When pediatricians Anika Sanda, Uta Kerl and Suzanne Christie learned that Prima Medical Group was closing their practice in Mill Valley earlier this year, they faced a choice: leave Mill Valley but continue on within the comfortable confines of a medical group that was largely adult-focused in its care, or go out completely on their own and be the only pediatric-focused practice in Southern Marin that isn’t a satellite clinic for a larger provider.

With some trepidation but also plenty of excitement, they chose the latter. 

And 80 percent of their patients followed them.

Magnolia Pediatrics of Marin, the new moniker for the post-Prima practice of Christie, Kerl and Sanda at 655 Redwood Highway, has brought both daunting challenges but also thrilling possibilities in terms of their ability to deliver great care to their patients, says Sanda.

“We’re all moms and we all have a lot on our plates, so to turn this practice into its own business is not something we took on lightly at all,” she says. “But this was the best decision for our existing patients and gives us the best opportunity to continue to grow and thrive without losing our focus on what matters most.”

Sanda, who joined Kerly and Christie at the practice in 2012 after moving to the Bay Area from Seattle, says the practice remains well equipped to address a wide range of issues affecting a child’s medical health, wellness and development. “We are committed to provide skilled, high-level and compassionate care from birth through young adulthood,” she says. “We believe in continuity of care that we establish through an ongoing relationship between the doctor and patient-parent duo.”

They couldn’t have done so without a partnership with the UCSF Benioff Children’s Physicians group, which provides administrative and operational support specific to billing, credentialing (i.e., helping patients navigate insurance process) and electronic health records.

“That’s the only way we would be able to establish our own practice,” Sanda says. “And we’re thrilled that so many of our patients followed us, and we’re now excited to be able to offer that same skilled, high-level and compassionate care from birth through young adulthood to even more patients.”

The 411: Magnolia Pediatrics of Marin is the new name of the longtime Mill Valley pediatric practice of doctors Anika Sanda, Uta Kerl and Suzanne Christie. It’s located at 655 Redwood Highway, suite 216. MORE INFO & PHYSICIAN BIOS.

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When Jed Bullard, whose father and grandfather stood guard in 1957 to "save the downtown clock" in downtown Mill Valley, heard that the clock had been restored in 2017 via the Outdoor Art Club's $11,000 grant to the Mill Valley Chamber's Enjoy Mill Valley Fund, he was overjoyed and wanted to contribute to the Chamber's ongoing beautification efforts in the City.

Jed and Sherri Bullard, who now live in Kentucky, donated $5,000 and, coupled with a matching donation from a number of local residents, the City of Mill Valley this week installed a gorgeous redwood bench just outside City Hall. The matching funds will help add additional landscaping over time.

The bench was made by former longtime City parks supervisor Rick Misuraca, one of many benches and structures he created using local milled wood .

The installation of the bench serves as a great reminder of the power of inspiration fueled by the Chamber's Enjoy Mill Valley Fund, says Chamber Co-Director Paula Reynolds. "We're so grateful that Jed and Sherri were inspired by our efforts to support the Downtown Clock repair, and have turned that into a gorgeous new gathering space outside City Hall that will likely influence others in the community to do the same."

The bench installation comes on the heels of a pair of public art benches installed in town in March. The first of the so-called Art Benches in Mill Valley, part of the City's new public art program is called Art in Public Places, was Big Wave Bench, the creation of longtime of Bolinas artist and arborist-turned sculptor Chuck Oakander. The arrival of Big Wave Bench came courtesy a successful grant proposal from the Mill Valley Chamber's Enjoy Mill Valley Fund to the Outdoor Art Club. Oakander's bench has been installed in Old Mill Park, just opposite the Old Mill.

The second bench came in the form of acclaimed Bay Area artist Colin Selig's Asymmetric Art Bench at the corner of Miller and Evergreen Avenues – just across from Whole Foods Miller, on property owned by Mill Valley Refuse principal Jim Iavarone. Selig creates public art from recycled propane tanks, exploring the boundary between sculpture and sustainable design. Iavarone, the Chamber and Whole Foods supported this effort.

Bullard's family played a key role in staving off the clock tower's removal in the 1957. E.W. Bullard Sr. and Jr., his grandfather and father, respectively, stood guard to "save the clock," partly because "Bullard Jr. found true love beneath its battered face and erring hands," according to the Marin Independent Journal. The Bullards did so when then City Public Works Director Robert F. Smith announced that "it would be junked because its four faces keep four different times,"
​
The historic timepiece was derided for much of its existence because of the inability of its four faces to stay in time, so to speak, with one another. ​Donated to the community in 1929 by the volunteer firefighters, the clock was later repaired in 1956 after years of debate about whose responsibility it was to maintain the clock, which was subject to frequent stops due to power outages. In recent decades, the running joke was that you simply had to guess which side of the clock was correct, as they hadn't all worked simultaneously for ages. 

