Facing closure deadline, Drakes Bay oyster farm harvests final crop

By New Year’s Day, there should be no more oysters in Drakes Estero, a placid estuary in the Point Reyes National Seashore that has been, for the better part of eight years, the setting for a tempest of epic proportions. 

Ranchers, environmentalists, scientists, food lovers and famous chefs, members of Congress and a bevy of lawyers have been embroiled in the conflict over a family-owned farm that planted millions of tiny oysters in the estero’s cold, clear waters and harvested $1.5 million worth of table-ready bivalves a year, continuing an aquaculture operation dating back to the 1930s. 

Questions over the Drakes Bay Oyster Co.’s impact, good or bad, on the 2,500-acre Pacific Ocean estuary, and how the company was treated by the federal government, fairly or unfairly, raised passions that likely will persist for years in west Marin County and beyond. 

But two things are clear: Those questions were never answered in a two-year legal battle that went to the U.S. Supreme Court’s doorstep, and to some degree they no longer matter because the oysters are rapidly disappearing, with workers hauling them out by the boatload each day. 

“Kind of a mad dash to get everything out of the bay,” co-owner Kevin Lunny said last week, standing near the water’s edge at the company’s small base at the north end of Schooner Bay, one of the estero’s five fingers. 

Three large piles of unopened oysters lay nearby, and as Lunny talked, a double-barge load of oysters in black plastic grow bags approached the weathered dock, adjacent to the oyster sales shack that was shuttered in July. 

There are 1 to 2 million oysters remaining in the estero, and Lunny’s company has until midnight Dec. 31 to get them all out and to vacate the site, according to a settlement agreement approved by a federal judge in October, ending two years of litigation. 

The National Park Service, which prevailed in court, is now making plans to scrape the company’s 5-acre site clear of structures and remove everything else, including five miles of wooden oyster racks embedded in the estero’s sandy bottom, restoring the waterway to a natural condition seen by few living people. 

That work should be completed by the end of next year, and the estero — home to a harbor seal colony, bat rays, leopard sharks, crabs and vast beds of green eelgrass — will continue to be a mecca for nature lovers. 

“That’s why it’s so exciting,” said Neal Desai of the National Parks Conservation Association. “This has always been about fulfilling the protection for such an amazing place. It’s a public interest victory.” 

Meanwhile, the west Marin community, which has been bitterly divided over the oyster farm’s fate, needs to get on with plans for the future of the surrounding cattle ranches and oyster farming in nearby Tomales Bay, said Marin County Supervisor Steve Kinsey, who has represented the area for 18 years. 

“The main thing is it’s over,” Kinsey said. “The wounds were deep and even when it heals there’s a scar there.” 

The supervisor said he initially supported Lunny’s bid to renew his permit for a commercial oyster operation in a waterway designated by Congress for wilderness status. But after former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar declined to renew the farm’s permit in November 2012, Kinsey said he decided “our job was to live with it.” 

Lunny immediately filed a federal lawsuit, alleging the secretary’s action was “arbitrary and capricious,” but federal judges disagreed three times and the Supreme Court ended the matter, deciding in June that it would not hear the case that sparked national attention and debate about for-profit use of federal park lands. 

The end of the oyster farm upholds a promise put forward decades ago in law to fully protect Drakes Estero, but it also severs ties to a cherished history of shellfish farming in the waterway.

“We won a wilderness, but we lost a legacy,” Kinsey said, referring to the generations of families that came to Drakes Estero to buy fresh oysters and picnic on the beach. “I hear a deep remorse from many folks who have lived here a long time.” 

Amy Trainer, executive director of the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin, said the estero will be a wildlife refuge and “a source of recreation, spiritual renewal and refreshment” for humans. It also will be a “place to celebrate good government in action,” she said, where wilderness values prevailed over “the most formidable opposition.” 

Melanie Gunn, the National Park Service outreach coordinator at Point Reyes seashore, acknowledged the conflict over Lunny’s oyster farm strained both the park and the community. “I think we’re all grateful to be moving forward,” she said. 

For Lunny, the end means sending his crew out, rain or shine, to bring in three to four barge loads a day, with 30,000 to 40,000 oysters per load. “It’s going to take every minute between now and Dec. 31 to get them all out,” he said last week. 

Lunny’s reports to the Park Service, mandated by the settlement agreement, said his company removed nearly 500,000 oysters from the estero in September and October, with no report in yet for November. 

The oysters are coming in so fast that many, including those too small to sell, are piled on the beach to rot, while the rest are shipped to restaurants and markets. “This is food being destroyed,” Lunny said, gesturing toward a fresh pile of mollusks that would sell for as much as $3.50 each if served on a half-shell at a restaurant. 

