Dozens of local and regional leaders, as well as a bevy of bicyclists and bike-ped advocates, turned out on June 27 for a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Charles F. McGlashan Pathway, named for the former Marin County Supervisor who passionately advocated for nonmotorized transportation options.

The paved bike-pedestrian pathway, which has had sections opened to the public gradually since 2012, runs along the southern bank of Coyote Creek for about half a mile from its intersection with the Mill Valley-Sausalito Multiuse Path to the intersection of Tennessee Valley Road and Marin Avenue. The path is in District 3, the district represented by McGlashan from 2004 until his death in 2011.

The ceremony took place at the Log Cabin at 60 Tennessee Valley Road in Tam Valley, with former U.S. Rep Lynn Woolsey, Mill Valley Mayor Stephanie Moulton-Peters, Supervisor Kathrin Sears and Tamalpais Community Service District President Jeff Brown, among others, in attendance.

Initial funding for the pathway was secured by Woolsey and former Marin County Supervisor Annette Rose. Later, the pathway became a key part of the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP), a federal program begun in 2005 that launched Marin and three other U.S. communities in a nationwide program to reduce car trips by promoting safe bike and walking options. McGlashan once reassured a local resident that the pathway would be built so children could get out of Tam Valley to the Mill Valley-Sausalito Greenway and up to local schools. 

“It has been a long hard project to get this designed and cleared for permits … and we’re close,” he said at the time.

McGlashan saw the pathway not just as a practical and safe means to get around the community, away from cars and busy roads, but as a way to get people of all ages into nature to enjoy the beauty of Coyote Creek and the scenic views of forested hills. “For Charles, it was about bringing people together,” said Andy Peri of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition.

Before McGlashan died while on vacation in March 2011, he was renowned for boundless energy, passion and the promotion of projects aimed at reducing Marin’s greenhouse gas emissions. His achievements included the formation of Marin Clean Energy and supporting infrastructure for nonmotorized transportation choices. Naming the Tennessee Valley pathway after McGlashan was unanimously supported by the Marin County Parks and Open Space Commission and affirmed by the Marin County Board of Supervisors in 2013.

“Naming this pathway after Charles is a fitting tribute to his vision,” said Sears, McGlashan’s successor in District 3.

The dedication ceremony commemorated the 12-year collaboration among community members, agencies and individuals who helped create the beautiful community connector that the pathway is today.

The 11th Annual Comedy in the Plaza, the latest edition of an event where the family-friendly world of the Depot Plaza and the traditionally dark, adults-only vibe of comedy clubs meet for one evening of hilarity. Hundreds turned out for the event produced by the Mill Valley Arts Commission, which featured Kevin Pollak, Mike Pace and Dhaya Lakshminarayanan, each of whom gave Mill Valley plenty of good-natured ribbing. Check out a little video and some fantastic photos from Quincy Stamper, courtesy of the City of Mill Valley.

Lovers of gourmet food, fantastic wine and finely crafted beer found paradise on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon in downtown Mill Valley on June 22, as the 33rd Annual Mill Valley Market Wine, Beer and Gourmet Food Tasting served up yet another landmark edition of the event’s rich history.

With wine from more than 50 premium wineries, beer from 10 breweries and food from more than 20 gourmet food purveyors – with attendees clamoring for the tasty fare from 10 local restaurants and chefs – the event was a smashing success. Throngs descended on the Depot Plaza on June 22 for one of Mill Valley’s biggest events of the year, with proceeds benefitting Kiddo!, the Mill Valley Schools Community Foundation and the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“You simply couldn’t ask for a higher quality event for foodies and wine and beer aficionados than this one,” said Paula Reynolds, board chair of the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce. “And frankly, we’re thrilled at the enthusiasm and the sophistication of our audience. Thanks to everyone who made it happen, particularly our sponsors, and to the hundreds and hundreds who attended despite a weekend packed with great events right in the middle of the World Cup!”

“Our Wine, Beer & Gourmet Food Tasting continues to be a top shelf event,” says Doug Canepa, co-owner of the Mill Valley Market that has curated the event since its inception. “It’s unmatched in the quality of its ingredients – beer, wine, food, restaurants, volunteers, sponsors and local organizations – and it all came together again this to make it a wonderful afternoon.”

