Free Will Astrology, Week of Dec. 7

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Free Will Astrology, Week of Dec. 7

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky wrote, “To be free, you simply have to be so, without asking permission. You must have your own hypothesis about what you are called to do, and follow it, not giving in to circumstances or complying with them. But that sort of freedom demands powerful inner resources, a high degree of self-awareness, and a consciousness of your responsibility to yourself and therefore to other people.” That last element is where some freedom-seekers falter. They neglect their obligation to care for and serve their fellow humans. I want to make sure you don’t do that, Aries, as you launch a new phase of your liberation process. Authentic freedom is conscientious.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The term “neurodiversity” refers to the fact that the human brain functions in a wide variety of ways. There are not just a few versions of mental health and learning styles that are better than all the others. Taurus musician David Byrne believes he is neurodiverse because he is on the autism spectrum. That’s an advantage, he feels, giving him the power to focus with extra intensity on his creative pursuits. I consider myself neurodiverse because my life in the imaginal realm is just as important to me as my life in the material world. I suspect that most of us are neurodiverse in some sense—deviating from “normal” mental functioning. What about you, Taurus? The coming months will be an excellent time to explore and celebrate your own neurodiversity.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Poet Jane Hirshfield says that Zen Buddhism is built on three principles: 1. Everything changes. 2. Everything is connected. 3. Pay attention. Even if you are not a Zen practitioner, Gemini, I hope you will focus on the last two precepts in the coming weeks. If I had to summarize the formula that will bring you the most interesting experiences and feelings, it would be, “Pay attention to how everything is connected.” I hope you will intensify your intention to see how all the apparent fragments are interwoven. Here’s my secret agenda: I think it will help you register the truth that your life has a higher purpose than you’re usually aware of—and that the whole world is conspiring to help you fulfill that purpose.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Author Flannery O’Connor wrote, “You have to cherish the world at the same time that you struggle to endure it.” I will add a further thought: “You have to cherish the world at the same time that you struggle to endure it and strive to transform it into a better place.” Let’s make this one of your inspirational meditations in the coming months, Cancerian. I suspect you will have more power than usual to transform the world into a better place. Get started! (PS: Doing so will enhance your ability to endure and cherish.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Many sports journalists will tell you that while they may root for their favorite teams, they also “root for the story.” They want a compelling tale to tell. They yearn for dramatic plot twists that reveal entertaining details about interesting characters performing unique feats. That’s how I’m going to be in the coming months, Leo, at least in relation to you. I hope to see you engaged in epic sagas, creating yourself with verve as you weave your way through fun challenges and intriguing adventures. I predict my hope will be realized.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Venus is too hot and dry for humans to live on. But if travelers from Earth could figure out a way to feel comfortable there, they would enjoy a marvelous perk. The planet rotates very slowly. One complete day and night lasts for 243 Earth days and nights. That means you and a special friend could take a romantic stroll toward the sunset for as long as you wanted, and never see the sun go down. I invite you to dream up equally lyrical adventures in togetherness here on Earth during the coming months, Virgo. Your intimate alliances will thrive as you get imaginative and creative about nurturing togetherness.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): As far as I’m concerned, Libran Buddhist monk and author Thích Nhất Hạnh was one of the finest humans who ever lived. “Where do you seek the spiritual?” he asked. His answer: “You seek the spiritual in every ordinary thing that you do every day. Sweeping the floor, watering the vegetables and washing the dishes become sacred if mindfulness is there.” In the coming weeks, Libra, you will have exceptional power to live like this: to regard every event, however mundane or routine, as an opportunity to express your soulful love and gratitude for the privilege of being alive. Act as if the whole world is your precious sanctuary.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A reader named Elisa Jean tells me, “We Scorpio allies admire how Scorpios can be so solicitous and welcoming: the best party hosts. They know how to foster social situations that bring out the best in everyone and provide convivial entertainment. Yet Scorpios also know everyone’s secrets. They are connoisseurs of the skeletons in the closets. So they have the power to spawn discordant commotions and wreak havoc on people’s reputations. But they rarely do. Instead, they keep the secrets. They use their covert knowledge to weave deep connections.” Everything Ella Jean described will be your specialties in the coming weeks, Scorpio.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Of all the signs in the zodiac, you Sagittarians are least likely to stay in one location for extended periods. Many of you enjoy the need to move around from place to place. Doing so may be crucial in satisfying your quest for ever-fresh knowledge and stimulation. You understand that it’s risky to get too fixed in your habits and too dogmatic in your beliefs. So you feel an imperative to keep disrupting routines before they become deadening. When you are successful in this endeavor, it’s often due to a special talent you have: your capacity for creating an inner sense of home that enables you to feel stable and grounded as you ramble free. I believe this superpower will be extra strong during the coming months.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn author Edgar Allan Poe made this mysterious statement: “We can, at any time, double the true beauty of an actual landscape by half closing our eyes as we look at it.” What did he mean? He was referring to how crucial it is to see life “through the veil of the soul.” Merely using our physical vision gives us only half the story. To be receptive to the full glory of the world, our deepest self must also participate in the vision. Of course, this is always true. But it’s even more extra especially true than usual for you right now.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian theologian Henri Nouwen wrote, “I have discovered that the gifts of life are often hidden in the places that hurt most.” Yikes! Really? I don’t like that idea. But I will say this: If Nouwen’s theory has a grain of truth, you will capitalize on that fact in the coming weeks. Amazingly enough, a wound or pain you experienced in the past could reveal a redemptive possibility that inspires and heals you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen says it’s wise to talk to yourself. No other conversational partner is more fascinating. No one else listens as well. I offer you his advice in the hope of encouraging you to upgrade the intensity and frequency of your dialogs with yourself. It’s an excellent astrological time to go deeper with the questions you pose and to be braver in formulating your responses. Make the coming weeks be the time when you find out much more about what you truly think and feel.