The abandoned oysters will be trucked to a ranch, where they will dry and bleach in the sun for two years, killing everything inside and on the gnarled shells, which are then used in habitat restoration projects, including snowy plover nesting sites. 

Lunny, whose family purchased the oyster farm in 2004, shared that he still thinks the Supreme Court would have ruled in his favor had it taken the case, but said he understands that the justices “have a lot of important cases” and consider only a fraction of them — actually about 1 percent of the 10,000 cases the high court receives each year. 

Among those who rallied to the oyster farm’s defense were famed Berkeley chef Alice Waters, who co-signed a legal brief that praised the Lunnys’ dedication to “sustainable agriculture,” and California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who sought to grant the oyster farm a new permit through legislation in 2009 but wound up with a bill that left the decision up to the Interior Secretary. 

In the end, the courts upheld Salazar’s decision, which he said was based on matters of law and policy, setting aside the allegations of scientific misconduct by the park service that had provoked Feinstein’s involvement. 

“We’re accepting it,” Lunny said. “We’re moving forward.” 

The family plans to open a restaurant with an “oyster-centric” menu at the Tomales Bay Resort in Inverness in January or February. The Lunnys also plan to continue supplying their wholesale customers — about 70 restaurants and markets, mostly in Sonoma and Marin counties — with oysters from Tomales Bay, Humboldt Bay, the Pacific Northwest and the Pacific Coast of Baja, Mexico. 

Down the road, Lunny said he hopes to get back into oyster farming, possibly in Tomales Bay.

Supervisor Kinsey, who is also chairman of the California Coastal Commission, said that body just approved an oyster production master plan for Humboldt Bay and may do the same for Tomales Bay, a step that could make room for new operations in the bay that separates Point Reyes Peninsula from the mainland. 

“Kevin is probably eying that as an opportunity,” he said. 

The settlement agreement committed the government to provide federal relocation benefits to “qualified employees” of the oyster farm who were living in five worker housing units on Nov. 29, 2012, the date Salazar declined to renew the permit. 

Paul Cohen, executive director of Legal Aid of Marin, said he is representing more than a dozen families who are candidates for the benefits, and Gunn said three families had applied for them. Cohen and Gunn declined to name any of the families Friday. 

“We’re in the process of determining what benefits all of the workers are entitled to,” Cohen said. The five trailers at the oyster farm were “shared housing” for multiple families, he said.

Gunn said she was surprised by the number of families, noting that officials had visited the oyster farm immediately after Salazar’s decision, giving the park service “a pretty good idea” of the number of eligible families. 

The benefits generally pay a tenant displaced by government action the difference between the rent plus utilities at their former residence and the cost of new housing for up to 42 months, said Greg Gress, a park service realty officer in San Francisco. The program also provides a contractor who will find displaced tenants comparable housing that must be “decent, safe and sanitary” in a location of the tenant’s choice. 

As soon as the contractor is hired, “we’re going to work very diligently to find suitable replacement housing,” he said. Tenants are entitled to remain in the trailers until March 31, three months after the company must get off the site. 

Lunny confirmed that his daughter and son-in-law, who were employees and residents at the oyster farm on the appropriate date, should be eligible for relocation benefits. 

The park service also is making plans to demolish the oyster sales shack, worker housing units and other structures, all of them timeworn and overdue for repairs. The Lunnys bought the business, with eight years remaining on the use permit, in 2004. Charlie Johnson, the previous owner, had sold his property to the government in 1972, receiving a 40-year operating permit. 

Nothing will be cleared from the land until the new year, and Gunn said the agency is lining up the necessary permits and consulting with regulators on how to go about removing the oyster racks — accounting for about 250,000 board feet of lumber in the estero — “with a minimal amount of impact.” 

Each of the 95 racks is 300 feet long and 12 feet wide, on average, and they are supported by a total of 4,700 posts sunk into the estero’s soft mud and sand bottom. The lumber weighs about 375 tons, or possibly more due to absorbed water. 

Future use of the oyster shack for another purpose — for example, as a farmers market — is not feasible, Gunn said, because it lies in a flood zone. It was inundated during a high tide on Thursday.

The park service is aware of collapsed racks, oyster-growing tubes, plastic bags and other debris on the estero floor, Gunn said. All of it will be removed — at taxpayers’ expense — under the terms of the settlement agreement negotiated by lawyers for Lunny and the Interior Department. The cleanup cost has yet to be determined by the park service, but in a declaration submitted along with his lawsuit Lunny said it would cost more than $400,000 to do it with his own workers. 