"We're very grateful to be a part of such a wonderful community event," says Bill Lampl, executive director of Kiddo!, the Mill Valley Schools Community Foundation. The samplings of savory and sweet foods, wine, and beer were just amazing as well as having great live music. And what a beautiful day!”

The 33rd Annual Mill Valley Wine, Beer and Gourmet Food Tasting was presented by Bank of the West with co-sponsors Pacific Union Real Estate, PG&E, Bradley Real Estate, Marin Modern Real Estate and Mini of Marin. Supporting sponsors include Urban Sitter for the KidZone, Tam Bikes for complimentary bicycle parking and Mill Valley Refuse.

Lindsay Webb, a brand ambassador for MINI of Marin, says that her team had some trepidation at the beginning of the day about being first-time sponsors of an event with a 33-year history. As they position their MINI in the Depot Plaza prior to the event, they wondered, “Like the new kid on their first day of class, will they all like me?” Webb says.

“But as the day was underway, it became clear that we were going to fit in just fine. Like getting picked for dodge ball, we could exhale. We noticed that many of these smiling faces enjoying their sips and eats were not only becoming our friends, but had always been. It was a wonderful mix. Those we knew, those we didn’t, and those we got acquainted with. It was a pleasure to participate in an event for the first time, and feel as though we had been there all along.”

On Sunday, June 22, 2014, Mill Valley held the 33rd Annual Mill Valley Wine, Beer and Gourmet Food Tasting, with proceeds going to the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce and Kiddo!, the Mill Valley Schools Community Foundation. Hundreds turned out on a gorgeous sunny day to taste some of the best wine, beer and food the Bay Area has to offer.

About the Wine, Beer & Gourmet Food Tasting:
Hosted by Mill Valley Market since 1981, this special North Bay event brings together all the best aspects of California living into one exciting afternoon set against the backdrop of beautiful Mill Valley. The Mill Valley Wine & Gourmet Food Tasting featured Known for a wide selection of hard to find wines, this event is not to be missed by anyone who is a fan of finely crafted beverages and foods.

About the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce:
Whether it is a large corporation, a retail business, a service provider or an independent professional, the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce is here to advocate for and provide your business with an array of unique marketing opportunities to reach both residents and visitors. We have a strong relationship with the City of Mill Valley, a dedicated Board of Directors, talented staff and growing membership, and we welcome you.

About Kiddo!:
Kiddo!, the Mill Valley Schools Community Foundation, is a non-profit 501(c3) organization made up of parents, teachers, business people, and active members of the community who raise funds to supplement limited school budgets. Kiddo! funds vital programs and teachers for K-8 schools – including art, music, drama, poetry, dance, P.E., technology, classroom aides and library aides.

About Mill Valley Market:
Since 1929 Mill Valley Market has been owned and operated by the founding Canepa family. We specialize in artisan foods including restaurant-quality prepared foods, local produce, choice meats, poultry and seafood. We will even enhance your meals with the perfect wine. Quality is our passion.

Equator Coffee & Teas, which has made Mill Valley the centerpiece of its foray into cafes and retail shops, has signed the lease on the company's first San Francisco café. The café is expected to open in the fall at 986 Market Street, between Fifth and Sixth streets, adjacent to Lowes Warfield—an historic space with roots as a vaudeville theater, and later as the iconic venue for acts such as Bob Dylan, The Clash, and Louis Armstrong.

Equator is working with the award-winning firm Boor Bridges Architecture to design a space that is as much rooted in the area's history as it is in the company's modern approach to coffee. The firm will blend a sleek and modern look with the building's rich history, integrating state-of-the-art brewing technology and outdoor seating.

The café will be Equator's third, after Proof Lab Surf Shop and the long-awaited café at 2 Miller Avenue in downtown Mill Valley, which is expected to open in late August.

Equator CEO Helen Russell said the decision to open in San Francisco's burgeoning Mid-Market corridor is inspired by the company's own origins as well as the area's dynamic, blossoming culture. 

"The confluence of art, technology and start-ups in Mid-Market makes it dynamic and attractive to us,” she says. “We want to be in the mix. There is such a vibrant culture in San Francisco and we are circling back to our roots in coffee where we started 20 years ago with a coffee kiosk at 60 Spear Street.”

