Please FAX this letter to: 916-319-2114

Assembly Member Nancy Skinner
14th District
Subcommittee 3
Fax: 916-319-2114

Regarding:  DOJ Fund Shift Budget Committee

Dear Nancy Skinner:

Today I am writing to express my extreme opposition to the Department of Justice (DOJ) proposal to “bill” departments that protect our coast and environment for litigation that defends our natural resources. The Coastal Commission, State Lands Commission, Water Board and other public agencies that protect the public’s rights to clean beaches, clean water and access to public lands should not have to base their decisions on whether or not these rights deserve to be upheld based on case-by-case budget decisions made by the Department of Finance. Funding these legal costs currently comes from the General Fund and are written into the DOJ budget. This has worked extremely well for nearly forty years. Why change it now and seriously harm coastal and environmental protection?

Assembly Member Juan Arambula
31st District
Subcommittee 4
Fax: 916-319-2131

Regarding:  DOJ Fund Shift Budget Committee

Dear Assembly Member Juan Arambula:

Today I am writing to express my extreme opposition to the Department of Justice (DOJ) proposal to “bill” departments that protect our coast and environment for litigation that defends our natural resources. The Coastal Commission, State Lands Commission, Water Board and other public agencies that protect the public’s rights to clean beaches, clean water and access to public lands should not have to base their decisions on whether or not these rights deserve to be upheld based on case-by-case budget decisions made by the Department of Finance. Funding these legal costs currently comes from the General Fund and are written into the DOJ budget. This has worked extremely well for nearly forty years. Why change it now and seriously harm coastal and environmental protection?

The American Association of University Women’s March 15 general meeting is sure to enlighten and educate you about the history of Half Moon Bay and the Coastside. Three Coastside locals will join us to discuss their books on Half Moon Bay and Kings Mountain history. 

Hear these authors share tidbits of local lore, discuss what inspired them to write their book and explain their research and writing process.  You will learn about the people and events that impacted the history of our area.  The authors will have copies of their books to sign and sell.
 
Featured authors will be:
 

• Dave Cresson – “Turning Points: Through the Windows of the Zaballa House” and “The Treasures of Half Moon Bay”
• Michael Orange – “Half Moon Bay: Historic Coastside Reflections”
• Stacy Trevenon – “Images of America - Kings Mountain”

 
After the panel discussion, Mary Sheridan will lead us on a tour of the historic CUMC chapel.  Built in 1872, the chapel is on the National Registry of Historic Buildings and is the oldest operating church in San Mateo County.  In addition to the history of the chapel, Mary will explain the very touching story behind the chapel’s beautiful stained glass windows and tell you how many times the chapel has actually been moved and turned around!
 
As part of our general meeting, Tech Trek Chair, Julie Gerth, will give a brief update on Tech Trek and what a great opportunity it would be to contribute to this innovative, worthwhile project.  In addition she will have a new DVD from camp to share. 
 
Monday, March 15, 2010
Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Meeting starts at 7:15 p.m. followed by the program
Methodist Church Social Hall, 777 Miramontes St., Half Moon Bay
 
Carol Forster and Betty Lee-Kendall
Program Co-Vice Presidents
         

The county plans two more H1N1 vaccination clinics for the Coastside in March.

The H1N1 virus is not expected to disappear anytime soon, so it remains important for people to continue getting vaccinated – especially children, pregnant mothers, and individuals with underlying chronic medical conditions. Children who receive their first dose now may only need one dose next fall, when flu season ramps up again. It is also important for children under age 10 to get two doses of H1N1 flu vaccine – at least three weeks apart – because two doses provide better protection against the H1N1 virus for the less mature immune systems of younger children. [...]

A flu shot is still the single best defense against the flu, and can help reduce the spread throughout the community. For individuals in high-risk groups, the vaccine prevents serious health complications, and in some cases, death. There have been 10 H1N1-related deaths and 95 hospitalizations in the County since the outbreak began last year.

Half Moon Bay
Wednesday, March 10, 6pm-8pm
Moonridge Mid-Peninsula Housing, 2001 Miramontes Point Rd.
 
Half Moon Bay
Sunday, March 21, 10am - 4pm
Ted Adcock Community Center, 535 Kelly Ave.