The agreement specifically exempts Lunny’s company from responsibility for removing any onshore or offshore structures or apparatus, oyster racks, shells, trash or “biological material” and from any obligation to grade or re-vegetate the site. 

Asked why Lunny was not paying for the cleanup, Gunn said the park service was satisfied that the settlement agreement is “fair and in the public interest.” 

“It’s a mutual agreement,” she said, noting that Lunny agreed to drop all litigation.

Trainer and Desai, the wilderness advocates, said they have always preferred that the park service handle the cleanup, even if it is at public expense. “They are the only entity that would do it right,” Trainer said. 

Article and Photos Sourced From:  http://www.pressdemocrat.com/home/3204619-181/facing-closure-deadline-drakes-bay?page=0  

Drakes Bay Oyster Company not willing to give up despite U.S. Supreme Court decision

The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to take up the case of a Marin County oyster farm facing eviction from the Point Reyes National Seashore in what a lead opponent of the commercial operation called “the end of the road for this company.”

Drakes Bay Oyster Co. owner Kevin Lunny struck a defiant position, however, and vowed to battle on, calling the high court's pass on his petition “a disappointment, but not really a setback.”

“Today, we've been delivered news that's disappointing, but we'll get over it. It's not the end,” Lunny said in a news conference hours after the high court made its decision public. “It's not over until the last oyster's shucked.”
Drakes Bay Oyster Company






Drakes Bay Oyster Company workers Sebastian Lopez-Castillo, left, and Alfredo Lopez unload oysters, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Drakes Bay OysterCompany manager Ginny Lunny Cummings, vows to keep operating, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Drakes Bay Oyster Compnay manager Ginny Lunny Cummings, is greeted by friend Robert Steinberg, who teaches English to her workers, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Drakes Bay Oyster Company manager Ginny Lunny Cummings, is greeted by friend Robert Steinberg, who teaches English to her workers, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Drakes Bay Oyster Company worker Sebastian Lopez-Castillo unloads oysters, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Drakes Bay Oyster Company worker Alfredo Lopez prepares to take oysters off stringers, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Drakes Bay Oyster Company worker Jorge Mata, right, Lorena Pablo and Ramon Hernandez sort oysters, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Drakes Bay Oyster Company worker Alfredo Lopez prepares to take oysters off stringers, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Drakes Bay Oyster Company employee Cristian Pablo-Garcia sorts oysters, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Drakes Bay Oyster Company worker Alfredo Lopez prepares to take oysters off stringers, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Drakes Bay Oyster Company workers Carmen Louis, right, and Leticia Martinez shuck oysters, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Sonoma resident Maggie Pat downs an oyster at Drakes Bay Oyster Compnay, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Drakes Bay Oyster Company worker Jorge Mata sorts oysters, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Thank-you notes at Drakes Bay Oyster Company, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Sonoma resident Maggie Pat and Libby Oberlin eat lunch with children Efren Pat, middle and Maeve Oberlin do at Drakes Bay Oyster Company, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Drakes Bay Oyster Company, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Drakes Bay Oyster Company worker Sebastian Lopez-Castillo unloads oysters, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Drakes Bay Oyster Comany, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Drakes Bay Oyster Company workers Sebastian Lopez-Castillo, left, and Alfredo Lopez unload oysters, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Drakes Bay OysterCompany manager Ginny Lunny Cummings, vows to keep operating, Monday June 30, 2014 at Point Reyes National Seashore. The U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the oyster company's appeal to stay open. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014

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Lunny and his attorney, Peter Prows, said they are still evaluating additional legal and legislative remedies that might permit Lunny and his family to hang onto their successful shellfish concern in Drakes Estero, an area designated by a 1976 congressional act to become a marine wilderness as soon as the oyster farm's 40-year-lease expired in 2012.

Lunny's team was in touch with California Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office on Monday and met with Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, as well. Neither lawmaker was available for comment.

Lunny's original federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Interior also is still pending in U.S. District Court, though its outlook is perhaps dimmed by a succession of federal court rulings that cast doubt on its potential for success.

The Supreme Court is just the latest — after the district court and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal — to rebuff the Lunnys' bid for a court injunction that would legally permit them to continue their operations until the lawsuit is resolved.

Amy Trainer, executive director of the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin, said the Supreme Court's refusal to weigh in should mean quick action by federal officials on a timeline for the company's withdrawal from the Estero, which has supported oyster farming for more than 80 years.



Trainer said Lunny had resorted to “misinformation and spin and denial about reality and the facts” in his insistence that the high court's inaction was a mere hurdle.

“This is the end of the road for this company,” she said. “They have no legal legs to stand on after this denial.”