Equator launched in a garage in Corte Madera in 1995, later moving into a 5,400-square-foot warehouse near Davidson Middle School in San Rafael. The company has been primarily wholesale, with more than 250 customers that include chef Thomas Keller’s French Laundry and Tyler Florence’s El Paseo in Mill Valley. For the fast few years they’ve also been operating in San Francisco International Airport’s Terminal 2 at Napa Farms, which features other sustainable purveyors from Marin and the North Bay.

Russell says that Equator continues to make progress on its café at 2 Miller, which faced a number of permitting delays but is now projected to open in late August. 

While working on the trailer for the upcoming 37th Mill Valley Film Festival (more on that soon), multi-talented Mill Valley photographer and filmmaker Gary Yost happened upon a trio of Redwood High musicians, playing Woody Guthrie's "California Stars." Despite never having performed together before, Sophie Keaney (violin), Jake Baldwin (guitar) and Michael Schwartz (flute), who had just finished their sophomore year, did justice to the song, perhaps best known by the rendition from Bill Bragg with Wilco. 
Check it out:

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The public is invited to a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, June 27, for the Charles F. McGlashan Pathway, named for the former Marin County Supervisor who passionately advocated for nonmotorized transportation options.The paved bike-pedestrian pathway, which has had sections opened to the public gradually since 2012, is in the Tamalpais Valley area of southern Marin County, within the district represented by McGlashan from 2004 until his death in 2011. The pathway runs along the southern bank of Coyote Creek for about half a mile from its intersection with the Mill Valley-Sausalito Multiuse Path to the intersection of Tennessee Valley Road and Marin Avenue.

The ceremony will take place at the Log Cabin at 60 Tennessee Valley Road in Tam Valley at 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 27. Supervisor Kathrin Sears and Tamalpais Community Service District President Jeff Brown will convene the ceremony honoring McGlashan’s work to bring the pathway to fruition.

Initial funding for the pathway was secured by U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey and Marin County Supervisor Annette Rose. Later, the pathway became a key part of the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP), a federal program begun in 2005 that launched Marin and three other U.S. communities in a nationwide program to reduce car trips by promoting safe bike and walking options. McGlashan once reassured a local resident that the pathway would be built so children could get out of Tam Valley to the Mill Valley-Sausalito Greenway and up to local schools. “It has been a long hard project to get this designed and cleared for permits … and we’re close,” he said at the time.

McGlashan saw the pathway not just as a practical and safe means to get around the community, away from cars and busy roads, but as a way to get people of all ages into nature to enjoy the beauty of Coyote Creek and the scenic views of forested hills. “For Charles, it was about bringing people together,” said Andy Peri of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition.

Before McGlashan died while on vacation in March 2011, he was renowned for boundless energy, passion and the promotion of projects aimed at reducing Marin’s greenhouse gas emissions. His achievements included the formation of Marin Clean Energy and supporting infrastructure for nonmotorized transportation choices. Naming the Tennessee Valley pathway after McGlashan was unanimously supported by the Marin County Parks and Open Space Commission and affirmed by the Marin County Board of Supervisors in 2013.

“Naming this pathway after Charles is a fitting tribute to his vision,” said Sears, McGlashan’s successor in District 3.

The dedication ceremony will commemorate the 12-year collaboration among community members, agencies and individuals who helped create the beautiful community connector that the pathway is today. Invited guests include members of the McGlashan family, former U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey, former Supervisor Annette Rose, Assemblymember Marc Levine, and representatives from the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, the Marin County Department of Public Works and Marin County Parks and Open Space.

The Tamalpais Community Services District’s Creekside Friday music and barbecue dinner starts immediately after the ceremony at 6:30 p.m. 

The game of musical chairs at 108 Throckmorton Avenue looks to continue later this month when David Bina closes his furniture shop in the space on June 29. Bina said he's moving his retail operation entirely online.

The pending closure of David Bina and subsequent arrival of a new tenant that is close to inking a lease but not yet ready to announce – will mark the fifth business at 108 Throckmorton in the past two years. In February 2012, Yasmine McGrane closed her 9-year-old shop of French-inspired home and garden products to focus on web sales as well as a lifestyle book via Chronicle Books and a series of one-off events. Boutique clothing shop Showroom moved into the space that same month from its former digs at 30 Miller Ave., moving to San Francisco in 2013. 

