Comments Archive

Goshes, I once talked for ten minutes with Sheriff Joe and the former mayor of Fountain Hills, AZ. Didn’t cost me a cent. (Subject was incorporated cities contracting with counties for law enforcement services.) Now I’m wondering what to do…

There were 30 or 40 cars at the event. I saw at least one John Birch Society bumper sticker—the first one I’ve ever seen in the wild. And I used to live in Orange County. Seriously, any event built on these three knuckleheads must have drawn…

I wish I had know earlier so I could have organized a “welcoming committee”. Here is a little article on “Sheriff Joe” which will give people a flavor of his idea of “justice”. ARTICLE: http://www.kpho.com/news/27272012/detail.html…

Greetings from Birmingham, Alabama where I live today but am originally from the Bay Area. Not sure what to think about Montara that great beach town hosting a “Three Joe Tea Party” event. What is this all about as I am really concerned about…

Tom, thanks for your note. We corrected the name, but it’s good to know that visitors are always welcome....

Hi Barry, Reading the story about the up-coming CMC Open House I noticed that the spelling of Los Niños Nursery School was inaccurate.  I also want to let your readers know that, while we enjoy participating in the Open House, for 37 years we have…

Blow a million and a half unnecessarily on grossly overdeveloped California Coastal Trail scams at Mirada Surf West and Fitzgerald Marine Reserve but avoid spending money on the parallel trail next to the highway that we all could use for safe, direct,…

Looks like there were some entries duplicated from HMB in Moss Beach. I’ve delete the duplicates pending a correction from the original poster. Thanks for bringing this to my attention....

Are the addresses in the Moss Beach listings correct, because they all say HMB? —DavidV...

I’m glad to see the CEF bring in some outsiders to help decide how their substantial endowment is allocated. This is a great opportunity for Coastsiders who want to have an impact on our schools....

“Perhaps GGNRA should hold-off until the County get its act together and designs the Parallel Trail.” Only if you have evidence that the County will ever do so.  The Parallel Trail has been an element of the certified Local Coastal Program…

“I know that there has been a request for more parking along Hwy 1, although I don’t know where that stands.” I know La Costanera wants to pave over and develop the dirt lot attached to the existing paved lot on the North side of the restaurant…

The Fukushima I nuclear accidents location is just across (the Pacific Ocean, at the exact same latitude) from San Gregorio State Beach! http://jidanni2.blogspot.com/2011/03/fukushima-reactor-is-just-across.html...

Excellent point about the parallel trail. The other thing to consider is that La Costanera has increased demand for evening parking in the area. I know that there has been a request for more parking along Hwy 1, although I don’t know where that…

Thanks for the info Kevin.  We have some dilemmas about GGNRA trailheads in Moss Beach and Montara. It seems that the best site for trail heads would be off the future Parallel Trail.  Connector trails going from the Parallel Trail to Rancho…

Hi David!  I remember you, of course. I was using my iPhone with Stop Motion Recorder (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stopmotion-recorder/id373313019?mt=8).  It’s fun software.  I had it set to take one picture every 20 seconds (its…

This is an old story Google is sending a lot of readers to this *old* story. Today’s (March 18, 2011) tornado warning can be found here: https://coastsider.com/index.php/site/news/tornado_warning_until_1130am_friday/...

Mike: Very cool time-lapse. A few technical questions:  Where was the camera positioned? (on a boat mast?) What camera/software did you use? David P.S. We were colleagues at Netscape / AOL many years ago! I was with the Calendar divlet....

Those are both good questions. You’d think that the someone would want to meet those 300 San Mateo County farmers, or wonder who they were. Also, I wouldn’t think that managing the identities, mail, and applications for 300 fake members is…

I am confused, or at least, perhaps, merely mystified. Did Olsen allegedly embezzle money from the Farm Bureau, then take that money and return it to the Farm Bureau in the form of dues payments for people who didn’t actually exist - 300 of them!…

Here’s a link to a time lapse video I shot on the docks in the harbor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9u7r9yFCz0 It was over a 40 minute period starting at around noon.  The white roller at the bottom of the post is 4 inches high, so you can…

This is a copy of a letter that was forwarded to me via someone I know in the Farallon View Group Group. I thought it important that Montara residents be aware of this proposed action, so while I posted this letter unedited as I received. It doesn’t…

Very interesting—thank you for sharing this!...