That changed with the 2017 restoration.

The Chamber established the Enjoy Mill Valley Fund in July 2016 with the cooperation of the Marin Community Foundation to work with local and county agencies and organizations to identify deserving, "shovel ready" local beautification and infrastructure projects that just need a little funding boost to get to the finish line. All donations to the Enjoy Mill Valley Fund are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

With the help of contributions from the Outdoor Art Club and an array of generous donors, the EMV Fund has helped repair the Downtown Clock Tower, supported the restoration of the replica Gravity Car, made the free Movies in the Park series sustainable and bigger and better than ever and spearheaded a number of plantings and beautification efforts around town.

MORE INFO.

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Looking to seize on the continued momentum of their announcement in February of a unique public-private partnership with the City of Mill Valley that allowed it to create an endowment to support the library perpetually, board members of the Mill Valley Library Foundation have reprised the popular Beyond the Book Bash. 

The event, set for Saturday, Sept. 7 at the Throckmorton Theatre, "brings together literary luminaries and musical all-stars in a captivating, rollicking, thought-provoking performance to raise funds for the Mill Valley Library."

Over the years, the Beyond the Book Bash garnered a reputation for drawing an eclectic array of performances from writers and musicians against a culinary backdrop of food and drinks from local restaurants, breweries and wineries. 

​In past years, the event has featured the likes of New York Times bestselling writer Tom Barbash, legendary comedian Mort Sahl, Grammy-winning musician and Santana frontman Tony Lindsay, award-winning poet, playwright, teacher and screenwriter Chinaka Hodge  and Michael Krasny, host of KQED's award-winning "Forum" program. Organizers of the 2019 edition of the event will unveil the lineup in the coming weeks.

In years past, the event has raised upwards of $125,000 to support the library's programs and services.

The MVLF board is seeks sponsors for the event at a variety of levels. More info here.

The 411: The Mill Valley Library Foundation is reprising its popular Beyond the Book Bash event, set for Saturday, Sept. 7 at the Throckmorton Theatre. MORE INFO & TIX.

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Organizers of the 63rd Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival are laying the groundwork for the next edition of the landmark local arts event and are on the hunt for dedicated volunteers – a critical component to the event's success. MVFAF is set for Sept. 14-15 in Old Mill Park.

"Just as we need air to breathe, the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival needs volunteers to make this milestone event a huge success," says Erma Murphy, the festival artist liaison. "The long and rich history of this event is a tribute to the fabulous community of people who are resolved to squeeze every last drop of pleasure and enjoyment out of life in and around this extraordinary place we all call home. This event is all about community and continuity and we hope very much you share our pride in this festival."

​Prospective volunteers can go here to review the jobs, days, times and sign up. Questions? Here's an FAQ on volunteering at MVFAF. "One-stop shopping at its finest!" says MVFAF Volunteer Coordinator Phil Garratt.

Festival organizers say that approximately 90 percent of the slots are filled by repeat volunteers, so new volunteers should sign up soon. If you have any questions about the Festival or the process of volunteering, email Garratt here.

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For the second straight year, the folks at the Sweetwater Music Hall are ready to head outside for some sunshine.

The downtown Mill Valley music venue, one of the most popular music venues in the North Bay, has unveiled the lineup for its second Sweetwater in the Sun, an all-day concert on Sunday, Sept. 21 at Stafford Lake Park in Novato, featuring the renowned Jackie Green, along with Portland rockers Blitzen Trapper as well as Willie Watson, Kelly Finnigan, Kendra McKinley, Element Brass Band and the Rock & Roll Playhouse.

Sweetwater In The Sun will also host a Kids Area with crafts, magic, bubbles and face painting. Tickets for the festival go on sale today, Friday, July 12 here.

The 411: Sweetwater in the Sun is an all-day concert on Sunday, Sept. 28 at Stafford Lake Park in Novato. 12pm-7pm. Tickets are $81 for adults, $33 for children under 12 and $113 for VIPs. Event is held rain or shine. Park is ADA accessible and an ADA viewing area will be provided. Parking is included in the ticket price. MORE INFO & TIX.

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Mill Valley Philharmonic has named San Rafael resident Dana Sadava, the artistic director of Pasadena Opera, among others, as its new artistic director, completing the transition the organization began a year ago after its founder and artistic director Laurie Cohen announced her retirement.

Executive director Richard Aldag announced this week the hiring of Sadava on the heels of a slate of nine performances for its 19th season of bringing free concerts of orchestral music to the community. Those performances featured a trio of guest conductors, with MVP will then selecting one of them as its next permanent artistic director/conductor based on input from the musicians and audience members.

The mission of MVP is "to enrich the cultural life of the Bay Area by offering free orchestral programs to people of all ages and means in their own communities," according to the organization's website. "As an organization, MVP believes that music is a vital part of individual and community life. Whether participating as a player or as a listener, music engages our imaginative powers, awakens our aesthetic sensibilities, and inspires our creative expression."