The Caprice: Tiburon taste with a view

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The Caprice: Tiburon taste with a view

“Dining” is a mere verb; “fine dining,” however, is an entire concept.

It encompasses everything from gustatory artistry, design, ambience, and, dare I say, romance. This is what Tiburon’s landmark restaurant, The Caprice, offers in abundance.

In its sixth decade, The Caprice continues to be a Marin County institution, now under the stewardship of Jerry and Jennifer Dal Bozzo. A restauranteur with a number of iconic dining experiences to his credit (Salito’s, Stinking Rose, The Franciscan), Jerry Dal Bozzo was keen on preserving what made The Caprice so special in the first place. 

“I have always had an attraction to The Caprice because of its unique location and all it has to offer—romantic, views, location, etc. We began spending more time in Marin, The Caprice became available, it was serendipity,” he said. “Considering The Caprice is an institution with which so many people have history, it was important for us to maintain the name and the intimate nature of the restaurant, yet better capture the views.”

An extensive remodel was overseen by Jennifer Dal Bozzo, who designed the interior and exterior buildout, leaning into a mid-century design based on the location’s architecture. The new color palette and coastal design underscore the location’s signature feature—“its incomparable panoramic views,” Jerry Dal Bozzo explained. Simply put, it’s an elegant, refined medley of both past and present that boasts a sun-kissed dining room and not a bad seat in the house.

The building is not all that was redesigned. The menu also received an overhaul.

“The menu was designed for locals to enjoy simple but unique signature dishes like Abalone Dore, ribeye steak using the best ingredients for maximum flavor,” said Jerry Dal Bozzo. “J.C. Becerra is the executive chef and Federico Carrillo is the operating chef, both long time staff members and excellent at their craft. They focus on consistency and perfection of simply prepared dishes that are memorable and have you wanting to come back for more.”

Entrées include a delectable branzino with lemon herb oil; the gnocchi with Dungeness crab and spinach fondue cheese sauce; or their signature abalone dore. On the meatier side, the Colorado lamb chops, Kurobuta tomahawk pork chop and the bone-in filet mignon are each spectacular choices. The Caprice also offers a prix fixe menu featuring a fresh mixed green salad, prime ribeye steak and Yukon gold potatoes mashed with zucchini. This is a personal fave and a go-to, should analysis paralysis strike while perusing the estimable menu.

The full bar also showcases a variety of classic and original cocktails, and the wine list brims with astute French and domestic selections—the result of a collaboration with industry veteran Thomas Koehorst. There is a wine for every palate, at reasonable price points.

“Tiburon has so much going on these days,” said Jerry Dal Bozzo. “Stroll the charming town of Tiburon’s Main Street and (take) a short walk up the shoreline promenade to The Caprice for a romantic evening and who knows…?”

The Caprice is located at 2000 Paradise Dr. in Tiburon. The restaurant is open for dinner and cocktails Monday-Sunday (5-9pm), and lunch/brunch/cocktails Friday-Sunday (12-4pm). Evening valet parking is available. For more information, visit The Caprice on the web at www.thecaprice.com or call 415-435-3400.

Formerly homeless, Jason Sarris becomes a valued community activist

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Formerly homeless, Jason Sarris becomes a valued community activist

Unless community activist Jason Sarris brought up the topic, it would be impossible to tell he spent the last dozen years living on the streets.

Sarris was a typical kid who grew up in a nice Novato family. After high school, he stayed in the city he loves and built a good life.

He worked in the family business, got married and had two children by age 34.

Then came the divorce.

