Lesley McClurg

Apr 10 at 9:00 AM

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 (Sumiko Scott via Getty Images)

Guests:

Radhika Thekkath, president, Santa Clara Valley chapter of the California Native Plant Society

Tracy Salcedo, outdoor guide author, has written multiple books about hiking in California, including “Hiking Waterfalls Northern California: A Guide to the Region’s Best Waterfall Hikes.”

Brad Day, publisher, Weekendsherpa.com – A free weekly e-mail about accessible outdoor adventures in the Bay Area.

J.R. Blair, amateur mycologist and retired lecturer in Biology at San Francisco State University.

The post Let’s Go Chasing Waterfalls (and Wildflowers and Mushrooms) appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Dust Bowl Brewing Co. is opening its long-awaited fourth taproom in Livermore, California this week. The new taproom is a key tenant in the Shops at Livermore, adjacent to the world-famous San Francisco Premium Outlets. Livermore is just over an hour from the Dust Bowl Brewing Company brewery and taproom in Turlock.

“We are excited to open our newest taproom in the East Bay,” comments Brett Tate, Founder/Owner of Dust Bowl Brewing Co. “Livermore has a thriving craft beer community that we would like to join. Our location near the San Francisco Premium Outlets gives us great proximity to a bustling retail district and easy access from the 580 Corridor. We have been distributing our beer in the Bay Area since 2015, so we have solid brand awareness in the region. The taproom offers another opportunity to learn about and experience our brand.”

The taproom is at the north-east end of the Shops at Livermore. Both indoor and outdoor spaces are available to guests, furnished with sofas, table seating, balustrades, covered patio vignettes, and communal seating.

With an area of ​​approximately 10,000 square meters, the taproom offers ample space for guests to create their own experience. Outside, there are also fire pits and corn hole boards on the lawn. The bar features a back-to-back tap tower with 30 taps providing a wide selection of Dust Bowl beers and seltzer. The bar also has two dedicated taps for the brewery’s popular smoothie beers. Packaged beers, Growlers and Crowlers to go, and retail items such as t-shirts, hats and glassware are also available.

“Expanding our satellite taprooms is a key strategy for our growth, but more importantly, we just enjoy creating cool spaces for beer fans to immerse themselves in the Dust Bowl brand,” said Brett Honore, owner of Dust Bowl Brewing Co. “And what goes better with beer than a good barbecue?” We are delighted to welcome Hazy Barbecue Livermore Pit Stop as our resident food truck. The Hazy Barbecue team of owners share the same passion for excellence, so we know our guests appreciate their dedication and award-winning food as well.”

Owned by brothers Sean and Brendan Harrigan, Hazy Barbecue Livermore Pit Stop is the company’s second location. Their flagship, Hazy Barbecue, was founded in Danville in late 2020. Hazy Barbecue quickly became a local favorite and was named Best Barbecue in the East Bay by Diablo Magazine in 2023 and 2022.

“We are excited to partner with Dust Bowl,” said Sean Harrigan, co-founder and CEO of Hazy Barbecue. “Since we opened, their beer has been a staple at our 18 Danville beer dispensers. The Dust Bowl team shares our commitment to superior customer service and we can’t wait to bring the Hazy Barbecue Livermore Pit Stop experience to the Livermore community.”

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By Brandon Miller, CFP

My great uncle’s poorly fitting toupee was a source of endless amusement to me as a kid. On hot days, it would slide to one side and the soon patch he was trying to hide would moon observers. In the wind, it might flap up and down, flip over an ear, or even blow off altogether. I had to enjoy the hilarity silently, however, as my elders made it clear that uncle’s wig was not something we talked about.

Insurance is a bit like that errant hairpiece in that it’s not something people talk about. Conversing about a commodity that’s only good when things go bad is a bit of a downer, after all. But it’s even more dismal not to have the right insurance and coverage amounts when you need it. So, let’s quickly review what you need and why, and some tips to help make insurance work better for you.