Mill Valley Philharmonic now enters its 20th season with dedicated executive and artistic directors. Sadava is in her fifth year as music director of the Community Women’s Orchestra in Oakland and artistic director of the Pasadena Opera. She is the conductor of the Santa Rosa Symphony Aspirante Youth Orchestra and director of Chamber Music at The Urban School. She has also worked as a conductor and coach at Opera San Jose, University of California San Diego, Wexford Opera (Ireland), Banff Opera as Theatre (Canada), Island City Opera, Festival Opera, Indianapolis Opera and Pensacola Opera.

"I am very honored to be given this opportunity," Sadava says. "Laurie has built something really wonderful here, and I feel very lucky to perform with these fantastic musicians!"

 An announcement of the 2019-2020 season will be forthcoming in early-August.

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For the past twelve months – to the day – since legendary Mill Valley musician Sammy "the Red Rocker" Hagar closed his El Paseo restaurant at 17 Throckmorton Avenue, citing his need to tend to his array of business interests, popular TV show, a new album, concert tour and "to be able to spend more quality time with my family," the local rumor mill has been abuzz about the next chapter for one of the most revered dining spaces in town.

At last Mill Valley foodies have their answer.

Paseo: A California Bistro, a farm-to-table featuring ingredients sourced within 100 miles, is set to open in the early fall. It’s spearheaded by general manager Kevin Pacotti, a longtime Bay Area marketing consultant and restaurateur on behalf of Cathedral Hill Associates, a hospitality firm owned by longtime Mill Valley resident Ki Yong Choi. 

Pacotti, whose background includes such spots as the Dos Coyotes Border Cafe and the Hotel Mac Restaurant, says the venture will expand El Paseo’s former focus on dinner to include both lunch and dinner 7 days a week, including brunch service on weekends. Pacotti assures the community that the vast majority of the historic exposed brick space – stretching between Throckmorton and Sunnyside avenues and dating back to the original El Paseo opening in 1947 – will remain unchanged, though they plan to update and modernize some of the spaces to accommodate their expanded lunchtime service, offering a brighter interior environment and design.

While these minor renovations take place, Pacotti is in the midst of hiring and training and fine-tuning operations in advance of a hoped-for opening in the early fall. 

Stay tuned for more details.

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Longtime Mill Valley resident Teresa Rea, a former Mill Valley Arts Commissioner and a current member of the Mill Valley Chamber board, played competitive volleyball for 20 years before she decided "it was a time to find something less impactful that I could play for the rest of my life," she says.

She found it in bocce, also known as Italian lawn bowling, one of the most widely played games in the world and one of the oldest lawn or yard games. Best known in Italy, where you may see a group of retired Sicilians gathered in a town square for a daily afternoon game, bocce has been gaining popularity in the United States and other locations.

It's clearly been a great fit, as Rea and her teammate, San Anselmo resident Jolene Kramer, just won the U.S. National Bocce Championship Women’s Doubles Gold Medal in June. They'll be representing the United States in Chicago in December in a Pan American bocce tournament.

Rea specifically plays Punto Raffa Volo, an international version of the game that involves two different types of precision shooting. Rea first joined the Marin Bocce Federation League in 1999, joining the some- 1,000 participants at Albert Park in San Rafael.

Rea says she's thrilled to represent the U.S. in Chicago, and credits the duo's mental fortitude for persevering when they faced a 10-3 deficit in the championship game last month, only to surge to a 15-13 victory.

"It was really exciting," she says.

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The Milley Awards, Mill Valley’s annual celebration of the community’s vast amount of creative achievement and distinguished accomplishments in the arts, unveiled its 2019 class of winners this week. As usual, the honorees come from a wide array of fields, all providing yet another reminder of the vitality of the local arts and entertainment scene in the 94941.

The Milley Award recipients are selected by a panel of judges from nominations received from the community, based on one or more of three criteria: Outstanding achievement in creating, performing or teaching in the arts; Demonstration of a significant body of work; Service to the arts community. Recipients must have a close association with Mill Valley and were born, educated, worked or lived in the town of Mill Valley or performed a large body of their work  in Mill Valley. This year the judges were Marin Theatre Company Literary Manager/Resident Dramaturg Laura A. Brukner, Marin Theater Company, Seager Gray Gallery co-owner Suzanne Gray, MV Chamber co-director Jim Welte, Mill Valley Librarian Anji Brenner and Throckmorton Theatre sound engineer Edwin DeShazo.
 
The 2019 Milleys marks the 31st anniversary of the very first Mill Valley Award for Creative Achievement, the precursor of the present Milleys, in 1988. It also marks the first year since founders Abby Wasserman and Trubee Schock handed the reins to the organization's executive committee as the driving forces behind the event. The Milley’s annual gala, produced by a volunteer board under the auspices of the Mill Valley Art Commission, is set for October 20 at 6pm at the Community Center. Longtime ABC-TV arts & entertainment editor Don Sanchez hosts. Tickets go on sale in September. 

