Join 142 Throckmorton Theatre for a production of the classic musical Singin' in the Rain by their youth program, Marin Youth Performers. 1920s Hollywood is the setting for this stage adaptation of one of the most beloved movie musicals of all-time, a zany, light-hearted, romantic comedy about the early days of sound film, when many a movie studio found itself scrambling to salvage the career of its chipmunk-voiced silent movie star.

Singin’ in the Rain brings to life a memorable score that includes Make ‘Em Laugh, Good Morning, Broadway Ballet (Gotta Dance) and of course the signature title song.

This production of Singin’ in the Rain is performed by an all-youth cast, in 4th through 12th grade, from 20 different schools in Marin County and San Francisco, accompanied by an orchestra of young musicians, all aged 14 to 20 years old, from all over Southern Marin and San Francisco. Marin Youth Performers, 142 Throckmorton Theatre's youth division, provides affordable, engaging, and educational theatrical experiences for young people of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities and produces high quality theatrical productions with performers of exceptional potential and talent.

We just got back from our first camping trip of the season, and ran into a notorious and ubiquitous outdoor pest—the tick. We managed to get up-close-and-personal with one of the nasty little critters when we found one hanging out on my son's shoulder when we were getting him ready for bed. Fortunately, it hadn't bitten him yet, and we caught and disposed of the tick quickly and easily. It did reinforce for us the need to be vigilant in looking for ticks after most outdoor activities.

Often as small as a sesame seed, these nasty little parasites can be found all over California—you've no doubt seen the tick warning signs at many trailheads throughout Marin and the Bay Area. While in times past they were regarded as more of a nuisance than anything else, in the last 20 years or so they’ve become vectors for serious health problems, including the infamous Lyme disease. Of course, this article should not be a substitute for genuine medical advice, so if you suspect a real health problem, talk to your pediatrician.

How should your child's language development be progressing? Marin Speech Pathologist Cydney Doerres, MS, CCC, fills us in on children's important developmental milestones and potential causes for concern in this guest article.

Do you recall how excited you were when your child said his first word? Talking and walking are two of the most important developmental milestones in a child’s and a parent’s life. We, as parents, often gage our children’s overall development based on the language that he understands and is producing. Catching a speech or language delay early is important as the ability to communicate helps your child to develop learning, play and social skills in preschool and earlier.

As a Speech and Language Pathologist/Therapist the most frequent question I hear from professionals, family, friends and parents is “Is my child talking at the right level for his/her age?” If I feel that I have observed the child well enough, then I can provide a confident answer, however, I have often only just met the child!

In case you haven't noticed, it's strawberry season, and the delicious red berries and popping up in farmers' fields and markets all over. We've been getting especially sweet and tasty strawberries from vendors at the Marin Civic Center farmer's market, as well as at local stores. Recently, we found ourselves with a surplus of strawberries, and wondered momentarily what to do with them. Fortunately, an answer was immediately at hand—strawberry pie.

Unlike our equally delicious strawberry rhubarb pie, this refrigerated pie requires little baking or cooking, and is something that the kids can help with in the kitchen safely and easily. Here's what you'll need:

One of Marin County's most beloved and unique events is the famous Mountain Play—an outdoor theater experience on the slopes of Mt. Tamalpais that's been going strong for 98 years. 2011's Mountain Play production is the Tony Award-winning Hairspray, the story of self-proclaimed "pleasantly plump" teenager Tracy Turnblad as she simultaneously pursues stardom as a dancer on a local TV show and rallies against racial segregation in 1962 Baltimore. Winner of 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Hairspray features a heart pounding score of such favorites as Welcome to the '60s, Good Morning, Baltimore, Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now and You Can’t Stop the Beat. Hairspray is based on the 1988 movie of the same name written and directed by cult filmmaker John Waters.

The Mountain Play's production of Hairspray features a professional cast (including local singer/songwriter and children's performer Susan Zelinsky, AKA Susan Z, as Velma Von Tussle), and is directed by Marin drama legend and Mountain Play veteran James Dunn.

Back in 2009 we wrote about the proposal to help alleviate California's budget problems by closing 200 of our priceless state parks. Fast forward to 2011 and legislators again propose to shut down 70 of our state parks—25% of California's state parks system—to help trim the state budget gap. This time the closures are permanent, marking the first time in the century-long history of the California State Park system that park closures would be implemented.

You can see a list and map of the proposed closures here.

This is an incredibly short-sighted, harmful, and embarrassing plan that ultimately will only serve to hurt the state of California, its citizens, visitors, and businesses. Closing parks will have a severe financial impact on nearby businesses that serve park visitors, and the tax revenue they provide. Closure of state parks will also leave them open to potential environmental damage and vandalism.

Sonoma Valley Airport is a local hub of historic aviation and classic planes, and one weekend a month, owners put their aircraft on display for visitors to come see. Kids of all ages, including grown-up kids, love to come check out the historic aircraft on display and see some of them take to the skies. Best of all, display days at Sonoma Valley Airport are free!

We all think our kids are brilliant (well, most of us do, anyhow), but how can you tell if a child is really gifted? What do you look for, and how do you assess their needs?

We posed this question to the staff and parents at the Dunham Academy, Marin's independent school for gifted children in grades K through 8. One of the first things that comes to mind for many people when they hear the phrase “gifted student” is the straight-A student who effortlessly excels at everything he/she does. The common misconception is that if a child is smart, he or she will just sit and do schoolwork quickly without much supervision; after all, everything comes easy and the student will eventually have his or her pick of Ivy League Universities, right?

Not so, according to Dunham academy. The truth is that school is a veritable minefield for gifted students trying to fit in with both teachers and other students. These students need a great deal of support and understanding and are very much “at risk.” Highly intelligent students are often not property identified. Gifted students:

Have you ever thought about homeschooling your children? If it's something you're considering, make sure to attend tonight's (Monday, May 9) special presentation "Homeschooling in Marin: Demystifying the Choice" from 7–8:30 pm in the Corte Madera Community Room at 100 Corte Madera Town Center. Come hear about homeschooling from and discuss the topic with a panel of experienced Marin homeschooling parents.

Homeschooling has been gaining more attention and interest in Marin over the last few years. This presentation will help debunk the stereotypical questions associated with homeschooling (i.e. "Are children not getting any socialization?"), and highlight the benefits as well as the challenges of this often overlooked educational choice.

Ever try to find a chic swimsuit that offers coverage, comfort, versatility and style? Kind of difficult, isn't it? That's why Marin mom Lynn Werner started Lynnina, her line of stylish, comfy, and flattering mix-and-match swimwear for women of all ages. Lynnina swimwear consists of boardshorts, available in two lengths and a variety of colors and patterns, with a selection of coordinating tops, including bikini tops, tankinis, and rashguards.

Learn more about Lynnina and check out their selection of swimwear at www.lynnina.com. You might find something that you'll love to wear all summer long.

Please tell us a little about yourself. What's your background, and how did you get started in your career?

I ran computer and video game sales at Disney for the west coast region until I left in 2001 to spend more time with my twin boys.  I got started in this carreer out of a need to create something that I couldn't find anywhere.