Lunny and his family, who harvest an estimated $1.5 million in shellfish annually from miles of submerged wooden racks in Drakes Estero, formed the company in 2004 after buying the former Johnson Oyster Co. and the seven years that remained on its 40-year federal lease.

Federal courts have referenced documents from the U.S. Department of Interior ensuring the Lunnys understood the lease was not to be renewed, in part because of a 1976 congressional act identifying the estero as potential marine wilderness that could be designated as soon as the oyster operation was shut down.

But the Lunnys sought to extend their right to continue farming the pristine waters and providing what Kevin Lunny said was a third of the oysters harvested in California, winning support in their bid from powerful allies such as Feinstein, foodies, agricultural interests and some environmentalists.

The Lunnys market their company as an ecologically friendly, sustainable operation that benefits the environment. The oysters filter some pollutants from the water, he said, and the shells yielded by his cannery operation are donated for habitat recovery programs.

The company also employs about 30 people, providing housing for many of them, he said.

The 1976 Congress and the National Park Service determined that commercial oyster farming was incompatible with a marine wilderness, however, and established the lease expiration as the trigger for conversion of the area into designated wilderness.

Feinstein intervened on the Lunnys' behalf in 2009 with legislation giving then-Interior Secretary Ken Salazar sole discretion to issue a new 10-year use permit to the oyster company, launching an environmental review process that the Lunnys and their attorneys say was flawed.



Salazar, conceding scientific views were somewhat mixed, refused to grant a new permit, giving the owners 90 days to shut down its operation and remove miles of wooden racks and equipment from the estero, prompting celebration on the part of some conservation agencies.

The Lunnys subsequently sued and now say they are fighting to protect continuing use of public lands by ranchers and others.

Kevin Lunny said he expects to discuss the next steps with federal officials in the coming weeks.

It remained unclear what action federal parks and Interior personnel were prepared to take.

Questions were referred to the U.S. Department of Justice, which released a brief statement expressing pleasure with the high courts' decisions.

“The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals held that the Secretary of the Interior acted appropriately in allowing the permit for Drakes Bay Oyster Company to operate in the Point Reyes National Seashore to expire,” Justice spokeswoman Ellen Canale said via email. “Today, we're pleased the Supreme Court rejected the company's argument that this decision merits further review.”

Article and Photos Sourced From:   http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20140630/articles/140639959#page=3

Facebook is buying 59 acres next to its budding 'West Campus' in Menlo Park

Facebook, which today has three times as many employees as when it moved to Menlo Park in 2011, is poised to buy 59 acres next to the office building the company is constructing kitty-corner from its main headquarters.

The social media giant recently reached an agreement with TE Connectivity to purchase the 10-building site at 300 Constitution Ave., Facebook spokeswoman Genevieve Grdina confirmed Monday. She would not disclose the purchase price or the company's specific plans for the property.

"The adjacent property we've agreed to purchase is an investment in our future. We have no immediate plans to develop the property," states a company statement that Grdina provided.

FILE - This Tuesday, July 16, 2013 file photo shows a sign at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. (Ben Margot/AP Photo)

When Facebook first announced in February 2011 that it planned to relocate to the former Sun Microsystems campus in Menlo Park, the company had about 2,000 employees worldwide. Now it has 6,800, Facebook's website says. About 4,000 of them work in Menlo Park, according to the city's transportation office. The 57-acre former Sun campus, located at the eastern end of the Willow Road/Bayfront Expressway intersection, can accommodate up to 6,600 employees.

The "West Campus" that Facebook is building on 22 acres across from Bayfront Expressway will be able to handle up to 2,800 employees. Designed by famed architect Frank Gehry, the 435,000-square-foot office building will be crowned with a rooftop park and is expected to be completed by spring 2015.

Facebook's expansion into Menlo Park's eastern side also involves residential development. The company collaborated with developer St. Anton Partners to help design a 394-unit apartment complex that's about a mile away at 3665 Haven Ave. Another developer, Greystar, has applied to build a 146-unit apartment complex next door at 3645 Haven Ave. Those residential projects, plus a seven-building apartment complex with 195 units at 721-881 Hamilton Ave. in the adjacent Belle Haven neighborhood, are expected to be attractive living options for Facebook's young and growing workforce.










Article and Photo Sourced From:  http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_25931405/facebook-is-buying-59-acres-next-its-budding

25 Bay Area Startups Making a World of Difference

Obvious bias aside, the San Francisco Bay Area is one bad ass region. We embody ingenuity and create products that people around the world love and enjoy on a daily basis. You're all very welcome. 

Though nothing more than a pen-sized dot on your average globe, a lot goes down here. Brilliant engineering minds, vibrant recruiting teams, and young CEOs are becoming a staple in the city—seriously, when else in history has running a multi-million (sometimes billion) dollar company before turning the big 3-0 been this common?