It devastated Sarris, who was 36 at the time. Meth entered the picture, and soon he began using the powerful drug daily to escape his heartbreak and anger.

He quit working. He quit his kids.

“I bottomed out,” Sarris said. “Eventually, I ran out of money and lost my place. I think I was about 40 when I started couch surfing and living in my car.”

It took two more years until he ended up completely homeless. That lasted for the next decade.

At 51, the same age his father was when he died of a brain tumor, Sarris gave up meth—cold turkey.

“I knew how much my dad wanted to live, and I thought ‘what am I doing,’” Sarris said. “Health wise, I wasn’t doing good. Mentally, I wasn’t doing good.”

In part, he credits his fortitude to kick meth, a highly addictive stimulant, to the stability of living in a Novato homeless encampment. Until late 2019, Sarris spent his time on the move, chased away from place after place by the police. Then he started camping at Lee Gerner Park in downtown Novato.

There were plenty of motivations for Sarris to settle in the park. First, he knew Martin v Boise, a 2018 decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that allows homeless people to sleep outside on public property unless a city provides them with adequate shelter, was in effect.

“I was tired of being pushed around, ticketed and arrested,” Sarris said. “I knew my rights, and this was a way for me to sleep without being criminalized.”

Initially, he camped in the park without a tent. By February 2020, he made a lean-to in a grove of trees next to the park’s creek. A couple of Sarris’ friends joined him. There were seven campers a month later. It wasn’t planned or staged, he says.

Many of Novato’s residents expressed their displeasure about people inhabiting a public park next to the library. The police weren’t thrilled either.

“Sergeant [Alan] Bates came by the camp and told me there wasn’t anything the police could do about this, but there will be a day when they can,” Sarris said. “The next day, the pandemic hit.”

On March 11, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Soon after, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a recommendation that cities leave homeless encampments in place to prevent the spread of the virus.

Still, the Novato police swept the encampment in July, telling campers the park was being closed for renovations. The city offered to pay for motel rooms for a week or to send campers from out of state back home to their families. Sarris, who was two months sober at the time, took the motel room.

However, Lee Gerner Park didn’t close. The only refurbishment Sarris saw was a cyclone fence installed around the creek. The porta-potty supplied by the city was removed.

“They lied to me,” Sarris said. “It was the only reason why I moved.”

In the following couple of weeks, Sarris learned that the Marin County District Attorney’s Office had just filed felony charges against him for a drug arrest from 11 months before. His beloved Chihuahua was attacked and killed by another dog, which he blamed on being forced to move again.

Sarris’ anger grew.

“I was a mess,” he said. “My sobriety was teetering.”

Desperately wanting a stable environment again and emboldened by the CDC guideline on keeping homeless encampments intact, Sarris decided in mid-August to begin camping again in Lee Gerner Park. Nine other homeless people joined him. This time, they were more organized.

Sarris started speaking to homeless people, activists and residents about the rights of those without a roof over their heads. First up was a campaign to get the bathroom returned to the park, which was successful.

Although Sarris wasn’t necessarily gung-ho about his new role, it became clear that he had a knack for leadership. Gradually, he became more comfortable advocating for homeless people.

By the time the Novato City Council passed two anti-camping ordinances in May 2021, Sarris was one-year sober and a seasoned leader.  He contacted Anthony Prince, a Berkeley civil rights attorney, to assist the campers.

A Novato chapter of the Marin Homeless Union was formed, with Sarris serving as the president. With Sarris’ help, Prince quickly filed a federal lawsuit against Novato, and a temporary restraining order was granted that kept the city from closing the camp.

In the meantime, others began noticing Sarris’ work. He was invited to serve on the county’s Homeless Policy Steering Committee.

When he went to Legal Aid of Marin for help with 14 citations totaling almost $5,000, including tickets for jaywalking and other walking offenses, attorney Lucie Hollingsworth took note of his intelligence and public speaking skills. Sarris was quickly enlisted to testify before a state legislative hearing in favor of the Freedom to Walk Act, a bill decriminalizing jaywalking, an offense that disproportionately targets homeless people and people of color.

Even the DA’s office took Sarris’ accomplishments into consideration. In November 2021, his felony drug charges were reduced to a single misdemeanor and he received probation.

Sarris enjoyed many successes this year. In March, he threw his hat in the ring for the Marin County Board of Supervisors race in District 5. He participated in every forum held before the election, keeping the county’s homelessness issue in front of voters. Although Sarris didn’t win, he says he’s proud of the clean, positive campaign he ran.

Novato and the homeless union reached a settlement in July, and the encampment will remain open for at least two more years.

That same month, Sarris received a Section 8 housing voucher and is now living alone in an apartment in San Rafael.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Freedom to Walk Act in September. Last month, the New York Times prominently featured Sarris in an article about the law and why it was passed.

