Comments Archive

Yeah, the surface they punched through was totally faked-up and this was strictly a pseudo event that was put on for the TV cameras (and ours as well). That’s why I opened with a shot of the cameras. It actually took a lot longer than the video…

Cool. It is interesting that the hill is made of drywall, though. It seems like it should have happened quicker - the digging that is -  considering what they had to dig through. That does not look like a rocky hillside,....

YESSSSSS!!!!!! It’s been far too long in coming. Thank you so much for making the rest of us feel a part of this crucial moment....

Thank you so much for filming this! It’s been a long time coming, and I am so glad to have seen it. Better than being there!...

Barry, I noticed and I like it! Nice work!...

I went to the 1st Dinner and it was fantastic! -Cid...

Actually it is not just about politics- one of the benefits of governmental community service is getting invited to governmental events…...

Thanks for your comment, Truthmaker. I have read “Slow Death by Rubber Duck” and am currently reading “My House is Killing Me,” about the mold-dust-mite ecosystem that inhabits our homes. It would make a terrifying horror film.…

Thank you for bringing this topic to people’s attention, Sande. For more on this subject and the pervasive polluting of our bodies and our environment by unnecessary chemical substances, most of which serve only one purpose: profit, please read…

Coastsider was due for a makeover.  Good job!...

I like the new layout - much more generous use of this space....

While, I can understand Caltrans’s reluctance to invite the public to an underground construction site, I agree that they missed an opportunity to gain some goodwill from the community....

The Tunnels: Created by the People, for the People. Sorry, People not invited to the breakthrough event. Politicians only. Classic Caltrans....

Where do the “5 bars” come from then?...

The event will be at 1pm....

Thanx for posting this event, any idea of what time this will take place? Thanx!...

Since I posted my letter earlier this morning, it has come to my attention that AT&T’s decision to withdraw their El Granada #1 water tank cell tower application was based on communicado with the CCWD—- the CCWD and AT&T agreed that…

The question is not whether he was arrested, but whether he’s the guy responsible for all the tagging....

“the Sheriff may have arrested a tagger” Actually, I think they DID arrest him as your article states later “Deputy Owen Yoch arrested Ayers on two felony and nine misdemeanor charges”....

I like Even’s paintings....

And, by way of an update, Pack 263 had their first Pack Meeting on Wednesday night at the Methodist Church in HMB and is now off and running. Anyone interested in joining Cub Scouts in either HMB or anywhere else on the Coastside can call me at 728-5028…

Hi all, The Coastal Commission concurred with the new County Cell tower regulations today: b. San Mateo County LCP Amendment No. SMC-MAJ-1-09 (Wireless Facilities). Certification Review. Concurrence with the Executive Director’s determination that action…

Coastal Clen-up Day is probably one of the best efforts in conservation. It’s amazing how many people join the effort and really make beaches shine. That’s really what it will take to preserve our resources: this concerted effort by willing…

Given he was wearing a hat with a hybrid pirate/raider on his head, suprised no one took that literally…...

More Carmel, less Pacifica…...

What a beautiful cat....

Fair point, David. I’ve noticed this house while walking the dog and love it.  It’s a good example of how a modern house can be warm, and also appropriate to Montara. At a recent Design Review Committee hearing, I witnessed an architect…

And on a positive note - I am glad to see folks investing in building architecturally interesting homes on the coast. Houses like this are to be celebrated. It is obvious that a great amount of thought, talent, care, and attention to detail was put into…

I don’t live in HMB, but I shop there whenever I can. The only exception is that, as has been discussed here numerous times, Linda Mar Safeway is a lot closer and better-stocked than the one in HMB. I can’t imagine the proposed sales tax would…

Continuing the theme of the previous comments, I recall a political cartoon that made the point that the best environmentalist is a dead one....