We walk our daughter to Farallone View from Acacia, along the fenceline of the llama ranch, so I know this area well. I don’t necessarily oppose the portal and I think it’s possible that GGNRA could improve a dead-end road that is a mess because…

“The portal provides a convenient, remote and unsupervised location for unwanted visitors to stage drinking parties, use drugs, dump garbage, vandalize property “ Ah so the existing convenient, remote, and unsupervised location amidst unkempt…

“The proposed Portals will provide parking and Restroom Facilities for an estimated 10,000 Visitors a year. GGNRA Consequences of this action will have serious impact on community infrastructure and current public use models.” For one, I’m…

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve: under-staffed and mismanaged Slide Presentation: http://www.scribd.com/full/50510695?access_key=key-2mrgb4em6vbmkwf4csev...

The item has been removed from the Coastal Conservancy agenda as of today.  The Coastal Conservancy has decided to wait to make a decision on funding for now.  It’s possible that the Coastal Commission will require modifications to avoid…

Yep, Brennan certainly beat the odds and the political fixes at this hearing. With all that was lined up against her, including the Commission’s staff report, she deserves great credit for the decision finding substantial issue in her appeal. As…

Seawalls prove to be counter productive… At least 40 percent of Japan’s 22,000-mile coastline is lined with concrete seawalls, breakwaters or other structures meant to protect the country against high waves, typhoons or even tsunamis. The risks…

In case you thought the breakwater would save us… The Kamaishi, Japan, breakwater was in the Guinness World Records as the deepest on the planet. It was a product of decades of research on wave dynamics and dissipation. But the tsunami made short…

Nice job Sabrina. The Coastal Commission did the right thing....

On March 11, 2011 the Coastal Commission voted to find that substantial issue exists with respect to Appeal A-2-SMC-11-010. This is a win for the environment, the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, trail lovers, visitors, and Coastside residents. The Dardenelle…

just heard an official vehicle (well, sort of heard it - got the rest from a neighbor) that the warning has now been reduced to an advisory for Montara residents. I’m guessing it’s the same for the rest of the area. I’m well above the…

No big deal here in Moss Beach.  The estimate of ~3 ft seemed pretty accurate, along with the arrival time.  Fortunately, the tide was pretty low (+1 ft), so the regular tide + tsunami is about +4 ft or so, well below the +6 ft high tides that…

oh well… they shoulda left it as a “watch”, as in watch on TV from work/school/later-that-evening...

Wondering if JH will still have his discussion today? Most folks are heading the other way due to the tsunami warning....

Full map is here: San Mateo County’s alert system is here: https://www.smcalert.info/latest.php...

Just got a phone call at 6am from Cabrillio Unified School District that school is closed today due to the tsunami warning....

NOAA’s website still has us (HMB and the rest of N. CA) under a Tsunami Warning: http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/2011/03/11/lhvpd9/06/messagelhvpd9-06.htm According to the prediction models at http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/models/models.html it looks like…

Over 200 signatures were collected in just over 72 hours.  Thank!...

To get further information, you can check out the Facebook page Save Off-Leash Dog Walking Areas in the SF Bay Area and http://www.sfdog.org. As a senior citizen who has walked/jogged on San Francisco’s beaches for 40 years, I strongly oppose the…

In less than 72 hours were up to 136 signatures.  Keep up the good work!...

“...The Farm Bureau did not respond to the County Times’s requests for comment…” Gee, I wonder why? I read over at the HMB Review that six-time incumbent HMB City Council member Naomi Patridge is a former employee of the Farm Bureau....

Were up to 98 signatures in less than 48 hours!!!  Go team....

Hello Keith, This is a San Mateo County project.  San Mateo County Parks currently manages the FMR.  The project plan came from the County and was approved by the County Planning Commission.  The state is providing most of the bond money…

“PCTV has a reputation for openness, community participation, and encouragement of local producers.” and don’t forget… they bring us Bruce Latimer. Would Pacifica Community Television videotape and broadcast Bruce down here? …

Hello Sabrina, I have been casually following along on some of the discussion/opinions you and others have shared regarding this trail project.  Thank you for raising awareness. Would you (or someone else) please be so kind as to post here in a comment…

The proposals, and MCTV’s protest can be found here: http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/portal/site/publicworks/menuitem.fd2e8ceae48fddfc82439054d17332a0/?vgnextoid=78e1922ee58cc210VgnVCM1000001937230aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&cId=68e1922ee58cc210VgnVCM1000001937230a____...

Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival and San Mateo County Farm Bureau funds were embezzled. Records show deceased Half Moon Bay official stole money By Julia Scott - Published: 3/8/11 http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county/ci_17560703?source=rss&nclick_check=1...

I forgot to add another good reference source for coastside dog people to get more information on GGNRA Dog Management. Go to http://www.montaradogs.com/Site/GGNRA.html...