Along the San Mateo County coast, trained volunteers play a major role in protecting the Western Snowy Plover—a small shorebird that lays its eggs on the sand at a few California beaches every summer.

The snowy plovers, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, may be found on several local beaches during the winter months.  In the spring and summer, the plovers congregate on the few beaches that can provide safe nesting sites, including Half Moon Bay State Beach—a busy recreational beach where a protected habitat is set aside for the plovers to nest.

Volunteers in the Half Moon Bay State Beach Plover Watch program monitor the beach to help protect the plovers and point them out to beach visitors.  Public education—sometimes including presentations for school groups—is an important part of the volunteer program.

When volunteers find a plover nest—well-camouflaged eggs laid in a depression in the sand—they call in help to build a wire “exclosure” around it to prevent predators such as ravens and gulls from taking the eggs.  When the eggs hatch, about four weeks later, the plover chicks are cared for by the male parent for almost a month until they can fly (fledge).  The female parent often leaves for another beach where she may breed with another male.

NOTE: The CUSD board normally meets on Thursdays. This is the regular meeting that was originally scheduled for Thursday, March 11.

The Cabrillo Unified School District board of directors will meet Wednesday to finalize its layoff plans, among other agenda items, at its monthly meeting Wednesday, March 10 at 7pm in the Cunha Intermediate School library.

The agenda includes the following resolutions [pdf]:

• Second Interim Financial Report and Budget Revision for Fiscal Year 2009-2010.
• Enter into a CSBA Sponsored Tax and Revenue Anticipation Note Agreement for 2010-2011.
• Reduction and/or Discontinuation of Classified Positions.
• Decrease the Number of Certificated Employees.
• Criteria for Determining Order of Seniority for Employees with Same Date of First Paid Service.

A protest is planned for the meeting. Parents and interested commmunity members are asked to bring signs and wear pink to protest the cuts.

Signs and pink are also requested for a pink slip protest at HMB High School from 6:45 to 7:45am, at the base of the hill.

The county’s Charter Review Committee is holding its next public hearing in Half Moon Bay at Cunha Intermediate School, on Wednesday March 10, from 5:30 to 7:30.
 
The Committee is reviewing the county’s charter and, after public hearings, will make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for amendments to be submitted to county voters.
 
The general purpose of a county charter is to provide a measure of home rule to the counties of the state. The charter defines San Mateo County’s structure, powers and functions. It’s akin to a local constitution.
 
In its review of the Charter, the Committee will specifically address the Civil Grand Jury recommendations regarding Board member elections and filling Board vacancies, and  the method of electing members of the Board of Supervisors from the current “at large” system to a “by district” system. In addition to other items the Committee will consider consolidation and reorganization of departments and other organization improvements requiring a Charter amendment.
 
The Committee will meet at least once in each of the five supervisorial districts in addition to meetings held at the County seat in Redwood City.  The schedule and all materials provided to Committee members are available at its Web site.
 
Video recordings of each meeting will be posted on the Charter Review Committee’s Web site:   
http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/CharterReviewCommittee.
 

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is holding a public meeting in Half Moon Bay on March 17 to consider purchasing a 340-acre property known as Lobitos Ridge from the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST). Please help the District inform your readers about this meeting to be held:

March 17 at 6:30 p.m.
Coastside Fire Protection District
1191 Main Street
Half Moon Bay, CA. 94019

The property is adjacent to the District’s existing Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve near Half Moon Bay, and is an important link in the goal of connecting “Purisima to the Sea” by preserving a corridor of public open space and agricultural land from Skyline Ridge to the San Mateo County coast. The District purchased an adjacent 260-acre property from POST in June 2009, and an adjacent 450-acre property from the University of California in August 2009. The District hopes to add one final piece of land to complete this project in 2011.

“Lobitos Ridge is a key link connecting public lands together that provide all of us with scenic beauty, as well as vital necessities like clean water and locally produced food,” said District General Manager Steve Abbors.

The District is a public agency whose mission is to preserve open space and agricultural land, protect and restore the natural environment and provide for ecologically sensitive public recreation and education. If purchased by the District, Lobitos Ridge would continue to be grazed and farmed, and would remain closed until a public planning process looks at opportunities to balance public access with environmental preservation and agriculture.