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Mill Valley Hosts a Delightful, Delicious
and Dazzling All-County Mixer at
the MV Lumber Yard – Thanks to
All of the Chambers, Ambassadors and Friends Who Helped Make It Happen!!
Invest In Your Business & Save Money By Enrolling in Marin County’s Free Green Business Program – Free Seminar Set for August 22, 12-1pm There's plenty you can do via easy, free steps on your own, and our free seminar on Aug. 22nd, 12-1pm at the Mill Valley Community Center featuring Mark Chhabria, the program's coordinator, and Danielle Staude, the City of Mill Valley's sustainability coordinator. FULL STORY.
Desta Gallery Hosts Live Mural Painting By Local Muralist Nora Bruhn – July 22nd “What piece of life do I find important enough so as to spend hours creating something beyond myself; the devotional act of art making. I think living a good life while I’m here in this body and helping others do the same is invaluable.” FULL STORY.
On the Ninth Anniversary of Robin Williams’ Passing, Throckmorton Hosts an Exciting Tribute – July 22 The venue hosts a special celebration honoring Mill Valley’s favorite comedian, with proceeds supporting the Throckmorton Theatre’s Creative Inspiration Fund.FULL STORY.
Anchor Brewing Might Be Gone, but the Tradition of Anchor Distilling Lives On – With a Mill Vallley Twist Anchor Brewing might have been the first “craft brewery,” but Anchor Distilling was the Bay Area's first “craft distillery.” In 2019, when the brewery was turned over to Sapporo, Anchor Distilling was spun off and renamed Hotaling & Co. “They wanted to keep Anchor Distilling,” says longtime Mill Valley resident Dan Leese, president and CEO of SF's Hotaling & Co.FULL STORY.
Dance & Dine Under the Stars: Marin JCC Hosts Pacific Mambo Orchestra 7/29, Ricardo Lemvo 8/19 Don’t miss a pair of fantastic summer concerts, one highlighting the Latin big band sounds of the 1940s through the 1960s by the likes of Latin legends like sounds Machito, Tito Puente, and Celia Cruz on July 29, and another by multi-talented Afro-Cuban artist Ricardo Lemvo on August 19th.FULL STORY.
Mill Valley Chamber Hosts Painter Meili Zhao’s ‘The Power of Art,” a Showcase of Her Beautiful Landscape Paintings Thru Aug. 31, Artwalk is Aug. 1, 5:30-7:30pm Zhao lives in Marin with her husband and two children, currently college students.FULL STORY.
Curtain Theatre Returns to Old Mill Park With Shakespeare’s: ‘Romeo & Juliet’ – Aug. 12+13, Aug. 19+20, Aug. 26+27 & Sept. 2+3+4 (2pm) Having produced free theater in Old Mill Park for more than 20 years, and with performance dates that span Aug. 12+13, Aug. 19+20, Aug. 26+27 & Sept. 2+3+4. (all showtimes 2pm), it comes as no surprise that the theatrical juggernaut is the subject of a recent Mill Valley Historical Review piece. FULL STORY.
With Construction Waning, Let’s Eat, Drink, Shop, Gather & Enjoy Mill Valley’s Return to Expanded Lunch and Dinner Service Again!
For restaurants, retailers, galleries and their patrons who enjoy an afternoon bite to eat prior before or after some shopping, some normalcy has arrived. Many restaurants that halted lunch or limited service during construction have restored expanded service! Let’s get out of the house, enjoy this beautiful weather and eat, drink, shop, gather and enjoy the bounty of the 94941! FULL STORY.
Mill Valley Loses a Trio Local Legends
Mill Valley’s James Prochaska, a Pioneer in the Field of Psychology, Passed Away on July 9 at the Age of 80 A memorial service to celebrate the life of Dr. Prochaska will be held on September 30, 2023, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin (UUMarin) in San Rafael, California. FULL STORY.
Christopher Raker, Mill Valley Mayor From 1996-2007 and a Renowned Architect, Has Passed Away at the Age of 78 “As the owner of Goodman Building Supply and part of the family, I want to reassure everyone that we have NO plans of closing anytime soon and are still very much interested in not only continuing to run the store, but also want and will continue to be part of the Marin community.FULL STORY.
Reed Fromer, a Renowned Teacher, Musician, Bandleader and the Son of Local Soccer Legend Dave Fromer, Dies at 55 An inspiring, enthusiastic and devoted teacher, musician, composer, activist, writer, humorist, husband, father, grandfather, son, uncle, nephew, friend, and mentor to many, Fromer chose to spend his final weeks playing games, sharing memories, music, and love with loving family and friends.FULL STORY.