What an excellent and helpful class to offer! So many families will welcome this kind of information....

The new Fitzgerald Marine Reserve staircase is currently being undermined by storm water runoff from an open drain pipe located next to the foundation of the stairs.  Has the MCC gotten any update on the erosion problem from the County? Link to photos: …

And, given the concocted multi-use necessity that helps justify wasting orders of magnitude more money, how could the approving authorities fail to notice it is a harrowing, severely bumpy ride down for wheelchairs? And one heck of a muscle burner and…

Who’s the genius in the County that approved this guaranteed-to-fail design?...

I released a comment on this story a little while ago which turned out to be from a spammer trying to get off pre-moderation.  If you’re interested, I posted an explanation on my blog at MediaSavvy: http://mediasavvy.com/2011/03/seomimic-attacks-comment-whitelists/...

Is seems the County should be required to cover the cost of repairs and maintenance because they were negligent with regards to storm water drainage....

Update: The erosion problem next to the new FMR staircase is getting worse with each winter storm. What are the grant funders contract terms with for maintenance?...

OK, that’s just amazing. I’ve only sampled a few minutes of this, but I’ve marked it for future viewing. Absolutely worth your time....

Some may never get it: the MCC, as it has become through county dictates and manipulation, is a powerless plaything of the county. Go along with what the county wants to please its favored special interests, and the MCC (or any other political sycophant…

>>Darin: What odds are you offering for those who want to bet on SAMCAR?<< Vs. the MCC? Thanks for my first laugh of the morning! At the last MCC meeting the members got into a near fistfight and one stormed out. Not too unusual for an MCC…

We’ll have a chance to gauge each Supervisor’s prioritization of SAMCAR vs. the MCC in the upcoming vote on the LCP Update.  There are a series of issues (lot retirement, security of our water supply, adequacy of infrastructure, etc)…

If you have been paying attention to local midcoast dealings with the county’s would-be dictators over the years, you learn that the midcoast situation is twisted to the benefit of the rulers not because the overdevelopment-pushing county is not…

>>One’s opinion doesn’t lose its value due to failure to participate in local meetings.<< It sure does in my eyes if the claim is that the powers-that-be are ignoring us.  >>I haven’t seen any evidence that the Board of Supervisors—when…

Speak of the devil!  Any news on the lawsuit Michon Coleman, SAMCAR Director of Government Affairs filed against her employer Steve Blanton, SAMCAR Executive Officer and the SAMCAR Board of Directors? LINK: http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/29072-samcar-michon-coleman-lawsuit.html...

One’s opinion doesn’t lose its value due to failure to participate in local meetings. And it’s understandable that Coastsiders don’t participate. I haven’t seen any evidence that the Board of Supervisors—when considering…

Apologies…failing to log in under my own, I mistakenly posted the previous message under Kay’s name. Carl May...

Hereabouts, part of an individual’s learning process, what was once described to me as an element of my “civics lesson,” is getting to know when participation in something has a chance of being productive. “Productive” in…

If this is going to be successful, PCT will have to include Coastsiders in its production and governance.  They already show a high degree of community involvement in governance and production, compared to what we are getting from MCTV today. We’re…

Hello Darin, The County has earned a reputation for unresponsiveness. At public meetings Midcoast residents have asked County Supervisors and staff for assistance with drainage problems, road closure, safe Highway 1 crossings and the “Parallel Trail”…

>>That simple framework, Ladies and Gentlemen, allows you to understand everything that happens in local and County government.<< Oh, it’s either that or maybe certain individuals come off as so shrill and paranoid, not to mention disagreeable,…

Carl May: “All this [fill in the blank] over the past few years is simply in service of the county’s desire to urbanize infrastructure in order to support greater midcoast overdevelopment.” That simple framework, Ladies and Gentlemen, allows…

Many thanks to the enthusiastic folks who attended yesterday’s Raptor Workshop and Walk at Wavecrest. We were rewarded with a fascinating presentation by international bird expert Alvaro Jaramillo, followed by an in-the-field application of the…

Red tailed haws are a threat. Don’t believe me? Rent “Birdemic” - a documentary about bird attacks in HMB. My favorite scene takes place in front of the bus at Cameron’s. Twenty people are trapped in the bus by a mixed flock of…

Absolutely the best thing ever. Made many lists as the worst movie of all times. Birds attacking people in HMB My favorite scene takes place in front of the bus at Camerons. Twenty people are trapped in the bus by a mixed flock of killer red tailed hawks…

I think we are going to have to see what is going to happen.  Best as I can tell the proposal from PCT mentions taping the HMB City and the Midcoast councils. MCTV currently tapes these plus all three water board meetings, the school board meetings,…

All this recent Highway 1 hoo-rah over the past few years is simply in service of the county’s desire to urbanize infrastructure in order to support greater midcoast overdevelopment. Just as the county rejiggered requirements for membership on the…

Adult tickets for both showings are also NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE (thru Tuesday, March 1) via the Pacifica Beach Coalition website, http://www.pacificabeachcoalition.org...