Bina opened up a "curated interiors" shop in the fall of 2013 with Carie Meier called David Carie, but quickly went solo and changed the name to his own moniker.

Stay tuned for an announcement from the space's new tenant!

From world famous musicians at the heart of the Bay Area music scene to the workers who serve as the backbone of Mill Valley at businesses like the Mill Valley Market, longtime local resident documented the famous and the overlooked. 

Longtime Mill Valley resident Suki Hill, whose photographic talent and passion spanned from the biggest names in rock 'n' roll to the the oft-overlooked workers who serve as the backbone of Mill Valley, died on June 14. Hill was 72.

"It was really beautiful the way she passed on," said Charles Keppel, her neighbor and caretaker in recent months. "She was surrounded by her son, daughter, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. You couldn't have asked for her to go in a more peaceful way."

Hill, a 2007 recipient of a Milley Award, made a name for herself in the 1960s and 1970s as one of the pre-eminent photographers of the thriving Bay Area music scene, snapping classic shots of the likes of Crosby, Stills & Nash, the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan. She was equally prolific later in life, publishing in 2007 "Mill Valley: Then & Now," which contrasted early images throughout Mill Valley with her own modern photos of the same places.

In 2011, she created the "Mill Valley at Work" exhibit that featured workers at places like the Mill Valley Market, whose employees Hill said were "like family to me."

“She’s a sweetheart lady and she takes beautiful photos,” Mill Valley Market co-owner Doug Canepa said when Hill unveiled her exhibit with a series of vinyl banners on the side of the Throckmorton Theatre. “She really knows how to capture the heart and soul of people.”

Here is an obituary submitted by her family:

For 50 years, Suki T. Hill’s photographs documented the world’s musicians and her Mill Valley neighbors. Her book, “Mill Valley, Then and Now,” celebrated the latter (and their forbears). 

Suki spent the night of June 13 at home with her brother Ted, her daughter Abigail, her son Zachary, her daughter-in-law Sara, Abigail’s partner Laura, her grandkids Lyla and Giovani, and the man she described as her “stalwart of stalwarts" Charles Keppel. On Saturday morning, 12 days shy of her 73rd birthday, she died peacefully, surrounded by Abby, Zack, Sara and her beloved grandchildren.
​
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Suki moved to Mill Valley in 1965 after earning a Masters Degree in Philosophy from the University of California. Earlier she earned a bachelor’s degree from Sarah Lawrence. She always said it was her fellow members of the Muir Woods Park Improvement Association – ardent hikers all – who re-awakened her muse. Soon her photographs appeared on album covers, posters, magazine and newspaper articles and fashion ads, and, in time, art exhibits. ​
 
Suki was also a portrait photographer who captured her subjects’ character in a way that prompted them to smile and say, “you got me.” Music to her ears and this was a source of many clients in her later years. In fact, she continued to create discerning photographic portraits even after she was diagnosed with the cancers that caused her death.

Her daughter and son plan to host a memorial service in mid-July. Those who think they might like to attend should email Zachary Hill at zackhill@mac.com or Abby Hill at abbyhh@gmail.com for date, time and place.  They ask that those who wish to make a memorial contribution direct it to St. Vincent’s in San Rafael.

A lifelong friend sums up what a lot of people's experience may have been with Suki, "You have been an angel in my life, a driving spirit. Made me stronger, made me believe in magic, bliss and encouraged a constant sense of wonderment in the world, arts, creating and being surrounded by beauty and beautiful kind people.
 
"We love you madly Suki!  You will be missed dearly!

Hungry?

If the answer is no, we're about to change that.

On the eve of the 33rd Annual Mill Valley Market Wine, Beer & Gourmet Food Tasting, set for June 22 from 1–4pm in the Depot Plaza downtown, with proceeds going to the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce and Kiddo!, the Mill Valley Schools Community Foundation, we're about to get your taste buds a teaser of what they can expect from the 11 fantastic local restaurants who'll be showcasing their menus on Sunday.