The following standouts will be honored:

Karen Benke for Literary Arts. Karen is the author of three popular and imaginative books that focus on creative writing for kids and kids at heart. Karen has coached and mentored writers of all ages, specializing in using creative techniques to tap into memories and experiences and risk putting their hearts on the page. Karen has been a teacher and collaborator in the California Poet in the Schools for over 20 years and brings her “magic ticket bag” to book fairs and community events to write poems-on-the spot for kids. Her Teacher’s Guide meets the Common Core Standards for 6th grades and up.

Bob Burton for Contributions to the Arts Community. Bob and his late wife Elza Burton, joined Sali Lieberman and other local art activists in founding the Mill Valley Center for the Performing Arts (now Marin Theatre Company). Bob supported numerous artistic endeavors, such as the original Sweetwater. He served on the Board of Directors of Marin Theatre Company in the 1980’s. He served as Mayor of Mill Valley for two years. In 2018 Bob was recognized by the City of Mill Valley/County of Marin for 50 years of volunteer public service.

Robert Holmes for Visual Arts and Design. British photographer Robert Holmes launched his distinguished career covering the 1975 British Everest Expedition for the London Daily Mail. At the invitation of Ansel Adams, in 1976 he visited California for the first time, moving to Mill Valley three years later. He has made it his home ever since. Widely recognized as one of the world’s foremost travel photographers, his accomplishments were acknowledged when he was invited to be one of the World’s 100 best photojournalists to participate in A Day in the Life of Africa. The first person to twice receive the Travel Photographer of the Year Award from the Society of American Travel Writers, he has been given the award an additional three times since. 

Phil Pastuhov for Performing and Film Arts. Phil, a longtime Mill Valley resident, is an Academy Award-winning aerial director of photography with over 120 feature films and hundreds of commercials to his credit. He pioneered the use of drones to capture aerials and was a featured speaker at last Spring’s National Association of Broadcasters’ annual convention. For four decades he has created some of the most iconic movie scenes ever, from his “helmet cam” days shooting Bond films to the sweeping helicopter-fueled imagery of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, from the The Matrix and Jupiter Ascending to adrenaline-rush films like Mission Impossible 2, The Fast & the Furious, and the final scene of 2012’s The Bourne Legacy.

Lorin Rowan for Musical Arts. Following graduation from high school in the early 70’s, Lorin and brother Chris teamed up as a vocal/guitar pop duo along with mandolinist David Grisman, formerly of Earth Opera. They moved to Marin County where they met with Grisman’s old bluegrass friend The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia. Garcia played pedal steel guitar on some of their demos, as well as on their first record for Columbia Records, “Rowan Brothers”, produced by David “Diadem” Grisman.  An early gig was opening for the Grateful Dead at the closing of the Fillmore West. Lorin, Chris & brother Peter recorded as “The Rowans” on three albums for Warner/Asylum. “The Cross” was the title cut from Ricky Skaggs Grammy nominated Gospel/Bluegrass CD. Lorin performed at last year’s Milley salute to his good friend, the late Marty Balin.​

Past Milley Award winners include: Gary Yost, Gini Wilson, Eve Pell, Michael Painter, Betty Goerke, Lisa Kristine, Jimmy Dillon, Jim Lange, Jane Hirshfield, Bill Champlin, Dan Hicks, Paul Liberatore, Si & Max Perkoff, Lucy Mercer, Suki Hill, Kathleen Quinlan, Rob Nilsson, Cyra McFadden, Bob Weir, Pirkle Jones, Scott Mathews, George Duke, Barry Spitz, John Goddard, Lee Sankowich, David Harris, Maria Muldaur, Dart Cherk, Jacques Leslie, Gretchen Mentzer, Mimi Farina, Martin Cruz Smith and Rita Abrams. Organizations and businesses have been honored as well, including the Mill Valley Chamber Music Society, the Mountain Play Association, the Outdoor Art Club, O’Hanlon Center for the Arts and the Depot Bookstore & Café.

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The folks at the Throckmorton Theatre are ramping up their annual summer musical production for its Youth Theatre program. To do so, they're hosting open auditions for Matilda, Roald Dahl's tale of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny. Packed with high-energy dance numbers, catchy songs and a beautiful message, Matilda is a joyous girl power romp. 

Throckmorton's auditions for youth ages 8-20 are set for Aug. 20-21, 4-7pm. Rehearsal dates for those chosen are Sept. 5-Oct. 25, Tuesday through Thursday, 4-7pm. 

​Performances run Oct. 26-28, Nov. 1-3 and Nov. 8-10. MORE INFO & SIGN UP.


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In the opening days of his new Watershed restaurant with chef-partner Kyle Swain last week, as a Mill Valley who’s who posed for glam shots before stepping inside the hottest new foodie haven in town, Ged Robertson rewound his memory to the days before he had a vision for a restaurant inside the Mill Valley Lumber Yard’s old sawmill building.

