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It’s a Poekie Nook World

10/29/2015

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Less than two years ago, Sophia van der Harst was thinking about moving back to her native Holland.

Hundreds of Mill Valley kids and their parents are thrilled they were able to convince her to change her mind.

Van der Harst is perhaps best known locally as one of the founders of The Planet, the children’s drop-in day camp and activity center near Richardson Bay near Seaplane Adventures and the office buildings that house Glassdoor. Focused on interest-based learning, the center has long had a reputation for getting kids interested in an array of hands-on mediums, from sewing and jewelry-making to woodshop and myriad arts and crafts.

For 20 years, Van der Harst was responsible for much of that acclaim. So when she decided to leave the business, word of her plans to move back to Holland, which she left in 1985 to attend the American Music and Dramatic Academy in New York City, spread quickly.

“I started getting so many calls and emails from parents: ‘Where are you teaching now?’” van der Harst says. “It made me re-think things. But it also made me think, ‘How are you going to survive in Mill Valley running a sewing studio?”

The answer, in decidedly simple terms, is all about the Poekie.

Poekie (rhymes with “spooky”) is a Dutch term of endearment used by many moms in Holland for their babies. In 1998, the Waldorf-trained van der Harst turned that word into a thing – a cute, pillowy stuffed animal that has inspired children to “create, craft and imagine” is the central piece of a sewing system that teaches kids a variety of skills.

In response to the outpouring of interest in early 2014, van der Harst decided to try building a business around the Poekie, and the Poekie Nook was born. She rented a room at Scout Hall and thought to herself, “How the heck are you going to survive in Mill Valley running a sewing studio?”

“I was shocked – it was immediately a huge success,” she says. “Kids just love the Poekie animals – they have become so popular.”

By the time summer arrived, van der Harst was running out of space at Scout Hall, which was in the early stages of an extensive renovation. She moved the Poekie Nook to a space on Miller Ave. briefly but had to leave because she was drawing so many children that it was creating parking issues for the property owner. Now she’s at 238 East Blithedale, in an even larger space at the back of the building that houses Pharmaca.

As demand for the Poekie has increased, van der Harst has been expanding her line of Poekie kits, allowing children to print out patterns and create Poekies of their own. She plans to have kits for all 70 Poekie animals available online soon.

Van der Harst has also launched a series of after-school sewing classes by well-known local sewing instructor Pia Anderson. Those classes center on creating clothing and bedding accessories for Poekies.

After a circuitous career that has spanned the European garment industry and high-end fashion designers in New York to the former Alpha Graphics on Miller Ave. in Mill Valley and later RAM Print & Communications in Strawberry, van der Harst is now completely on her own running a business, with all of the thrills and anxiety that come with it.

“It’s been crazy and incredibly exciting – what a whirlwind,” she says.
​

The 411: Poekie Nook is at 238 East Blithedale Avenue. More info on Poekies, sewing kits, classes and much more.

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Famed Rock Artist Stanley Mouse to Exhibit Fine Art Paintings at Famous4

10/28/2015

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Picture"The Stretch" by Stanley "Mouse" Miller will be among the fine art paintings on display at Famous4, 96 Throckmorton Ave. in downtown Mill Valley, on Nov. 3, 6-8pm. Courtesy image.
Stanley "Mouse" Miller, the legendary graphic artist whose concert posters and album cover art provide a visual timeline for some of the greatest live musical moments in history, is set to showcase his lesser-known fine art paintings throughout November at Famous4, Larry "the Hat" Lautzker's clothing shop in downtown Mill Valley.

Miller will appear for a special "meet and greet" at Famous4 for the Mill Valley Arts Commissions's First Tuesday Artwalk on Tuesday, Nov. 3 (6–8pm) and will be signing his new book California Dreams, The Art of Stanley Mouse by Soft Skull Press. Miller will also be showing some of his concert poster prints, many of which are widely regarded as some of the best concert posters ever and played a major role in creating a new medium of the psychedelic concert poster.

