 415.899.9215 • rrees@fhallen.com

D I A LO GUE

David Gockley

BY MIMI TOWLE

You could live anywhere. Why Marin? I think Sausalito is the most romantic city in the world. In the past 35 years as I’ve visited San Francisco, I’ve taken many ferry excursions over [here] to explore, and I would always tell myself, “If I ever had a choice, I’d live here.…” What makes you happy in Marin? Sitting on my deck watching the play of light on the fog, the Bay Bridge and Angel Island. What bothers you here? Nothing. What do you value every day? The sheer beauty of the natural landscape I see every day as I drive to work from Marin to San Francisco. What is your personal idea of luxury? I’m not into material luxury—a beautiful clear day with a great walk

itting on his deck in Sausalito, overlooking the everchanging San Francisco Bay, David Gockley has to pinch himself to make sure he isn’t dreaming. Looking at his life these days, he has good reason to wonder. Besides his new digs with world-class views, there’s his role as gener-

al director of the San Francisco Opera (September marks his ﬁrst fall season), a coveted position held by only a handful since the company’s

to take, that’s luxury. What person has influenced you the most? In business, I’d say Kurt Herbert Adler, the general director of the San Francisco Opera from the ’50s until the ’80s. He knew what an opera company needed to be in that city. You can’t reinvent the Adler years, but you can be inspired by them.

inception 84 years ago. His dedication to introducing the art of op-

What has been the most fulfilling moment in your work?

era to a wider audience led the Chronicle to dub him “the Innovative

Opening the Wortham Theater Center back in 1987. To see it as a

Populist” a few months back. He also commissioned a new opera logo

permanent expression of my work is a great feeling.

that pays homage to the huge aluminum chandelier in the auditorium, which was built in 1932. The design “speaks of glamour, sophistication, tradition and innovation,” he says, all the elements he plans for the San Francisco Opera to reﬂect. For those who don’t follow opera, Gockley is coming to the Bay

What’s your desert-island favorite book or album? Book: Wherever You Go, There You Are, by John Kabat-Zinn. It’s Buddhism for the busy Western mentality. As for an album… Stan Getz playing Antonio Carlos Jobim (Brazilian jazz or bossa nova).

Area after a 33-year stint as the celebrated general director of the Houston Grand Opera, which he put on the map with his non-

Where’s your favorite place to unwind?

traditional approach to productions. He produced operas such as

Stinson Beach.

The Little Prince, Nixon in China, Harvey Milk, Frida and Jackie O—

Do you have a favorite Marin view?

filling the seats with thousands of new patrons. Through private

My deck is as good as any.

donations to the tune of $72 million, Gockley was able to build the Wortham Theater Center in the mid ’80s amid the economic downturn in Texas. He also speaks proudly of his three grown children, all

What do you like about yourself? I’m unpretentious.

in Houston. So why leave? “The timing was right,” Gockley says. “I

How do you want to be remembered?

didn’t have to consider anyone else’s career at this point in my life,

To have left the institutions I work for more stable and the audiences

and I’ve always dreamed of directing the San Francisco Opera.”

I serve larger and more enriched.

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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.

Imagine the possibilities.

Anna Pennington Boucher 415.860.1399 • anna@worldclassproperties.com www.worldclassproperties.com

san francisco 200 stockton street 415.392.2808 san jose 333 santana row 408.557.9926 shop www.gucci.com