“I drove by it for two years not seeing it for what it was,” he says. “It was kind of neighborhood-y and dark and kind of small. And then one day, I just saw it. When I saw it, I saw it. There was no roof at one point, no walls. I saw that this lumber yard, which is the iconic gateway to the town, that couldn’t be anywhere else but Mill Valley, could have had a restaurant in it.”

The subsequent discovery of rusted beer cans that likely dated back 80-plus years indicated that “it could have been where people kicked off their evening after work, and ate their lunches during the day,” Robertson adds.

He connected with Matt and Jan Matthews, who in 2012 had purchased the creek-straddling 42,500-square-foot site at 129 Miller Avenue from the Cerri family, which had owned it as a lumber yard and True Value hardware store for the previous 14 years. The property was built by lumber magnate Robert Dollar in 1892 as Dollar Lumber Company, and the Mathews family meticulously transformed it with care over the subsequent six years into a destination unto itself that features a wide array of creative, eclectic businesses.

Robertson then made what he felt was the next logical call: to Kyle Swain, the chef who’d had taken over the kitchen at Molina on Madrona Street when Todd Shoberg left in early 2016. Robertson and Swain had hit it off in working together for the year before Molina transitioned to Pizza Molina – and eventually to Bootjack Wood Fired, another Robertson project that continues to utilize the historic wood burning Alan Scott brick oven that was the focal point of his former Small Shed Flatbreads, which closed in November 2014.

“I felt that there was unfinished work for us to do together and probably was going to be better for both of us in a bigger format place,” Robertson says. “We have a lot of similarities in the way we think about cooking, and we work really well together. I know not to interfere with the way his artistic mind works, and he’s accepting of my ideas about how people like to eat.”

Swain convinced Robertson to embrace the history of the property within the kitchen itself, making a wood-burning grill the centerpiece of the kitchen. 

“It feels really personal,” says Swain, who grew up in Poway just north of San Diego and worked at the renowned Jardiniere, Zuni Cafe and Saison over a 10-year span. “I feel like I’ve been able to put a lot of touches on the place.”

“And that choice really drove the menu,” adds Robertson. “It doesn’t take a lot of wood if you’re cooking for 150 or so people a night like we are, it’s sustainable almond wood and it burns super efficiently and hot. And it adds texture and flavor.”

Once they agreed to dive into together, they had to wait out an extensive renovation of the old sawmill building featuring a design via Robertson's collaboration with Dorman Associates in Tam Junction.

“We just stuck it out,” says Swain, who worked at the acclaimed Madcap in San Anselmo for six months and then took the helm in the kitchen at Bootjack in February, refining its menu and processes while laying the groundwork for Watershed.

Robertson says there were plenty of bumps along the way, and that he’s incredibly grateful to the myriad friends, neighbors and partners who stepped up to invest in ways big and small to give the venture a solid foundation.

“There are people here who really care about the town who saw the vision and wanted to be part of it,” he says.

“Everybody’s been super understanding that it’s a new restaurant,” says Robertson adds about the opening week. “The food is coming out spectacular and that’s all Kyle. All the other opening bumbles – all that’s forgiven once the plate hits the table. And most people in this town are appreciative of the journey of it.”

“In a sense we’re kind of building this airplane still while we’re flying it,” Swain says.

Swain and Robertson say there will always be house favorites like the burger featuring beef from Stemple Creek Ranch in Tomales, as well as staples like produce from Green Gulch Farm and breads from Parkside in Stinson Beach. But the menu will evolve more than at most restaurants. 

“There is a passion for experimentation,” Robertson says. “We are actually true followers of the market and what’s available. It’s about playing with the different proteins and vegetables.”

“At the end of the day I try to cook food that I would want to eat,” says Swain. “We want to provide a great product and serve it in a way that’s fresh and lively and well rounded with meats, seafoods and vegetables.”

As Robertson surveyed Watershed’s opening week, he returned to the next chapter of a sawmill building within a 127-year-old property.

“This town was originally a lumber town and then a weekend camp town for people in San Francisco, and it all fits into how people would have been cooking, looking up at the mountain,” he says. “It feels authentic to be cooking on the creek, to have that California type of food from a grill.” 

 “I’m not sure they would have been cooking octopus,” he adds with a laugh.

The 411: Watershed is currently open for lunch seven days a week from 11am-3pm and for dinner Wednesday through Sunday 5pm-9:30pm. Reservations for dinner are available online through Resy and watershedmv.com. MORE INFO.

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By MVLL Staff

Excitement for Mill Valley Little League All-Stars reached a peak on July 7 at Joe Wagner Field, as MVLL put both the 11s and 10s All-Stars in the District 3 championship games, and the 11s even took home a championship banner back to Boyle Park.

