Next month marks our 20th anniversary of publishing Marin Magazine. For that issue, you’ll hear from my mother and business partner, Nikki Wood. However, before passing the baton, I wanted to point out a few of my favorite features of that first issue.
First of all, the cover! What would be our big splash? Back then I wasn’t as involved in the top line decisions, but I remember the chatter. Our little staff at One Harbor Drive, suite 208, was busy getting ready to announce our arrival. Barb Ries had already become a friend, as she photographed much of this first issue. It was an easy decision once we saw her iconic photo of a glorious gold poppy framed by a bright blue sky topped with our white mast head, Marin, Extraordinary Living, which soon flooded mailboxes around the county.
Unfortunately, College of Marin also chose to use the proud poppy as the cover of their spring brochure, nonetheless we made a splash. Flipping through the fragile pages of this first issue, I remember doing my part as a working mom with very young kids. At the time, I worked part time in and handled the “front of book” and “back of book” departments. Back then we published party photos in the front.
A quick glance brings in a flood of memories: Brad Bird, who had just written and directed The Incredibles, poses with his wife, and on the next page, Pam Hamilton, of her eponymous PR company. Pam had tracked me down a few months earlier at the Camino Alto Starbucks in Mill Valley. “If there is a new magazine here in Marin, I need to know everything!” she had said. Sadly she passed a few years later, but we’ve continued to work closely with her colleagues Stephanie Clarke and Clara Franco. At that same party, Christopher B. Smith (the man, not the theater), smiles for the camera.
Next page, Gavin Newsom and Michael Mina are both attending a Susan G. Komen Pink Tie Ball in San Francisco, and the one that gave me pause, the dearly missed supervisors Hal Brown and Charles McGlashan at Marin Valentine’s Ball. Brown looks distracted, as if he was willing someone just off camera to do something — he founded the event in 1996, and it continues to thrive. Also photographed is Susan Gilmore, founder and president of North Bay Children’s Center.
In his POV column, Jim Wood interviewed Chris Godley, the county’s then manager of emergency services, about potential terrorist attacks — the country was still a bit shaky back then. Jim also started his love affair with Marin history, with an article on the Crookedest Railroad.
We also featured a young Dale Bredesen at the Buck Institute. It’s encouraging to read his predictions have come to fruition, as the institute continues to produce game-changing medical research.
One of my favorite faces from 2004 is Sol Hernandez’s beautiful smile featured in an article about her newly opened restaurant, Sol Food, in San Rafael. Throughout the years, I’ve tried to engage with her again, so it’s great to see we caught her early on.
Kudos to then publisher and co-founder Lisa Shanower, for the pages and pages of ads. Familiar brands, such as the Town Center, The Village and Strawberry Village shopping centers and Whole Foods, luxury brands including Gump’s and Shreve & Co., showcasing a sultry Diana Krall, who has not aged! And some of our longtime partners, who’ve grown their businesses along with Marin Magazine, such as Shana Rohde-Lynch’s young face smiling on a Go2Marin.com ad. Back then she had an AOL email address. These days she can be reached at [email protected].
Throughout the years, decades, we’ve been lucky to showcase our amazing home here in Marin, as well as the people that make our county continue to be ranked as housing the healthiest, happiest and longest living population in the country. Bringing us back to the glorious poppy, flip to page 19 for Jim Wood’s photo of poppies at Blackie’s Pasture, which he planted along with the Tiburon Green Team just for you to enjoy this spring. Tag us @marinmagazine on Instagram if you come upon any beautiful wildflowers on your adventures. We’d love to share the floral love. Finally, please join us at our 20th Anniversary for the Ultimate Garden Party at Marin Art and Garden Center on April 6 to celebrate all things Marin!
Mimi Towle has been the editor of Marin Magazine for over a decade. She lived with her family in Sycamore Park and Strawberry and thoroughly enjoyed raising two daughters in the mayhem of Marin’s youth sports; soccer, swim, volleyball, ballet, hip hop, gymnastics and many many hours spent at Miwok Stables. Her community involvements include volunteering at her daughter’s schools, coaching soccer and volleyball (glorified snack mom), being on the board of both Richardson Bay Audubon Center. Currently residing on a floating home in Sausalito, she enjoys all water activity, including learning how to steer a 6-person canoe for the Tamalpais Outrigger Canoe Club. Born and raised in Hawaii, her fondness for the islands has on occasion made its way into the pages of the magazine.
