Comments Archive

Some people might have missed the subtlety of Barry filing this story under the “Humor” category. That category is entirely appropriate in this case, because the Review itself is a joke when it comes to responsible reporting and editorial…

Great story, I especially liked the video of what happened up in Oregon.  At any rate, it is Friday Aug. 19 and the whale, or what is left of it, is still on the beach…...

So, we can have literally tons of horse manure on that beach but not one naturally occurring whale?...

“Is That All There Is?” Peggy Lee, with such a mournful demeanor, depressingly bemoans the barrenness of her failed existence, sitting in the offices of the Review… 71 pages of consulting quotes & contracts between City Attorney…

I wish I had been the one to first congratulate The Coastsider for this necessary skewering of the publisher of the Half Moon Bay Review…. It must be terribly embarrassing for Deborah to be shown to be so utterly lacking. Barry Parr deserves our…

The Review mistakenly left out Bonnie McClung in their article entitled “Five Candidates…”...

When I was 14 we moved into an old house in a small city in the L.A. area.  I was used to 5 foot high block walls around every back yard, but this new neighborhood was quite interesting—there were few side yard fences.  (Nearly everyone…

Gratuitously mentioning someone’s name 3 times in the Review’s backhanded editorial is the old “Man does not beat his wife!” ploy. Good job, Barry, and great quotes!...

“It’s not even wrong.” Absolutely wonderful!  And the Goldfinger quote is priceless....

This is a very well-thought and challenging editorial. Exactly the kind of writing you can’t find in the mainstream press. Kudos....

This is a well deserved honor. Armando Ramirez is—can this be an oxymoron?—an exciting librarian.  I’ve seen few public librarians rev up the patrons, children and adults, the way he does. He is a treasure. I hope HMB and the Coastside…

As we’ve seen just this past week, county superior courts do not always apply the law as it’s written, and it’s been up to the appeals courts to correct the lower courts. Antiquated subdivision maps are exactly that, antiquated. …

I understand the intent here, but restricting pickets fences does not make a lot of sense to me.  I find picket fences far more attractive than wire mesh fences.  When we bought our house in La Honda it had a solid wood fence across 2/3 of the…

rjk, Montara Mike and I have also discussed this at length…We fully expected that a tragedy like last week’s was inevitable. We have needed to turn left onto Carlos heading southbound to exit to our home. It was either a moving complete turn…

I live on the coastside of Hwy 1 near 14th street - requiring a left-hand turn when traveling North. Even with alot of notice by slowing down way ahead of time and having the blinker on for quite some time, there are some drivers that keep coming fast…

I am trying to get in contact with “Lighthouse Kris” to get the details of the SUV/BMW accident on July 19 (you posted a comment underneath the photos posted by MontaraMike).  Please post here if you would be willing to help the victim…

Brian, Thanks for your efforts.  It must have been very difficult for you, so once again, thanks….. Okay, this is mildly related, but I thought I would throw it out there… During the 60’s/70’s, my family and I would drive…

Yes. I’m working on it....

Will you be posting the text of the settlement?...

This decision is probably also significant for Wavecrest, where the developer’s hired biologist tried to argue that hydric soils alone weren’t enough to classify much of the Wavecrest property as a wetland. Wavecrest’s original maps…

In driver training in high school, I was taught that you NEVER turn the wheels until you will be able to start and complete the turn.  Otherwise, you WILL be pushed into oncoming traffic if you’re hit from behind.  This applies to any…

As in, “Whereever you go, there you are.”...

“in every page”? As in, “in every bite”?...

I believe that we ought to alter Highway 1 in a very simple way to reduce the chance of tragic accidents like this, and that it can be achieved at a very low cost, and very much in keeping with the rural character of the coastside. For almost the entire…

I am not blaming the people who were hit as a result of driver error, only the driver who hit them.  These accidents, though having occured in an area that has proved to be a dangerous one when it comes to left hand turns, could have been avoided…

Montara1980: I’d wager there’s a lot more traffic on the road than there was in 1980, both locals and tourists. Clearly, driver error played a role here. I wouldn’t be so quick to blame the now-dead left-turning driver because we don’t…

Left turns in either direction off of Highway One in the area of Carlos, the Hostel, and 16th are dangerous beyond belief. I have discussed this with my wife, and we now agree that unless the left turn can be completed without stopping for oncoming traffic…