The 11s advance to Section 1 play on Saturday in Vacaville, meeting District 4 champion Lafayette in the first game of a double-elimination tournament. 

To the action:

11s
Mill Valley 2, San Rafael 1 (Championship Game) — Henry Pearson was masterful, leading the 11s to a District 3 championship by pitching a complete game victory in an electric atmosphere between two good teams.

Pearson allowed just two hits, walked none and struck out eight in the win, never wobbling despite the high stakes involved. He finished the game in spectacular fashion, taking a one-run lead into the bottom of the sixth, then retiring San Rafael’s mighty 2-3-4 hitters on a strikeout, a strikeout and a first-pitch line out to center field. The final out set off a celebration on the mound with his teammates, and even drawing MVLL kids from the stands who hopped down from the outfield fence to come celebrate.

Mill Valley (8-1 in pool and elimination play) took the lead two batters into the game, pleasing a sizable fan contingent when Will Gensler singled, took second on a passed ball, then scored on a clutch RBI single from Cooper Mitchell. 

Pearson worked out of a two-on, two-out jam by striking out San Rafael’s slugging No. 5 hitter to end the first, then went to work from there. Pearson got big help when Mitchell, who caught all six innings, fired a strike down to first baseman Declan Murphy to back pick an unsuspecting San Rafael base runner in the second inning. 

Mill Valley bumped its lead to 2-0 when Scott Olinger singled, took second on a passed ball, then scored when Gensler came through again — this time with an RBI triple to deep right field. 

San Rafael, whose only loss in pool play was to Mill Valley, came firing back in the bottom of the 5th when Max Gatewood singled in Ben Lowenstein to make it 2-1. San Rafael’s fans, hungry for a comeback, came in loud and proud, but Pearson stayed cool and retired Colby Jackson when Mill Valley right fielder Devin Curtis made a fine running catch on a long foul ball to end the inning.

That set up Pearson’s shut-down job in the sixth, and the ensuing celebration. The District 3 11-year-old All-Star banner belonged to Mill Valley.

Mill Valley 7, Ross Valley 3 (Semifinal Game) — In a huge win for Mill Valley on July 6 at Gallinas Field, Colt Crum Usich threw 57 pitches — 45 of them strikes — to push Mill Valley past a tough Ross Valley team and into the finals.

Crum Usich walked none and scattered nine hits in leading Mill Valley past Ross Valley. He got run support in the fourth when Hank Ballard broke open a 2-2 tie with a key run-scoring double, and when Will Gensler then drove in two more with a clutch triple to right field. Henry Pearson added a sacrifice fly in Mill Valley’s key five-run fourth inning.

Declan Murphy hit a triple and scored for Mill Valley and played a standout game at first base, while Cooper Mitchell caught all six innings and added an RBI single. Scott Olinger had two hits for Mill Valley, and Gensler scored two runs.

10s

Novato South 2, Mill Valley 0 (Championship Game) — Despite JT Cochrane pitching a beautiful game (six innings, four hits, no walks, four strikeouts), Mill Valley came up just short in a tight title game on July 7 at Joe Wagner Field.

Cochrane threw 56 strikes of 72 pitches, but Novato South scored a single run in the third and fifth innings to account for the difference. Novato South’s Aiden Whitmore pitched 4 and 2/3 innings of shutout ball, striking out nine.

Henry Tuttle, Brayden Clifford, Trey Sasso, Henry Bennett and Maya Maxson each had a hit for Mill Valley, which finished District 3 play with a 5-4 record.

Mill Valley 6, West Marin 5 (Semifinal Game) — In an epic comeback not soon forgotten, Mill Valley overcame a 5-0 deficit in the bottom of the sixth to stun West Marin on July 6 at Strawberry. Mill Valley scored the final three runs with two outs, anchored by Trey Sasso’s clutch, game-tying, two-run double. Sasso scored the winning run when JT Cochrane singled him home for the climactic comeback, his second hit of the inning.

The comeback started when Cochrane singled, and Ryder Weber was hit by a pitch. Maya Maxson then bunted and a throwing error put Mill Valley on the board, down 5-1. An RBI ground out by Conrad Zirkle made it 5-2, and a Lukas Welter RBI made it 5-3 before Sasso’s heroics.

12s

Novato South 3, Mill Valley 2 (Quarterfinal Game, 7 innings) — Mill Valley’s 12s played tight and tough games all through District 3 and the elimination game was no exception. Ryan Simon hit a home run to give Mill Valley a 2-1 lead in the 5th inning, but Novato South tied it on a home run in the bottom of the 5th, then won it in extra innings.

From July 1 ... to the action:
A whirlwind six-game pool play schedule ended for Mill Valley's 12U, 11U and 10U All-Stars on Sunday, and all three teams advance to the District 3 elimination round starting this week.