We've partnered with fellow local brand Hangar 1 Vodka, quickly establishing itself as an industry leader, to recognize other Bay Area startups making California proud. Google, Twitter, and Facebook need no introduction. Cheers to small companies doing big things that you may or may not have known are locally grown.

1 | AdRoll: Ever been online shopping for a new pair of boots and the next thing you know that same pair of boots is in every advertisement no matter what website you're on? Some call it fate, but those who know better call it AdRoll. At the ripe old age of seven, AdRoll boasts the most widely used ad-retargeting platform in the world, calling household names like Google and Facebook partners. With a 97% retention rate, this team of young people connects brands with their "most likely to succeed" customers.

2 | Afterlight: If you're an avid Instagramer (#WhoIsntTheseDays), you've noticed more and more photos with thick white borders, light beams, and filters that go above and beyond the average X-Pro II and Hefe. This Sacramento-based company of two (yes two) people is taking over the photo editing market, establishing a new style that competitors are mimicking all around the world. Simplifying professional-level photo editing tools for the average person to turn iPhone pics into decent looking works of art--making ordinary people, places, and things look extraordinary.

3 | AGOGO: Who are the all stars of the 2014 NBA season? Is the Ukraine on the brink of civil war? Do animals like music? Pretty much anything you ever wanted (and didn't want) to know about is now in one place, ready for your ears. AGOGO brings together top news, music, and entertainment platforms to produce one go-to place for people to hear their favorite things, all the time. Listen to what both Fox News and NBC have to say about the same subject matter in one click. Catch multiple ESPN interviews on a single player in one channel. Time to listen up.

4 | Airbnb: For the longest time, there was no reasonable middle ground between an expensive hotel and a dirt-cheap hostel when it came to world traveling, unless of course you knew someone who knew someone with a spare room wherever it was you were going. Now people can input their destination, budget, travel dates, and number of guests in exchange for a plethora of detailed, photographed listings of available housing options. On the flip side, people all over the world are uploading their homes, lofts, and yes, even castles, for their fellow humans to choose from and enjoy. With 600,000+ worldwide listings, Airbnb continues to change the way the human population explores the world.

5 | CreativeLive: Technology is continuously allowing people to learn about the world and connect with one another, more so now than ever before. In a time where education is an expectation and tech degrees become outdated in a matter of years, CreativeLive presents a plausible solution. Introducing industry experts in a classroom setting to people in the comfort of their homes is quickly becoming a new reality. Now you can learn the latest version of Photoshop, get professional tips on launching an online business, and even find out how to market yourself on YouTube, all without putting on pants. (Please consider pants before your YouTube debut.) Isn't technology great?

6 | Evernote: For the sake of explanation, take a moment to imagine the last project you worked on, whether it be personal or professional, and everything that went into it's conception. Maybe you jotted a phone number down on the back of a receipt, communicated through a long stream of emails, snapped iPhone photos of inspiration during your morning jog, and bookmarked related websites to use as references. Now imagine streamlining all of that into one place that you can reach on any device at any time. Yes, it's possible thanks to another boss-ass Bay Area business. Evernote, that "personal assistant that you never could justify the cost of because you should be able to organize your own life, but it's just so hard to keep it all together" app. Take a deep breath and download. 

7 | Fitbit: A tight group of NorCal folks have developed a series of products that show the average person how their daily routine translates into health and fitness standards, from a wearable wristband to a bathroom scale. Whether you're sound asleep in your city loft or huffing and puffing up a flight of stairs, Fitbit tells you how good/bad everything you do is compared to previous tracked days and industry benchmarks--a constant reminder that you're either a monumental success or the world's laziest sack. Sync your Fitbit device to your mobile device for a visual translation into charts and graphs, all at the touch of a button. 

8 | Flipboard: There is something to be said for flipping through a magazine--that simple satisfaction that you get from turning a page as oppose to scrolling through cyberspace (at least the 7x7 mag team thinks so). But what about the ease of clickable links, creating that beloved breadcrumb trail of related info? Flipboard has seemingly addressed all of the above with their digital, flippable magazine platform. Mags are no longer limited to text and photos, but are rather entering an age of multisensory experiences, incorporating videos, music, and social media into their once one-dimensional paper pages.

9 | GoPro: Extreme sport meets extreme photography. Thanks to this Bay Area company, people are documenting their journeys in ways we've never seen before. Together the world has taken jumps out of planes, dived deep below the ocean's surface, flipped upside down on snowboards, and climbed the highest mountains, all through the lenses of tiny cameras stuck to athletes' equipment. GoPro is a simple invention that allows those of us who have a harder time channeling our inner daredevil to live vicariously through the adrenaline-inclined.