Today, Sarris, 53, continues his work on behalf of homeless people. His apartment is filled with coats he collected and will distribute to the community for the winter.

More leaders have come knocking on his door to invite him to serve on committees. He just accepted a position on Marin County’s Lived Experience Advisory Board, which assists in homelessness and housing policy making.

Sarris is also rebuilding his relationship with his children and the rest of his family. The process is slow, and he feels tremendous guilt about the years lost, but it’s going well. 

“I’m feeling very much at home right now,” Sarris said. “I’m extremely grateful to have a chance to be inside and work on myself. It was time for me to get off the street, and I’m definitely looking forward to doing some good things in the future.”

Author Emil DeAndreis at Book Passage

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Author Emil DeAndreis at Book Passage

Tell Us When To Go, the third offering from local author Emil DeAndreis, hit the stands this fall, and he will read from the book Dec. 4 at Book Passage in Corte Madera.

DeAndreis was born and raised in the Bay Area and resides in Corte Madera with his wife, Kendall, and his son, Ennio. He teaches English at College of San Mateo, contributes articles monthly to the INvisible Project and spends what free time he has left between his friends, family and writing.

DeAndreis was born and raised in the Sunset District of San Francisco, where Tell Us When To Go is predominantly set. His parents taught music from their apartment and, through this, DeAndreis formed lasting friendships that helped to color his writing later in life.

“My friends and I would take the bus home together—they would have their music lesson and then they’d come upstairs to hang out,” said DeAndreis “Now, years later, we’re all still best friends. We were in each other’s weddings and had kids at the same time. I think that’s part of why people are drawn to the warmth and humility of the male friendships in my book, because my experiences with my own friend group left me with lasting and enduring relationships that I can render sincerely in my writing.”

After graduating from high school in San Francisco, DeAndreis attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and played baseball there for four years. At the end of his time at university, he  was presented with an opportunity to pitch professionally in Europe. But, in the same month that he received the contract, he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. DeAndreis considers this period of his life as a crossroads where everything he knew about himself was turned on end.

“After being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, my body was physically limited and I was reconciling myself with those physical limitations,” said DeAndreis. “I appreciated the cerebral element of writing, which I used to find in baseball, and found that writing didn’t require the same physical element, but it challenged my mind and kept me occupied.”

DeAndreis leaned into writing and pursued his Masters in Fine Arts and Creative Writing at San Francisco State. He then moved out from home and lived in a less-than-pristine Sunset District flat with his friends. During this time period, he worked as a substitute teacher, attended night school and wrote as many short stories as he could. Then, in 2013, his first book, Beyond Folly, came out, shortly followed by his second book, Hard to Grip, in 2017.

“Originally, when I was substitute teaching, I would take all kinds of jobs all across the city, of all subjects and all ages,” explained DeAndreis. “Such a kaleidoscope of lived San Francisco experiences made it into my writing in one way or another. I felt that certain students and the narratives of these students deserved to be known and, if I didn’t write them, they wouldn’t be told.”

The concept for Tell Us When To Go originated during DeAndreis’ honeymoon in Belize: “It was storming and my wife and I were shacked up in our little rental for the afternoon ’cause it was dumping so hard outside—that’s when I started writing,” said DeAndreis.

DeAndreis’ newest book combines his collection of lived Bay Area stories and experiences to take its readers on a millennial coming-of-age journey through the familiar lens of the Silicon Valley tech boom of the 2010s. The book follows the friendship of two young men, Cole and Isaac, as they face the trials and tribulations of early adulthood, focusing on their relationship as it begins to diverge in a manner that reflects the city itself. Tell Us When To Go is told across one semester and explores a city amidst change as well as the people and friendships that are liable to change with it.

“We’re sort of living in the aftermath of a tech renaissance,” said DeAndreis. “Even in this week and the last couple of weeks, certain elements of the downfall are viral news. That guy that did FTX cryptocurrency exchange and lost millions and the Elon Musk and the Twitter thing—these are all extremes of what’s been happening in the Silicon Valley on a smaller scale for a while now. In a way, my book acts as an origin story to all of this. A lot of people who were here in 2010 will feel a connection to the observations the book makes.”

Tell Us When To Go, described by DeAndreis as being part Silicon Valley satire, part urgent glimpse into the darker sides of privilege and class disparity, is told from the perspectives of tech employees, public school teachers, failed baseball players and foster children. The book explores the friendships and lives impacted (for better or for worse) by the San Francisco tech boom.

“My book is contemporary fiction with a little bit of humor and the tenderness of these improbable friendships taking form and some of the sadnesses, realities and lived experiences of living in San Francisco,” explained DeAndreis. “Some people find it humorous, some people say the friendships were most profound and some people just really liked the baseball elements.”