The 12s finished pool play with a 1-5 record but made it in as the No. 8 seed, and faced off with No. 1 seed Novato North on July 2 at Boyle Park. The 11s finished pool play with a 5-1 record as the No. 2 seed, and took on No. 7 seed San Francisco American in the quarterfinals at Treasure Island on July 2. The 10s finished pool play with a 3-3 record, and as of press time their seeding and opponent was yet to be determined.

Twin Cities 5, Mill Valley 1 – Reed Hanna had two hits and threw four innings of two-run ball for Mill Valley in a loss at Boyle Park on June 29.

Novato South 5, Mill Valley 0 – Bennett Dammann threw 1 and 1/3 innings of shutout relief for Mill Valley in a loss at Boyle Park on June 28.

San Rafael 4, Mill Valley 3 – Jackson Van Til had three hits, Reed Hanna had two hits and Bennett Dammann threw 2 and 2/3 innings of shutout ball in a loss at Glenwood Field in San Rafael on June 26.

Novato North 2, Mill Valley 0 – Reed Hanna threw five shutout innings in a tough walk-off loss for Mill Valley at Babe Silva Field in Novato on June 24.

Here's a roundup of the rest of the All-Star action from earlier this month and late June:

11s
Mill Valley 13, San Rafael 9 – Hudson Boose hit a go-ahead two-run double and scored three runs to lead Mill Valley's comeback win at Glenwood Field in San Rafael on June 30. Mill Valley trailed by six runs, but Cooper Mitchell had four RBIs and Will Gensler scored three runs and and threw two shutout innings to aid the rally. Scott Olinger threw 2 and 2/3 innings and allowed one earned run.

Mill Valley 10, Tiburon Peninsula 2 – Will Gensler, Dara Zolfaghari and Cooper Mitchell each had two hits and Hank Ballard threw 2 and 2/3 innings of shutout ball for Mill Valley at Boyle Park on June 29.

Mill Valley 10, Ross Valley 1 – Henry Pearson threw four innings of one-run ball and Devin Curtis hit a key two-run single to lead Mill Valley at Boyle Park on June 26. Dara Zolfaghari threw two shutout innings to close the game.

Mill Valley 14, San Francisco American 0 – Will Gensler threw three shutout innings, Cooper Mitchell drove in three runs and Tiim Ural and Henry Pearson each had two-hit days to lead Mill Valley at Boyle Park on June 24.

10s
Dixie-Terra Linda 2, Mill Valley 0 – JT Cochrane threw four innings of two-run ball for Mill Valley in a loss at Galliinas Field in San Rafael on June 30.

Twin Cities 11, Mill Valley 2 – Brayden Clifford and Henry Tuttle each threw a shutout inning in a loss for Mill Valley at Boyle Park on June 29.

West Marin 7, Mill Valley 6 – Ryder Weber hit a two-run triple and Trey Sasso hit a two-run double for Mill Valley in a loss at Central Park in Fairfax on June 27.

Mill Valley 12, San Francisco American 5 – Trey Sasso had three hits and Conrad Zirkle knocked in four runs to lead Mill Valley at Boyle Park on June 24.

From June 24 ... to the action:

12U
Tiburon 3, Mill Valley 2 (7 innings) — In a tight and taut game at Strawberry on June 23, the 12s lost a heartbreaker. Mill Valley built a 2-0 lead by taking advantage of a Tiburon error, after a rally was started by a Hugo Barberie triple and Jackson Van Til infield single. 

But Tiburon fought back for a single run in the fourth and fifth innings to tie, before a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh ended the game. Elliot Dasovich threw 3 and 2/3 innings and did not allow an earned run for Mill Valley, striking out three. 

Mill Valley 9, SF National 1 — The 12s opened pool play with a bang on June 22 at Boyle Park, as Bennett Dammann threw 4 and 1/3 innings and did not allow an earned run, and added two hits and an RBI at the plate. Reed Hanna hit a double as part of a two-hit day, while Eli Solem, Ryan Simon and Tito Fierstein each had two hits.

11U
Novato North 5, Mill Valley 2 — The 11s lost at a toasty Babe Silva Field on June 23 to a Novato North team that did not commit a single error. Henry Pearson and Declan Murphy each had two hits and an RBI for Mill Valley, while Dara Zolfaghari had two hits and scored a run. Colt Crum Usich allowed one earned run in three innings, and Cooper Mitchell did not allow an earned run in two innings on the mound.

Mill Valley 15, West Marin 0 — The 11s opened pool play with a rout that was ended after three innings. Henry Pearson threw three shutout innings, while Will Gensler had three hits to lead a nine-hit attack for the winners.

10U
Mill Valley 11, SF National 1 — Ryder Weber smacked three hits and drove in four runs to lead the big win at Treasure Island on June 23, improving the 10s to 2-0 in pool play. Brayden Clifford and Henry Bennett also had multi-hit days for the 10s, while Luke Nurney, Henry Tuttle and Lukas Welter combine to allow only two hits in four innings.

