The greater Tiburon Peninsula’s business centers became ghost towns last week as shop owners mostly heeded orders by regional and state officials to shut down nonessential businesses to the public — though one local business owner became a local online hero as she stepped up to offer two products in high demand: toilet paper and sanitizers.

Grocery stores like Safeway in Strawberry, Woodlands Market at The Boardwalk Shopping Center and Nugget Markets at The Cove Shopping Center were allowed to remain open, alongside banks, gas stations, laundry services and health-care facilities, while restaurants from Sweet Things and Foodniks at The Cove to Servino Ristorante and Sam’s Anchor Cafe downtown are allowed to offer food only for takeout and delivery — if they choose to remain open at all.

The original six-county shutdown in the Bay Area took effect at 12:01 a.m. March 17 and was to last through April 7. But days later, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an open-ended shelter-in-place directive acros...

After netting a $186,000 contribution from Tiburon, the local Chamber of Commerce is now asking the Belvedere to chip in $20,000 to help fund the chamber’s planned downtown visitor center, slated to open on Fountain Plaza next spring. At the Belvedere City Council’s Dec. 9 meeting, representatives from the Tiburon Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and other local stakeholders pitched their request to councilmembers, saying a thriving downtown would benefit both Tiburon and Belvedere. 

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The Pacific Gas and Electric Co. public-safety power shutoff at the end of October threw a wrench in daily operations at businesses across the greater Tiburon Peninsula, including Servino Ristorante. When the electric company cut power to Tiburon, Belvedere and Strawberry Oct. 26 — part of a deliberate shutoff affecting 37 California counties amid high fire danger — Servino’s had to close. By the time power was restored a couple of days later, the Main Street restaurant had lost well over $10,000 in business — and that number doesn’t include product loss, said managing partner Natale Servino. (Rachel Simpson photo / For The Ark)

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Musette Atelier is the newest business on Ark Row, opening in August at 72 Main St. The business gets its name from the Latin word “musea,” meaning multiple museums; the word “musette” means a small slice of a bigger offering. The shop is owned and managed by husband-and-wife team Jonathan and Shiloh McCloud, who plan to serve light cuisine and wine. In the main room, Musette sells cards, journals, gift items and art supplies, as well as art and inspirational books. Downstairs is a room for group gatherings or private events. (Diane Smith photo / For The Ark)

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Lifelong Tiburon resident Erin Burns, who grew up and still lives at The Hilarita, is a co-founder of All In, which aims to support local low-income families; and serves on the Belvedere-Tiburon Joint Recreation Committee board of directors; and has organized several programs for residents of The Hilarita, including a public food pantry. For her efforts, she has been named the Tiburon Peninsula Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 Volunteer of the Year. (Diane Smith photo / For The Ark)

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