A brief bio from Soft Skull Press:
"The story of Stanley "Mouse" Miller is a story of the cultural and artistic renaissance of the 1960s. It is difficult to separate the narrative of his journey through the music world from the artwork he created. Mouse was indeed an institution of the period— living with the Grateful Dead in their Haight Ashbury Victorian, hosting Janis Joplin for a Big Brother audition at his studio, and calling Eric Clapton a favorite friend. Mouse's work weaves from pop art to rock art to fine art forms, underscoring the longevity and versatility of his mature ouevre. Mouse's tales are as whimsical as they are serendipitous, perfectly depicting San Francisco during the summer of love. Together, Mouse and Kelley became masterminds behind a new media—that of the psychedelic poster—which came to exemplify the Haight-Asbury of the late 1960s. The book will feature over 200 color images.”

The 411: Stanley "Mouse" Miller will showcase his fine art paintings at Famous4, 96 Throckmorton Ave., during the Mill Valley Arts Commission's First Tuesday Art Walk on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 6-8pm. For more info, call 415.388.2550 or go here.


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Linda Rosso to Showcase “Favorite Places" Plein Air Landscapes at MV Chamber in November

10/28/2015

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In her nearly three decades in Mill Valley, Linda Rosso was widely known for her community service. Whether it was her stint on the Parks and Recreation Commissioner in the 1990s or her time on committees and boards for the Community Center, the Library, the Business Advisory Board, the Chamber of Commerce and the Outdoor Art Club, Rosso had a hand in a plethora of the most important parts of the 94941 community.

But as she wound down her career as an award-winning marketing and communications executive, Rosso turned her attention to painting and started showing her work in 2009.

Rosso’s latest work, a salon-style show of plein air landscapes, “Favorite Places,” features oil paintings, drawings and prints of Marin, Lake Tahoe and Sonoma County. The show will be display throughout November at the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center (85 Throckmorton Ave., Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–4pm) and at the Mill Valley Arts Commission's First Tuesday Artwalk on November 3, 6–8 pm.
Picture"Tahoe Marsh" by Linda Rosso will be on display at the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center throughout November 2015. Courtesy image.
Rosso’s paintings have been shown at MOCA (Marin Museum of Contemporary Art), the Marin County Fair, Marin Society of Artists and the Studio Gallery in San Francisco. From 2011 until they closed in 2013, her local landscape paintings were best sellers at Moss and Moss Mill Valley.

In fact, it was at Moss and Moss that Rosso was discovered by the director of the Chalk Hill Artist’s Residency, and was invited to be an artist in residence in Healdsburg. In 2014, Rosso’s art was featured in Sonoma Discoveries magazine – a prescient event – as shortly after publication, she and her husband Michael purchased a home in the Sonoma Valley and moved there in July 2015.

“While Mill Valley will always be HOME, it is exciting to explore new places and new weather conditions for painting outdoors," says Rosso. "In a sense, each location has it’s own mood and season and the colors and compositions I choose reflect that – whether it is a monochromatic fog in Tennessee Valley, the spring melt in Tahoe or the summer lavender fields in Sonoma.”

The 411: Linda Rosso's "Favorite Places," a salon-style show of plein air landscapes, features oil paintings, drawings and prints of Marin, Lake Tahoe and Sonoma County. The show will be display throughout November at the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center (85 Throckmorton Ave., Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–4pm) and at the Mill Valley Arts Commission's First Tuesday Artwalk
 on November 3, 6–8 pm.


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Click Off Photography Competition Kicks Off Nov. 4

10/27/2015

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A selection of the winners of the 2014 Click Off competition.
Mill Valley photographers: It's time to get ready for the 17th Annual Click Off Photography Competition. The digital photo contest sponsored by the Mill Valley Arts Commission and local photo hub The Image Flow allows photographers to submit their best photos in a range of categories that highlight Marin's unique characteristics and subsequently reveal each photographer’s perspective.

Between November 4-18, contestants will take an image that they believe best represents their subject category and receive coaching from The Image Flow photographers. Cameras of all kinds can be used, including cell phones. 

The "Click Off" is a photo competition to shoot pictures pertaining to one of five categories. The categories will be randomly chosen by or assigned to participants at the "Click Off-Kick Off " which will be held  at The Image Flow, 401 Miller Avenue, Suite A, Mill Valley on Wednesday November 4, 2015 at 7 PM. You do not need to attend this event to participate in the contest, just submit your registration form and entry fee no later than Wednesday, November 4 at 12pm if you cannot attend.
 