This landmark event is all about consuming some of the best wine, beer and food you'll find anywhere in the Bay Area or beyond. For the 2014 edition of the event, which has been hosted by Mill Valley Market since 1981, wine from 60 premium wineries, beer from nine craft breweries (including Mill Valley's own Beerworks and Headlands Brewing Co.) and food from more than 20 food purveyors and 11 local restaurants and chefs.

Here are the 11 local restaurants and the fantastic food they'll be showcasing at the 33rd Annual Mill Valley Market Wine, Beer & Gourmet Food Tasting:

• Balboa Café – Grilled Corn on the Cob w/ roasted garlic aoli, parmesan cheese and smoked sea salt.
  
• Beerworks – Roasted Indian eggplant w/ smoked tomato relish.
  
• Beth's Community Kitchen – Mini Brioche Sandwiches (egg salad, tuna, BLT), along with pastries, pizzette and ginger snaps.
  
• Bungalow 44 – The restaurant's famous Kobe beef and Lamb meat balls.
  
• La Ginestra – Polpette alla Napoletana (Neapolitan meatballs).
  
• Molina – A selection of Chef Todd Shoberg’s market-based fare, including produce pulled from the ground that morning from local farmers, fish caught with lines in nearby rivers and ocean waters and hand-picked oysters and shellfish, as well as local meats like rabbit, pig, quail and cattle that Shoberg feels are raised in a truthfully humane manner.
  
• O Baby Bar – Vegan brittle with coconut sugar and a tavern nut bar.
  
• Pasta Pomodoro – Insalata de Faro (Ancient Italian grain tossed with roasted vegetables, salsa verde and pecorino cheese), as well as Polenta Farcita (Polenta rolled and stuffed with organic spinach and provolone cheese, topped with brown butter and crispy sage).
  
• Piazza D'Angelo – Capunti do Grano Arso, a burnt wheat pasta from Southern Italy, in a lamb ragu with goat cheese from Achadinha Cheese Company in Petaluma.
  
• Prabh Indian Kitchen – Chicken Tikka Masala and Chicken Naan.
  
• Tony Tutto Pizza – A variety of vegetarian pizzas, including both menu favorites and market-driven specials just for the event.
  

The 33rd Annual Mill Valley Wine, Beer and Gourmet Food Tasting is presented by Bank of the West with co-sponsors Pacific Union Real Estate, PG&E, Bradley Real Estate, Marin Modern Real Estate and Mini of Marin. Supporting sponsors include Urban Sitter for the KidZone, Tam Bikes for complimentary bicycle parking and Mill Valley Refuse. 

Record attendance of more than 1,000 participants is expected this year. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 on the day of the event. 

Click here for more info and to buy tickets.

The newest wrinkle of the 33rd Annual Wine, Beer & Gourmet Food Tasting presents both short- and long-term benefits for parents attending the event, set for June 22 from 1­4pm in the Depot Plaza.

The short-term win from the first-time inclusion of the KidZone is the ability to attend the event with the peace of mind that your children will be in safe, fun, creative and nurturing place just a few dozen yards way from you as you enjoy some of the best food and drink the Bay Area has to offer.

The long-term gain is the possibility of finding your favorite babysitter, as KidZone sponsor Urban Sitter operates an online system by which you can access 250 babysitters in southern Marin, using your own friends (and their friends) for recommendations.

“Urban Sitter is a website that connects babysitters and families and connects them through people you know,” says Colette Perachiotti, Urban Sitter’s community manager for Marin. “Parents can find a sitter and the site will show them who their friends have used. So you’re not just going online and finding a random sitter but finding those who your friends have used.”

The three-year-old site also gives users the ability to focus on specific criteria for sitters, such as CPR training, languages spoken

“And you can pay by credit card and not have to go to the ATM before you come home,” Perachiotti adds.

A number of sitters hired by event organizers through Urban Sitter will be in the KidZone leading crafts like “make your own bandanas.” Marin Theatre Company staff will also be on hand with their “Dramativity” booth, leading a “make your own Play” workshop featuring a “rack of costumes and props and easy things kids can throw on and off to make their own characters,” according to Mariel Rossman, MTC’s education coordinator.

Kids will engage in theater games, with staff using a script and calling on characters and have them act out what’s happening, Rossman says. “It moves quickly and it’s really fun,” she adds.

Click here for more info and to buy tickets for the 2014 Wine, Beer & Gourmet Food Tasting.