Consolidating policies at one company is easier on you and may lower your payment. Another general rule is to cover little things yourself (a bent fender) and have insurance pay for the big things (a totaled car). Higher deductibles and/or longer waiting periods can help you do this.

More tips include:

health Although not mandated at the Federal level, everyone needs health insurance, which many get through an employer or Medicare. If your employment status is “self” or “un” and you’re under 65, Covered California provides an open marketplace that might save you on coverage from brand-name insurers.

Got a high-deductible health plan? You might qualify for a Health Savings Account (HSA). The annual amount you and/or your employer can contribute each year is modest, but the money you put in isn’t taxed, the account’s earnings aren’t taxed, and your distributions aren’t taxed. It’s a hidden investment tool, if you ask me.

Automobile – If you have a car, you need auto insurance, plain and simple. But maybe you can drop collision coverage if the car is really old.

property Anything with a mortgage requires insurance. But even if you own your property outright, it might make sense to carry some protection. Building costs are soaring, so double-check how much you’ll really get if your home and the contents are destroyed. A yearly review by your insurance broker or financial planner can help save you from draining your savings at a vulnerable time.

Earthquake insurance has been improved recently, and is becoming increasingly important the more equity you have in your home. Flood insurance might be smart if your property is in a flood plain. As for wildfires, homeowners’ insurance should cover the damage. It’s just hard to get policies in certain areas. The California FAIR Plan is designed to make this easier.

Umbrella – This has nothing to do with rain and everything to do with protecting your assets. It extends the liability coverage of your car and homeowners’ policies and includes situations they don’t cover, such as mentally anguish and psychological harm. Umbrella insurance is fairly inexpensive and I highly recommend most people get it.

disability Do you depend on a paycheck? Then you need disability insurance. Your employer’s coverage (if any) is likely inadequate, Social Security is notoriously stingy about who qualifies, and bills don’t end just because your income stream has. Get as much as you can qualify (and pay) for because living expenses don’t tend to go down over time.

Term and Whole Life You can rent or own coverage for an untimely death. Term is great for temporary situations, such as until your mortgage is paid off. Whole or permanent insurance is more costly, but it’s also a way to build equity, fund a trust, add liquidity to your estate so the kids don’t have to sell the house to pay the taxes, and it offers tax-free accumulation to high-income earners.

Long-term Care – This coverage is for expenses related to nursing home care, home healthcare, adult daycare, etc. for those over 65. It’s expensive, so it may not make sense if you’re rich (estate worth over $5 mil) or poor (Medi- Cal wants to kick in). You have to qualify, so get it early—50–55 is an ideal age—especially if dementia runs in your family.

Yes, insurance is no fun, but don’t neglect getting what you need to truly protect yourself, your loved ones, and your lifestyle. Because lack of coverage is the last thing you want when a fierce wind uncovers your soon spot.

Brio does not provide tax or legal advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be taken as such. The opinions expressed in this article are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security. It is only intended to provide education about the financial industry. To determine which investments may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. Any past performance discussed during this program is no guarantee of future results. Any indices referenced for comparison are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. As always please remember investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital; please seek advice from a licensed professional.

Brio Financial Group is a registered investment adviser. SEC Registration does not constitute an endorsement of Brio by the SEC nor does it indicate that Brio has attained a particular level of skill or ability. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Brio Financial Group and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. No advice may be rendered by Brio Financial Group unless a client service agreement is in place.

Brandon Miller, CFP®, is a financial consultant at Brio Financial Group in San Francisco, specializing in helping LGBT individuals and families plan and achieve their financial goals.

Published on August 11, 2022

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Britons can now search a huge online archive to see how the places in which they live looked more than a century ago.

More than 300,000 images taken in cities, towns and villages up and down the country during the 19th and 20th century have been made available on ancestry website Findmypast. 