Wow.  I hope the residents of HMB just vote yes.  A 1% tax is an extra $1 for every $100. I don’t live in HMB but shop there frequently.  It wouldn’t dissuade me from shopping there.  Maybe it would if I was buying a big…

For anyone wanting a cat, I want to give a plug for adopting from a rescue group or an animal shelter.  There are literally hundreds of animals dying for a loving home. We adopted our “Jack” from a local rescue group; so I guess that…

Other than dissolution, can someone offer a better solution? Um…Appeal the Beachwood decision? Draft a relief bill less mind-bogglingly stupid than AB1991 and not spend a million dollars in a vain attempt to get it passed? Dissolve the city before…

Yeah, it’s kind of like this heartbreaking, dishonest ad from Nissan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNeEVkhTutY I guess it’s better than buying an Escalade, but you can’t buy enough cars to save the polar bears....

I feel a marketing campaign coming on: Visit the dissolute Coastside!...

It’s a lovely house but the text is odd. It says “To minimize costs and carbon footprint…” This looks to be a large house. I’m guessing two people live there? A large house, no matter how many solar-this and eco-that, is…

I strongly agree with Barry, and I am neither a socialist nor a Muslim…not that I have a problem with either. But as a resident and business owner in Half Moon Bay I think it would a shame to let this happen to HMB over a 1% increase in sales tax…

Well Barry, I don’t have a vote because I am not a resident. If I were, dissolution would be my choice....

Bob, if you don’t support the sales tax, what’s your solution? Dissolution of the city? That’s certainly not preferable to a sales tax increase. Austerity?  Eliminate parks & rec, outsource the cops, sell Beachwood and maybe…

Man-o-man-o-man am I ever thrilled I sold my HMB condo this summer!  I feel bad for anyone with property within the City limits on the market.  I hope agents and buyers are doing their homework.  I would be very unhappy to be closing on…

If the latte is “to go”, there is no sales tax anyway. There is no sales tax on most hot beverages to go in California, although many shops don’t adhere to this. As far as groceries being free of tax, in our case, close to half of the…

Isn’t this like the kid who pleaded for mercy because he was an orphan – he had just been convicted of killing his parents! Ken...

Barry, You make a very nice ‘analytical’ argument – unfortunately, most people make their decisions on behaviour by ‘perception’ or ‘emotion’. People will more likely purchase an item priced at $9.99 than they will purchase the same item…

You have encountered a fast growing legal strategy. A series of initiatives in law enforcement over the last 30 years have resulted in cities and states discovering clever ways of making lots of money for the city-towtruck-insurancecompany-defenselawyer-policeofficer-DMV-system…

Barry You make an excellent point about the real savings associated with driving over the hill. That is, it would hardly be worth the trouble and would likely end up being a more expensive venture. However, you should note that groceries are exempt from…

I didn’t watch this as I’m not interested in hearing Rich Gordon’s self-serving propaganda. The truth is he helped torpedo nearly 10 years of local effort in trying to update the MidCoast LCP. As County Supervisor, Gordon voted to reject…

I received the following comment from Chris Manchester in El Granada I am writing to inform folks of the ownership of the Cat in the most recent photos following this thread.  “Jack” is a Safari Cat, he is half South American Geoffrey Cat…

Most of us appreciate improved cell phone reception.  However, cell phone towers are commercial industrial installations inappropriate for residential neighborhoods for many reasons.  Unfortunately, natural rural aesthetics and concerns about…

Good question. But they’re putting their names out there to raise money for the schools, so I’ll cut them some slack. In terms of fundraisers, you think we’d raise more money if we had a Dunk Tank? Post it here and on HMB Review’s…

>And not to be pedantic Darin… “pedantic” ...really? Thesaurus gone awry… >I’ve seen on the coast with even the smallest dent or speck of mud on it. That has to be worth something Then you never caught ours, which never…

“...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?...” This is…

OK, this is NOT Bubba in Montara! WOW!...