Participants will have until November 18, 2015 to capture digital pictures that best represent the subject. At the "Kick Off" event, participants may sign up for an editing session on Nov. 11-14 and 17 or you may make an appointment with The Image Flow at 415-388-3569.  There, participants will have the opportunity to spend 15 minutes with a professional photographer who will provide guidance in selecting and enhancing the best image for judging. 
 
Whether you choose to attend an editing session or load your entry on your own, images must be uploaded to the Click- Off designated website no later than midnight Nov. 18.

Registration fee: $25 for adults and $15 for Seniors (62 and over) and Youth (15 and under) 

The top four contestants in each category will win excellent prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place and honorable mention, additional prizes will be awarded for Best Youth Photograph (15 & under) and Best in Show. The winning photographs will be honored at an Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, December 1 and displayed at the Mill Valley Community Center during the month of December.​

For registration forms and more details go to www.mvclickoff.com or call the Arts Commission at 415-383-1370 

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Good Earth to Host Tam Valley Job Fairs

10/26/2015

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Good Earth Natural Foods in Fairfax, above. The 26,000-square-foot space that formerly housed Delano's IGA Market.
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Workers renovating the 26,000-square-foot space that formerly housed Delano's IGA Market.
While it's in the midst of a massive renovation of the 26,000-square-foot space at 207 Flamingo Road that has been vacant since DeLano's IGA Market closed in December 2010, Good Earth Natural Foods is getting ready to start hiring employees in advance of its planned opening in Tam Valley in February 2016. The new store will have approximately 175 employees.

The market is hosting job fairs at the Tam Valley Community Center (203 Marin Ave.) on Thursday, Nov. 5 (2-8pm) and Saturday, Nov. 7 (10am-3pm). More info on openings, job details and benefits is available here.

More than a year ago, Fairfax-based organic foods market Good Earth Natural Foods confirmed their long-in-the-works plans to open a second location in Marin, this time in one of five DeLano's markets in Marin and San Francisco that shut down as part of a mass eviction of the struggling grocery chain.

Good Earth officials have said they are in the planning stages of an "total renovation and aesthetic transformation" of the building under the guidance of Santa Cruz-based C/D/M Crocker-Fry, which designed and built Good Earth's Fairfax store.

Good Earth opened in 1969 at 123 Bolinas Avenue in Fairfax. In response to growing demand, the company moved to 1966 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. at the end of 2000, and opened its current 22,000-square-foot store in Fairfax store in February 2012 "to meet the needs of our customers who requested a larger store with more selection store-wide, wider aisles, additional check-out stands, and indoor seating."

“We have received many requests for a store in Southern Marin from folks seeking a more organic choice,” said Mark Squire, one of two partners at Good Earth. “Although organic food is still a bit pricier, we know that enough people recognize the superior quality and safety of organic food to support a store with Good Earth's commitment. We look forward to serving a new community with healthful food.” 

“Along with meeting the additional market demand for what we already do, it also brings me great pleasure knowing our staff will continue to grow too – this opportunity represents real leadership growth opportunities for many current Good Earthlings,” Partner Al Baylacq added.

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Depot Bookstore & Cafe Owner Mary Turnbull Dies - Reception Set for Oct. 28

10/22/2015

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Mary Turnbull, beloved bookseller, literary champion, and patron of the arts for 40 years, co-founder of the Depot Bookstore & Café in Mill Valley and the legendary Tides Bookstore in Sausalito, died peacefully of natural causes on September 30.
 
Longtime resident of Stinson Beach, she was a true original, loving, exuberant, opinionated, tender, elegant, playful and down-to-earth. She had the greatest laugh. Her children, grandchildren and friends were her great passion, but she also loved world travel, the arts, cooking, nature, bohemian life, opera, and dogs. She was a passionate supporter of peace, the environment, human rights and women's issues.

A lifelong lover of the written word and authors, Mary’s first foray into bookselling began in 1957 when she and her first husband, Herbert Beckman, founded the groundbreaking Tides Bookstore in Sausalito.

In 1987, Mary and her husband William Turnbull (of North Point Press) founded the Depot Bookstore & Café together as a place where, as she put it, "book people could meet, relax with coffee or wine, laugh, cheer each other on, and talk about great writing. Heaven, in Mill Valley." 

Surviving are her sons, Eric Beckman, Christopher Beckman; daughter Nicole Ricci and adopted daughter Annie Lamott and her grandchildren.

There are no words for how deeply she will be missed.