Users can search by location, year or by using a key word to find the images, which are from vintage photo archive the Francis Frith Collection. 

One photo, taken on a street in Holborn, central London, in 1895, shows a muzzled ‘dancing’ bear holding a stick in the crook of its paw.  

Another image, taken in Greenwich, south-east London, in 1884, shows a small barefoot boy selling ‘Bryant & May’ matches. 

Dressed in a black cap, top and rolled up, fraying trousers, the child is seen holding out in front of him a box of matches from the brand, which still exists today.

A third image, also taken in Greenwich, shows a pensive chimney sweep posing side-on with his tools balanced on his shoulder. The photo of the man was taken in 1884, 20 years after it became illegal for children to be sent up chimneys. 

Other photos show Victorian scenes in other towns and cities, including a group of women walking on Mount Snowdon in Wales in 1895 and traders in front of Edinburgh Castle in 1883.  

Holding a stick in the crook of its paw, a muzzled bear stands on its hind legs as it ‘dances’ for Londoners. The heart-breaking image, which was taken on a street in Holborn in 1895, shines a light onto a practice which was carried out for the enjoyment of spectators for hundreds of years until it was finally outlawed in 1911

Another image, taken in Greenwich, south-east London, in 1884, shows a small barefoot boy selling ‘Bryant & May’ matches. Dressed in a black cap, top and rolled up, fraying trousers, the child is seen holding out in front of him a box of matches from the brand, which still exists today. The photo is one of more than 300,000 images taken in cities, towns and villages up and down the country during the 19th and 20th century which are newly-available on ancestry website Findmypast

A third image, also taken in Greenwich, shows a pensive chimney sweep posing side-on with his tools balanced on his shoulder. The photo of the man was taken in 1884, 20 years after it became illegal for children to be sent up chimneys

How the archive works 

Britons who want to search the newly-available archive need to be members of Findmypast. 

They can input a location, date or key word to find images of their home towns and other places of interest. 

Each photo also shows the image’s original caption and where it was taken, along with the latitude and longitude to make it easy to find on Google Maps.  

Also included are images of individuals, families, and significant national and local events ranging from Royal Jubilees to village fetes, as well a wide variety of images captured overseas.

Click here to view the archive.  

The archive, released in partnership with publishing company Francis Frith, spans from 1860 to 1970 and covers more than 9,000 cities, towns and villages across the UK. 

Whilst the trove is only accessible to Findmypast members, users can search for place names to see how they looked when Queen Victoria was on the throne. 

Findmypast’s licensing chief Paul Nixon said: ‘One of the many joys of the Francis Frith collection is seeing how our villages, towns and cities have evolved over time. 

‘I was amazed to see that the busy road close to where I live was little more than a muddy track less than a hundred years ago. Seeing these images adds real context to the lives our ancestors lived.’

John Buck, managing director of the Francis Frith Collection, added: ‘It is a remarkable and unique photographic record of Britain over 110 years of change that is also a wonderful resource for local and social historians as well as genealogists or anyone compiling their family history.’

More than 150 years ago pioneering Victorian Francis Frith set about creating the first ever photographic record of Britain. 

Born in Derbyshire in 1822, Frith – a former grocer – made a fortune in two businesses before focusing his attention on photography.

An early pioneer of the landscape aesthetic, in 1860 he founded Francis Frith & Co that created this enormous archive.

Frith and his team of photographers journeyed across the UK and abroad to take photos and then sell them.