Tell Us When To Go was finished during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and was met, according to DeAndreis, with a lot of rejection. However, the longer his book took to find a home, the more DeAndreis told himself that he would work doggedly to breathe life into the book to give it a chance to shine. 

Now, thanks to his hard work, determination and skill, Tell Us When To Go is set to stun readers with its raw, familiar and nostalgic take on a city that’s changing almost as fast as the people who live there. 

“It’s lonely and scary if you go into writing a book with the expectation of success and praise, so I try and write for reasons that are different than that,” explained DeAndreis. “But I think that I’ve been really really lucky that there have been stepping stones of success that opened up my book to being considered something you want to buy and read.”

Emil DeAndreis appears at 4pm, Dec. 4 at Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera. For more information, visit emildeandreis.com.

Mountain Play comes indoors with ‘Gypsy’

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Mountain Play comes indoors with ‘Gypsy’

About once a year now, the Mountain Play comes down from atop Mt. Tam’s 3,750-seat Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre and joins forces with the Ross Valley Players to present a classic Broadway musical in the 99-seat Barn Theater at the Marin Art and Garden Center. 

This year, it’s Gypsy, A Musical Fable, the Arthur Laurents/Jule Styne/Stephen Sondheim collaboration that has been an audience favorite since its debut over 60 years ago. Curiously absent from the Mountain Play’s repertoire, it’s absent no more as the show runs in Ross through Dec. 18.

Mama Rose (Dyan McBride), the mother of all stage mothers, will stop at nothing to make her daughter, Baby June (Alexandra Fry), a vaudeville child star. When the maturing June (Julia Ludwig) tires of the efforts to maintain the myth of youth and the dream of hitting it big, Rose turns to her oft-neglected daughter, Louise (Jill Jacobs). An unexpected booking in a sleazy house of burlesque leads to the creation of the legendary Gypsy Rose Lee.

Director Zoë Swenson-Graham, fresh off of the Mountain Play’s production of Hello, Dolly! (also starring McBride), does yeoman’s work bringing a BIG musical to the Barn’s small stage. McBride makes for a formidable Mama Rose, and is well supported by Jacobs, Fry, Ludwig and DC Scarpelli as Herbie, the put-upon manager and erstwhile fiancée to Rose.

The cast of 13 often does double, triple and quadruple duty, which works for many roles but doesn’t for others. The use of (mostly) adults in what are clearly roles for younger people lessens the impact of Rose’s efforts to maintain a child act well past its expiration date.

Recorded musical tracks provide the score for such memorable songs as “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “Together Wherever We Go” and “You Gotta Have A Gimmick,” a show highlight, as performed by Tanika Baptiste, Libby Oberlin and Michaela Marymor.    

The use of tracks combined with no vocal amplification made the well-delivered vocals feel like they stopped at the stage’s edge rather than filling the theater.

It was akin to watching a recording of a great live stage show on a television set. Audience members are gonna enjoy everything they see and hear, just not in the way it was originally meant to be experienced.

‘Gypsy, A Musical Fable’ runs Thurs-Sun through Dec. 18 at the Barn Theatre in the Marin Art and Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross. Thurs, 7:30pm; Fri & Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. $40. 415.383.1100. rossvalleyplayers.com.

Enter the Dragon: Harnessing primal energy

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Enter the Dragon: Harnessing primal energy

“What are you afraid of?” Merlin asks the young Arthur.

“I don’t know!” cries the lad, stunned after having withdrawn the sword from the stone and heralded the king. 

“Is it the dragon?” Merlin asks.

“Dragon?” Arthur shouts in fright. “What dragon?” 

The dragon that is everywhere, explains the wily magician.

“What should I do?” queries Arthur. “Sleep?” 

Merlin shrugs. “Just sleep in the arms of the dragon.” 

The following morning, Merlin awakes to find Arthur practicing with his new sword.

“The dragon is great with the sword!” Arthur beams. 

“Yes, yes,” Merlin says, rising. “You learn quickly.” 

The 1981 film, Excalibur, contains several such scenes sparkling with wisdom drawn from the esoteric tradition, specifically the regal initiation undergone by sacred kings who were chosen by Providence to establish empires. But what is this dragon that is everywhere, with which one entwines in order to sleep, and employs in armed combat?

In keeping with traditions that trace their way back to primordial times, medieval alchemy posited a universal agent unique in essence that serves as the primary energy source of everything in the universe, from the base matter of a stone to the wellspring of the loftiest artistic inspiration. 

This energy, which is tripartite in nature—active, passive and neutral—was often depicted as a dragon. It is the fifth element that makes possible the other four—earth, air, fire and water. Greeks called it the ether, Hindus akasha and modern science “dark energy.” It is the plastic medium engendered in the Book of Genesis when God says “Let there be light,” the invisible energy field into which the universe was manifest, from vast galaxies to the human beings who gaze up at them in wonder. 