One thing we must all consider here is that yes, this is a dangerous place in which to make a left turn off of the highway without the availability of a turn lane, but more importantly, driver error needs to be criticized here, not simply the road. …

My next-door neighbor shared a piece of practical advice with me last night after he read this article: If you’re waiting to turn left, keep your wheels pointed forward until the moment you turn. Don’t turn your wheels until you’re ready…

I think Mr. Britton performed a corageous and compassionate act by stopping to help. I think it’s also important to keep in mind that stopping on a highway or freeway is very dangerous. I’ve done my fair share of stopping to help out in accidents,…

My name is Brian Britton, and I am from Sullivan Illinois.  My family and I had stopped at the light house for some picture taking the evening of the accident.  We didn’t witness the accident, but based on what we heard, we knew it would…

The Pescadero Municipal Advisory Council sent me a copy of a letter they sent to the Coastal Commission about the trail. Their concerns had to do with collaborative planning, tidepool protection, and traffic. You can download the letter here: https://coastsider.com/images/uploads/environment/pigeonpoint/PMAConpigeonpointtrail.pdf...

I hope the design of the park can partly be an environmental teaching tool, letting visitors see and appreciate sensitive habitat.  Maybe some interpretive signage at key locations?  The sensitive habitat on the property should be considered…

Lack of oversight???  How about active malice?  Check out the wording of staff’s comments here: http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/tm_bin/tmw_cmd.pl?tmw_cmd=StatusViewCase&shl_caseno=VIO2005-00135...

At the very least, this incident points to a lack of oversite of this area and may help prevent such actions from happening again. - Jack McCarthy...

I think it’s too early to say at this stage. We’re not going to have a really clear picture until the deadline, because we won’t know what incumbents will run again until then. The couty will start issuing candidate lists as the deadline…

Fellow Coastsider, Since September 2004, Cypress Cove residents have been quite public in stating and demonstrating their WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH the City on creating the park.  Several residents (including me) are on the Master Plan Committee and…

The country roads around here should be walked—we really do live in the country! 1.Higgins Canyon Rd at the south end of Main Street and Hwy 1 runs east through a beautiful canyon and is popular with joggers, bikers, and some walkers. About 1 and…

There was a really bad accident in almost the exact same place just the day before. This is a dangerous area to be merging onto or off the highway. I took a couple of photos with my camera phone. http://mikecomputerguy.textamerica.com/?r=2914008 http://mikecomputerguy.textamerica.com/?r=2914139…

oops… That should read “poison oak”....

And these days, wear full-body armour to keep the poison okay off....

1800 s.f deck?  Damn, I knew my house was small, but it could actually fit on the deck of this house!  My backyard could fit there, too!...

That intersection has been an accident waiting to happen, and unfortunatley, this time someone lost their life.  Very sad.  My solution:  Traffic sign prohibiting left hand turns into the Montara Light House.  Either that or create…

Twinsdad: I was not aware that it was reported until two days after the event. Then of course that is way too late. She should have called the Sheriff immediately, maybe then something could have been done....

Point taken GC.  I took Barb’s photographic documentation in conjunction with Mr. Lajoie’s letter as a good and legitimate effort collecting the evidence necessary to take the fight upstairs for the next battle.  We both agree that…

I agree Jack, Montara Mountain is an incredibly beautiful place. The views are breathtaking (literally, it’s quite a hike to the +1000ft peak). On a good day you can see from Mavericks to the Golden Gate Bridge. As you walk this beautiful coastline,…

I’ve done a lot of hiking and backpacking around the US and abroad over the years. Once it dawned on me that silence has become extinct on the planet earth. Silence being the absence of human generated noises. Even in the remotest backcountry area’s…

Is there information out there on who has already filed?  What’s the shape of the race, or is it too soon to tell?...