I’m glad there were no serious injuries. The photo may be something of a collector’s item in years to come. This is the first Land Rover I’ve seen on the coast with even the smallest dent or speck of mud on it. That has to be worth something.…

Corrected. Thanks....

“How fast was did one or both of them have to be going to roll such a heavy car? This is just crazy.” 15-20mph? Having owned one, I can tell you from first hand experience that they are fairly top heavy and likely wouldn’t need to be…

It’s time to crank up the campaigning.  Not only does Sandie Arnott bear some responsibility for the Lehman loss, she carries the baggage of a bloated office budget, mismanaged for 25 years. Dave Mandelkern has the background and experience…

i want one of these cats!...

I received letter and some photos of what may be the same cat. I’ve posted them in a separate letter on Coastsider: https://coastsider.com/index.php/site/news/followup_savannah_cat_in_montara/100904/...

How fast was did one or both of them have to be going to roll such a heavy car? This is just crazy. I see people tare up and down 6th St all the time as if it’s a race track without stopping for anything including the stop signs. We’re lucky…

“...Tucker would also like to see a new office complex built at Pillar Point…” Translation: He would like to see a new 3-story Big Wave Mega-Office Complex....

Maybe the lesson here is that houses should never have been built in that area (just a thought)....

>>more likely to cause AT&T to make the necessary investment Frankly, you are asking AT&T to sink a ton of money in a subscriber base that is very small, and require a very expensive infrastructure investment w/ predictably inverse return.…

Unless you are in an unusual location in Miramar, you should be able to get comcast internet.  We are on the west side of 1, and I regularly get 8 Mbits/sec down, and 1.5 Mbit/sec up.  They’ve been running new fiber and copper for the…

Michael, I had AT&T copper in my previous place but it was close to the CO and we had really good DSL throughput via DSLExtreme.  I was also told the copper was fairly new-ish.  Apart from the condition of the wires and the CO distance itself…

Do you have a thread going on the relevant forum on broadbandreports.com? It may catch the attention of someone who does care and wants to fix this. Hope you can get some resolution!...

Thanks for the heads up about San Mateo...

Sales taxes in San Mateo County communities: 9.25%  Atherton 9.25%  Belmont 9.25%  Brisbane 9.25%  Burlingame 9.25%  Colma 9.25%  Daly City 9.25%  East Palo Alto 9.25%  El Granada 9.25%  Emerald Hills (Redwood…

At least to San Mateo, as we do so often now, and it wouldn’t be just $1.00 on groceries....

How far would you drive to save $1.00 on a $100 grocery bill, or $.03 on a latte?...

This is always a great sale and I strongly recommend getting there early before the folks who know what’s what have had their way with the inventory....

>>I wanted to know if this was legal and from what I have gathered I suppose it is. It is VERY legal. In fact, the term for those checkpoints are becoming more commonly known as “driver’s license checkpoints”. For every 1 DUI cited…

“Why is it okay that I am detained from lawful and private activities just because there MIGHT be a drunk driver on the road” Consider that driving on a public road is probably not regarded by law and enforcement as a private activity. The…

I want to start by saying DUI checkpoints are one more example of the government overstepping their authority. How can you favor one form of harassment but against another?  Why is it okay that I am detained from lawful and private activities just…

Good luck Sabrina. I think you would be great as our Harbor Commissioner....

Wow, is it difficult to listen to Mr. Holland talk about the California Coastal Trail when, by lack of reference, he seems to have no idea of the founding concept of the trail as a long-distance trail in the manner of the Pacific Crest Trail or the Appalachian…

One of our neighborhood cats here at 9th and Farallone is “Bubba” who looks like this and does sport a blue collar with bell. He is quite friendly and approachable, and has also gotten into at least one fight; he is a scrapper. But he seems…

Whew!  Thank goodness for democracy! If Sabrina (or any other newcomer) is elected, would 18 years be long enough to wait before she/they would be “allowed” to share a good idea with the Commission?...