Memorial contributions may be sent to Doctors Without Borders, 333 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10001-5004.

The Depot Bookstore & Cafe is hosting a reception in memory of Mary on Wednesday, Oct. 28 after 5pm at the Depot.


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Woodlands Hosts 'DOGtoberfest' Pet Parade & Costume Contest in Strawberry Village Oct.24

10/21/2015

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The central thoroughfare at Strawberry Village will be transformed into a pet paradise on Saturday, Oct. 24 for Woodlands Pet Food & Treats' annual Pet Parade and Costume Contest, this year built around a "DOGtoberfest" theme.

​In what has become one of the 94941's landmark  events, dozens of pets and their human sidekicks will strut their stuff in costume at 5pm. The event kicks off at 3pm with an array of activities, including trick-or-treating for kids, a pet sketch artist and pet photographer, a pet psychic, pet CPR demos and loads of pet prize bags.

Costume contest participants are encouraged to register in advance at Woodlands Pet Food & Treats. Registration is $10 now through Friday 10/23, or $15 on the day, with 100 percent of the registration fee going to Hopalong & Second Chance Rescue.

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'Suffragette' and a Raucous Closing Night Party Cap Record-Breaking MVFF38

10/19/2015

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The 38th Mill Valley Film Festival wrapped up Sunday night with multiple screenings of of Suffragette, the story of the women who were foot soldiers in the fight for the right to vote in the early 20th century, ordinary women who risked their jobs, homes, children and even their lives. MVFF38 also concluded with a raucous closing night party featuring music from the Monophonics and the Crackerjack DJs at Terrapin Crossroads, the spacious live music venue and restaurants perched on the canal waterfront in San Rafael.

The evening capped 11 days of sold-out screenings that drew more than 68,000 filmgoers, far surpassing 2014's then-record attendance of 61,000. The festival included myriad acclaimed filmmakers and special guests, including MVFF Audience Award winners and likely Academy Award contenders Spotlight and Room, as well as tributes to actors Sir Ian McKellen, Carey Mulligan, Sarah Silverman and Brie Larson and appearances from directors Tom Hooper, Tom McCarthy, Catherine Hardwicke and Cary Fukunaga with their films the Danish Girl, Spotlight, Miss You Already and Beasts of No Nation, respectively.

Festival organizers said the event drew more than 68,000 attendees to its Marin venues.
 
“This was an amazing eleven days for film lovers, music enthusiasts, and members of the industry,” said Mark Fishkin, Founder/Director of the Mill Valley Film Festival. “We are so proud to be a festival that filmmakers—both local and international—return to year after year to present their films to our sophisticated and influential Bay Area audiences, who love to see and nurture these new works. With the beautiful backdrop of Marin County and a relaxed, non-competitive atmosphere, the Festival gives filmmakers and audiences alike the opportunity to share their work and experiences in a collaborative and convivial setting. It’s gratifying to hear others say ‘It’s a festival second to none’”.

“The response to our women’s initiative, Mind the Gap, has been incredible—with engagement across the Festival," added Director of Programming MVFF Zoë Elton. "MVFF has had a long-term commitment to women in film, but in this year’s program we’ve upped the ante in the conversation about women, work, and film. Our goal was to step up and model what a film festival can do: We celebrated women creators from around the world in films; we produced panels, tributes, an exhibit on Ingrid Bergman, and an installation on female role models. These events and programs galvanized audiences and filmmakers alike to engage in an issue whose time is now. Mill Valley has been a-buzz!”
 
MVFF38 also featured a pair of classic films: a free screening of the The Wizard of Oz in Old Mill Park in Mill Valley, and a sold-out screening of Return of the Jedi_, preceded by a costume contest and two sneak-peek trailers of The Force Awakens, which hits theaters in December.
MVFF Audience Awards 2015
The MVFF Audience Awards represent the people’s choice favorites at this year’s festival. The overall prizewinner scored highest across all categories; other winners scored top in each of the festival’s sections: US Cinema, World Cinema, Valley of the Docs and Children’s FilmFest, as well as specialty categories.
 
