Fatherhood Follies

Why You Should Consider Joining the Marin Swim League

Don't let the volunteer commitments deter you. Read why part of a swim team is an invaluable experience. Registration for Marin Swim League teams is now open!

  When we first signed up for the Orcas four years ago, I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. Looking back I wouldn’t change anything. If you are considering joining a Marin Swim League team you might want consider the following. The scariest thing about being the parent of a swimmer is the volunteer commitment. In the case of the Orcas this year it’s seven commitments, and that seems like a lot but it literally takes a small village to run a swim meet, some 100 volunteers. The way I see it if you are going to be there anyway watching your child swim you may as well be helping out.  You set a good example for your child by volunteering too. People may find this hard to believe but I’ve actually enjoyed my volunteer commitments…

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Andy Falk

7:25 pm on Saturday, February 18, 2012

Hey Ivan, I'm proud to say that Fred is my brother.   more ›

Business of the Week

Eye on United Markets

This local market offers competitive pricing on everything from organic produce to deli foods and vegan fare. Longtime owner Bill Daniels is deeply invested in San Rafael and Marin County.

  United Markets 100 Red Hill Ave. (415) 456-1271 www.unitedmarkets.com What do they offer? United Markets is a full shop market. They offer everything a shopper needs, including fresh organic produce priced low enough to compete with any other markets in town. There is a full deli, freshly baked goods, wine and beverages, pre-packaged meals, a sushi counter and seasonal gifts and foods. The meat counter offers USDA choice cuts and the seafood section offers a wide variety of sustainable options. There is also a garden center on the lot, making it easy to pick up plants for the garden or bushes and flowers for the yard. Who are they? Owner Bill Daniels was born in California and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in his teens. He entered …

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The Jolly Roger Corner

Jolly Roger: Tasty Treats Outweigh Spotty Service at Sweetlife

Drake High School students review the new bakery on south San Anselmo Avenue.

  At The Jolly Roger Corner, you get a glimpse into Drake's oldest high school newspaper The Jolly Roger. Check out more articles, photos, reviews and insight into our local school at drakejr.com. BY SAM MCLAUGHLIN The lot at 101 San Anselmo Avenue, between the San Anselmo Post Office and the venerable Caesar’s Cyclery, has hosted various ill-conceived businesses over the last few years, but none of those survived long. Now, Sweetlife Bakery and Café has moved into this space. I paid a visit to find out if it has the potential to buck the trend and become a lasting establishment in the community. The restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere, although slightly noisy. Apart from a pair of bizarre wall hangings made from mirrors, the aesthetic is…

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Hike of the Week

Kent Trail: A Hiker's Dream

Kent Trail to Hidden Lake is a hiker's hike. The narrow rocky trail runs along secluded Alpine Lake, up through a redwood forest to Hidden Lake, and then back along dry Rocky Ridge with great views. 5.2 miles. Dogs on leash OK.

  It is truly a rare hike that leaves you both worn out and exhilarated at the same time. Kent Trail to Hidden Lake give you that experience. It is a hiker's hike! The challenging trails and the rugged, isolated microcosms of nature command the senses and satisfy the primeval need to commune with nature. The hike starts at the bottom of the Lake Bon Tempe Dam in the Marin Municipal Water District. We go up and over the dam and then down the other side to meet with Alpine Lake which is about a hundred feet lower than Bon Tempe. Alpine Lake only has one recognized trail along it. This is rugged Kent Trail that runs along the south-east side. Unlike the busy Lagunitas and Bon Tempe Lakes, the trail around Alpine is rarely travelled, perhaps …

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Visit the Northern Marin Baylands at Rush Creek

Easy 2-3 mile hike along the bayshore of northern Marin. Traces of wild oak woodlands still remain. Excellent birding and wildlife viewing. Great for running and families. All users welcome. Dogs on leash OK.

