The Marin Municipal Water District is gearing up to replace old, leak-prone pipes in San Anselmo and Corte Madera. The district’s board authorized construction contracts last week with Maggiora & Ghilotti Inc. for the two projects. One contract is for $2.86 million of work on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard near Archie Williams High School, and the other is for $4.38 million in the Marin Estates neighborhood around Granada Drive in east Corte Madera. Although the San Anselmo project is smaller, the traffic implications are much greater as Sir Francis Drake is a major thoroughfare for the great ..read more

Stephen Curry has another trophy to add to his mantel. The 36-year-old Curry was named the 2023-24 Clutch Player of the Year. He finished with 45 of 99 first-place votes, edging out DeMar DeRozan at the ballot box. Curry is the second winner of the award, which was won by Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox in its inaugural year last season. Curry led the NBA in total points scored in the clutch — defined as games within five points and under five minutes remaining — with 189. DeRozan was second (182), followed by Damian Lillard (139). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the third finalist alongside Curry and DeRo ..read more

Ask almost any police chief the reasons behind the last year’s rash of well-organized and orchestrated “smash-and-grab” robberies around California and chances are they will say it’s largely because of the 2014 Proposition 47. Most would cite a need to change or reverse Prop. 47’s raise in the minimum theft value considered a felony to $950, or at least suggest a lower limit. But that “solution” ignores the reality that police don’t like dealing with the trivial. Set the limit too low and large numbers of shoplifters could get off scot-free, with not even a misdemeanor conviction because many ..read more

The idea of recycling more than 1.5 million used children’s books to schools, families and students throughout Marin and beyond might sound exhausting, but not to Marilyn Nemzer. The Tiburon resident hasn’t missed a beat in 37 years of directing the effort. “Nobody can figure out why I did it,” she said this week at her expansive operation in Terra Linda. “I just had so much fun meeting all the teachers, parents and the students who were all so excited to get the books.” On June 1, Nemzer will step aside as executive director of the Book Exchange. The operation, until now the local arm of a gl ..read more

I spent 10 years working at ESPN.  When I was there it was a couple of barrack-type buildings on a plot of land in Bristol, Conn. It hardly stood out amongst the neighborhood WalMart and ShopRite Supermarket. The place where Bristolites worked more than any other, was Otis Elevator, whose world headquarters was right there amongst the mom and pop coffee shops and neighborhood hair salons.  (I will pause here so that you can tell your favorite “Business was up and down” joke). A studio tour of the ESPN “campus” consisted of a peak at the SportsCenter set, a free coffee mug and an up c ..read more

From mariachi and margaritas to foods and festivals, here’s all the ways to get your fiesta on and celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the Bay Area! Cinco de Mayo Car Show: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 4, SAP Center, 525 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a car show featuring a diverse array of autos and competitive awards, including Best Under Construction, Best Static Truck, Best Classic Truck, Best Low Rider, Best Lifted, Best Suspension, Best Engine, Best Interior, Best Paint and, of course, Best in Show. Free admission. tinyurl.com/CincoCarShow Hayward Cinco de Mayo Celebration: 10 ..read more

Friday’s local events Prep baseball San Domenico vs. Urban: 3:30 p.m., San Francisco Marin Catholic at Novato: 4 p.m., Novato HS San Marin at San Rafael: 4:30 p.m., San Rafael HS Archie Williams at Tam: 4:30 p.m., Mill Valley College baseball Marin at Los Medanos: 1 p.m., Pittsburg Boys lacrosse BCL final: Marin Academy vs. University: 3:30 p.m., Beach Chalet, SF Girls lacrosse BCL final: Marin Academy vs. University: 5:30 p.m., Beach Chalet, SF Women’s lacrosse Dominican at Colorado Mesa: 11 a.m., Grand Junction, Colo. Prep softball Piner at Novato: 4 p.m., Novato HS Marin Catholic at Terra L ..read more

Police arrested a man on allegations he stole a wallet and used the owner’s credit card to shop in Novato. Around 2 p.m. Wednesday, the police were notified about a Novato restaurant owner who lost a wallet in a parking lot, Novato police Lt. Nick Frey said. The card was used for more than $100 in fraudulent credit card charges, Frey said. Investigators reviewed surveillance camera footage and identified a suspect whom they stopped in traffic on Seventh Street. Frey said officers discovered more than 2 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle and the stolen credit card, but not the victim’s wal ..read more

Jon Bon Jovi acknowledges that the new documentary “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story” is “a little overwhelming, emotional.” It’s also a proverbial warts-and-all presentation of his life, as well as the 40-plus-year career of the band that bears his name. But Bon Jovi wouldn’t have it any other way. “All I’ve ever wanted to sell was the truth,” the 62-year-old New Jersey rock icon explains via Zoom. “If you’re not gonna show it warts and all, don’t bother. This wasn’t a VH1 ‘Behind the Music.’ I wasn’t interested in a puff piece.” “Thank You, Goodnight” — premiering Friday, April 26 on ..read more

David G. Savage | Los Angeles Times (TNS) The Supreme Court on Thursday heard former President Trump’s claim that he is entirely immune from prosecution for all of his “official acts” during his time in the White House, including his effort to overturn his loss in the 2020 election. Trump’s claim of absolute immunity has been derided by legal experts and rejected by a federal trial judge and the U.S. appeals court in Washington. But the former president and his lawyers have been winning delays with their losing arguments. Special counsel Jack Smith indicted Trump for conspiring to subvert the ..read more