Remember those explosives stolen from a bunker near the Crystal Springs Reservoir a few days ago? They were recovered from a storage locker in Hayward late Wednesday. On Thursday, the San Mateo County bomb squad blew them up near Pescadero.  One of our readers just happened to be in the area when this happened:

A photographer was here yesterday from HMB Review to shoot Catherine Peery and myself [Lynne Bowman] for the [Pescadero Visioning] Workshop story. We were going up to the Warheit site, a possible location for affordable housing, and found the usually locked gate open, so drove right in, up the hill toward the microwave tower. At the top of the hill, we were greeted by several cop cars and 3 or 4 Bomb Squad vehicles. Nobody seemed concerned about our being there, but one of the uniformed guys said, yeah, the road was closed today. We did quick u-turns and were outta there.

Back in town, a friend said, “Did you hear the sonic boom?” I said no. Back at home, husband said, “Wow, just before noon, the dog went nuts and came inside, really scared, and got under my desk.”

Then when I saw the NewsAlert this morning about Pescadero being used to blow up that stolen stash of explosives, it all added up. Thought it was interesting that the photog from HMB didn’t bat an eye or a camera shutter. Thought it was interesting nobody in town gets notified of such things. Thought it was interesting they left the gate open for folks like me to wander in.

The San Mateo Times is reporting that the City of Half Moon Bay and Wavecrest Village LLC have come to an agreement on a plan for the Wavecrest Village development [satellite photo]. The Times says the most important changes were the elimination of retail and commercial space and the reduction of the number of units from 225 to 175, both changes that have been on the table for some time.  The city has sent a letter to the Coastal Commission in full support of the Wavecrest Village project.

If the commission approves the project, the development and the new middle school could begin construction in the next 12 months.

Greendale, Neil Young’s new film, which was filmed in and around Half Moon Bay, is being show by the Coastside Film Society Friday night at 8pm. Greendale is the story of a coastal town just South of San Francisco and the people who inhabit it.

I saw Young perform Greendale earlier this year and enjoyed it thoroughly. Like opera, its strong suit is its music, not its plot. Actors played out the scenes from the music, lip-syncing their dialog on the stage while Young played. It was surprisingly effective. Young moved this technique to film. 

Oscar’s Braun’s appeal of the Devil’s Slide tunnel was denied by the San Mateo Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning.

But that’s not the end of the matter by any means. Braun plans to take his case to the Coastal Commission and, if he fails there, to Federal court. According to the San Mateo Times, Supervisor Rich Gordon says that the Coastal Commission staff is prepared to recommend full approval of the project to the commission itself.

Braun says that the tunnel will damage wetlands and violate the county’s Local Coastal Plan. The county maintains that the damage is mitigated by increased access to the coast—a peculiar tradeoff. Braun says that his appeal will result not only in cancellation of the tunnel, but in prosecutions.

Until the appeal process is complete, Caltrans cannot get its Coastal Development Permit, the last piece of paperwork it needs to put the $275 million project up for bid.

The Pescadero Municipal Advisory Committee is holding a town-wide planning and visioning workshop to look at the community’s vision of its future, with an emphasis on affordable housing.

The meeting will be Saturday, July 17, from 10 am to 2 pm at the Pescadero IDES Hall on Stage Road. If you’re interested, you’re invited. Bring a potluck dish to share. 

La Honda Fire Brigade and CDF/San Mateo County Fire Dept., will be conducting a wildfire drill in Cuesta La Honda on Thursday evening July 7th. The drill is designed to test the fire services readiness to respond to a fast moving fire that endangers homes. It will be conducted between 6:30 and 8:30 pm. The scenario involves a fire moving rapidly up slope from the intersection of Canada Vista and Cuesta Real.

A citizens’ group is calling a meeting to discuss the future of the Moss Beach / Montara Fire District.  The “Moss Beach / Montara Fire District Citizens Committee” will meet Wednesday, July 7 at 6:30 pm at Mezza Luna Restaurant at Pillar Point Harbor.

The Point Montara Fire Board cancelled its contract with the Half Moon Bay Fire District effective September 2005, citing management issues with the Half Moon Bay Fire District.  This contract provides all emergency services in Montara and Moss Beach, including fire and paramedic service.

If you’re reading this, you’ve already been invited to a potluck picnic at Pt. Montara Lighthouse Hostel Sunday July 4th 1pm till 5pm.  Please bring a dessert, salad, or side-dish. The picnic is sponsored by, Montara Water & Sanitary District, Montara Moss Beach Water Improvement Association, and Hostelling International - Pt. Montara Lighthouse Hostel.  RSVP’s can be addressed to 728-3545 or

One of our readers reports seeing an orca at Montara Beach a couple of weeks ago:

I saw the Orca, as did several other surfers that day. I also saw a flyer in the tackle shop window at Princeton Harbor asking for reports on siting of Orcas seen around our area, apparently they rarely wander out of Monterey Bay.  It was definitely an Orca, 18” tall dorsal fin and a blow hole.

Does anyone else have experience with orcas in this area?

The San Mateo Times profiles the Sonrisas Community Dental Clinic. Sonrisas just opened a third operating room with a donation from the Nurserymen’s Exchange. Sonrisas has served nearly 2,000 low-income patients in its three years of operation.