On Saturday September 11th, The Visionary Edge will present a day-long FRESH event including a community Farmers’ Market Potluck followed by a sneak preview screening of the new documentary FRESH: New Thinking About What We’re Eating. The film will be introduced via skype by the director, and a panel discussion that highlights what is going on in our county to enhance a healthier food system will wrap up the evening. 

FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet. FRESH presents a vision of the possible by profiling heroes all over the country who are changing the way we eat. If Food Inc. was your wake up call, FRESH is your call to action.

Start with a community potluck at 6

Movie-goers are encouraged to start their day FRESH with a visit to the Coastside Farmers Market on Saturday morning from 9:00-1:00 and take advantage “Secret Ingredient” deals on fresh, organic, locally grown and produced food to include in the first-ever Coastside Farmers’ Market Community Potluck.  The Community is invited to bring a dish to share – or simply come to sample and vote for your favorite creation of the evening.  Compostable sampling kits will be available by donation to The HEAL Project – and include 4 chances to vote for your favorite concoction of the night. The winner will receive a shopping spree at the Coastside Farmers’ Market.  The Farmers Market Potluck, hosted by The Visionary Edge, Coastside Farmers Market and Community United Methodist Church, begins at 6 PM at CUMC, 777 Miramontes at Johnston.

Dave Liebman has been called a “dedicated master” who has sustained a top-of-the-line reputation for four decades. A multiple Grammy nominee, Leonard Feather of Downbeat puts him “among the most important saxophonists in contemporary music” 
 
As a necessary component of his artistic life, David Liebman has continued to pursue his goal of employing a steady working group with a distinct body of music.  The Group will be playing from their 2009 CD, —”Turnaround” - The Music of Ornette Coleman on the Jazzwerkstatt label which includes arrangements of some Ornette classics set in a diverse assortment of styles and idioms in many cases with added harmonies. The CD set includes a haunting “Lonely Woman” with guitar synths and wooden flute; a “rubber blues” version of “Turnaround”; a burning Latin-based feel for “Una Muy Bonita” and the very beautiful “Kathlelin Gray.”
 
In his liner notes Liebman say of Ornette’s music:  “there is a joyful spirit which permeates throughout . . . His music expresses an irrepressible joie de vivre, uplifting and mournful at the same time, playful and deadly serious-a full view of the human condition. 

Sunday, September 12, 2010 – 4:30, $35
Doors open at 3 pm, Two sets of music 4:30 to 7:30 with intermission
Online reservations: Brown Paper Tickets.com
Also available at the door
Priority seating for Bach Society Members

Douglas Beach House on Miramar Beach
307 Mirada Road, Half Moon Bay
650 726-4143

http://www.bachddsoc.org

We’ve lived in El Granada 26 years. It was through a friend of a neighbor’s that we learned AT&T and Coast County Water District (CCWD) are planning to build a 65 foot cell tower in the middle of an El Granada residential neighborhood (R-1 zone) that is approximately within ½ mile of the Post Office, El Granada Elementary School, Wilkinson School, Picasso Preschool and many of our homes and businesses.

Cell radiation has been cited to cover a range of 2.3 miles.  How will the parents of the children taking them to elementary school or day care feel about having their children in that range? 

One of our neighbors will be 30 feet away from it. Others will be affected. The tower will be visible from almost every room of our house. Another neighbor’s deck views it, 24/7/ 365. There are many other homes that will be able to view the tower.  What will that do to the value of their property? 

Implying these towers “look like trees” is ludicrous.  They are 3 feet to 5 feet diameter poles, 65 plus feet tall with antennae protruding, looking like dead twigs.  That’s just appearance.

How is it the Coastside County Water District clearly posted just a few months ago that the trees on that lot were being either removed or trimmed, and yet the notice of this cell tower gets buried in the HMB Review notices?  We plan on joining many of our neighbors at the Coastside County Water District’s next board meeting on September 14 to see if the water company will reconsider its decision to allow AT&T to build a new cell tower in residential El Granada.  We are not against cell towers, but they do not belong in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

Many in the neighborhood have joined a group called EGNAG (El Granada Neighborhood Action Group).  For more information, and to sign our petition to stop this cell tower, please go to our web site at: http://stopthecelltower.org

Robert D. Kline
El Granada

At the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Midcoast Community Council on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 7:30 p.m. at Seton Medical Center Coastside, Steve Monowitz, Deputy Director, San Mateo County Planning and Building Department, will update the Midcoast community on both the Local Coastal Program Resubmittal and the newly released Midcoast Groundwater Study, Phase III.

