Patricia Delich and Wayne Jiang of Pacifica, CA met at a dulcimer festival in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 2006. Brought together by the quiet but haunting sound of the dulcimer, they married in 2008. At this month’s Film Night, Patricia, Wayne and some friends will play us some of their favorite songs and then screen us their new documentary about the influence the California Dulcimer has had on popular music. 

Friday, June 27, 7:30 pm
Coastside Senior Housing/Senior Coastsiders
925 Main Street, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
Concert/Film admission price: $10.00

Opening Act: The Dulcimer concert begins at 7:30
Patricia and Wayne start the evening by introducing us to some of their beautiful instruments and by playing us some of their favorite songs.  Don’t be surprised if a few of the stars of their documentary show up to provide accompaniment to this short, sweet concert.

Film:  Hearts of the Dulcimer begins at 8:00
Hearts of the Dulcimer is a feature-length documentary film about the unlikely California mountain dulcimer boom in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Jean Barlett of the Pacifica Tribune called this film “Extraordinary, beautifully shot, with a storyteller’s sense of mountain and sky, and the intricate workmanship that goes into the creation of this American-born, folk craft instrument.”

Through colorful interviews, rare archival footage, and live performances, Hearts of the Dulcimer gives a firsthand account of life in the counterculture, following one’s passion, and playing and building mountain dulcimers.

The film prominently features the story of the 1960s Santa Cruz dulcimer player/builders Howard Rugg, Michael Rugg, and Neal Hellman. Their unique California style dulcimer sound remains popular and influential to this day. Hearts of the Dulcimer features the music of dozens of dulcimer enthusiasts who follow in the steps of these soulful musicians.

Patricia Delich and Wayne Jiang will gladly take questions about film making and/or the Dulcimer at the end of the screening.

More information at:  www.HMBFilm.org

The Coastside Democratic Club has elected a new slate of Board members committed to supporting progressive local and global causes.

The new president Harvey Rarback said “the Club welcomes all Coastside Democrats and like-minded progressives who wish to work for citizen involvement in electoral and community life”.

The Board is planning more frequent membership meetings with guest speakers who can stimulate the membership to take action to achieve its goals.  Rarback listed some ideas the Club might pursue:

• Working to promote national and local infrastructure jobs and promoting energy efficient jobs in solar, wind and water
• Working for economic equality through better tax, employment and wage policy
• Working to get money out of politics and push for publicly financed elections
• Encouraging more Hispanic and minority participation in the political process
• Fighting discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, sexual preference and age
• Working for a fair immigration policy
• Working to mitigate the serious consequences of climate change through actions like reducing greenhouse gas emissions, preparing for sea level rise, opposing fracking,  supporting public transportation and implementing recycled water on the Coast
• Working to elect local candidates who respect the Coastal Act and Local Coastal Programs
• Participating in the update to the Half Moon Bay General Plan
• Working to include transparency and participation in local government organizations including electing all boards in even years in order to increase voter participation
• Encouraging local control of Coastside agencies including water, sewer, fire and parks
• Working with other progressive groups like the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Democracy for America, Progressives United and the many legislative Progressive Caucuses.

The Board members are: Harvey Rarback (President), Debbie Ruddock (Vice-President), Bill Kehoe (Treasurer) and June Baxter (Secretary).  The At-Large Board members are Cid Young, Mike Ferreira, Dan Haggerty, Fran Pollard, Dana Kimsey and Kathryn Slater-Carter.

There will be a community forum on alternatives to Highway 1 widening Wednesday, June 25 in Pacifica. Speakers will include: Former Pacifica School District board member Cynthia Kaufman, former Pacifica mayor Peter Loeb, former Pacifica planning commission member Leo Leon, Pete Shoemaker, John Keener, and Chaya Gordon. Snacks will be provided

Come learn about:

• The huge footprint of the planned project
• What you can do about it
• Alternative ways to reduce traffic

Sponsored by Pacificans for Highway 1 Alternatives and Pacificans for a Scenic Coast (a project of Pacifica’s Environmental Family).

Wednesday, June 25, 7:00-9:00 pm
Pacifica Community Center, 540 Crespi Drive
Free parking is available to the east and behind the building

King Salmon season is upon us again and with it the question of whether there is salmon to be had at Pillar Point Harbor on any particular day.  FishLine is now entering it’s third season of providing real-time information on the availability of all fresh seafood at Pillar Point Harbor and now 11 other Pacific coast ports from San Diego to Fort Bragg.

Check out the FishLine app at http://FishLine.me and FishLine Web at http://FishLineApp.com.

Phondini Partners also worked with HMB Media to produce an entertaining new video for Salmon season available at http://bit.ly/salvid

Follow the FishLine Channel on Facebook at http://fb.com/FishLineApp.

The Pumpkin Festival is holding its annual planning meeting with the festival’s non-profit food and game booth vendors on Wednesday, June 25 at 7:30 pm at Cameron’s Outback.

The purpose of the meeting is to cover application procedures, discuss logistics and plans, and field questions to ensure a well-coordinated, smooth and successful event for all.

The meeting is mandatory for non-profits that participated last year (and wish to participate again) and also open to those interested in applying for this year’s festival.