Looks like Len Erickson and his good-old-boy buddy Dave Holland, Assistant County Manager are continuing to lead the sheep to slaughter in this boring meeting video.  During the Traffic and Trails “charrette” in 2009 the public overwhelmingly…

Midcoast Power Grab: Letter to the MCC Friday, February 4, 2011 Chair Len Erickson and Members Midcoast Community Council Post Office Box 248 Moss Beach, CA 94038 Re: Serving on Multiple Boards with Overlapping Responsibilities Dear Chair Erickson and…

>>However, they made no effort to contact members of the community who had a stake in the decision. Many were unable to attend, including me.<< I wasn’t able to attend either due to a prior commitment—another coastside meeting…

I’m glad to hear that you think PCTV would be an improvement....

Thanks for writing this letter....

Bill, I am unable to attend tonights mtng. Parking +access is something the neighbors need to be involved with, your gatherings will further that participation,and I thank You for calling this gathering. Something I’d like to add, as part of the…

The county held a meeting last June, which is linked in the story.  However, they made no effort to contact members of the community who had a stake in the decision. Many were unable to attend, including me. I sent the following letter to Public…

Hello Barry, Will the public have an opportunity to comment on the proposals and make suggestions to a draft of the contract?  Did the County have public meetings to get feedback from the community on what services should be included in the contract?...

We’ll know more once the proposals are released by the county at the end of the day on Tuesday. We won’t know all the details until the contract is finalized....

Would Pacifica Community Television videotape and broadcast public meetings such as HMB City Council, MWSD, CCWD, Harbor Commission, GSD, MCC and Cabrillo Unified School Board?  If so would the videos be published on the Pacifica Community Television…

The Cabrillo Adult School has been cut. The zero-period music class is in jeopardy. Where is the money from that parcel tax going, anyway?...

Thanks. I knew that but my brain short circuited and I concatenated Coral Reef Ave with Clipper Ridge and didn’t catch it. And the extra ‘r’ was just And, yes it is short notice but I sent out three dates (2/21, 2/25 and 2/28) to those…

Thanks for calling this meeting! Hoping there’ll be a good turnout, even with the short notice. FYI, “Corral Ridge” should be “Clipper Ridge”. Cheers, Risa...

“I’d fault them a little on atmosphere, which was fine but could have been a little more posh at this price range. You have an terrific view of the Capistrano/Hwy 1 intersection from the dining room.” Yowza. A house salad for $9. Romaine,…

We went to Flavor the other evening and had an excellent meal: Short ribs, chicken pot pie, roast chicken, kid’s spaghetti.  Everything was well prepared and presented.  The sever was also very good. I’d fault them a little on atmosphere,…

Agree. But they’ll figure it out. Clay Lambert didn’t just win Editor of the Year for nothin’. Actually they are using the BLOX, which is a turnkey CMS solution for small town newspapers such as ours. Guessing the HMB Review plunks about…

Sabrina raises an excellent point. I’m not sure all these organizations should be lumped together, but it’s still a mess and it’s symptomatic of the county’s mismanagement of the Midcoast. The county needs to treat the MCC as representative…

Video: Montara Dog Group Meeting 1/22/11: http://coastsidevideo.com/news/pages/coastsidevideo-news-110122—montara-dog-group-ggnra.html...

Deborah: The Dog Management Plan is more restrictive than federal law requires. The law, 36 CFR 2.15 to be exact, requires that dogs be “restrained on a leash not to exceed six feet in length.”  It does not require that dogs be banned. …

So many errors and omissions in Holland’s writeup, especially regarding the CCT, that one hardly knows where to begin. The biggest misstatement is that this completes the CCT in Fitzgerald. (With tongue planted in cheek) apparently the fellow knows…

I wonder if the organizers of the protest have spoken to GGNRA?  Rangers have been at recent MCC meetings to discuss the transition.  They explained that the dccument in question is required to comply with Federal Law thus the apparent “ban”. …

Maybe we could have a better time convincing others to let dogs in parks if the owners clean up after them.  We have dogs (multiple) and always clean up after them.  This week we went out to Montara mountain to picnic and found dog poop out…