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Page 6
A trio of Tiburon teens share love for basketball
William and Bennett recently celebrated their own championship as members of Del Mar’s eighth-grade boys basketball team.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
A massage therapist enjoys the peaceful surroundings
Lauren Gravell, the owner of Belvedere Island Spa in downtown Tiburon, says her career in massage therapy came about by chance.
By NAOMI FRIEDLAND ·
A peninsula pair reflects on a cross-generational friendship
Their friendship bridges a 23-year age gap, sparked by a chance encounter and conversation while getting coffee downtown about 10 years ago.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Plant now to have blooms throughout spring
We’ve recently had some nice soaking rains to moisten the soil, making it a great time to plant some spring bloomers.
By DIANE LYNCH ·
A former sausageman’s health issues don’t dampen his positive attitude
William Schwarz of Tiburon grew up in Belvedere, played football and rugby and headed sales for family business Schwarz Sausage Co.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
A local Italian teacher brings language and culture to the peninsula
Born in Genoa and raised in Milan, Tiburon's Alessandra Beraldi launched her own business, Italian with Alessandra, in early 2020.
By NAOMI FRIEDLAND ·
A retired teacher finds her freedom and rekindles her passion for art
Rita Bairley has visited the library two or three times a week since moving to Tiburon’s Cecilia Place in June.
By NAOMI FRIEDLAND ·
A part-time resident and her senior dogs savor local winters
Karen Pence ended up in California because her husband previously lived in Tiburon and she’s traveled to the Bay Area for work.
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
A leader in the health industry reminds herself to find the silver linings
Jessica Owens tries to savor the little things on her regular after-work walk at Blackie’s Pasture.
By NAOMI FRIEDLAND ·
An expecting, athlete mom and her hoops-loving toddler
Jack Yules is already training for the NBA — he just needs to grow another four feet.
By NAOMI FRIEDLAND ·
Provence offers inside look at magic world of truffle hunting
In the rolling hills of Provence, a timeless tradition unfolds each winter: the hunt for truffles.
By MARYBETH BOND SHEPPARD ·
A teacher turned instructional-tech educator and her street-artist son
Tiburon resident Sonja Hartl (left) and her son, Robert Sakovich of San Francisco, were walking to the Railroad & Ferry Depot Museum as part of their Shoreline Park walk Jan. 23 when they spent some time chatting to The Ark. (Francisco Martinez / The Ark) It’s been nine years since Sonja Hartl, a 77-year-old retired teacher, moved to Tiburon near Reed Elementary School. An avid walker who sometimes brings along neighbor kids, she says she was just talking with her son about one famous...
By FRANCISCO MARTINEZ ·
Local nurseries offer variety of garden gifts for the holidays
Cottage Gardens in Petaluma makes Tuffits, realistic pillows for tip-toeing through your garden. (Diane Lynch / For The Ark) The holidays seem to roll around sooner each year, but the ideas for what to get your favorite gardener become more challenging as so many of us have everything we need and more. A couple of decades ago, I got a concrete stepping stone that looks like a little chenille pillow your grandmother might have had on her sofa. My son said it was downright creepy because it...
By DIANE LYNCH ·
Grand County an adventurous gateway to Rocky Mountains
Colorado is an adventure-lover’s paradise, brimming with opportunities for skiing, hiking, fishing and exploring the breathtaking Rocky Mountain National Park. When my husband and I landed in Denver, we picked up our rental car and set off on a scenic drive of about 100 miles to Grand County. Our goal was to soak in the stunning fall colors, watch the elk rutting and explore Rocky Mountain National Park. While the eastern entrance through Estes Park draws around 80% of the park’s visitors,...
By MARYBETH BOND SHEPPARD ·
Think California natives when planting for fall
With the arrival of fall, it’s time to think about what to plant to improve the garden or fill in blanks where plants aren’t thriving or have died. Or maybe even time to consider removing some or all of the lawn, the most labor intensive and water slurping part of any landscape. With any luck, we’ll have rain this fall and winter to help new plants get established. Here I go into my rant on native plants. Natives evolved with the local fauna, insects and animals, so the ecosystem will be...
By DIANE LYNCH ·
An island-hopping cruise in Greece
My husband, Gary, and I recently took a Holland America cruise that included stops on four Greek islands and the Turkish coast. A bonus was the luxury of unpacking just once. Before our cruise could set sail into the Mediterranean, our adventure began in Athens. On our first evening, we discovered an outdoor rooftop bar with an unparalleled vista of the Acropolis. The ancient citadel stood as a timeless beacon of Greece’s storied past. As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden...
By MARYBETH BOND SHEPPARD ·
A variety of plants will attract birds to your yard
We are very fortunate to have a lot of birds in Marin. Many are seasonal and migrate through, sometimes stopping to rest, eat and breed. Marin has beaches, wetlands, forests and so many other habitats for birds to thrive in. Richardson Bay and the rest of San Francisco Bay provide food and resting places for thousands of aquatic birds during the winter migration. Birds are some of our most charismatic citizens. The plants you choose for your garden can attract birds and add to your outdoor...
By DIANE LYNCH ·
Home-grown fruits, veggies boast stand-out flavor
Some years my little Blenheim apricot tree produces more than 100 apricots, so I’ve made jam from most of them. It turns out that chilling hours are important to flavor and mine don’t get the requisite number of hours below 45 degrees or enough hot sun, both of which translate to much less flavor. Blenheims, sometimes called royals, are just the best apricot you can eat. Nothing else in the apricot world even comes close. In their quest for profit, Whole Foods recently decided to not label...
By DIANE LYNCH ·
Immerse in healing waters of Sonoma
The past few months have been punctuated with setbacks and memorials for close friends and culminated with the painful loss of our Maggie, a small Havanese-poodle mix. She was a cherished member of our family for 15 years. After Maggie died, the weight of grief settled over me and my husband, Gary, like a heavy blanket. We each grappled with the emptiness left behind by Maggie’s absence. Gary encouraged me to take a break and travel somewhere; travel always boosts my spirits. My daughter...
By MARYBETH BOND SHEPPARD ·
Rushing waterfalls can be found as close as Mill Valley
Now is the time to savor the abundant rushing waterfalls in Marin. The easiest one to view is Cascade Falls, close to downtown Mill Valley. Just stay on Throckmorton Avenue and you will come to a small parking area. From there, it is a gentle uphill climb to the falls. The trail is somewhat rocky, and be aware of tree roots that cross the trail. The Cascade Falls are lovely, tucked into the fragrant redwoods. There are green ferns of all varieties, shapes and sizes to admire. Stop, breathe...
By JOAN LINN BEKINS ·