The 2014 Pumpkin Festival will be held on October 18-19.

For information, call the festival info-line at 726-9652.

Please join us this Saturday at the Darin Boville Gallery for the opening event of three new photographic projects. We’ll be here from noon to 4:00 with light snacks and beverages.

Up on the walls (and the UltraHD screen) are three of my projects: Waves, Albuquerque, and Category 3.

“Waves” is a series of eighteen images of waves as you’ve never seen them before in psychedelic colors.

“Albuquerque” is a self portrait in shadows made at Petroglyphs National Monument in New Mexico.

“Category 3” puts a new spin on landscape photography.

We have, as always, beautiful oversized postcards to share—one image from each project. The postcards are free.

There will also be special pricing on the photographs—if you’d like to own an original image we will be offering a significant discount to opening attendees. Let us know if you are interested in a specific print.

The Darin Boville Gallery is located on Route 92 in Half Moon Bay in the Spanishtown building (when you see the large dinosaur sculptures at the side of the road you are there). Our regular hours are 12:00—4:00, Thursday through Sunday.

No need to RSVP. Please feel free to forward this invitation to others.

Families always have a great time when singer/songwriter José-Luis Orozco comes to town.

Join us!  Sing along! Friday, June 13th, 7:00PM Cunha Middle School multi-purpose room 600 Church Street, Half Moon Bay. Presented by the Half Moon Bay Library

The Coastside Film Society invites you to our Grand-Reopening presentation: World War II Propaganda

How animation and shorts made before, during and after WW II taught us what to think.

The Coastside Film Society is roaring back in our new venue - the beautiful new Coastside Adult Community Center. Come celebrate our grand re-opening and bring your friends. It’s an amazing show and we’ve lowered ticket prices for this special occasion.

For the fifth year in a row Karl Cohen, world-renowned film scholar, hosts a night of animation he has assembled for the Film Society. This program explores how short films were used to rally the American public to war ­ and then, later cool down our bloodlust and get us to rebuild a world ravaged by war.

These films provide a fascinating look at how Bugs Bunny, Donald Duck, Daffy and other animated stars persuaded us to recycle, pay our taxes ­ to buy guns, guns and more guns ­ and laugh at Hitler. Warning: Some of these films were designed to inflame our rage and will now be seen as deeply offensive.

Friday,  May 30, 7:30 p.m.
Coastside Adult Community Center
925 Main Street, Half Moon Bay, California 94019
Special grand reopening admission price: $5 for everyone

Directions: The Coastside Adult Community Center is just south of downtown Half Moon Bay on main street, but it is so brand spanking new that Google maps and other mapping programs still can’t find it or may take you to the wrong location. Typing in the address (not the name) should get you close. I will post an updated map and better instructions for parking on the Film Society’s website soon.

Full program info and map at www.HMBFilm.org

Farmers in rural San Mateo County are once again embarking on a scholarship drive aimed at helping Pescadero High School seniors become the first generation of their families to attend college or technical school.  Now in its second year, the Sustainable Farming Community Scholarship (SFCS) fund will help with tuition and other educational expenses for one or more students graduating from Pescadero High on June 6.

“Last year, we raised over $6000 from our local farmers and community members, which we awarded to three Pescadero graduates who have gone on to post-secondary education,’ explains Casey Norton, one of the drive’s organizers.  “This year, we hope to match or exceed that total for the class of 2014.”

Additional funds may also be used to help last year’s recipients with their continuing expenses. Noted Norton, “It would be great if we could continue providing some funds to help previous scholarship winners with tuition, transportation, and other costs. We want to make sure they can stay in school long enough to complete a degree.”

Geared for Farming Community

The scholarships are awarded based on the amount of money raised before the school’s June 6 graduation. Applicants must be among the first generation of their immediate family to attend any form of post-secondary education (community college, technical or trade school, or a four-year university). Preference is given to children of farmworkers currently employed in the agriculture industry in Pescadero and its surrounding areas.

Of the expected 24 graduates in Pescadero High School’s class of 2014, more than 80% intend to pursue a post-secondary education. Yet more than 58% of these students come from families whose parents never completed high school.
“Education strengthens every part of our community – the labor pool, family life and the local economy,” says Teresa Kurtak, owner of Fifth Crow Farm, who initiated the SFCS drive with Norton in 2013. “We are excited about being able to contribute back to the people who work on our farms.”

Send Donations to Pescadero High

All donations to the Sustainable Farming Community Scholarship (SFCS) are being handled through Pescadero High School, and are tax-deductible. Anyone may contribute to the fund. Checks should be made payable to “Pescadero High School” with “SFC Scholarship” in the memo line, and mailed to: Pescadero High School, PO Box 730, Pescadero, CA 94060.

Come to Miramar Farms at 420 Purisima Way, Half Moon Bay,  for a farm fresh breakfast and an interactive session with the Miramar Farms beekeeper, Sunday, May 18,
9:30 to 11:30am.

Learn about the fascinating world of honeybees and how they contribute to the food supply. You’ll go home with a taste of honey from their apiary. Proceeds benefit the BRITE scholarship fund.