Barbara had every right to take a photograph, no matter what the circumstances. She was harming no one and just wanted to document what she believes is a violation of the land, this is her right. If this worker took her camera he should be punished to…

Twinsdad, No, this guy should not have taken the camera. Yes, Barb is well within her rights to do what she did. I’m just saying the battle is over, so why get in the face of a laborer cutting down trees? Your gripe is not with him, he has nothing…

Construction workers could harass hikers on protected lands, but they’d have to get off their dirtbikes and ATVs to do it.  I’d be happy to see see this but I’m betting it’s not likely. I’d be equally happy to dispose…

All this hand ringing over what amounts to a runoff ditch and the plants that grow around it is simple amazing. Equally amazing is the extrapolation of terms like “perennial streams” and “riparian wetland habitat” to somehow make them applicable…

I mentioned the article to a couple of people today.  “You know, that house up on the ridge.  It’s the Examiner’s House of the Week.” I wouldn’t describe either as “ardent opponents”, but their opinions,…

in reponse to the mysterious mal.comX, who asked: ...“I would like to know why our elected leaders on the Midcoast Community Council (MCC) appear to doing absolutely nothing while this sort of thing goes on.  ... you might think that our elected…

I’m amused by the “stream” of unsupported assumptions trying to justify what the workers did. In particular, what is “legitimate” about hiring illegal aliens—people who are breaking the law to be here? What “right…

Gone, This Stream feeds willows&wetlands; - base of Quarry Park Trail&SR1; where it flows through a culvert under SR1 & feeds the willows&wetlands; on the Mirada Surf Bluff at Magellan&SR1; year around-proof that this Stream IS perennial. I’m…

I agree these guys probably weren’t breaking any law before they stole Barb’s camera. Barb’s on the edge—of development and of coastal law as well.  It’s people like her who are responsible for getting us to think differently…

Well, it has an 1,800 square foot deck…. The article didn’t mention when the house was built. If recently, I’m a little curious why “dream houses” end up on the market so soon. I confess that much of my objection to most…

Sorry Steve, Barb’s mad at me. Barb, After reading the policies you quoted, I don’t see how you think they apply to an ephemeral stream. In LCP policy 8.6 (a) it refers to “perennial streams”. Perennial: Lasting or active through…

Barb - what is your deal? Why are you addressing your comments to me? You seem to be making up out of thin air some implication or statement that I never made. If anything, my comments were in support of your efforts, so why go on the aggressive here?…

What this contractor & his workers did was to significantly alter with Cut & Fill this well documented Ephemeral Stream thus, violating the LCP Policies shown below. They FILLED IN a large portion of the Stream with Eucaplyptus Chips which are…

  The owner(s) of this property apparently have the necessary approvals to move ahead with their development, so why harass them? As you state, this land “isn’t recognized as a coastal resource by the Coastal Commission”. I think your issue…

I hope you are right Ken, and this is the park that becomes a reality (with “informal” ball field space). I am still not convinced that everyone is on the up and up with the whole process. However, I am thinking positive....

It’ll be nice to have this behind us.  Neither the City administration of the ‘90s nor the previous management of the golf course looked very good on this.  In reading through the Consent Decree I’d like to say that I’m…

Cypress Cove has three members on the park committee, so its concerns have been accommodated from the outset of the design process. Traffic enters on 92 and flows one-way through the park and out at Stone Pine. More than half of the park’s total acreage…

From a Cypress Cove resident to Deb: I (Jim) wish you could have this park, but be prepared and be aware that if you get the park and happen to ask the city any questions, you’ll get no answers. They shake your hand and ask you to trust them, but…

Barb says “Write letters asking the County Board of Supervisors not to permit building on this ephemeral stream—or other such streams & creeks such as Medio Creek which is also currently under threat” I would like to know why our elected leaders…

I wonder if there is anything that can be adapted from Witness - http://www.witness.org/ - the organization (Peter Gabriel is involved) to put video technology in the hands of people to record human rights violations. You could imagine a similar effort…

We here at the Pillar Ridge Manufactured Home Community in Moss Beach (our own HOA) would LOVE to have a park next door! Is there any way that they can park their park here, instead?...

Nice shot Cheri! I wonder how many of the folks that turned up to watch the fireworks will turn up at the SURFRIDER BEACH CLEANUP - The Jetty in Half Moon Bay - Sat July 9. 10-12.00. to clean up the disgusting amount of litter left behind by some folk?...

The article by Richard Scholl is amazing—-it was written 33 years ago but it could just as easlly have been written last week. Scholl warns about the growth-inducing effects of oversized infrastructure in stating: “The lesson is clear—it…

This is wonderful stuff. I love the hand lettering; talk about a labor of love. I suspect Barry will agree that it hasn’t gotten any easier thirty-very-odd years on....

Nice article, but it baffles me as to why they decided to use Real Player as the format for their video. There are many other, better video streaming fomats out there that do not require the user to install the clunky Real Player client....

