Local champions on the care and criticism of a canine crucible: the Golden Gate Kennel Club Dog Show “You don’t have to show dogs to love them, but I think you have to love dogs to show them,” says breeder-owner-handler Pat Trotter, a Golden Gate Kennel Club maven who’s also been to Westminster 11 times. (Photo courtesy of the Golden Gate Kennel Club) The semen is always cold. It has to be. At home ...
Read MoreStanford grads disrupt the children’s book formula with Goodnight News By Eva Glasrud When it comes to parenting, it can be the simple things that are most challenging, such as the basic “How was your day?” question being answered with an abrupt-sounding one-word answer. In ways that are both predictable and cliche, many parents regard a short response as a sign of growing distance or a candid indication that their child simply doesn’t ...
Read MoreRunning behind? Out of ideas? Peninsula artists and artisans have a lot to offer. By Laura Ness The third week in December can have the holiday clock looming over you like sugar plum fairies with a disapproving gaze. Yes, it is crunch time for gift buying this holiday season, but fear not, we have compiled an eclectic guide to last-minute presents, which will not only meet the difficult standards of your mother-in-law, but support ...
Read MoreStanford Design Professor Bill Burnett recounts his time at Kenner (and how Star Wars ruined the toy industry) By Charles Russo Partial disintegration: a couple bounty hunters short of a collection. (Photo by Charles Russo) I still have my childhood Star Wars lunchbox. It’s the same one I took to my first day of pre-school…a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away (which is to say — about 40 years ago in northern New Jersey). My lunchbox ...
Read MoreChris Garrett’s San Carlos brewery follows a community-minded mantra — aficionados, families and neighbors have noticed. By Nicole Ruiz Hudson Devil’s Canyon founder Chris Garrett pulls a pint at his San Carlos taproom. (Photo by Charles Russo) Chris Garrett needed an antidote to life in the tech world. Back during the first dot-com boom, Garrett’s work monitoring chat rooms for places like RealNames and Disney left him — predictably, perhaps — a little soul weary. As a result, he began looking for ...
Read MoreThe secret life of a Silicon Valley airport In San Carlos, SQL is code for an aviation ‘cult’ that flies organ donations and rescued pets By Kali Shiloh Photos by Philip Wartena The San Carlos Airport, also known as SQL, is one of about 20 small airports in the Bay Area. (Photo by Philip Wartena) Bennett Taber steers his small aircraft toward the San Francisco Peninsula at 25,000 feet in the air, keenly aware that he is flying between tragedy ...
Read MoreSeasonal celebrations for the centennial of a Peninsula landmark By Laura Ness The meticulously manicured gardens of the Filoli Estate. (Image courtesy of Gretchine Nievarez/Filoli) This year marks the 100th anniversary for the Filoli Estate, the beloved local landmark in Woodside. While many of the official centennial celebrations have already been held and chronicled, the holiday season provides a unique opportunity to pay a visit and toast the existence and persistence of this historic ...
Read MorePerfect outdoor spots entirely conducive to your canine By Juliette Spirson Like small children, bonsai trees and just about any surfer, dogs are simply happier if they get proper outside time. It’s a simple equation really, though one that can ultimately require a bit of know-now for navigating dog-friendly locations around the region. Luckily for Peninsula residents, the area contains some spectacular spots for man’s — and less face it already, woman’s — best friend. From beaches to hillsides to ...
Read MoreThe deceased greatly outnumber the living in the Necropolis of Colma By Charles Russo The huge sprawling graveyard of Cypress Lawn Cemetery. (Photo by Charles Russo) The ravens wanted me out of the graveyard. Indignant to my presence, they protested with shrill shouts and sharp squawks, fluttering about in agitation from headstone to tree limb. The cemetery was massive, and I struggled to find my destination. Passing by a pair of weathered old tombs, I tried to assess ...
Read MoreWhat happens when you go to Redwood City’s scariest Halloween houses to give THEM candy? You make some very interesting new friends… Stay off my lawn! Scary skeletors menace one and all on this Redwood City street. (Photo by Justin Smith) Traipsing down the dark cul-de-sac, I hear a frictious screech that resembles a haunted version of my favorite childhood playground structure. Sure enough, drawing near, I see a nightmarish seesaw with demented, bloody riders ...
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