Marin News

This summer the Lark Theater in historic downtown Larkspur presents Family Film Fridays from June 25 to August 13. Every Friday at 10 am take in a different family friendly film. Admission is only $1 for children under $13 and $5 for everyone else.

This summer's schedule features:

• June 25: Ice Age (PG)
• July 9: Horton Hears a Who (G)
• July 16: Lassie (1994, PG)
• July 23: Robots (PG)
• July 30: Astro Boy (PG)
• August 6: Ice Age 2 (PG)
• August 13: Madagascar (PG)

Novato has gone through something of a supermarket renaissance in the past couple years, which have seen the opening of the big new Safeway near Hamilton as well as the upscale Paradise Foods in the Pacheco Plaza shopping center just across the freeway. The newest kid on the grocery store block is the long-awaited Whole Foods Market, which opened last Thursday at the Millworks on Grant Avenue in Novato's Old Town. If our recent experience there is any indication, Whole Foods is definitely poised to give its fellow markets a run for their money.

The 40,000-square-foot store is much bigger than its sister stores in Mill Valley and San Rafael, and far more pleasant to shop at, too. We've been there a few times since it opened, and have so far experienced no parking challenges or long lines, which was certainly not the case when the new Safeway opened in the summer of 2008. As one has come to expect from Whole Foods, the store features lots of organic produce, a bakery (try the pretzel bread!), full service meat and seafood counters, a deli, a Straus Creamery frozen yogurt bar, a coffee bar, a burrito counter, a sushi stand, a salad bar, plenty of prepared foods, and more. Many of the foods in stock come from local farmers and producers, and there's a board outside the main entrance that tells you where things come from.

Looking for a place to play indoors in Marin? They're few and far between (and indespensible when it's raining!), but luckily Jump N Bounce! LLC recently opened in San Anselmo. Come and jump, play, and slide on their giant inflatable pirate ship play structure daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Sessions for children ages 2 to 6 are from 10 am to 4 pm and ages 7 to 12 from 4 to 6 pm. The cost is $5 per 20-minute jump session, but if you go there and mention that you heard about them on Marin Mommies, they'll give you $1 off.

Sessions start at five minutes after the hour and half-hour (please arrive ten minutes early to sign in and get the safety talk). Each session is also limited to eight participants, so it won't there'll be a minimum of crowded craziness and a maximum of fun.

Tickets are still available for this week's special events with world-renowned developmental psychologist Dr. Gordon Neufeld at the Four Points by Sheraton in San Rafael, CA. Dr. Neufeld is an international authority on child development and author of the bestselling book Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers.

This Thursday, March 11 from 7 to 9pm, Dr. Neufeld gives a public talk "The Truth About Consequences and the Trouble with Time-Outs: 12 Guidelines for Natural Discipline".

On Friday, March 12, from 9 am to 4 pm there will be a full-day training "Relationship Matters: Harnessing the Power of Attachment". This training session is intended for professionals, but is open to the public.
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The Ark Row Center for Enrichment is now open in Tiburon! Owner Robin Briskin has been an educator since 1974 and has opened the center with the whole community in mind, offering a wide variety of classes and programs for children, adults, and seniors.

Programs for children include Two’s Together, a preschool prep class; messy fun with Mush & Gush for ages 2 to 4; yoga for kids of all ages; and Princess Ballet for ages 3 to 5. Classes for parents include pre- and post-natal yoga; Mommies Meeting Mommies, a great get-together for moms and children; and Mama Sings, where pregnant mommies can learn to sing to their unborn children. The center will offer a series of sample classes during its March open houses on Saturday, March 13, 20, and 27 from 10 am to 2 pm. Sample classes include Family Yoga, Dance Jam for Kids, Recycled Art for the Family, and Family Theater.
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Mill Valley's Greenwood School has announced the opening of its new preschool for fall 2010. Greenwood School will offer a Waldorf-inspired preschool program for children ages 3–5 where students are provided with a secure, caring, and structured home-like environment to begin their school years. This newly established preschool program will offer an early childhood experience where teachers create a safe and meaningful classroom community in which children hear stories, see puppet shows, sing, bake bread, make soup, learn to make beautiful and useful things, explore nature, build houses and structures out of natural materials, and celebrate seasonal festivals.

Two-, three-, and five-day programs are available as well as afternoon care from 12:30 to 5:30 pm. Applications are now being accepted for September 2010, and children may enroll at any time during the year if space is available. Enrollment is open to all children who are 2 years 9 months to 4 years 6 months by June 1 prior to desired entry.

As December nears a close and the New Year begins, the time comes to dispose of your Christmas tree. It's a sad but inevitable fact of life that your tree has to go at some point, unless of course you have an artificial Christmas tree, in which case you can probably stop reading right here.

Fortunately, your local disposal agency is usually more than happy to take your dried out old Noble Fir off your hands and do the green thing with the tree by recycling it. If for some reason you can't leave your tree out by the curb with your yard waste, you can drop it off at a number of different locations, including most fire houses, throughout Marin County.

Here's a rundown of Christmas tree disposal details for communities in Marin, courtesy of marinrecycles.org.

Curbside Collection

Marin Sanitary
For Larkspur, Greenbrae, Kentfield, Las Gallinas Valley, Ross, San Anselmo, San Rafael, Fairfax, and Ross Valley (Sleepy Hollow and Oak Manor): Trees collected at the curb on your regular yard waste pickup day during the month of January. If trees are greater than 6 feet in length, please cut them in half. Remove all metal stands, plastic tree bags, and ornaments. Flocked trees will not be accepted.

Mill Valley Refuse
For Almonte, Alto, Belvedere, Corte Madera, Mill Valley, Homestead, Strawberry, and Tiburon: Trees along curb on any regular greenwaste collection day, starting the week after New Year’s. Trees taller than 5 feet in length must be cut in half. Flocked trees are OK. All apartment building tenants should contact their manager. They will set up one day for all
Christmas tree collection.

Novato Disposal
During the week of January 11 customers may place whole trees at the curb the night before their regular collection day. Additionally, trees may be cut to fit inside your yard waste container for collection on your regular service day. Remove all lights, tinsel ornaments and stands. Flocked trees will not be collected.

Sausalito/Marin City
Bay Cities Refuse customers in Sausalito can put trees at the curb on your regular greenwaste pickup day January 4–8 or January 18–22. Customers in Marin City can put trees at the curb on your regular green waste pickup day January 8 and January 22. No metal stands or flocked trees and remove all ornaments.

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There are many people who really get into the holiday spirit in Marin, and of all places in the county I think that Marinwood, the small community sandwiched between Novato and San Rafael, has the most decorated holiday houses per capita!

It's only natural then that one of our favorite Christmas houses happens to be located in Marinwood: the Nisja's Bear house, which has been delighting Marin and Bay Area families for 30 years.