Presentation and discussion will cover:

• Issue 1: Lot Retirement

• Issue 2: Temporary Prohibition of Private Wells and Groundwater Issues

• Issue 3: Growth Limits

• Issue 4: “Grandfathering”

• Issue 5: Restriction of Public Works Capacities

• Issue 6: Public Service Priorities

• Issue 7: Re-zoning of Bypass Lands

• New issues that have arisen since last update

Why should you Care?

As residents of the Midcoast, the decisions being made here will affect your daily lives when it comes to things like water quality and quantity, traffic congestion, HWY 1 safety issues (remember the Tunnel will be opening soon) and the overall quality of life that we all enjoy in this seaside haven.

We invite the public to come and listen, learn and voice your opinion. Please visit the MCC webpage for more information.

Past LCP presentations, Midcoast LCP Update / Ground Water Study and more can be found on the MCC’s LCP update page.

Directions to Wednesday’s meeting at Seton Medical Center Coastside, Marine Boulevard & Etheldore, Moss Beach:
Take Highway 1 to Marine Boulevard and follow hospital signs uphill
Please note: MCC attendees PLEASE park in upper parking lot per hospital policy.

Huge book sale Saturday, September 4th and Sunday, September 5th from 9am to 3pm. Also Monday, September 6th from 9am to 1pm. Located at Coastside Lutheran Church at 900 N. Cabrillo Highway in Half Moon Bay. Features sorted fiction and non-fiction adult and children’s books, videos, dvds, cds, audiobooks, games and puzzles. Hardback books $1.00 and paperback books $0.50.

KQED will show MAKE NO LITTLE PLANS: DANIEL BURNHAM AND THE AMERICAN CITY, a new one-hour documentary about the man who, incidentally, laid out El Granada.  The documentary will be shown on KQED’s HD and “Life” channels:

KQED 9HD
Comcast 9 and 709
Digital 9.1, 54.2 or 25.1
Mon, Sep 6, 2010—11:00pm
Tue, Sep 7, 2010—5:00am

KQED Life
Comcast 189
Digital 54.3
Tue, Sep 7, 2010—10:00pm
Wed, Sep 8, 2010—4:00am

MAKE NO LITTLE PLANS: DANIEL BURNHAM AND THE AMERICAN CITY is the story of a dreamer who shaped some of America’s best-known places and spaces. The film explores Burnham’s fascinating career and complex legacy as public debate continues today about how and for whom cities are planned.

Narrated by Oscar nominated actress Joan Allen, MAKE NO LITTLE PLANS combines digital models, original drawings, personal letters, animated graphics and stunning visuals to highlight dramatic developments that transformed both Burnham and the American city—the early development of the skyscraper; the awesome impact of the 1893 World’s Fair; and the physical reconfiguration of existing cities, including our nation’s capital.

Whatever the outcome of November’s election, we’ll see a new member of the Harbor Commission. There are four candidates, including one incumbent, for two open seats. Commissioners are elected by the entire county, but through its management of Pillar Point Harbor, the commission has an outsized impact on the Coastside—particularly El Granada. Because of the cost of county-wide campaigns, the Commission has been virtually impregnable to challengers.

The County Times has a good review of the race.

All four candidates say it’s paramount to encourage people to go to both harbors and patronize local restaurants and bars, rent berths and use the launch ramps. Pillar Point in particular has been hit hard by the recession.  Businesses are suffering, and so is the commercial fishing fleet. Neither harbor is fully occupied.

[Incumbent Jim] Tucker is a former mayor of Daly City. He said he will help keep the Harbor District running smoothly in light of major changes in the next four years at Oyster Point. The South City marina will add a major ferry terminal with service to the East Bay by the end of 2011. The ferry will help commuters leave their cars at home. “That opens up a whole plethora of ideas,” Tucker said. “God forbid we have an earthquake, and bridges went down. We can develop a whole system on the Bayside where we can use the ferry service for everything.”