MVFF Overall Audience Favorite 2015
ROOM
Lenny Abrahamson
•
MVFF Audience Favorite, Gold Award – 2015 US Cinema
SPOTLIGHT
Tom McCarthy
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MVFF Audience Favorite, Silver Award – 2015 US Cinema
TRUTH
James Vanderbilt
•
MVFF Audience Favorite, Gold Award – 2015 US Cinema Indie
A LIGHT BENEATH THEIR FEET
Valerie Weiss
•
MVFF Audience Favorite, Silver Award – 2015 US Cinema Indie
THE AUTOMATIC HATE
Justin Lerner
•
MVFF Audience Favorite, Gold Award – 2015 World Cinema
BROOKLYN
John Crowley
•
MVFF Audience Favorite, Silver Award – 2015 World Cinema
REMEMBER
Atom Egoyan
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MVFF Audience Favorite, Gold Award – 2015 World Cinema Indie
THE PASSION OF AUGUSTINE
Léa Pool
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MVFF Audience Favorite, Silver Award – 2015 World Cinema Indie
UNDER THE SAME SUN
Mitra Sen
•
MVFF Audience Favorite, Gold Award – 2015 Valley of the Docs
SURVIVING SKOKIE
Eli Adler, Blair Gershkow
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MVFF Audience Favorite, Silver Award – 2015 Valley of the Docs
AN ACT OF LOVE
Scott Sheppard
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MVFF Audience Favorite, Special Mention – 2015 Valley of the Docs
A NEW COLOR: THE ART OF BEING EDYTHE BOONE
Marlene “Mo” Morris
PENNY
Elizabeth Sher
•
MVFF Audience Favorite, Gold Award – 2015 Children’s FilmFest
THE AMAZING WIPLALA
Tim Oliehoek
•
MVFF Audience Favorite, Silver Award – 2015 Children’s FilmFest
SHANA: THE WOLF’S MUSIC
Nino Jacusso
•
MVFF Audience Favorite, Gold Award – 2015 Mind the Gap: Women | Work | Film
SUFFRAGETTE
Sarah Gavron
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MVFF Audience Favorite, Silver Award – 2015 Mind the Gap: Women | Work | Film
THE DRESSMAKER
Jocelyn Moorhouse
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MVFF Audience Favorite, Doc Award – 2015 Mind the Gap: Women | Work | Film
MAVIS!
Jessica Edwards
•
MVFF Audience Favorite, Gold Award – 2015 Active Cinema
CODE: DEBUGGING THE GENDER GAP
Robin Hauser Reynolds
•
MVFF Audience Favorite, Silver Award – 2015 Active Cinema
DOGTOWN REDEMPTION
Amir Soltani, Chihiro Wimbush
•
MVFF Audience Favorite, Silver Award – 2015 Animation
ANOMALISA
Charlie Kaufman

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Meet Sherene Chen, Mill Valley's 'Fashion Psychologist'

10/19/2015

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We’ve all had that moment at some point about our favorite pastime or hobby: Could I actually get paid to do this?
​

In the case of Strawberry resident Sherene Chen, who has turned her passion for helping friends with professional wardrobe styling and personal shopping into Style by Sherene, a burgeoning business doing just that and much more, the answer is decidedly yes.

But in the course of building a successful business, Chen’s had a trusty ally to lean on when having to answer tough questions in managing her business: herself.

Chen, a native of Utah who has lived in the Bay Area for 15 years, spent the early part of her career at Goldman Sachs and doing corporate finance for Agilent Technologies. As a result, she’s just as well-versed in balance sheets as fashion, so when she’s at the precipice of making a major decision about the business, she just puts her finance cap on.

“The finance part of me is always telling me to stop and think,” Chen says. “That helps me reign it in when necessary.”

“It’s been very scary process the whole entire time,” she adds. “Coming from a finance background, it gives you the necessary caution. I’m not the kind of person that’s going to just jump into something without a plan. And you have to hustle every single day. It’s def been quite a change for me from the corporate world.”

A self-described “fashion psychologist,” Chen began scratching her fashion itch while attending Haas School of Business, helping friends find clothing that met their needs, their style and, of course, their budget.

“Those friends started referring me to other friends and it turned into something,” she says.

Chen continued to do personal wardrobe style and shopping for clients on the side and then launched Style by Sherene officially in 2011 after she left Agilent. Wanting the flexibility to be with her young sons Jackson and Harrison, she built the business methodically. Over the years, she’s regularly consulted on print magazine fashion shoots and for Bay Area and San Francisco Fashion Weeks.