  This week is a good time to go see the migrating shorebirds before they head out for the spring and summer months. With the barometer rising after the recent rains, the weather is fine. Grasses are greening up and a few wildflowers are starting to peek through. Marin only has a few locations where there are easy trails next to marshlands. Rush Creek is great for the mix of bay shore and woodlands and the vast numbers of shorebirds. Normally we park out near Highway 101 as we mentioned in a previous Rush Creek outing, but this time we recommend entering though the eastern end, close to the sloughs and marshes where the wildlife hangs out. Also, the entrance to Rush Creek out by 101 can very muddy. We drove out to the end of Bahia Avenue …

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I Wish This Was A...

What Do You Wish Was in San Anselmo?

City Cycles moved to Corte Madera. What do you want to go in here?

San Anselmo-Fairfax Patch is featuring vacant or abandoned buildings or lots and asking readers: "What do you wish was here?" The idea was inspired by Candy Chang from New Orleans, who in 2010 created "I wish this was" stickers and placed thousands around the city for residents to fill in the blanks. Stickers can be bought online here.  City Cycle recently moved to Corte Madera, leaving this spot next to L'Appart in downtown San Anselmo open. There's a number of empty spots on this block. What do you wish was here?

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Here's to Your Health

Is Subway's Food Healthy?

Putting aside the politics of the proposed Subway in downtown Mill Valley, let's explore the nutritional value of sandwich chain's fare.

  With more than 36,000 locations in 98 countries throughout the world, the Subway sandwich chain is as ubiquitous as it gets. But here in Marin, the proposed opening of yet another Subway is more than a mere blip on the ever-growing chain’s tally. A Subway franchisee’s application to open one in downtown Mill Valley has already sparked some minor controversy, as its public hearing has been postponed indefinitely after some neighbors asked to city to get the applicant to produce data on the amount of traffic the 900-square-foot restaurant would generate. But let’s put the politics aside for now and look at the nutritional and health aspects of Subway.   Subway's slogan, “Eat Fresh,” refers to the service of freshly prepared sandwiches, not…

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Jim Welte

10:41 pm on Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Hey Nick - thanks for the comment. Where did the idea of a traffic study come from as far as you know? City officials had just told me they requested additional traffic data from the Subway franchisee to be based on traffic counts at other similarly sized Subways in the area, but not a full study.   more ›

Hike of the Week

Play in the Rain, See Some Fish

Rains mean the fish may be spawning in Lagunitas Creek. Head out to look for the Coho Salmon and explore Kent Lake at it's only accessible end. A bit steep in places and the route can be tricky and dangerous. Use caution. Dogs on leash.

  Finally, some rain! Dang rain! We know we need the rain, but we got so spoiled with the good weather that we're quite ambivalent about it. We love to get outdoors, but the rain requires more thoughtful planning of our outings. This week we decided to hike along Lagunitas Creek to see if we can spot some spawning salmon. We also wanted a bit of shelter in the canyons and thought the Kent Dam area would be neat to explore. The parking area at Shafter Bridge (a.k.a Green Bridge) is open for parking through February. This makes visiting the area safer, because you don't need to park out on narrow Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, where hiking along and crossing can be dangerous, especially for kids. Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) opens the…

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Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Preserving Steep Ravine

Former Fairfax Mayor and current Sanitary District Board Member recounts history of one of Marin's jewels.

After we ran a Hike of the Week column highlighting the Steep Ravine cabins, Frank Egger wrote in about the history behind the cabins. Send your letters to the editor to kellyd@patch.com. We almost lost Steep Ravine Cabins in the late 1970s when the California State Parks Department decided to tear them down. The state had received bad publicity when a San Francisco daily paper's investigative reporter wrote a story about how folks with political influence gave their friends first choice on staying at the cabins. Publically-owned property, but using them depended on who you knew. State Parks decided the best way to end the bad publicity was to remove them. Their proposal to remove them was based, they said, on a new proposal to restore the…

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