On Monday, Jan 1, the official waiting period began for the Mavericks Surf Contest.  Once the waiting period begins, the contest can be started on 24 hours’ notice.

Half Moon Bay’s Recreation Division will offer online registration for the first time for all classes, programs and activities beginning the week of January 8, 2007. The Recreation Division has chosen The Active Network, Inc. (Active), a company that delivers software technology and marketing solutions to community service organizations, to provide the new online service. With online registration capabilities, the thousands of recreation participants will be able to view, register and pay for any of the Division’s activities, including the new Wealth Management Strategy Seminar, Half Moon Music, Women’s Life Coaching Circle, tennis lessons, and Pilates for Lower Back Pain Management classes, at any time, from any Internet-enabled computer.

"Our goal was to provide our community with the most convenient opportunities to participate in a variety of recreational and leisure activities," said Mike Blondino, Recreation Services Manager, City of Half Moon Bay. "Instead of visiting our office only during business hours to register for a program or class, participants can now register around the clock, when and where it’s most convenient for them."

By making online registration for classes, programs and activities available 24/7 via the Internet, the Recreation Division will reduce lines and the paperwork required to process registrations. For the first time, the community will also have the option of paying online, or in person, with a credit card. Active’s Internet registration makes signing up for programs simple, fast and convenient. Participants can create an account online; search for activities; view details, schedules and availability; register and pay in just minutes. As an added convenience, registrants will receive an e-mail immediately following an online transaction to confirm their enrollment in a program.

To access the Recreation Division’s new online registration service and create a free account online, please visit the city of Half Moon Bay’s Web site at http://www.hmbcity.com or call 650-726-8297 for more information.

Coastside nonprofits are invited to a workshop on strategies for recruiting, engaging and developing board members.

At the invitation of Coastside Alliance of Nonprofits, the Center for Excellence in Nonprofits Best Practices Exchange will be presenting a board development workshop at the Ted Adcock Center on January 9, 2006 from 4 to 7pm.

The recently formed Coastside Alliance of Nonprofits is  a group of nine independent agencies actively engaged in seeking out and implementing strategies to collaborate, increase efficiency and broaden community awareness of the scope of health, education, and human services available to all residents of all our Coastside communities.

CEN and The Coastside Alliance invite everyone who currently serves on a board of a non-profit, or is considering either joining a board of directors or volunteering with any coastside agency to attend. They also encourage executive directors and volunteers of all local agencies looking for a "refresher course" to attend. The workshop will also include a mini "Nonprofit Information Fair", and  close with a networking reception.

The participating agencies of CAN include Back to Basics, Boys and Girls Club of the Coastside, Coastside Adult Day Health Center, Coastside Children’s Programs, The Coastside Health Committee, Coastside Hope (formerly the Coastside Opportunity Center), Senior Coastsiders, Sonrisas and Wildlife Associates.  Collectively these agencies serve residents of all ages from Montara to Pescadero, La Honda and the Kings Mountain community.

Nonprofits can register at CEN’s website or contact Erin Tormey at 726-4802 for more information.

Comcast will spend $80 million to upgrade its system in eight Bay Area communities, including Half Moon Bay,  reports the Chronicle. In the next 18 months, Comcast will be working with local officials and customers as it prepares to lay 2,200 miles of fiber optic cable.

The upgrade will give some Coastsiders access to video-on-demand and Internet telephone service that are already available in rest of the Bay Area.  The Chron suggests and Comcast denies that the upgrade was prompted by plans by AT&T (formerly SBC, formerly Pac Bell, formerly AT&T) to upgrade its Bay Area networks.

I don’t like people much, you know. I find people kind of nasty and aggressive. The stupid teenage warriors in Iraq and all that

The people I like, like my wife’s friends who call themselves the cupcakes, with their silver and golden streaks of goodness inside them, are far and few between. And it cuts me off. And I don’t want to write anymore. Why would you want to perform, do anything for "them?"