Chen says her clients run the gamut and that an initial consultation and professional measuring are enough for her to get a strong sense of their needs.

“Once I’ve sat down with someone, it’s easy to get a sense of what works for people,” she says.

The 411: Go here for more info on Style by Sherene and to get in touch with Chen.

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Stormtroopers, Princess Leia and 'Ted' as an Ewok: Photos from MVFF38's 'Return of the Jedi' Screening

10/15/2015

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Heart Esteem Foundation Gets Creative to Combat Emotional Causes and Impacts of Childhood Obesity

10/14/2015

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To call Gloria Maxx a creative dynamo would fall far short of reality.

As founder of Heart Esteem, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the emotional impacts of childhood obesity, the Toronto area native has charted a dizzying global itinerary over the past year, seeking momentum for an array of creative projects in places as far afield as Toronto, Dubai, Mexico City - and Mill Valley.

She’s reached out to Pope Francis, First Lady Michelle Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, trying to get each to “Draw a Heart” in an effort to create a viral art project that will have an accompanying app and a documentary chronicling the journey.

“I don’t have dreams any more,” says the former advertising executive. “I have goals.”

Maxx draws energy and determination for her campaign from her own battle with childhood obesity. “Childhood obesity and related mental and emotional issues have plagued and ravaged every aspect of my life,” she says.

By the time Maxx was 17 yearsold, she’d already tried to commit suicide twice. At that moment, she found solace - and hope - in Elton John’s song “Someone Saved My Life Tonight.” By 28, she was 285 pounds. She had vertical banded gastroplasty surgery and lost 100 pounds as a result.

“But I didn’t fix my psychological or emotional issues, so I gained back a lot of the weight,” she says.
With so much attention paid to nutrition and exercise as ways to combat obesity, little attention is focused on the emotional drivers of over-eating, Maxx says.

“There’s no difference between me and an alcoholic,” she says. “But mine is socially acceptable. I won’t end up in jail but I might end up with diabetes. It’s like a drug - sugar is my cocaine. When you get depressed, you go have a milkshake.”

Maxx continues to draw on “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” for inspiration.

“Someone’s passion and creativity really helped me get through something,” she says.

Maxx is determined to see her vision through. In April 2015, she launched her campaign to have CEOs and leaders in 10 countries draw their own version of a heart on posterboard.The goal is to raise $10 million - $1 million in each of the 10 countries, including Canada, United States, Mexico and Italy - to raise awareness of the emotional and psychological causes and impacts of childhood obesity.

“I’ve really endured a lot of pain in my life. It’s too late for me in many ways. There are many things I cannot regain that I’ve lost. I’ve missed out on a lot in life. But I have survived because of my and other’s creativity and that’s what made it all ok for me.”

The effort is slated to last 100 weeks, with the scheduled conclusion being March 11, 2017, which will be Maxx’s 50th birthday. She’s hoping to have one million hearts drawn world-wide by then.

Maxx has close friends in Mill Valley, and was so drawn to the community that she’s been staying here in between her worldwide jaunts on behalf of HeartEsteem.


“I love this community and I’m hoping that my friends here will help to sprea thw word about this campaign,” she says. “I don’t care how I get this done, I’ve just got to get it done.”

The 411: More info on the Heart Esteem Foundation.


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Elizabeth Irwin's 'My Manana Comes' Makes Bay Area Premiere at Marin Theatre Company Oct. 29

10/13/2015

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Mill Valley's Marin Theatre Company continues its 49th Season with the Bay Area premiere of Elizabeth Irwin’s My Mañana Comes on October 29. The production, which runs through November 22, centers around four busboys at an upper west side Manhattan French restaurant who learn the hard way when a slow summer season leads to harsh pay cuts, jeopardizing their plans, their dignity and their camaraderie. The severity of the minimum wage crisis and rights for undocumented restaurant workers lie at the forefront of the play.

Irwin’s critically acclaimed Mañana is the product of her 2013-2014 Playwrights Realm Fellowship and received its Off Broadway debut last year at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre. This production earned multiple award nominations, including the Lucille Lortel Outstanding Play, the Drama Desk Outstanding Play, and the Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Awards.

“Elizabeth Irwin is an important new voice in the American theatre and I am delighted that Marin Theatre is presenting her Bay Area premiere," MTC Artistic Director Jasson Minadakis said. "She has crafted an urgent new play about the elusiveness of the American Dream for young workers attempting to make ends meet for their families. As our national debate intensifies around immigration and undocumented workers, My Mañana Comes is a cry for compassion.”