Medieval alchemists often depicted something else: a hermaphroditic figure, half king and half queen, who stands atop a subdued dragon. In mythology, dragons typically guard priceless treasure—and beautiful princesses. The hero who conquers this primordial energy wins the gold, which is knowledge, and mates with the princess, absorbing her primordial feminine attributes, for the dragon that is everywhere is dual-polarized: positive and negative, masculine and feminine, spirit and matter. 

Tai chi may look pointless to a fatuous materialist, but initiates see a meditative dance with the dragon. For the body is not mere bone and tissue but intelligent energy, and the air around us is not empty space, but a magnetic field capable of guiding a sword to victory. 

In the end, each of us is Arthur, the solar king, with a fair princess for a soul and a crafty magician inside of us who mediates between this world and the world of the dragon. 

Ubuntu: ‘I am because you are’

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Ubuntu: ‘I am because you are’

By Robert C. Koehler

A young man clothed in body armor entered Club Q in Colorado carrying an assault rifle and started shooting as a drag queen danced. In maybe two minutes, he killed five people and wounded, according to some accounts, 18. Then a patron risked his life, tackled the shooter, held him immobile till police arrived.

Five people killed, a few more critically injured. This time the minority group targeted—“the enemy”—was the LGBTQ community.

Hatred, guns, “permission.”

In that sense, yes, America is the land of the free: free to imagine an enemy . . . free to project your own self-hatred outward, onto a specifically defined group of people and sculpt them into the enemy, perhaps with the help of others, especially via social media. We are also free, for the most part, to purchase guns, including assault rifles, and lots of ammo, and plan an attack—at a church, a school, a grocery store, a nightclub, whatever.

Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, for instance, who tweeted remorse about the Club Q shooting and said the victims and their families “are in my thoughts and prayers,” had, until then, been a notorious tweeter of anti-LGBTQ blather, making the fact-free case that they were “sick, demented” people bent on “grooming” innocent children to become gay—kind of in the same way, it seems, that refugees, according to Donald Trump, not only take our jobs but are often rapists and murderers. Create an enemy, get a following! (And guns are just for self-defense.)

We can’t stop tolerating hate until we realign ourselves with what it means to be alive, for which South Africans have a term: ubuntu: “I am because you are.”

And now we need a national stopping point, as we let this truth transform us. This will never be a perfect world. This will never be a world without conflict. But let’s pause in this moment, calm ourselves, set down our hatred and look each other in the eyes. I am because you are.

Robert Koehler is the author of ‘Courage Grows Strong at the Wound.’

Letters, Week of Nov. 30

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Letters, Week of Nov. 30

Acting Locally

Another excellent article by intrepid investigative reporter Peter Bryne, with deeply disturbing photos that Jocelyn Knight took which accompany the text!

Interestingly, on the same day I picked up your periodical, an email arrived from the campaign account of Congressmember Jared Huffman, wanting to “share reflections and experiences” from the climate catastrophe conference (COP27) he’d just gotten back from attending in Egypt. Unfortunately, that conference apparently neglected to include within its teachings a phrase initially used around the time of the first Earth Day in 1970: “Think globally, act locally.”

There is no denying our continued meaningful habitation upon this planet requires that eight billion people everywhere exhibit a level of care and stewardship heretofore lacking from too many. However, one does not need to fly over 7,000 miles from California to find obvious opportunities to change course regarding the plight of our planet. 

Point Reyes National Seashore, wholly within Huffman’s own congressional district, has significant climate altering pollution problems which have festered for decades. These could easily be solved with simple solutions; promptly get the non-Indigenous cattle and their ranchers out of the place “We the People” already paid for long ago, then fully restore the habitat plus Indigenous civilizations’ sacred sites. Happy Thanksgiving.

Tim Smith

Former Mayor of Rohnert Park

Sunlight

Holy cow?!? Excellent reporting, Peter Byrne and Bohemian! Thank you, and keep up the good work. We can only hope this situation improves sooner than later because of your efforts to bring it out in the open!

John Albritton

Via Bohemian.com

Go to Fort Ross Vineyards for Seaside Sipping

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Go to Fort Ross Vineyards for Seaside Sipping

Fort Ross-Seaview is a small wine growing region that consists primarily of steep coastal ridge vineyards set between 900 and 1,800 feet above sea level. 

The region was approved as an American Viticulture Area (AVA) in early 2012 and is defined by both its proximity to the ocean and its high elevation.

Vineyards here are rugged and difficult to farm—with most being planted on steep hillsides that can only be harvested by hand and producing low yields per acre.