But in my little town of Half Moon Bay I see James, He’s an elderly black man, homeless, who lives in a tent down by the creek. And I like James, I like his style. He’s always dressed in clean clothes, something special, you see him in matching khaki pants and shirt and a safari hat on his head, or a black sweater with a black beret, as he walks the homeless rounds around the town. I give him five dollars whenever I see him, because I like his style. And I pull up and say, "Hi James, how’s it going?" and I give him the money. And he always gives me a true smiling look, as my grandmother would say, "pleased as punch" and I feel a little freer.

And today for Christmas, I pulled up to James in my new car that I like to drive. And I said, "Happy holidays, James!" as I gave him ten dollars. And he said, "I have a Christmas present for you." And he went to open the grocery bag he had under his arm. And I said, "That’s okay, James," Meaning no, because I didn’t want to take something he might really need. And he said, "It’s a Christmas ornament." And I knew it would be a sin if I didn’t take his gift. And I said, "Okay." And he reached into his bag and gave me a beautiful trumpeting silver and brass angel. And it was heavy in my hand as the heart I daily carried. And I said thanks. And wished him a happy holidays as I drove away.

And as I drove to work, through the traffic and snarls, I felt the sunlight again. And I thought how I own a million dollar house, and James lives in a tent, And he gave me a gift.

Me, a gift.

And that’s why I cried. Man, I just couldn’t stop crying as I drove. Because a homeless man gave me a gift that put my world back in place.

All glory to James.

You’ve probably noticed that posting has been light for the last week or so.  We’ll continue to update Coastsider this week, but it will be light until after the new year. We had an amazing 2006 thanks to our readers—and a little help from Devil’s Slide—and we’re looking forward to 2007.

The stylists at Mizu Salon in El Granada brought Christmas to one Coastside family.

Organized by stylist Lacey Clark, the stylists pooled their tips for a week, telling their customers what they were up to.  Through Coastside Hope, they found a family that could use some help: a single mother on permanent disability and four kids, one of them disabled.

The first day of the week, they got some bad news. The family’s roof desperately needed to be repaired. Concerned that their money would all wind up in the roof, with nothing left for Christmas cheer, Lacey found Greg Jones at Armstrong Roofing in Half Moon Bay, who was willing to do the work for free if they contributed $1,000 for materials.

At the end of the week, the stylists had raised $1,500, and capped it off with a makeover for the mom.

"I really want to thank all of our clients for their generosity," said Carla Yamanaka of Mizu, "as well as our stylists, especially Lacey for putting this together.

The Half Moon Bay City Council approved its revisions to campaign finance reform ordinance, and continued its discussion of parking permits at its meeting on Tuesday, December 19.

Agenda items are linked to relevant documents on the city website.  Videos by Dana Kimsey.

Meeting opening   | Quicktime | WMP |

Proclamations and presentations   | Quicktime | WMP |

Oral Communications   | Quicktime | WMP |

Council reports   | Quicktime | WMP |

Staff reports   | Quicktime | WMP |

Consent calendar   | Quicktime | WMP |

Campaign finance reform   | Quicktime | WMP |

Parking at Poplar Beach and 144 Kelly Avenue   | Quicktime | WMP |

Calling the sewer bond   | Quicktime | WMP |

Accept the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), the Communication with Governing Body Letter, the Report on Compliance and on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, and the Appropriations Limit Report for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2006 (Bound Reports Available at City Hall for Review)   | Quicktime | WMP |

Appoint City Council Subcommittees on Redondo Beach Road Stairs Proposal and Allied Waste Rate Review (No Staff Report Attached)   |Quicktime | WMP |

Rescheduling of January 2, 2007 City Council Meeting to January 9, 2007 (No Staff Report Attached)   | Quicktime | WMP |

If you’re reading this, you’re invited to the Parrs’ annual holiday party at our home in Montara. Coastsider readers are welcome to join us this Saturday, December 23 beginning at 7pm.  This is the third year we’ve extended an open invitation to Coastsider readers. We had a great time meeting our readers last year.

If you’d like to come, send an email using the "Email Barry Parr" link in the left-hand navigation column of Coastsider with "RSVP" in the subject line, and I’ll send you an Evite with directions to our house.