As you are aware there are two business farms on Highway 92 across the road from each other, Lemos and Pastorinos,  that slow traffic to a crawl during the holidays.
 
While these businesses are a great deal of fun, the extent to which they negatively impact traffic is a looming safety issue.
 
Their permits are up for renewal this week and it seems fitting that you weigh in on your feelings about the traffic impact.  In a conversation with the project planner, Ms. Leung,  she was unaware that traffic was effected outside of the two weeks prior to Halloween.  As a result it appears that the staff recommendation for the permit calls for no changes in traffic control.
 
Nobody wants to curtail the two establishments in question but it is the important to examine alternatives so that these two businesses do not cause traffic delays.  That corrections should be made so that they do not reduce the normal flow into town delaying  both residents and clients of other coastside businesses.
 
Perhaps the solution is as simple as to have them hire security guards to keep pedestrians from crossing the road, and thereby keeping traffic flowing and reducing the risk of a pedestrian fatality.  A second idea is to direct autos leaving their establishments make only right turns  back onto Highway 92, thus reducing the danger of traffic crossing the road.
 
Whatever you feel, now is the time to act. If you send a letter by email to the Project Planner it will be put into the file and read into the record.  Better yet you can attend the meeting.  Below is the information on the planner and the meeting:
 
The File on Lemos is PLN2000-00711 and Pastorino is PLN2000-00730
 
Camille M. Leung
Planning and Building Division
455 County Center, Second Floor
Redwood City, CA  94063
(650) 363-1826
[email protected]
 
Meeting of San Mateo Planning Commission
Wednesday August 23, 2006
9:00AM
Board of Supervisor Chambers
400 County Center
Redwood City

Brian McNamara 

Early last month, Noah Harris and his parents were devastated to learn he had been diagnosed with PH+ Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).  They immediately began an intensive chemotherapy treatment, which Noah has endured like a trooper.  Since his initial diagnosis at the Lucille Packard’s Hospital for Children, his doctors have learned that Noah has a very rare genetic anomaly identified as “Philadelphia” ABL/BCR translocation gene.   He is currently undergoing consolidation phase treatment and will most likely require bone marrow transplantation once a match is found.  Noah will celebrate his second birthday in October. 
 
To help our young friend, we are sponsoring a blood drive in his honor.  The Stanford Blood Mobile will be at Cypress Flower Farm on Saturday, August 26 to answer any questions you may have and collect your donation.  We are looking for 40 donors, each of whom will receive a coupon redeemable for a pint of Baskin Robbins ice cream.  An appointment can be made by by signing up on online or by calling 650-728-0622.   Additionally, you will have the opportunity to join the National Marrow Donor Program registry.  There are no costs associated when contributing via the Stanford Blood Center.
 
The drive will be held August 26 at Cypress Flower Farm, 333 Cypress Ave, Moss Beach from noon-4:00.  We hope you will join us in our effort to help Noah and others with this life threatening condition.  If you are not able to join us at this drive, we encourage you to visit your local blood center.

Karen Gorman
Montara

Three cheers for the Half Moon Bay Fire Department!

Our neighbor  had trees cut down on Thursday and all the mulch mounded up against the wooden fence between our properties.  Then she left town.  By Sunday evening the pile was smoking.  So I called the non-emergency number for the fire department to ask if I needed to do anything.

The answer: Yes!  Composting wood chips can start serious fires.

The Fire Department arrived with rakes and hoes and spread that monumental heap of flammable compost into a safe layer.  They watered down the mulch and with a wave and a smile, they were gone.  But not before we managed to capture the action though we forgot to get their names.

Thanks again! And people—be smart, composting debris gets HOT. Don’t mound it up near flammables.

Molly Haselhorst
Montara

The Half Moon Bay and Point Montara Fire Protection District boards of directors voted to move forward on contracting out fire services with the California Department of Forestry.

The chiefs from CDF and San Mateo Fire Department were on hand to answer questions about their outsourcing proposals from the boards. The meeting lasted nearly four hours, from 5pm to 9pm. Firefighters and their friends and families filled out a packed meeting in the garage of the HMB fire station. The firefighters and their supporters applauded those who spoke against outsourcing to either CDF or the San Mateo Fire Department.

Observers were unable to read the mood of the boards as they asked questions of the chiefs proposing to take over the districts’ fire services, but when it came time to vote, it became clear that the boards had decided to make a decision. The process was dramatic.

The Half Moon Bay board acted first.

HMB board member Dave Eufusia moved that the boards set up a work committee made up of board members, staff and firefighters to review the proposals from CDF and SMFD and come up with more detailed answers to their questions. It failed for lack of second. Director Gary Burke, saying "To maintain the status quo is not an option," moved that the HMB board direct its staff to prepare a letter of intent to negotiate with the CDF.  It was seconded, and directors Burke, Jerry Donovan, Bert Silva, and Lane Lees voted yes. Eufusia voted no.

Then the Point Montara board acted. Director Gary Riddell, saying that the reason "we’re solvent and they’re not"—looking directly at the Half Moon Bay board—was that Point Montara pays attention to finances. He said that HMB director Eufusia had uncovered $400,000 is discrepancies in the CDF proposal and that he didn’t have enough information about either consolidation or outsourcing to approve either course of action.  Riddell moved that the Point Montara board set up the same style of work committee rejected by the HMB board. His motion was not seconded. Director Ginny McShane moved that the Point Montara board "accept the CDF proposal" and begin to negotiate—essentially the same motion approved by the HMB board.  Directors McShane and Bruce McKimmie voted yes. Director Riddell voted no.