10 | Homejoy: You have to admit that a clean home makes you feel a little better about the other aspects of your life, even if ever so slightly. From folded laundry to dusted baseboards, these maids do just about anything and everything you could possibly need, just short of tucking you into your neatly made bed at night. If for whatever reason, your house isn't sparkling as brightly as you had imagined, they come back and do it again for free. Employees go through extensive background checks prior to stepping through your door, if that eases your mind at all. From SF to Boca Raton, Homejoy is cleaning this country up.

11 | IFTTT: If This Then That, pronounced "gift" without the "g." If you like a song on Soundcloud, then it downloads to Dropbox. If it's supposed to rain in the next hour, then you get a text alert. If your stock drops by 5% or more, then you get an email. Using the trigger/action recipe, you can make your apps work even harder for you. It's like all your favorite apps are best friends and working together to make your life easier. What a happy thought.

12 | Indiegogo: From spy cams to heart transplants, the amount of things that require funding in this world is endless. Indiegogo provides deserving causes with an opportunity to get the world invested in something bigger than themselves. Even James Franco turned to this Bay Area brand for film funding.

13 | Jawbone: Once known for its wearable fitness-tracking device, Jawbone has since released portable speakers controlled by users' iPhones. The Mini Jambox brings pocket-sized sound to a world full of clucky hardware. It's not often that one company takes over two entirely separate industries. But what can we say? They're from the Bay.

14 | Kitchit: It's not every day that you host a dinner party in your home, or maybe it is. Think The Real Housewives of San Francisco. Whether you're planning a romantic date night or impressing a group of frenemies, Kitchit brings top culinary talent into your home for the ultimate personal chef dining experience. Choose from pre-planned menus and customize as needed to ensure everything is perfect for your guests, whoever they might be. The chef grabs the groceries, cooks, and even cleans up! A-freaking-men. This local startup of less than 20 people is making a huge impact on this niche in the market, changing the way we do dinner. Now if only there were a hot waiter app...

15 | Leap Motion: Making the average person feel like the wizard they always wished to be. Imagine sitting in front of your computer, twirling your index finger, and making things move on the screen. A world without mouses and controllers is an amazing thought, one that is slowly becoming a reality thanks to Leap Motion. Keep up the good work, guys. We're here to offer our magical hands for any sort of testing you might need! 

16 | Lookout: As inconceivable as it may seem these days, nobody used to believe it was possible for cellphones to be hacked. That is, until the Lookout founders (and in those days, just a couple of super smart dudes) built the Bluetooth Sniper and used it to break into celebrities' mobile devices at the 2005 Oscars. Glad these masterminds are on our side now. This team of hackers hacks in the name of justice these days and is constantly finding new ways to protect our privacy, two steps ahead of the bad guys.

17 | Lovely: We can't quite think of a better place for an app like this to be birthed, considering the rental nightmare that is San Francisco. Lovely takes the best listings from various sites and places them on a map for you to interact with, bird's-eye-view status. Say you want to live in North Beach or the Marina, have a max monthly budget of $4.5K (who are you and can we be friends), need two bedrooms, and have a pet cat. Just fill out the simplified template and watch the city map populate with available properties fitting that description. It's like online dating for you and your dream rental home. Everyone deserves true love. And a cat-friendly building.

18 | Luvo: If it's good enough for Derek Jeter and Jennifer Garner's stomachs, it's sure as heck good enough for ours. Even Delta Airlines is presenting these pre-made meals to their first class flyers. From kale ricotta ravioli to apple cinnamon flatbread, stuffing your face with this food is perfectly acceptable because it's super healthy. 

19 | Medivation: For anyone who has ever lost a loved one to a disease and wondered if there was anything more that could have been done, Medivation has stepped up to offer hope. Bringing promising treatments still in development to patients of Prostate Cancer specifically, the team hopes to discover new ways to cure deadly diseases. The scale on which this company is changing lives is pretty remarkable, and happening in our own backyard!

20 | Pinterest: Binders and bulletin boards are so last decade. For daydreamers and planners everywhere, there is now a digital space connecting people to inspiration, pin-spiration if you will. Whether you have a doting fiancé or you're as single as it gets, it's never too early to plan that dream wedding you may or may not have someday. "Pin" bridal photos, dress links, and cake recipes from friends and strangers alike, to a personal "board" for later use. Do this for any of your obsessions (not limited to weddings). Pinterest is a veteran in the starup world, the perfect example of new technology reinventing an age-old concept.