The archive, released in partnership with publishing company Francis Frith, spans from 1860 to 1970 and covers more than 9,000 cities, towns and villages across the UK. Users can search by location, date, or by putting in a key word 

Strenuous: A walking party on Mount Snowdon in Wales in 1895. The four women are seen dressed in long skirts and buttoned blouses, whilst a man behind them stands in a three-piece suit and cap

Whilst the trove is only accessible to Findmypast members, users can search for place names to see how they looked when Queen Victoria was on the throne. Above: A tea party in Caernarfon, Wales, in 1900

Making a living: This image, which was taken in Greenwich in 1884, shows a man selling ginger cakes from a tray suspended on a strap hanging around his shoulders. The bearded man, who is wearing a cap, also appears to have one oversized shoe – a possible sign that he has some kind of deformity

Tools of the trade: This professional knife sharpener, working in London in 1885, is seen with his machinery on a street in the capital

Peaceful: Dublin’s ancient Christchurch Cathedral, which was founded nearly 1,000 years ago in 1030, is seen above in 1880 and more recently

This image shows a row of shops in Edinburgh in 1883 and more recently, with the city’s imposing castle seen looming in the background 

A familiar sight: London’s Westminster Bridge in 1890. Travelling across the landmark are scores of pedestrians, along with horses and carriages. In the background are the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben 

Today, the scene is very similar, besides the presence of cars on the bridge and the imposing Portcullis House in the background

Digging for treasure: These miners are seen at Gwynfynydd gold mine, near Ganllwyd, north Wales, in 1890

Glenarm Castle, in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, is seen above in 1890, compared with how it looks more recently. The building is the ancestral home of the Earl of Antrim and was built in 1636

Blackpool’s Central Beach is seen above in 1890, with the pier in the background. Local traders are on the sand with their horses and stalls. Just four years after the photo was taken, the famous Blackpool Tower – shown above in a recent photo -opened

Times have changed: Manchester’s St Ann’s Square is seen above in 1876. A matching recent photo shows much the street has changed

A horse-drawn ‘bus’ travels down a snow-covered Queen Street in Cardiff in 1893, as pedestrians look for a chance to cross the road

Two women and two men walk down the Isle of Wight’s Ryde Pier in 1895. The structure was first opened in 1814 and still stands today 

Birmingham’s The Junction pub is seen above in 1890. The venue, which no longer exists, stood on Francis Street

Maypole dancing at the Children’s Festival in the Bournville model village in Birmingham in 1900. The village was founded by the Cadbury family for employees at its Cadbury’s factory

These two fishermen are seen in Looe, Cornwall, in 1903. One of the grizzled men is wearing a full-body rain coat, complete with hood. The man sitting next to him is sporting a jumper and cap

Children play on the beach in the village of Instow, in north Devon, in 1919. Most of the boys are dressed in caps and shorts

Bustling: Dozens of locals in the Yorkshire town of Settle are seen perusing goods displayed on various stalls on Market Day in 1921

A timeless tradition: Children watch a Punch and Judy show at ‘Children’s Corner’ on Lowestoft beach in Suffolk in 1952

A very British holiday: Two women are seen walking into the sea at Newquay beach in Cornwall in 1925. One of them is carrying a rudimentary body board. In the background, children and their parents splash about in the water

A near-deserted Peckham High Street is seen above in 1930. A few pedestrians and cars in the distance are the only signs of life

A recent photo shows how the centre of the South London district is now regularly bustling with shoppers 

The company published more than 300,000 images which were sold to tourists as souvenirs, and later as postcards.

Between 1857 and 1859. Frith undertook three expeditions up the River Nile in Egypt to take images of the ancient Pyramids and other historic sites . 

The entrepreneur was also a founding member of the Liverpool Photographic Society, which was formed in 1853.

To access Findmypast’s new collection, click here.  

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Disney has set a high bar for spectacle on Broadway. Whether we see an elephant marching down the aisle in The Lion King, a chimney sweep dancing upside down on the proscenium in Mary Poppins or a magic carpet fly in Aladdin, our jaws can often be found on the floor at a Disney show. So I’m disappointed to report that my newest version for Disney’s was firmly anchored: Frozen at the St. James Theater. Frozen is a wonderful Broadway musical by any other producer, but we’re going to a Disney show and wanting a star for more. Have our inquiries become too extreme?

