We have talked about our green initiatives in other issues of our newsletter and on our blog, so in this post we wanted to focus on Community Involvement and Community Give Back programs.

Our team members have served thousands of volunteer hours on boards and committees of the following community organizations:

* Novato Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors as well as Tourism, Art and Wine Festival, Golf , and Women in Business Committees
* Rotary- Board of Directors and Committees for both Ignacio and Novato Rotary
* Leadership of Meeting Professionals International Northern CA Chapter Board of Directors and Committee Chair
* Society of Government Meeting Planners (SGMP) Membership
* Marin Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Board of Directors 12 years
* Cub Scouts Leader
* Guide Dogs for the Blind Canine Heroes Gala
* Green Meetings Industry Council Northern CA Chapter Board of Directors for Education
* Education – volunteering in our children’s schools

We talk about Rickey’s Community Give back programs in a lot but you might not know that:

* The Inn Marin joined Hotels that Help in July of 2009 proceeds, are donated to Marin Community Food Bank.
* Partnered with the Green Industry Meeting Council Northern CA to create a half day educational conference Green Meetings – Making it Real featuring keynote speaker Hunter Lovins, Time Magazine’s 2000 Hero of the Planet
* In the past 12 years the Inn Marin and Rickey’s have donated gift certificates worth over $350,000.00 to non-profit organizations.
* To enhance the economic development of Novato and Marin County we have hosted three press familiarization tours bringing over 70 travel writers to show what Marin County has to offer as a destination to the world.

We worked with each staff member to educate them on what is considered compost and labeled each can with a Language Free Picture Label, showing what goes in the compost can. We then established a cleaning area since we would not use any liners in our compost can, saving on the cost of garbage bags. Now we are composting at Inn Marin and Rickey’s Restaurant!

The first lesson we learned in composting was that you have to make sure the compost lid is secured tightly in your outside storage area! On the third night of our new composting program, we discovered a family of raccoons having a party. Needless to say, we’ve learned to make sure our compost can lid is secured!

~Robert Marshall, the Green Guru of Inn Marin

The students are here to learn to work with their Guide Dogs and the time they are on campus is a critical part of their training to work together as an efficient team.

We ask that you observe the following etiquette when you interact with a Working Guide Dog team:

• As tempting as it may be to pet a Guide Dog remember, that the dog is responsible for leading someone who cannot see and should never be distracted from that duty.  A person’s safety may depend on their dog’s alertness and concentration.
• It is okay to ask someone if you may pet their dog.  Many people enjoy introducing their dogs when they have the time.  The dog’s primary responsibility it to its blind partner and it is important that the dog not become distracted.
• Never offer a Guide Dog food or other distracting treats.  A Guide Dog is fed on a schedule and follows a specific diet in order to remain in optimum condition.  Even slight deviations in the dog’s routine can disrupt its regular eating and relieving schedules and seriously inconveniences its handler.
• A Guide Dog is trained to resist offers of food so it will be able to visit restaurants, without begging.  Feeding treats to a Guide Dog weakens this training.
• The Inn Marin is pet friendly; for the safety of all guests, please follow our pet-friendly rules keeping your dog on leash and under no circumstances allow your pet to interact with and distract a working Guide Dog.

When you are visiting the Inn Marin be sure and ask for a copy of the Guide Dog Etiquette brochure.

Valentine’s Day Menu

SOUP
Lobster Bisque with Crème Frache $6.50

SALAD
Endive & Arugula Salad, Mandarin Oranges, Goat Cheese, Candied Walnuts with Truffle Vinaigrette $7.00

ENTREES CHOICE OF ONE:
Roasted Supreme Chicken Breast, Saffron Risotto, Brocolini & Supreme Sauce $21.00
Marinated Grilled Hanger Steak, Berny Potatoes, Baby Carrots & Porcini Mushroon Demi Sauce $24.00

DESSERT
Key Lime Tart, Chantilly Cream & Rasberry Coulis $6.50

THREE COURSE DINNER
Choice of Soup or Salad with Entrée & Dessert
CHICKEN DINNER $32.95
BEEF DINNER $35.95

Check out Inn Marin’s February Romance Special! Stay any day in February for just $99+tax!

As of December 31st, members have been rewarded with $ 7,750.  Presently, there are $5501 points available on your Supper Club cards for your next visit to Rickey’s.  Some of our frequent guests have shared their points celebrating with family and friends dining at Rickeys, what a great idea.

Join Rickey’s Supper Club and  enjoy the following member benefits and rewards for being frequent diners of Rickey’s:
Member Benefits:
• 5% credited to your club card of total purchase each time you dine
• Personal wine, corkage waived when dining
• Booth seating based on availability
• Birthday Dessert
• 20% discount off guestrooms
• 5% discount off private events booked

Applications and  membership cards are available at Rickey’s next time you dine or click here and provide your first and last name, birthdate, and email address and we will create your membership and have the card ready for you to pick up at Rickey’s the next time you dine with us.

Community Partner Program

Proceeds distributed are $6577.31 through the end of December.  We hope to see more partner logo’d cards presented to our servers during the New Year accumulating sales and partner contributions at 15% of the check total.  There are no restrictions on when you dine in Rickey’s.

Contact our Community Partners below if you would like a community partner card:

Marin Humane Society
Samantha Pascoe
(415) 506-6208

School Fuel
Susan Mathews
(415) 225-4204

Good Shepherd Bridges Foundation
Susan Hall
(415) 897-2510

Relay for Life-Novato Kandi Bloomquist

(415) 225-369
Novato Theater
Gary Gonser
(415) 290-1433

My suggestion is hand watering so you can water only the plants and nothing else.  The other reason is you may have winterized your irrigation system and you may not want to open that up.  If you do, make sure not to water late at night because the early morning freeze might damage your irrigation system.
Freeze: the age old question - do you water when it freezes?

YES you do!!! It is better for the plant to have a higher water content that will actually prevent it from freezing.  Cover your citrus to protect it from the morning frost but do remove the cover during the day or you could damage the plant.  If you use plastic that may magnify the sun taking the plant from one extreme to the next.

Until next time, happy gardening and let’s hope the next Green Guru post is about what you do when the rain buckets are all overflowing.

SOUP
Lobster Bisque with Crème Frache $6.50

SALAD
Endive & Arugula Salad, Mandarin Oranges, Goat Cheese, Candied Walnuts with Truffle Vinaigrette  $7.00

ENTREES CHOICE OF ONE:
Roasted Supreme Chicken Breast, Saffron Risotto, Brocolini & Supreme Sauce  $21.00
Marinated Grilled Hanger Steak, Berny Potatoes, Baby Carrots & Porcini Mushroon Demi Sauce  $24.00

DESSERT
Key Lime Tart, Chantilly Cream & Rasberry Coulis  $6.50

THREE COURSE DINNER
Choice of Soup or Salad with Entrée & Dessert
CHICKEN DINNER  $32.95
BEEF DINNER  $35.95

Saturday, March 31, 2012 from 7:00 – 10:00pm.

Friday, March 30, 2012 from 7:00 – 10:00pm.

Sunday, March 25, 2012 from 5:30 – 8:30pm.