Good luck Sabrina. It’s clear the Harbor Commission needs some new blood. From this week’s HMB Review: “Harbor Commissioner Sally Campbell, who has been on the board 18 years….said she would like to see commissioners who initially…

If anyone happens to catch this cat, please do not be afraid.  Savannah cats DO NOT attack people or other cats or animals like wild cats.  They are a recognized cat breed and are shown in cat shows.  My own Savannah cat is a certified…

Just curious, but how does one earn the title “celebrity?”...

Savannahs are not recommended as indoor/outdoor pets at all! They have way too much energy and like to chase things too much to do well that way. I’d love to see more pictures of that cat as the very dramatic “night eyes” on the back…

If the article gets it right, the disaster to the local area and the coastal trail concept remain undiminished. In fact, it looks like they might twist the opportunity into using another inappropriate artificial surface that will enlarge the waste of…

My first guess would be it was set for a raccoon or skunk… ? What was it baited with?...

From the HMB Review 8/20/2010 “County ditches asphalt trail for Fitzgerald” http://www.hmbreview.com/articles/2010/08/20/news/doc4c6c12432f087636013886.txt...

For those new to the minutiae of California Coastal Trail babble, this paragraph from the State Senate staff analysis of Chesbro, SB 908, may provide a lead-in. ” ANALYSIS :  According to background material provided by      …

It is possible the trapper is trying to catch a feral cat in order to get it neutered.  I trapped 14 cats in a feral colony at lot near the El Granada post office about 15 years ago.  I had them all fixed at PHS, several were young enough to…

Got a reference to that report that we can all see, Kevin? Unless they designate the existing blufftop trail as the California Coastal Trail, there will be plenty of cause for objection at the Coastal Conservancy—if funds for that specific state…

This is another ill-conceived project in a long line of similar projects either conceived or endorsed by County officials (Mirada Surf road and oversized bridge, ugly view-blocking Harbor Village Mall, Big Pave, etc.) However, I just read a report that…

As with the proposed road through the reserve, pavement on the slope down to the beach is entirely unnecessary. There are other stable, permeable, all-weather surfaces that would do just fine. Pavement is so 20th century developer. The massive negative…

I’m a bit confused between the lengthy discussion in the FMR Master Plan about the degradation of the reef from overuse, the need to restrict use, and this new beach access plan which is basically a short but wide asphalt boulevard to the reef replacing…

Thanks for posting this. We’ve been giving a lot of (justified) attention to the plans to pave the trail at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, but it’s just as important to understand the modifications to the beach entry and overlook....

See also my fellow MCC member, Bill Kehoe’s, comments here: https://coastsider.com/index.php/site/news/save_the_fitzgerald_marine_reserve/100815/ —DavidV...

George Durgerian, Park Ranger, GGNRA: Ocean District. says, “The Marin burn was delayed at least a week pending better weather.  After that, we’ll move forward with plans for the Milagra burn.”...

San Carlos projects 30% savings from outsourcing to the Sheriff. Here’s an interview with the SC mayor on KQED: http://www.kqed.org/a/kqednews/R201006291730 The arguments for outsourcing are pretty sound. I don’t see how the HMB city council…

If the HMB City Council had any fiscal sense whatsoever (which they don’t) then they would uae this opportunity to seriously consider contracting out for police services to the County Sheriff’s Department, just like the City of San Carlos…

for times and other specifics visit:  http://www.blueblanketimprov.com...

Congrats to Mr O’Keefe. Serving his country well. Not to mention on PHAT pension on the taxpayers into perpetuity....

Bob Battalio is a very good speaker!...

Julia Scott wrote a good story on this a couple of weeks ago for the County Times. It would appear that the status of the buildings is, um, up in the air. Owner misses deadline for plan to save Pacifica cliff apartments http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_15563669…

Thanks to everyone who joined the walk this morning.  For more info on water polution at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve please read the 2008 California Coastal Commission water quality assessment report.  ...