Mill Valley 12, Ross Valley 1 — JT Cochrane threw four innings and did not allow an earned run, and the 10s smashed 15 hits, including doubles from Brayden Clifford and Ryder Weber, to lead the big win. Cochrane went 3-for-3 and scored two runs. 

More photos from Lisa Kift, Bzur Haun and Jeff Farmer of the 2019 MVLL All-Stars:

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With current stickers set to expire July 31, City is selling new RSVP stickers that allow people to park at metered spaces for free for two hours. In an effort spur RSVP sales, Mill Valley Market offers customers who spend $350 or more at the market in the month of July a $30 discount on the purchase of an RSVP sticker. ​​

The City of Mill Valley’s Resident Shopper Vehicle Permit (RSVP) program, which allows residents of Mill Valley and nearby towns to park for free at a metered space as a way to promote downtown businesses, is turning seven years old this month. And with the impending July 31st expiration of the 2018-19 batch of stickers, the City is now selling the batch of 2019-20 stickers. 

For residents wanting to shop downtown without lugging around change for the parking meters, it’s out with the green and in with the dark blue. The popular program regularly sells around 3,000 stickers per year, according to City officials.

Just like the past three years, the stickers are $50 for the first two vehicles, $70 each for a third or fourth permit for 94941 residents. For residents of zip codes 94965, 94920 and 94925, all permits are $70. The city accepts check or cash at the Public Safety Building (1 Hamilton Drive) during business hours, and permits can be purchased online here.

In an effort spur RSVP sales, the Mill Valley Market offers any of its customers who spends $350 or more at the market in the month of July a $30 discount on the purchase of an RSVP sticker. Participants can bring their market receipts totaling $350 from purchases within July, along with their receipt for their RSVP sticker purchase, to the Mill Valley Market and get a $30 discount on their next purchase.

You can purchase the parking stickers various ways:

• Online
• Mail application and check to: MVPD, 1 Hamilton Drive, Mill Valley, CA 94941
• In person at 1 Hamilton Drive (across from Hauke Park) Monday-Thursday, 8am-5pm and Friday and 8am-4pm Friday.

All RSVP stickers must be permanently attached to the left rear driver's side bumper or lower left rear window. Stickers on vehicles not placed in the proper location will be cited and vehicles parked longer than time limit for the parking space will also be ticketed!

For more information, visit the RSVP FAQ page or call 415-389-4100.

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Mill Valley's newest residents go by the names Buffy, Enzo and Corazon.

The trio are quick-charging electric vehicle charging stations that just went live in the Alto Plaza shopping center, courtesy Whole Foods Market at 731 East Blithedale.

"We're really excited to have these stations here as we know there's extremely high demand for EV stations here in Mill Valley," says Whole Foods Blithedale store manager Colin Davidson, who says the installation of the stations is part of the company's larger initiative spearheaded by its directory of sustainability Tristam Coffin.

The charging stations are part of the EVgo network, which also has a pair of stations in the Village Shopping Center in Cortre Madera. Users must have the EVgo app and program card to access the stations. Each of the 3 charging stations has two charge points.

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Even with all the incredible advancements made in modern dentistry, many children still experience anxiety with injections in the dental office and the discomfort of lingering anesthesia hours after a procedure.

With that in mind, longtime Marin dentist Dr. Gila (JEE-la) Dorostkar’s pediatric dental office at 650 East Blithedale Ave. in Mill Valley has just made what she calls a quantum leap forward in eliminating the anxiety-inducing pain that comes along with many dental procedures.

Dorostkar's practice recently installed what she calls "a state-of-the-art dental laser called Solea that is realistically the most significant advance in dental care in the last 100 years. Right now, we’re the only dental office in Marin to be able to offer this service. In short, we zap the decay out of the tooth without the need for a shot or a drill. No pain!"

Dorostkar says patients sometimes report it feeling a little “cold” for a minute, but that’s it. The Solea laser itself is manufactured by a company called Convergent Dental, and Dorostkar learned about it via small group of pediatric dentists that meet on a regular basis to discuss cases, treatments, technology and other issues related to providing the best possible care to children.

The quantum leap forward, she says, is a result of the unique wavelength where the laser operates. Most current dental lasers are really use for “soft tissue” applications – frenectomies, gum treatments, etc. This is a “hard tissue” laser which will quite literally vaporize decay without damaging healthy tooth enamel, she says.
 
"This will literally give us the ability to treat cavities without the need to numb the tooth," Dorostkar says. "In other words, we can treat a cavity with no shot, no drill, and no pain. Even better, the kids leave the dental chair without the numb feeling so are really getting up almost as if nothing happened and heading right back to school. It’s really phenomenal technology and we’re hoping to expand its use."

The 411: Dr. Gila (JEE-la) Dorostkar’s pediatric dental office at 650 East Blithedale Ave. in Mill Valley is now using a Solea laser that can reportedly treat a cavity with no shot, no drill, and no pain. MORE INFO.