21 | Pocket: You've been stuffing your pockets full of everything imaginable since your days spent running around the playground, always sure you were going to need whatever it was you found later. This local company takes that concept and incorporates it into your everyday life on a digital level. And you don't even need Internet to do it. Funny videos, fitness inspiration photos, recipe links, and more can now all be stored in one place for when you finally run into that friend you wanted to show them to. Genius.

22 | Square: Making phones and tablets that much more useful, Square is essentially a portable cash register. Nothing more than a tiny, for lack of a better noun, square that you plug into your digital device and swipe a credit card through. Transactions are handled through the downloadable software and customers sign on the dotted line with their finger. Viola! 

23 | TaskRabbit: Whether you're the type of person that loves to help or the kind that needs help (you know who you are), this app is guaranteed to improve your life. Need an oil change, but never learned to do it yourself? Need help packing for a big move, but too lazy to do it yourself? Name your task, price, and when you need it done. Somebody, somewhere nearby is waiting to give you a hand. Not so helpless? Assist those in need and make a few bucks. Who says you shouldn't benefit from others' misfortunes?

24 | Uber: Along with a handful of other companies on this list, if you haven't heard of Uber by now, we're judging you. Mean glares aside, Uber is popping up everywhere, most recently in California Wine Country. This fleet of average Joes and their automobiles gets people from here to there at the tap of a phone screen. Friendly drivers, known to supply complimentary beverages, snacks, and even Valentine's Day roses, swoop you from your stoop and drop you at your destination. Choose from standard cabs, slightly nicer regular cars (mostly Priuses), black cars, and SUVs when determining your ride options. Rate your driver at the end, but be sure to flash them a smile because you're being rated on your passenger skills, too!  

25 | Zoosk: Dating on your phone, not quite to the extreme the dude in Her took it to, is the new normal and Zoosk is leading that charge. The app takes note of your taste in the opposite sex as you click around, promising to match you with people that you're most likely to find attractive. There's 25 million+ fish in this cyber sea, in 80 countries and 25 languages. Sometimes scrolling through dating profiles on your phone as opposed to a desktop computer feels a little less "somebody love me" and a little more cool, calm, and collected. The things we do for love, right?

Read more at http://www.7x7.com/WorldDomination#p47VDWItptiLbsoA.99

Stanford's Fall Applicants Hit All-Time High

More than 42,000 applied. Roughly 2,100 offered admission, university officials said.

Applications for the Class of 2018 -- more than 42,000 -- set a record at Stanford University, according to the Palo Alto institution's officials.

Stanford, which has offered admission to 2,138 high school students for the Class of 2018, received a record 42,167 applications from around the world -- the largest application pool in Stanford's history. 
Last year, Stanford received 38,828 applications, the Office of Undergraduate Admission said.
Stanford sent acceptance letters Friday to high school students. 

The university offered admission to 2,138 students, including 748 applicants who were accepted last December through the early action program, officials said. 

Richard H. Shaw, dean of admission and financial aid, said the Class of 2018 was selected from candidates from 50 states and 71 countries.
"I am simply in awe of the exceptional accomplishments of students admitted to Stanford in the Class of 2018," Shaw said.

"They were selected from a very competitive group of applicants and emerged as quite extraordinary in our review. Of course the beauty of these young people is that they truly represent the broad and deep diversity of the world. We believe they will be spectacular members of the Stanford family."
Students admitted under the early and regular decision admission programs have until May 1 to accept Stanford's offer.


Original Article and Photos Sourced From:  http://menlopark-atherton.patch.com/groups/schools/p/stanfords-fall-applicants-hit-alltime-high

Succulent Gardens in Castroville offers about 750 varieties

Boasting luscious colors and sculptural shapes, succulents have captivated gardeners all around the globe. But it's not just their good looks that make them so appealing: These living gems are also prized because they need so little care to thrive - and you'll find no better selection in the area than at Succulent Gardens in Castroville.



As you approach the 3-acre nursery, which is in an agricultural region dominated by artichokes and strawberries, you'll know you've arrived when you spot the mass plantings that blanket the property, serving as both demonstration gardens and propagation space. Owner Robin Stockwell changes displays often so visitors can see plants in different stages of growth, learn what a healthy example of each variety should look like and get a sense of how to use them in large groupings.

"The whole idea is to encourage and teach people how to use succulent plants and what the possibilities are," he says.

Just a few miles inland from Monterey Bay, the nursery is a mecca for succulent lovers, and many make the pilgrimage from out of state as well as other countries. Inside Stockwell's greenhouses is a veritable treasure trove of choices: He carries roughly 750 varieties, most of which he and his staff propagate on site, and offers them in sizes ranging from tiny 2-inch pots to whopping 24-inch boxes. You'll also find living picture and wreath kits, vessels and books; another good source for containers is the nearby Pot Stop (2360 Highway 1, Moss Landing; (831) 768-7557. www.littlebajapotstop.com).