Among the founders of the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA are Fort Ross Vineyard owners Linda and Lester Schwartz. The couple also founded the Fort Ross-Seaview Winegrowers Association and are active in promoting the region and its vineyards. 

Other producers that make wines from the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA include Failla, Flowers, Martinelli and Wayfarer. Fort Ross Vineyards is the only brand that also has a winery and tasting room located in the region.

Winery and Vineyards

Situated on a 100-acre property purchased by the Schwartzes in the late ’80s, Fort Ross Vineyards sits atop a hill at about 1,600 feet elevation. The winery farms around 50 acres of vineyards, growing a mixture of pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinotage (an homage to Lester and Linda Schwartz’s South African roots). 

While located in a coastal region, Fort Ross Vineyards’ estate vineyards don’t get temperatures as cool as might be expected because they sit in a protected site, with elevations that are so high that the vineyards sit primarily above the fogline. This means that while the vines are affected by the cooler air that comes off of the Pacific and the high elevation rugged terrain, the fog burns off much earlier in the day than it does in lower lying vineyards. This allows the vineyards to get more hours of direct sunlight, making the wines from this AVA riper than those from some other coastal AVAs.

Winemaking Style

The wines at Fort Ross are fresh, balanced, concentrated and elegant. Winemaker Jeff Pisoni took over winemaking in 2009, bringing with him his decade of experience of working with pinot noir from coastal and cooler climate sites. His experience, merged with Linda and Lester Schwartz’s desire for the wines to showcase the uniqueness of the terroir and to produce wines that are balanced and elegant, has led to the winery making some of the best wines in its history over the past decade.

Tastings Menus

All tastings, available by appointment only, include a flight of four wines served with four courses of paired bites prepared by the winery’s in-house chef. The menu, which changes regularly,  incorporates seasonal ingredients and flavor components that complement the wines. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options are available (and are just as delicious).

Highlights from a recent tasting menu included the following: “Roasted Wild Mushroom, White Corn Grits, Black Tea Infused Honey Pine Nuts, Laura Chenel Goat Cheese,” as well as a “Chicory & Coffee Crusted New York Strip Steak, Crispy Red Potatoes, Wild Arugula Pinotage Gastrique.”

Having done the food and wine pairing recently myself (as a gluten free diner), I can say that the experience is fantastic. 

If the sky is clear, visitors can enjoy views of the ocean. After a tasting, they can take a walk around the property’s gardens, a good excuse to spend a little bit more time in this peaceful, beautiful place.

Fort Ross Vineyards offers appointment-only tasting experiences Friday through Tuesday, 10am-3pm. The property is only open to those with an appointment. To book, visit fortrossvineyard.com/visit.

Culture Crush, Week of Nov. 30

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Culture Crush, Week of Nov. 30

San Anselmo

Marking Impressions

San Anselmo gallery Garvey|Simon presents a three-woman exhibition, Marking Impressions, featuring works by artists Melanie Parke, Claire McConaughy and Danielle Riede through Dec. 30. Paintings in the show are large in scale and embody each of the artists’ skill and creative vision “birthing exuberant environments rife with playful gesture and color,” according to a recent release. Claire McConaughy’s boldly expressive and vibrant landscape paintings evoke poetic moments connected to the present and past; Danielle Riede’s dreamy abstractions begin with a single intuitive gesture off of the canvas and then a recording of that same movement in paint; and Melanie Parke’s lush paintings combine landscape, interior and still-life elements. Garvey|Simon is located at 538 San Anselmo Ave., San Anselmo. For more information, visit garveysimon.com.

Napa

Merry Market

Oxbow Public Market ushers in the holidays with festive live music throughout the season, beginning with members of the Napa High Choir at 6 pm, Dec. 6. To underscore the holiday spirit, there will also be a 12-foot Christmas tree, a six-foot menorah, as well as two “Letters to Santa” mailboxes where children of all ages can drop off their letters to Santa. Additionally, the market has partnered with Community Action Napa Valley, NEWS and Napa Wildlife Rescue on a “Holiday Giving Tree,” where market customers can pick a tag off the tree and make a donation directly to the non-profit. Oxbow Public Market is located at 610 and 644 First Street in downtown Napa. For more information, visit oxbowpublicmarket.com.

Petaluma

Members Only at PAC

The 2022 Members Exhibition at the Petaluma Arts Center (PAC) kicked off pre-Thanksgiving with a well-attended reception for the annual showing, which has been a tradition of the Petaluma Arts Center since 2008. The show realizes PAC’s central mission: building community through the arts. This year’s exhibition, curated by Jennifer Bethke and Vicky Kumpfer, features a wide variety of media—from painting to sculpture, ceramics and beyond—showcasing a diverse range of stylistic approaches and subjects that highlight the talents of the city’s many local artists and makers. Petaluma Arts Center, 230 Lakeville St. 707-762-5600. Petalumaartscenter.org.

