The term of the California Coastal Commission member representing the Central Coast expires May 20, and the Sierra Club (among others) says it’s time for a change.  The group’s “conservation voting score” for Monterey County Supervisor Dave Potter has declined from 64 percent in 1999 to 25 percent in 2005.

The appointment will be made by state Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Central LA). According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, this position typically draws applicants from San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. Nuñez is keeping mum on his plans.

Mark Massara, who heads the Sierra Club’s coastal program, says it’s time to contact Speaker Nuñez about the appointment.

Carol Shellhorn, a Half Moon Bay woman missing the southeast Asian tsunami, has been confirmed to be dead. Her remains have been identified by dental records and DNA.

Farmland on the coast is a lot wetter than usual, due to this year’s unusually heavy rains. This is frustrating Coastside farmers whose fields are a lot muddier than usual. The San Mateo County Times confirms what we’ve suspected, and keeps alive the question of whether Wavecrest delayed their wetlands delineation because their wetlands were too . . . wet.

Spring has brought Sweet Peas Organic Produce back to Montara.  Their stand re-opened for the season a few weeks ago with new signs, a park bench, a sandbox for the kids, and a renovated stand.

There’s a new owner, Kerry Tate, who bought the stand from Noreen Hacker who had it for ten years.

We stopped by last Sunday afternoon and chatted with Kerry and bought a big bag of fruit and vegetables.  We got to try some delightful apples, daikon radish, blood oranges, and other produce that they were sampling. Our three-year-old loved the apples we bought, much more than the ones we’ve been getting at the supermarket. And she loved Sweet Peas’ sandbox as well.

In addition to food that tastes like food, when you shop Sweet Peas or Cunha’s market, instead of the supermarket, you get a different kind of experience.  It took me too long to realize that the phony choices that you get in a supermarket (Sixteen kinds of toothpaste! Eight kinds of Oreos!) make shopping an ordeal that requires too much time and energy.  I come out feeling tired and frayed. I feel happy and refreshed when I leave Cunha’s or Sweat Peas. And more of your money stays here on the Coastside.

Kerry says that more local produce will show up in a couple of weeks, and that a couple of weeks after that the stone fruits will begin to appear, and tomatoes are just around the corner as well.

Sweet Peas is located on Highway 1 in Montara. They’re open Thursday through Sunday from 1pm to 7pm.

The bill to keep local authorities from buying private water systems via private domain has been withdrawn by the Fresno assemblyman who sponsored it, according to the Monterey Herald.

The bill, introduced last month, would have required a public agency to show that a privately held utility repeatedly broke the law before it could condemn it and acquire it through eminent domain. Current law presumes public ownership of utilities is preferable and places the burden of proof on the private utility to show why its continued ownership is in the public’s best interest.

Assemblyman Juan Arambula, D-Fresno, is a cheap date.  He had received a $500 contribution from the owner of a Fresno water system whose takeover is under consideration. He introduced the bill at the request of a lobbyist for the California Water Association. The CWA represents 42 private water companies, including California American Water Company (late owners of Montara’s water supply) whose system in Felton is being eyed for public takeover.

Arambula said when he introduced the bill that the lobbyist had described it to him as a “technical amendment without any significant opposition”. Then he started hearing from folks in Santa Cruz County who felt otherwise. The story doesn’t mention whether any of his own constituents took him to task and I can’t find any mention of it on the Fresno Bee’s site.

UPDATE:  From Friday’s Wall Street Journal:

Water has caught the eye of Wall Street, too. Water-industry stocks rose 24% last year, topping the 11% gain in the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index, and have slightly lagged behind the market so far this year, according to an index of water stocks compiled by Boenning & Scattergood, a West Conshohocken, Pa., brokerage firm. Over the past five years, water stocks have surged 113%, compared with a loss of 17% for the S&P 500.

Coastsider will be offering sponsorships of parts of our site. We’ve already added Coastside Net as a sponsor to the Headlines section on the left-hand side of the page. Right now, Coastsider’s sponsorships are in beta test.

We’ll make an announcment when sponsorships are generally available for sale. Email Barry Parr using the link on the top left of the page if you’re interested in being notified ahead of time.

The Green Party of San Mateo County will celebrate Earth Day Saturday, April 23 at Francis Beach at the end of Kelly Avenue in Half Moon Bay. The celebration will begin with Native plant restoration from 10am to 1pm, a Picnic Potluck at 1pm, and speakers at 1:30 pm. Speakers will be Keith Mangold of Save our Shores on Pilarcitos Creek Restoration, and Gary Deghi at the Audubon Society on Shore Birds.

You’re admonished to look for the Green Party signs to meet at picnic area; bring beverages and a dish to share, beach chairs, blankets; and to dress in layers, gardening gloves, closed-toed shoes, prepared for rain & fun. Francis Beach parking is $6. For more information Contact Jo Chamberlain, 726.1949,

Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (CA-district 14) will hold a Town Hall meeting in Half Moon Bay next Monday, April 18th. Rep. Eshoo will discuss her work on the Intelligence and Energy and Commerce Committees, including critical federal issues such as proposed changes to Social Security and the on-going situation in Iraq. All constituents are invited to attend and share their concerns with Rep. Eshoo.

This location is wheelchair accessible and will have special parking. For more information on this event, including assistance with directions, please contact Rep. Eshoo’s district office at (650) 323-2984.

Monday, April 18th

7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

IDES Hall

735 Main Street

Half Moon Bay

Seussical the Musical is a brand-new broadway musical based on at least fifteen of Dr. Seuss’s books and performed by Coastside kids. According to Michelle McDonald of Gotta Dance Studio, the show features Coastside children from ages 2 (elephant bird) to teens. The show is a theatrical dance recital with ballet, jazz, and tap dancing:  “Traveling to the jungle of Nool, McElligot’s Pool, Palm Beach, and the circus, the characters have colorful adventures together. Even a small speck of dust floats through the air to show us the tiny world of Whoville.”

There will be two performances at the HMB High School auditorium, Saturday, April 16th at 5pm and Sunday, April 17th at 3pm. Tickets are Adults $15, Seniors $10, Kids $5. Info: Michelle McDonald, 726-1489.

Wavecrest Partners called off a scheduled wetlands delineation on their property the day before it was scheduled to take place last week. This is a necessary step in their application to have to have the US Army Corps of Engineers issue a permit for the project. According to Ed Wylie at the Corps, “The application is incomplete until we know what our jurisdiction is.” The wetlands delineation will determine what portion of the land is in Corps jurisdiction.

The delineation has been rescheduled for May 18. A lot hangs on Wavecrest’s application before the Corps, which could shave years off the time it takes to get the project built. It’s less clear why this crucial step was delayed for yet another month, when the date of this delineation was set more than a month ago. 

Neither the city of Half Moon Bay nor Cabrillo Unified School District, both of whom are important stakeholders in the project, knew that the delineation had been cancelled. Half Moon Bay City Council member Mike Ferreira told me the city was unaware that the delineation had been called off. CUSD board president Dwight Wilson had also not been informed. He’s expecting an update from Wavecrest later this week.

Wavecrest Partners did not return my call for comment.