Having grown succulents since 1972, Stockwell has seen them go from being a plant group that only collectors coveted to one that has mass appeal. He attributes this not only to design trends, but also to the fact that succulents fit perfectly into today's increasingly smaller living spaces and that they're supremely easy to grow. And now that California is in a state of drought, they have an even greater draw.



"These plants are adapted to environments in which water isn't available for long periods of time," Stockwell says. "As a consequence, succulents from all over the world are really effective at collecting, storing and using water efficiently."

An enthusiastic surfer, Stockwell says, "If I plan to water, and the surf is good, I'll go surfing and water the next day, or even two or three days later. Once plants are established, they can go without water for relatively long periods of time - this could be two to 12 weeks, depending on the maturity and size of the plant - and not be damaged."

To satisfy steadily growing interest, Stockwell regularly offers classes at the nursery, and is always on the lookout for new varieties to add to his offerings. "Castroville is the artichoke capital of the world," he says. "We're trying to change it to the succulent capital of the world."




Top choices for beginners

Though Stockwell says that most succulents are easy to grow, he highlights some of his favorite low-care options here. "Succulents are so tough and forgiving, and can handle a wide range of environments and care - they're almost bulletproof. By definition, that's good for a beginner."

'Sunburst' aeonium

Dramatic, multicolored rosettes grow to 12 to 15 inches across on stems that reach 3 to 4 feet tall. They do best in locations that get at least two to three hours of sun a day, and need to be protected from hard freezes. "They look good with others or alone, and smile at you with a brightness and showiness," Stockwell says.
'Christmas Carol' aloe

This relatively new hybrid has reddish, serrated edges and vibrant coral blooms that draw hummingbirds in fall, and often other seasons as well. Growing less than a foot across, it's a top choice in containers and other small spaces. It can handle hot sun as well as freezing temperatures to 25 degrees. In general, aloes are a great group for new gardeners, and many flower from fall through spring when other plants aren't in bloom.
'Lipstick' Echeveria agavoides

"I'm in love with echeverias," Stockwell says, and 'Lipstick' is an especially hardy one. It has bright green leaves with red edges, and flowers that draw hummingbirds. As rosettes develop, they produce offshoots and the red tips become more and more defined. It's a changing landscape as it matures. This is a cool one to watch over time."
Senecio mandraliscae

Often used as a groundcover, it has fleshy blue leaves that grow well in both sun and shady environments, though the hue is more electric in shade. "They have this translucence in the leaves, and as the sun changes during the day, the color changes," Stockwell says. "It's magical."



How to keep succulents looking good

Stockwell emphasizes that succulents are "low maintenance, not no maintenance," and says that the most important thing to know about growing succulents is this: They're just like any other plants. "Everything you know about gardening applies to these plants - they have roots and flowers, and need water, sun, fertilizer, soil and replanting now and then. What's different is that they'll tolerate you abusing them with respect to all of these things." Below are his guidelines for keeping them happy.

Water: You can damage succulents far more by giving too much rather than too little water, so let the soil approach dryness before watering. Try not to let the soil dry out completely (though if this happens, it usually won't kill the plants).

Fertilizer: It's not essential, but if you do use it, give a half dose of any balanced all-purpose fertilizer once a quarter, even during winter.

Soil: Succulents require good drainage and aeration. In containers, you can use a cactus and succulent soil mix. In the ground, if you have heavy soil, amend it with perlite, pumice or crushed lava (which is readily available and the least expensive).

Sun: Grow succulents in a spot that gets at least two to three hours of morning sun. More than that is fine, though in inland areas with scorching summers, you'll want to plant succulents where they won't be blasted by the hottest midday rays.

Pests: Succulents are susceptible to diseases and pests - such as aphids, mealy bug and scale - just like any other plants. If you have an infestation, use the same treatments you'd use elsewhere in your garden.



Succulent Gardens

Open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 2133 Elkhorn Road, Castroville; (831) 632-0482.www.sgplants.com.
Getting there

From Highway 101, exit on Highway 156 West. Go 4 miles west toward Castroville. Turn right at Castroville Boulevard and go 2.1 miles, merge right for .03 miles and turn left onto Elkhorn Road. Go .04 miles to Amaral Road. Turn right. The nursery is on the left.

Julie Chai is a Mountain View freelance writer. E-mail: home@sfchronicle.com




Article & photo sourced from: http://www.sfgate.com/homeandgarden/article/Succulent-Gardens-in-Castroville-offers-about-750-5336429.php#page-2