Francisco Martinez
What I cover
Francisco covers Tiburon: the Town Council and town government, development and housing, and the people and events of the town.
Background
Francisco joined The Ark in July 2023 and in 2024 was named national Rookie of the Year by the National Newspaper Association. He previously worked for NPR member station KCBX-FM in San Luis Obispo, where he reported "Beyond the Furrows," an award-winning 12-part series about farmworkers in Santa Barbara County. Francisco was also a reporter, news anchor and radio DJ for student-run Mustang News and KCPR-FM at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo; he graduated in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. Francisco lives in Point Richmond with his wife and their four cats. A former record store employee, he spends his free time listening to music old and new, going on walks and solving puzzles of all kinds. Francisco remains an eternally suffering Tottenham Hotspur fan.
Our standards
Ark journalists avoid conflicts of interest, refuse gifts, favors, free travel and special treatment, and correct information throughout the life of a story. Read The Ark’s ethics policy and corrections policy.
Latest from Francisco
Ghaffary, Pasarell Tsai set to keep Reed seats as Godfrey, Antani battle for third
Mike Ghaffary and Shelby Pasarell Tsai will win seats on the Reed Union School District board of trustees, and Lina Godfrey led fellow challenger Krupa Antani by 16 votes for the third seat in early election-night returns.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Ryan, Hornbrook and Defever will win Tiburon council seats
Jack Ryan, Chuck Hornbrook and Kathleen Defever will win the three Tiburon Town Council seats on the ballot after early election-night returns put them ahead of Faris Jafar and Alice Fredericks in the five-way race.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Reed’s $115 million Measure O topping 55% bar in early returns
Reed Union School District’s $115 million Measure O bond had 58.5% support in early, unofficial returns Nov. 3, above the 55% it needs to pass.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·Nemzer holds wide margin in Marin Board of Education’s Area 5
Tiburon resident Marilyn Nemzer led challenger Avery Lieberman in early, unofficial returns for the Marin County Board of Education’s Trustee Area 5 seat.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Tiburon survey to shape smaller Cypress Hollow Park
Tiburon residents have until Nov. 9 to rank four playground concepts and pick equipment for a scaled-down rehabilitation of Cypress Hollow Park.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Strawberry swimmer completes 900-mile journey down California coast
Strawberry resident Catherine Breed finished a roughly 900-mile swim down the California coast Oct. 19, the first person to swim the state’s length, pending ratification.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Tiburon mahjong shop deals in tiles, lessons, community
San Rafael friends Maureen Riley and Daria Lovette opened California Mahjong House on Tiburon’s Ark Row, selling tiles and offering open play and lessons.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
A couple celebrates 25 years together with a Tiburon getaway
Campbell residents Sergio Herrera and Shannon Ives, married 25 years, came to Tiburon Oct. 27 to mark Ives’ 50th birthday with dinner at Malibu Farm.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Tiburon, Belvedere brace for El Niño, king tides
Tiburon and Belvedere are filling sandbag stations and readying a shared emergency center for a strong to very strong El Niño, and officials urge residents to prepare.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ and TYLER CALLISTER ·
Nine-townhome plan for Point Tiburon clears key hurdle after three rejections
Tiburon deemed Black Oak Ventures’ fourth application for nine townhomes on the Point Tiburon Plaza parking lot complete Oct. 22; the town must decide by Nov. 23.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Late filings show who’s paying for Tiburon council, fire, school races
Alice Fredericks raised the most from donors among Tiburon Town Council candidates in the last pre-election reports, while Kathleen Defever outspent the field with a loan.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ and KEVIN HESSEL ·‘We shouldn’t be here’: Family, friends mourn Strawberry’s Ann Mannix and daughter Katie at San Francisco funeral
Family, friends and police packed St. Ignatius Church in San Francisco Oct. 23 for the funeral of Strawberry residents Ann Mannix and her daughter, Katie Mannix.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
A&C Ventures revives downtown Tiburon housing plan with 127 units
A&C Ventures has revived its plan to build housing on three Tiburon Boulevard properties, now proposing 127 rental units with 20 reserved for lower-income tenants.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Tiburon faces Oct. 24 deadline on latest Point Tiburon housing plan
Tiburon has until Oct. 24 to decide whether Black Oak Ventures’ fourth application for nine townhomes on the Point Tiburon Plaza parking lot is complete.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Reed Union student test scores remain steady for English, math
Reed Union School District students held steady on the 2025-2026 state tests, with 80.7% meeting English standards and 78.8% in math, well above Marin and the state.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·Tiburon OKs boutique fitness studio for long-vacant storefront next to CVS
Tiburon’s Planning Commission approved Pelican Pro Fitness, a boutique studio, for the long-vacant storefront next to CVS at 1599 Tiburon Blvd.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
A Strawberry resident looks to empower people in using AI
Strawberry resident Juan Jurado, an AI entrepreneur and Stanford graduate, says the technology should empower people and keep humans in control.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Tiburon Town Council candidates differ on parks funding, term limits, Flock, AI
Tiburon Town Council candidates split on private park money, term limits and AI in follow-up interviews, but all five were open to a hearing on Flock cameras.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Belvedere resident sues Tiburon, police officers over alleged wrongful arrest, privacy violations
A Belvedere resident is suing Tiburon and three police officers, alleging an arrest without probable cause on an October 2025 domestic-violence call.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·Tiburon faces $1.6 million annual gap in road maintenance funding
Tiburon has about five years of dedicated pavement money left before it would need roughly $1.6 million a year from its general fund to keep up road work.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