Tucker would also like to see a new office complex built at Pillar Point for the Harbor District staff, and he talks about attracting officers from the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which may have an interest in studying the area.

[William] Klear takes that vision a step further. He would like to see schools such as UC San Francisco set up labs at Pillar Point. A former management executive with United Airlines, Klear also wants the district to explore the possibility of harnessing wind power technology at Oyster Point as well as solar power and tidal power at Pillar Point. The harbors could use the power and sell it back to the grid, he said.

“If we don’t develop these harbors, we could actually lose that resource that was built 50 years ago,” Klear said. “Commercial developers could move in there and build hotels or condos. That’s what I want to avoid.”

[Robert] Bernardo said people should vote for him because he lives in South San Francisco and would represent a voice for Oyster Point Harbor. A media relations manager at the Port of Oakland and a South City planning commissioner, Bernardo has spent many years volunteering for civic groups. He said his management skills make him qualified to make “tough choices” with respect to budgeting and rental rates.

Bernardo would make it a priority to protect harbor tenants from losing their businesses, which could create a destructive chain reaction. An empty storefront is a major no-no when it comes to attracting tourist dollars, he said. “I feel that right now we’re all in a holding pattern, and it’s important that if any business leaves or goes under, that’s not good for the rest,” said Bernardo. “If that means having to consider a rent reduction just to keep them afloat, I think that’s important. We deal with similar situations here where I work.”

[Sabrina] Brennan said Pillar Point Harbor and its environs already have everything needed to attract visitors: kayaking, coastal trails and excellent surfing. And most people know that during Dungeness crab season, fishermen sell fresh crab right off their boats.

Brennan would like to use social media to advertise the harbor’s fresh catch of the day and update the district’s website to make it more marketing-driven. She also suggested adding a coupon for a local business to the receipt boaters get when they use the boat launch at Pillar Point.

“It would be simple and easy to do,” Brennan said.

The Bay Area Ridge Trail Council’s fifth annual Ridge Trail Cruz is planned for Saturday, September 11 in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This event is a fun opportunity for the public, families and outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy trails and stunning views while raising money and support to complete a public trail encircling the ridgetops around the San Francisco Bay. The event features hikes, horseback rides and mountain bike rides for all ages, experience and endurance levels.  NEW this year: shorter hikes and the family hike will visit the Daniels Nature Center.

Attendance is limited and advance registration is required. The registration fee allows for a fully supported day including guides, maps, light breakfast, gourmet buffet lunch, rest stops, and a shuttle bus for hikers and cyclists. By joining the optional Cruz-a-thon, participants can raise funds through pledges and win prizes including REI gear. For event and registration details visit http://www.ridgetrail.org or call (415) 561-2595.

Over 325 of the total 550 miles of the Bay Area Ridge Trail are complete, many of them traversing Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District preserves. The Ridge Trail Council has partnered with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Santa Clara County Parks, California State Parks, Responsible Organized Mountain Pedalers and Equestrian Trail Riders Action Committee to put on this year’s event.

The Bay Area Ridge Trail Council is a nonprofit organization that plans, acquires builds, maintains, and promotes the Ridge Trail. http://www.ridgetrail.org

The semi-annual 360 Degrees of Pacifica Hike is this Saturday, September 4th.  I’m sorry for the late notice, but would  a), love to have you come, and b)appreciate it if you could post this in your newspaper/website/committee list.

Here’s the description:  Join Park Ranger George Durgerian on a grand tour of the National Parks of Pacifica.  We’ll hike a gorgeous loop of ridges, from Milagra to Sweeney to Mori Ridge, all the while uncovering the stories of bombs, butterflies and bulldozers that make these sites special. Approx 7 miles, and fairly strenuous, but with plenty of stops.  Bring lunch, water and layers.

Meet at Salada Beach Café, 220 Paloma Ave in Pacifica.

We meet at 9 (if you want coffee or breakfast) and leave at 9:30, returning around 3.

George Durgerian
Park Ranger, GGNRA: Ocean District