Goodman Building Supply’s Owner Pushes Back on Rumors The Nearly 70-Year-Old Business’ Days Are Numbered “As the owner of Goodman Building Supply and part of the family, I want to reassure everyone that we have NO plans of closing anytime soon and are still very much interested in not only continuing to run the store, but also want and will continue to be part of the Marin community.FULL STORY.
Summertime…And the Free Movies in the Park Series Is Here to Bring the Fun – ‘Finding Nemo’ Screens 8/11 The cinematic thrills continue on August 11th with "Finding Nemo," the tale of Marlin (Albert Brooks), a clown fish, is overly cautious with his son, Nemo (Alexander Gould), who has a foreshortened fin. When Nemo swims too close to the surface to prove himself, he is caught by a diver, and horrified Marlin must set out to find him. A blue reef fish named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) -- who has a really short memory -- joins Marlin and complicates the encounters with sharks, jellyfish, and a host of ocean dangers. Meanwhile, Nemo plots his escape from a dentist's fish tank. HERE'S THE TRAILER.
Milley Awards Return on 10/22 to Honor a Quintet of Creatives The Milley Awards for Creative Achievement are back! The in-person annual gala returns to the MV Community Center to honor those who have distinguished themselves in their creative field or have contributed to the MV creative life. The honorees include...FULL STORY.
Friends of Hauke Park Sues City, Citing 'Continued Discrimination' in Housing Policy Against Eastern MV Residents, Seeks Donations
Friends of Hauke Park filed a lawsuit last month against the city, citing “continued discrimination” against East Mill Valley neighborhoods. “We looked at more than 70 sites. We looked at every property the city owned,” said commissioner Greg Hildebrand. FULL STORY. UPDATE: Since then, the Planning Commission held another Study Session on the 1 Hamilton plan and, while they disagreed on some design issues, largely agreed to move forward. As one commissioner said, "There’s an approvable project here, and there’s a lot that meets the needs." Commission Chair Jon Yolles noted the housing project is likely the first of many that will be considered by the Planning Commission. “What’s at stake is losing the very form of local planning control that we now have if we don’t plan for and build the number of housing units that our housing element calls for,” Yolles said. “I just want to make sure everybody knows what’s on the line.”WATCH THE STUDY SESSION HERE.
Marin Mag to Unveil 2023 Best of County Honorees, Hosts In-Person Fundraiser to Benefit SF Marin Food Bank – Aug. 4 To no surprise on our part, Mill Valley businesses were once again wildly successful in Marin Magazine’s 2022 Best of County issue. The magazine is inviting honorees and guests to come together and celebrate – this time in person. FULL STORY.
County Serves Up Another Free 15-Minute Training – Aug. 19, 10am-2pm, All Ages In August 2022, the Office of Emergency Management/Marin County Fire held an all-county EMS life-saving skills workshop at the Depot Plaza. It generated one of the highest turnouts in the county. They’re bringing the event back to the Depot Plaza again, with the Southern Marin Fire District heading it up. HERE’S THE REASON TO ATTEND: In 15 minutes, people can learn how to: provide hands-only CPR, use an AED, stop bleeding, and use Narcan for overdoses.A Spanish language flyer is here. FULL STORY.
Makers Market’s Open Air Markets Return to the MVLY – Aug. 12 & Sept. 9 The free markets, take place surrounded by the beautiful boutiques and eateries of ‘the Yard,’ offering a stroll around the gorgeous MVLY with great food and drinks from Watershed, Eddy Bar & Bottle, Millie’s Crepe et Creme and Flour Craft Bakery.FULL STORY.
California Film Institute Unveils 46th Mill Valley Film Fest Poster & Dates: Oct. 5-15, 2023 In between its blockbuster opening and closing nights, the 45th edition of the Mill Valley Film Festival was an avalanche of amazing film that provided an early look at upcoming Academy Award contenders, some of the best films from around the globe, many talented Bay Area filmmakers and acclaimed filmmakers from countries all around the world. FULL STORY.
Mad Dogs & Englishmen Turns Internet Insanity Into Free Bikes for Marin's Trips for Kids The Lumber Yard shop owners were determined to turn the situation into a positive. They bought 75 Specialized bikes, with 25 bikes each going to three orgs, including Marin's Trips fore Kids. FULL STORY.
Equity
With Marin’s Inequities in Mind, Marin Makes County Parks Free to All Users The supervisors agreed to back fill the lost revenue with tax proceeds from Measure A, a quarter-cent sales tax that generates about $16 million annually to help fund county parks and open space, Marin’s municipal parks, agricultural easements and a grant program for sustainable agricultural uses, including community gardens.FULL STORY.
Speaking of Equity: City, MVFREE and MVPD Continue With Anti-Bias Campaign, Showcase Bias-By-Proxy Video MVFREE’s greatest work in recent months has been an anti-bias campaign involving educational flyers being mailed to homeowners containing three steps that teach white people how to curb the over-policing of Black people. FULL STORY.