During the public comment meeting, Edwin Hawkins, president of the San Mateo County Firefighters Local 2400 told the directors that if they voted for consolidation, the union would collect signatures to hold a referendum on the decision.

The Quarry is an 87-acre lot on the Pacific Ocean, west of California State Highway 1, between already-congested intersections at Reina del Mar and Fassler Avenue in Pacifica. It borders both the Golden Gate National Recreation Area's Mori Point reserve and the City of Pacifica's Calera Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant to the north, and the West Rockaway Beach district to the south. Calera Creek and its floodplain bisects the flat areas of the Quarry. One of the Quarry's hillsides has been thoroughly mined, and another ridge is largely intact. The creek and surrounding hillsides are known habitat for the endangered San Francisco Garter Snake and threatened California Red-Legged Frog. A public biking/hiking trail also runs through the Quarry.

In the 20 years since limestone quarrying operations ceased, and with the help of the restoration of Calera Creek, the ecology is recovering. Alhough it is private property, unofficial hiking trails have traversed the Quarry for decades. It is one of very few remaining vacant lots of its size in Pacifica.

On November 7th, 2006, Pacifica voters will be asked to approve a ballot measure which would authorize the City Council to rezone the Quarry to entitle up to 355 housing units on the property, and contains no specifics on what kind of housing units or what mix of them. If the measure is rejected, any development in the Quarry would be covered by existing C-3 commercial zoning and various regulatory agencies. This ballot measure is required by a 1983 ballot measure which mandates "a vote of the people" before the City could alter the zoning to allow any housing on the property.

No project, development agreement, regulatory review, or plan has been created by the developer or submitted to the City or the voters, nor would any such review be available to the voters before the November election. The only purpose for this November's ballot measure is to give any future developer an entitlement to build 355 housing units in the Quarry. If it is approved, this or any developer would be entitled to propose a project with up to 355 houses, and the "voter mandate" would provide a big stick to wave over elected officials should they attempt to challenge or downsize such a project.

The Quarry was purchased in 2005 by Peebles Atlantic Development Corporation (PADC), headed by R. Donahue Peebles. Peebles began his career as a real estate appraiser, and was appointed to the Board of Real Property Assessment & Appeal by then-D.C.-mayor Marion Barry. Barry later gave Peebles his start developing office space for the District's use. After a deal fell apart due to accusations of cronyism, Peebles moved on to Miami and leveraged the purchase of the Royal Palm Hotel as part of a redevelopment project. The project turned litigious and dragged on for years as Peebles sued Broward County over it, was counter-sued by them. Peebles purchased the Bath Club in Miami Beach, and funded a campaign to attempt defeat the Mayor who opposed the hotel's partial demolition. Peebles purchased the Quarry property in 2005. He then went on to purchase the 250 Brannan office building in San Francisco for conversion into ultra-luxury condos.

In a single 24 hour period, the staff and Board of Back to Basics secured close to $17,000 in pledges toward the 100K Challenge Grant, bringing the total to a whopping $79,000 overnight, and putting them well within striking distance of their goal of $100,000 in contributions during the ten week challenge period.

There are exactly 2 weeks to generate another $20,000 in individual contributions to take full advantage of this most extraordinary opportunity.  You can contribute now by going to the Back to Basics website, or by sending a check to

Back to Basics
PO Box 354
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

Unless the contribution is designated for the Endowment Fund, all contributions will be distributed directly to the students and teachers this fall.

The bulk of the contributions, and the attendant matching funds will go to support students and teachers this term.  But a fair number of contributors have chosen to designate the emerging Endowment Fund as the destination of their investment in our schools.

The Endowment Fund is a keystone of the Foundation’s long-view strategy: To create a locally generated, locally-managed reliable source of funds for our local public schools. Back to Basics goal is to generate a $2 million endowment in two years.  When the principle reaches $2,000,000, the interest income it generates will provide a steady source of funds to the schools

Joe Cotchett, Burlingame attorney, Democratic powerbroker, and preservation-oriented owner of several buildings in downtown Half Moon Bay will be the lead lawyer In Valerie Plame’s lawsuit against Vice President Cheney, "Scooter" Libby, and Karl Rove, say Matier & Ross in the Chronicle:

"Money is not what this case is about," Cotchett said Tuesday. "It’s (about) a little piece of paper—sometimes known as our Constitution."

There is already speculation that Cheney, citing executive immunity, will go untouched—and that the real target is Republican kingmaker Rove.

No additional candidates have file to run in either the Cabrillo or the La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District board elections as of the 5pm extended deadline on Wednesday.

There will be five candidates for CUSD: The candidates are Pamela L. Fisher, Dwight Wilson, Jolanda Schreurs, Ken Johnson, and Kirk Riemer.

There will be no election for La-Honda-Pescadero. Andy Wilson and Heather McAvoy will be the new board members.

The ninth Annual Half Moon Bay Surf Classic scheduled for August 25 and 26 has been cancelled.

The event is designed to provide a competitive surfing competition for those living on the Coastside.  Organizers have already begun planning for the 2007 Classic. Refunds for registered participants are being processed and should be received by the end of August.

According to Recreation Supervisor Dirk Alvarado, "The uncertainty of Highway 1 slowed down commitments and progress and no one expected it to be completed this quickly. Since there is short window of time due to weather and other events the organizers thought it would be better to cancel this years event instead of putting on an event of lesser quality."

This story is based on a press release from the city Parks & Recreation Department.