Granted, my expectations for Frozen may have been too high. Based on the 2013 blockbuster that marked a comeback for Disney animation (in a landscape long dominated by Pixar), it is the story of two princesses in the Nordic kingdom of Arendelle. The young Elsa (a correspondingly fearful Ayla Schwartz) is the enchanted heiress. Her younger sister Anna (the spunky Mattea Conforti) loves her older sister and her magical powers. Elsa’s parents, however, let her wear long gloves to suppress her supernatural urges.

Once she comes of age, Elsa (Caissie Levy, who portrays a convincingly low-key adult version of the sad little girl we met) nervously prepares for her coronation. Anna (the delightfully quirky Patti Murin) is looking forward to finally opening the palace to other people. She immediately falls in love with Prince Hans (John Riddle), a lovely visitor from the Southern Isles. But when Elsa refuses her request to marry, this triggers a confrontation that causes Elsa to unleash her magic and run away from Arendelle and plunge the kingdom into eternal winter.

Patti Murin plays Anna and John Riddle plays Hans in Frozen on Broadway.
(© Deen var Meer)

This is bad news for ice cream merchant Kristoff (a stage jelani Alladin who raises his voice in forced excitement). He helps Anna find her sister with the help of his loyal reindeer Sven (hidden under Michael Curry’s gorgeous full-body doll, Andrew Pirozzi gives the most impressive performance of the night; his eerie physicality will likely remind many viewers of a great family dog). On the way they meet a walking, talking snowman named Olaf (Greg Hildreth with a Permasmile wearing a modified version of the Timon doll from the Lion King).

Director Michael Grandage borrows the tried and tested Disney canon without moving the goalposts. Special effects designer Jeremy Chernick creates Elsa’s magic in close collaboration with video designer Finn Ross, who projects icicles throughout the theater. At some point they even seem to freeze the proscenium, which was reinterpreted by the set designer Christopher Oram as a mammoth wooden arch decorated in runes. Oram’s massive set includes some beautifully painted details for the audience to see, depending on Natasha Katz’s subdued but focused lighting. Oram also made the costumes that reference the film without resorting to facsimile. A quick change in particular receives the most sustained applause of the entire show.

Jennifer Lee, who wrote the script, also wrote the book, which skilfully adapted the story for the stage along with Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez’s expanded score. The couple have added several new songs, including “Dangerous to Dream,” which lets us in on Elsa’s inner monologue during the coronation. The funny Kevin Del Aguila, who plays shopkeeper Oaken, brings us back from the break with “Hygge”, an exuberant production number about the Scandinavian concept of the cozy time (a current lifestyle trend). Arrangers Stephen Oremus and David Chase wrote a fun dance break in “Fixer Upper”, a second act number for the faun-like “Hidden Folk” who replace the film’s trolls. Everyone in the cast is committed to Rob Ashford’s joyous choreography.

Jelani Alladin (center) leads the cast of Frozen on “Fixer Upper”.
(© Deen var Meer)

Of course, none of these songs has the effect of the surefire show stopper “Let It Go”, which of course serves as the first act finale. Levy delivers a heartfelt rendition without reinventing the wheel, wrapping the song with a superficial note of glory. It really doesn’t matter how well she sings the final chorus because you can’t hear her over the sound of the audience going mad over the most magical quick change on Broadway that hits the moment Elsa finally hugs her inner Ice queen.

Frozen is nothing groundbreaking. It is a beautiful adaptation of a beloved film. Kids will love seeing their favorite characters on stage, and if they can sit still during the 2 hour and 20 minute run, they will be rewarded with the kind of atmospheric indoor environment that has become too common to spoil on Broadway to apply. Snow from the stage, marks of fame and an unforgettable quick change. What more could you want from a Broadway show? Maybe it is really dangerous to dream of more.

Caissie Levy (center) directs the cast of Disney’s Frozen on Broadway.
(© Deen var Meer)

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