Schedule, more info and tickets.
​For preview weekend only, MTC is offering 1/2 price tickets to the 10/29, 10/30, 10/31 & 11/1 performances. Patrons can use code MAÑANAHALF online to receive 50% off the regular ticket price. On 10/31 & 11/1, Irwin will be in attendance
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MV Recreation Hosts Halloween Extravaganza Oct. 23: Dog Costume Contest, Trunk or Treat and Music & Magic Show

10/12/2015

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Mill Valley has long gone all-out for Halloween, and in 2015, Mill Valley Recreation is getting in the ghouls-and-goblins a week early, hosting a Halloween extravaganza, back by popular demand, on Friday, October 23 at the Community Center.

The event kicks off at 4pm with the first of two Halloween Music & Magic Shows, with a live band performing some Halloween-themed music before Magic Mike looks to amaze the crowd with his Halloween magic show. Magic Mike combines comedy, audience participation and magic to create a spook-tacular 45 minutes show for goblins ages 3 to 103. Cost is $9 general admission and children 3 and under are free. Adults and children are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes. A second show follows at 6:30pm.

At 4:30pm, a Dog Halloween Costume Contest promises pure spectacle, as dogs in all shapes, sizes and breeds will don their owners' favorite costumes and parade outside the Community Center. Judging will take place at 5:30pm.

Bring your children to this free and fun event at the Community Center Parking Lot for a fun, safe and community focused Halloween event! Food Trucks and FREE face-painting and games.

At 4:30pm, the City's 2nd annual Trunk or Treat celebration begins, with businesses, residents and an array of organizations setting up decorated trunks in the parking lot outside the Community Center. If you, your family or organization would like to host a trunk, they are accepting applications for 10 community trunks. Accepted applications are fiscally responsible for providing a "treat", activity or giveaway and all decorations. Prizes awarded to best decorated trunk. Food Trucks and FREE face-painting and games.
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Bob Weir, Ratdog Members Rock MVFF38 Seva Benefit at Sweetwater

10/11/2015

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On the heels of the Grateful Dead's Fare Thee Well shows this summer and in advance of their upcoming tour that includes stops in New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles, Mill Valley resident Bob Weir is staying quite busy.
The guitarist led his bandmates from longtime side project RatDog through a performance Saturday night at the Sweetwater Music Hall, the downtown music venue he co-owns, to benefit the Seva Foundaiton as part of the 38th Mill Valley Film Festival. 
According to JamBase, Weir was joined onstage by fellow RatDog members guitarist Steve Kimock, drummer Jay Lane and bassist Robin Sylvester for a set that included such Dead classics as "Birdsong" and "The Other One."
The show celebrated World Sight Day, the premiere of the documentary Open Your Eyes and Seva Foundation’s four-millionth sight-saving surgery. It was part of MVFF Music, a series of nine nights of live music featuring an eclectic lineup of bands at the Sweetwater as part of MVFF38.

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'The Danish Girl,' 'Spotlight' and a Grand Gala Open 38th Mill Valley Film Festival

10/9/2015

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The 38th Mill Valley Film Festival opened in grand fashion Thursday night, with the Bay Area premieres of Tom McCarthy’s investigative drama Spotlight, starring Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams, and Tom Hooper’s (The King’s Speech, MVFF 2010) transgender drama The Danish Girl, which stars Academy Award Winner Eddie Redmayne (MVFF 2014 with The Theory of Everything) and Alicia Vikander. Both directors were in attendance for their respective screenings and the Opening Night Gala at the Marin Country Mart in Larkspur afterward.

Now in its 38th year, the Mill Valley Film Festival has long since established its place in the global landscape of film festivals, with a consistent slate of Academy Award contenders, star-studded events featuring both Hollywood legends and emerging talents and a laser-like focus on putting independent films – and the small town that bears its name – on the map.

MVFF38 runs through October 18 in Mill Valley, San Rafael and venues across Marin, looking to maintain and grow that reputation. Here's a rundown of the festival's vast and unique lineup, including a nine-day run of live music at the Sweetwater Music Hall and "Mind the Gap – Women, Work and Film," a festival-wide focus on inspiring women in film.

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