Santa Rosa

Drag Queen Christmas

For the eighth consecutive year, Murray & Peter present A Drag Queen Christmas. Hosted by RuPaul’s Drag Race alumna Nina West, who recently cameoed as director John Waters’ leading lady Divine in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, the show features a calvary of talented queens, performing live music, dance and comedy numbers, dressed to the nines in glitzy costumes. A VIP “meet and greet” precedes the show, at which fans can meet the queens, take pics and ask for autographs, and obtain tour swag, including an official tour poster and laminate with lanyard. The performance begins at 8 pm, Dec. 2 at the Ruth Finley Person Theater, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Rd., Santa Rosa. Tickets are $41, up to $156 for the meet and greet. More info at lutherburbankcenter.org/event/drag-queen-christmas.

Free Will Astrology, Week of Dec. 7

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky wrote, "To be free, you simply have to be so, without asking permission. You must have your own hypothesis about what you are called to do, and follow it, not giving in to circumstances or complying with them. But that sort of freedom demands powerful inner resources, a high degree of...
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The Caprice: Tiburon taste with a view

The Caprice
“Dining” is a mere verb; “fine dining,” however, is an entire concept. It encompasses everything from gustatory artistry, design, ambience, and, dare I say, romance. This is what Tiburon’s landmark restaurant, The Caprice, offers in abundance. In its sixth decade, The Caprice continues to be a Marin County institution, now under the stewardship of Jerry and Jennifer Dal Bozzo. A restauranteur...
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Formerly homeless, Jason Sarris becomes a valued community activist

Unless community activist Jason Sarris brought up the topic, it would be impossible to tell he spent the last dozen years living on the streets. Sarris was a typical kid who grew up in a nice Novato family. After high school, he stayed in the city he loves and built a good life. He worked in the family business, got married...
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Author Emil DeAndreis at Book Passage

Tell Us When To Go, the third offering from local author Emil DeAndreis, hit the stands this fall, and he will read from the book Dec. 4 at Book Passage in Corte Madera. DeAndreis was born and raised in the Bay Area and resides in Corte Madera with his wife, Kendall, and his son, Ennio. He teaches English at College...
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Mountain Play comes indoors with ‘Gypsy’

About once a year now, the Mountain Play comes down from atop Mt. Tam’s 3,750-seat Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre and joins forces with the Ross Valley Players to present a classic Broadway musical in the 99-seat Barn Theater at the Marin Art and Garden Center.  This year, it’s Gypsy, A Musical Fable, the Arthur Laurents/Jule Styne/Stephen Sondheim collaboration that has been...
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Enter the Dragon: Harnessing primal energy

“What are you afraid of?” Merlin asks the young Arthur. “I don’t know!” cries the lad, stunned after having withdrawn the sword from the stone and heralded the king.  “Is it the dragon?” Merlin asks. “Dragon?” Arthur shouts in fright. “What dragon?”  The dragon that is everywhere, explains the wily magician. “What should I do?” queries Arthur. “Sleep?”  Merlin shrugs. “Just sleep in the arms...
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Ubuntu: ‘I am because you are’

By Robert C. Koehler A young man clothed in body armor entered Club Q in Colorado carrying an assault rifle and started shooting as a drag queen danced. In maybe two minutes, he killed five people and wounded, according to some accounts, 18. Then a patron risked his life, tackled the shooter, held him immobile till police arrived. Five people killed,...
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Letters, Week of Nov. 30

Acting Locally Another excellent article by intrepid investigative reporter Peter Bryne, with deeply disturbing photos that Jocelyn Knight took which accompany the text! Interestingly, on the same day I picked up your periodical, an email arrived from the campaign account of Congressmember Jared Huffman, wanting to “share reflections and experiences” from the climate catastrophe conference (COP27) he'd just gotten back from...
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Go to Fort Ross Vineyards for Seaside Sipping

Fort Ross-Seaview is a small wine growing region that consists primarily of steep coastal ridge vineyards set between 900 and 1,800 feet above sea level.  The region was approved as an American Viticulture Area (AVA) in early 2012 and is defined by both its proximity to the ocean and its high elevation.Vineyards here are rugged and difficult to farm—with most...
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Culture Crush, Week of Nov. 30

San Anselmo Marking Impressions San Anselmo gallery Garvey|Simon presents a three-woman exhibition, Marking Impressions, featuring works by artists Melanie Parke, Claire McConaughy and Danielle Riede through Dec. 30. Paintings in the show are large in scale and embody each of the artists’ skill and creative vision “birthing exuberant environments rife with playful gesture and color,” according to a recent release. Claire...
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