Marin County, people, places, culture and real-estate
What could be better on a Sunday morning than pancakes & firemen? Join the Kentfield firefighters on Sunday, October 7 for their annual pancake breakfast!
When: Sunday, Oct 7, 7:30 am to 11:30 am
Where: Kentfield Fire Station across from College of Marin, 1004 Sir Francis Drake
What: Pancakes, eggs, coffee, Smokey the Bear, fire hats for kids & lots more
Cost: Adults $6.00, Under 12- $4.00, Under 3- free.
Yum!
October 3, 2007 is International Walk & Roll to School Day! Children and adults around the globe will be walking & biking to school.
Why?
Teams of parents & students will have staging areas where students who live far from school can meet to join neighborhood children as they form “walking school buses” and “bike trains” to school. Check with your school to find out the location of the staging area closest to your house. According to Safe Routes to schools, the following schools have events planned for Walk & Roll:
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Get Out and Walk to School
Students in our local schools are learning how to save the planet. So much so, the Wall Street Journal caught it in this story, Inconvenient Youths. Kentfield’s Bacich Elementary Principal Sally Peck was quoted in the article saying “We have a responsibility to educate our children.”
Sally Peck is right and Bacich Elementary practices what it preaches. 100% of the school’s electricity is provided by a photovoltaic system.
“A home is where the bad investment is.”
-San Francisco Examiner, 1996
If you would have gone against the advice of the San Francisco Examiner and purchased a Marin home in 1996, you might have spent around $417,324 (the Marin County average in 1996). Based on appreciation rates, that same Marin home sold today would be worth about $1,100,000.
Sound like a bad investment? Worth believing everything you read in the newspaper?
Did you know 30 years ago, 66% of students walked to school? These days, that number is about 13% nationwide. Rather scary!
Safe Routes to Schools is a program designed to increase the number of kids biking and walking to school. Safe routes says children who walk or bike arrive at school refreshed and alert. An academic benefit? Great! Obviously there are health benefits too with the addition of regular physical activity.
According to the Marin County Congestion Management Agency, 21-27% of morning traffic is caused by parents driving kids to school. More kids walking & biking could reduce morning traffic and improve the environment- fewer emissions!
Before you pick up those car keys, think about walking the kids to school. It could be great for you too!
As expected, the Fed lowered the Federal fund rate on Tuesday. It also cut the discount rate by 50 basis points – this was not expected. This move shot a healthy dose of confidence in Wall Street causing stock prices to soar. So what does it mean to the mortgage market?
On the longer-term mortgages, the answer is likely to be “not much.†The Federal Reserve announced on Tuesday that it would cut the Federal funds rate from 5.25% to 4.75%. It also cut the discount rate, the rate that the Federal Reserve makes direct loans to banks, from 5.75% to 5.25%.
The rate cuts should translate into lower rates for short-term loans or adjustable loans such as home equity lines of credit, credit cards, business loans, and car loans. For individuals shopping for a 30-year fixed loan, the mortgage rate typically moves in-line with the interest rate on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note.
The 21st Annual Kentfield Woodlands BBQ was a huge success. How can you go wrong with dunking tanks, face painting and of course the big hit- The Crunchy Frog band. The barbecue raised funds for the Kentfield Schools Foundation.
I had a wrap up planned, but Sharon Gray over at the Examiner did such a great one, I will send you over there!
China Camp is beautiful protected area in Marin County, California. Originally a Chinese shrimp fishing village in the late 1800s, China Camp is now a California State Park. China Camp is located 4 miles east of San Rafael, on the shores of the San Pablo Bay, which feeds into the San Francisco Bay. The gorgeous area features marshes and many different types of wildlife. The area has great hiking and biking trails, tent camping sites, and group picnic areas. Looking for an afternoon outing? Check out China Camp-a gorgeous natural habitat in our own backyard.
Ever had one of those neighbors who just drives you crazy? The neighbor who parks their car in front of your house every day, or watches your house from their window? What about the dog barking incessantly next door?
Neighbors can make the neighborhood or break it. Barbara Corcoran, founder of the Corcoran Group, has some great tips on dealing with nuisance neighbors, as well as tips to find out exactly what the neighborhood is like – before you purchase.
My advice- walk the neighborhood, morning, mid-day & evening, week day & week end. The people and the traffic patterns can vary greatly depending on when you go.
Don’t miss out on the fun at the 21st Annual Woodland BBQ benefiting the Kentfield Schools Foundation! Enjoy tunes by the Crunchy Frog Band (funky name but they are supposed to be REALLY good!), dunk tank, hoops, games, jumpee slide, face painting and more!
This event is sponsored and hosted by Woodlands Market. Please support them back by shopping at the market- they are a huge supporter of Marin County schools! I hope to see you there.