Infrastructure Infusion
IJ: Marin water projects allocated $9.8M from EPA The US EPA issued grants Wednesday, with Marin among the recipients. The grants include restored wetlands in the SF Bay. Marin’s share is $9.8 million, including for the county’s stormwater program & the Richardson’s Bay Regional Agency. There's also a county grant of $4 million for stormwater treatment project designs in Mill Valley and Marin City.FULL STORY.
State Bestows $2.53M to Marin, Including $1M for Marin City A $1 million allocation in the state budget is for playground renovation at Golden Gate Village housing complex in Marin City that will include three new playgrounds. Kimberly Carroll, director of the Marin Housing Authority, said they'll work with the neighborhood’s resident council and historical consultant to create the design.FULL STORY.
2023 MV Music Fest's In the Books!
TheMill Valley Chamber‘sMill Valley Music Festival gathered upwards of 10,000 people across two amazing days to ingest arts and culture and community! We did that by bringing world-class music to our little hamlet. But…we welcome your feedback and we know we can do better. We are committed to the cause of making Mill Valley an exciting, engaging and equitable place to live in the coming years.FULL STORY.
Retail's “Shrinking Middle” As consumers nationally continue to defy inflation and drive sales, those retailers serving the middle income buyer are not benefitting. The Economist: profits at luxury retailers have soared while thrifty consumers shift purchases of basic items (think furniture and groceries) to lower priced or discount retailers, whose profits are also performing well. They are also seeing this phenomenon play out in Marin's recent closures of Bed Bath and Beyond and Lucky’s supermarket.LEARN MORE HERE AT MEF'S JUNE 6TH BRIEFING.
Call It a Comeback: Marin’s Tourism Revenue Exceeds 2019’s $832M, Then a 7-Year High Turbulence. Disruption. Tragic levels of revenue loss. These were the words used to track the years 2020 and 2021, and quite a bit of 2022. But according to the Marin Economic Forum and specifically the 2022 annual report of the Marin CVB, which promotes tourism in Marin, numbers are looking up, up and away.FULL STORY.
MVMF SIMPLY DOES NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT OUR SPONSORS & VENDORS – PLEASE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM!!
Sound Summit Returns to Benefit Mt. Tam, Unveils Loaded Lineup Headlined by Lord Huron – Sept. 9 Founder Michael Nash produces the event as an annual celebration and fundraiser for Mt. Tam State Park by Roots & Branches Conservancy nonprofit. Sound Summit has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in support to Mount Tam. FULL STORY.
Reminder: All requests for promotion must be made by Monday at 12pm for inclusion in that week's Friday Flash and EMV Blog. Thank you!. QUESTIONS? WE'RE HAPPY TO CHAT.
MILL VALLEY LOVE FEST CONTINUES
Banh Mi Zon a new tasty gem in Mill Valley White, bright and shiny, with “Hello Mill Valley” written on the wall, Banh Mi Zon, co-owned by San Rafael residents Hong Phan and Luan Nguyen, is a welcoming sight. "Marin now has its first fine-dining sustainable seafood destination."Photo by Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the IJ.FULL STORY.
Discounts Abound With the Chamber Saver Card for Businesses & Consumers! Our Chamber Saver Discount program an easy, effective way to encourage our Chamber Members to support other Members, Shop Local and save money while doing so, is now 7 years old! It's this simple: Members offer other members discounts at whatever level they choose. Email us if you want to participate and offer a discount; email us if you have questions; and email us if you need a new card. MORE INFO.
CURATED NEWS YOU CAN USE
Curated News From Mill Valley & Beyond – Week of July 17 We hope you agree that we’re one of the best sources of news and information in Marin, a communications pipeline that directly connects to the broader 94941 and Bay Area via maps, magazines and theEnjoy Mill Valley Blog. FULL LIST OF STORIES.
EMV Film Series
Our EMV Films series highlights some of the myriad creative businesses, organizations and people in Mill Valley. Thanks to filmmaker Norm Hunter and his team. To date, we've put the spotlight on historic family businesses, inspiring chefs, nightlife, MV Lumber Yard, health & wellness and the family-centric spaces of Miller Ave. – more to come! GO HERE TO CHECK OUT THE FILMS WE'VE RELEASED TO DATE.
Monthly Membership Plans! For your convenience, we offer monthly, subscription-style billing for our Mill Valley Chamber members through Stripe. Email us with questions, and let us know if you'd like to switch over to a monthly plan when you're up for renewal!
Sign Up for City's New MV Connect E-Newsletter Looking to catch up on what's happening with the City of Mill Valley? The MV Connect e-newsletter has it all. Click here to sign up for it. If that doesn't satiate your thirst for City news, the E-Notification program has dozens of topics about which you can sign up to receive email blasts.Click here to read the latest edition.
