Archive for the ‘Fairfax’ Category
Mountain bikers won’t want to miss this year’s annual Turkey Ride in Fairfax. It’s a 3-4 hour Thanksgiving Day ride out along the Pine Mountain Loop. Started in 1975 and celebrating the birthplace of mountain biking, this ride is an epic way to work up an appetite before you stuff yourself with all that turkey and mashed potatoes. Meet at Java Hut between 8-9 am for the start, and then end the ride at the Gestault Haus and top it off with a frosty pint of German beer. Last year we had something like 1,000 riders. Gobble, gobble!
This week we brought on this super cute cottage just over the San Anselmo/Fairfax border. It has a flat lawn, tons of charm, and the location is great. A stone’s throw to downtown and a block from the new Good Earth grocery store, but just far enough from Sir Francis Drake to avoid the road noise. First Sunday open house tomorrow! www.20willowave.com
We brought on a really cool new listing in Fairfax this week. An updated, open floor plan, mid-century home in a beautiful setting. Only a couple minutes up the hill from downtown. We’ll have it open both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, Aug. 13th and 14th, 1:00-4:00 pm. www.30mountainviewroad.com.
If you’re looking for a good place to get some friends together for a picnic in Marin, then look no further than the Lake Lagunitas Picnic Area, just eight minutes from downtown Fairfax. The kids can go fishing, play in the creek, or ride their bikes around in the parking lot. We like to bring our mt. bikes and ride around the lake with the whole family. We also like this spot because it’s set in a redwood grove with lots of shade, and has good sized picnic tables with large bbq/grill areas.
We usually reserve the large tables and grills when we know it’s a large group, but if you’re just going with a couple of families you might not need to reserve in advance as there are almost always enough tables to go around. A good hike is to make a loop with the kids around the lake…it takes about 30 minutes. In the summer when it gets hot this is the perfect place to hang out in the shade and be with friends. I have to say it’s one of the most beautiful places in Marin.
The picnic area is at the end of the road adjacent to the parking lot. You’ll find directions and info on reservations here.
With all the rain we’re having it’s a perfect time to check out Marin County’s waterfalls, and Fairfax is a good place to start. One of our favorites is easy to get to and just a 10 minute walk from the road. Park at the top of Sir Francis Drake on the right as you hit the summit out of Fairfax and before descending into Woodacre. It’s a big waterfall and a nice hike for the kids or dog.
Also in Fairfax, Cataract Falls is one of the most popular in Marin and a good hike as well. There are a couple of ways to access it, and you’ll find good directions here.
Also, check out the waterfall at the end of Mountain View Dr. in San Rafael’s Dominican neighborhood. It’s handy as you don’t really have to hike to get there.
And at the north end of the county there’s the Arroyo de San Jose Waterfall on the trail at the end of Fairway Dr. in Novato. It’s also a nice hike and fun for the kids.
And if you’re really into exploring all the waterfalls Marin County has to offer you might want to check out Waterfallswest.com. It’s now a pay site but looks to be the most comprehensive resource.
In order to accommodate rising elementary school enrollment in Fairfax and San Anselmo the Ross Vally School District Board is in the process of redrawing the boundaries that determine which school goes with which neighborhood. It’s part of a process that will also split the two Brookside Elementary campuses into separate K-5 schools.
According to the RSVD website the aim of the changes will be to:
- Create and maintain four, independent “k-5” schools of similar size
- Prioritize enrollment for residents who live closest to a school site and within its boundary – taking into consideration natural geographic boundaries – to:
- enable and encourage walking and biking to school, and
- minimize the number of people traveling by car.
- Align with Safe Routes to School for students who walk or bike to school.
- Maintain accessibility to District-wide programs (e.g., MAP and the Learning Center).
- Minimize the number of current students who must change schools during the transition phase as a result of these boundary adjustments.
Jack Schreder & Associates, the consulting firm the board hired, has come up with four scenarios for redrawing the boundaries. They say that they’re now going to look at more tax assessor and census data, get input from the Board of Trustees, district staff, and the community, and then do some recalculating before presenting a final scenario.
There’s a special board meeting tomorrow night at White Hill Middle School to discuss the process. The Powerpoint presentation outlining the four enrollment boundary options is available here. For more info visit the RVSD website or contact the district office at 415.454.2162.
Sorella Caffe in Fairfax is one of our favorite local places to bring the whole family. The name means “sister” in Italian–appropriate as it’s owned by two sisters–and the food, ambiance and service are top notch. We eat here often and both sisters are always there to greet us. Using fresh, organic ingredients, the pasta and seafood dishes are excellent and you have to try the Mista salad with their homemade salad dressing–a secret recipe.
With a fireplace and live music on the weekends, the ambience is very relaxed and it’s a great place to bring the kids, who especially love the big block of parmesan cheese they bring to your table to start out your dinner and the big bowl of gummy bears and animal cookies they bring out for free after your meal. We’ve eaten here probably thirty times and the service has always been amazing. This is one of our favorite restaurants in Marin. Check it out and let us know what you think!
Contributed by Ross Valley mom Kim Baskind
Measure A is on the ballot this November in an effort to raise a $41 Million bond to fix the overcrowding in Ross Valley schools. Two thirds of classrooms at the White Hill Middle school campus are being conducted in deteriorating portables. In two years the high population of fourth graders will be entering sixth grade at White Hill School which is already beyond capacity. The parents of children in the Ross Valley school district put this video together to help inform the public.
Measure A costs $29 per $100,000 of your home’s assessed value. For more answers to your questions about prop A visit their website, or visit Ross Valley Schools FAQ page.
Peace, sustainability, reggae, and fire dancing will all be in the mix at the Good Festival, happening this Saturday in downtown Fairfax. Sounds like a great opportunity to channel your inner hippie and see a side of Marin that sometimes gets lost amid the Range Rovers these days. It’s on from 11-6 on Saturday, August 7th at Bolinas Park.
An increase in the number of five and six-year-olds entering Marin public schools is forcing some Marin districts to get creative. According to the San Rafael City Schools enrollment office, some 390 fifth graders will be graduating this Spring but there will be 560 kindergartners entering district schools this Fall. For the 2010-2011 school year Sun Valley, Coleman, and Bahia Vista elementary schools would have more kids than class space.
To meet the increased demand the district is in the process of adding three kindergarten classes for the coming school year at Short Elementary, the formerly decommissioned school at Marin and Bayview in Gerstle Park. People in the enrollment office said they’ll also have a preschool for special needs kids at the site. They said to keep an eye on the district website for updates.
The Ross Valley School District is also working on options to handle increased enrollment in Fairfax and San Anselmo. There’s been a lot of talk about reopening the Deer Park School as a K-5, but according to the website they’ll be deciding on a course of action by June.