Your opening of “who edits the editor” is interesting. My concern is who edits the editor when the editor edits an opinion article? My concept is that when an opinion article is written, the only time it should be edited is for brevity, name…

WRT the Review’s editorial comment that “the state’s Attorney General has suggested five minutes [per speaker],” and Barry’s comment asking about the basis for this, the California First Amendment Coalition notes in a faq:…

The Board of Supervisor’s want to pack as much housing as possible into the Midcoast. Their plan goes something like this: 1. Loosen up the restrictions for building on substandard lots. 2. Designate substandard lots as “affordable housing,” …

Does the Review send reporters to public meetings? If they did, you’d think they’d realize that their comments are out of touch with reality....

The edits above likely represent the second time this piece by the HMB Review editor has been edited. The first time, of course, was when the HMB Review publisher word-engineered all the various phrases circled above so as to put a bad light on the City…

I have generally found that a pleasant phone call to the Investor Relations department of any sizable public company gets you on the phone with a friendly and capable person who will understand your desire to find out who to contact about your issue,…

It’s instructive, isn’t it, that when even the Rotary Club idealizes the coastside, they minimize development. “Visitors cannot enter this city without seeing evidence of our floral agriculture, a backbone of the local economy.” Then why…

Two months later, I wanted to share an observation about the petition - I know it was being distributed elsewhere as we were approached by a young man while walking our dog one day and have also seen them posted around town. In fact, there was a plastic…

In August 2004 the District’s biologist observed thousands of juvenile steelhead as he walked the length of Mindego Creek, from its confluence with Alpine Creek to “the forks”, upstream of the project site. He found one to two inch young…

I would like to add my admiration and thanks to the guys who selfishly lay their own lives on the line to rescue those who get into trouble in the water. You guys rock....

When will people learn, Grey Whale and Montara are heavy and sometimes dangerous surf spots. So many guys come down from the city and paddle out when us locals would not think of it. Let’s not forget the bodysurfer who sadly lost his life not so…

Having been blissfully unaware of it until this morning’s TV news, I have to ask just what the process is for alerting Montara residents to a coming tsunami?...

I guess the guy thought that the place was a “drive-through Gun Sales” shop!  “You want ammo with that?”...

YAY, RITA!!!!  Congratulations!  Rita will be a real asset to Pesacdero’s P.O., though we will miss her here.  As a regular of the post offices along the coast (EBay sales, packages to be mailed every day), you get to know the regulars.…

BULLETIN NUMBER 2 ISSUED 06/15/2005 AT 0409 UTC ...THE TSUNAMI WARNING AND WATCH STATUS IS CANCELED FOR   CALIFORNIA - OREGON - WASHINGTON - BRITISH COLUMBIA -  AND   ALASKA… http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/message.txt ...

  Ocean Colony Partners is “under new management”, so to speak, and when they make good decisions I’m willing to echo Mark Massara’s thanks, to tip my hat,  and to say “good decision”.   In a short time…

Take a close look at the aerial picture. It would appear that OCP figured out that if they didn’t agree to take out the riprap now, then the part of the hotel that lies to the immediate south of the 18th green would be threatened much sooner than…

In reply to mal.comX: That being the case have people on the midcoast considered incorporating?  Seems like we’re always driving hat-in-hand to Redwood City and fighting tooth and nail for a modicum of self determination; one that I think will…

All: I would like to thank Mr. Bruce Russell and Ocean Colony Partners for their willingness to remove this seawall and for their willingness to consider a strategic retreat solution at this location. Thanks also to Mr. Barry Parr for reporting on this…

twinsdad wrote: “Why does this seem less like a Local Coastal Protection plan and more like a Development Enabler scheme?” Uh…because it is. This whole charade is about the Board of Supervisors trying to reward their big money contributors…

Do the SAMCAR greedseeds have a map? They are repeatedly quoted as saying the abandoned bypass right-of-way through the backside of Montara and Moss Beach is “adjacent to the new tunnel.” Setting aside the fact that it will be two oversized…

Folks should consider that the principles mandate that water and sewere services meet the development plan and not the reverse.  This almost undoubtedly means that ratepayers will be subsidizing development, large or small, here in the midcoast.…

The delay referred to above occured on Wednesday 6/8. Yhe contractor of course blames it on equipment failure from the rain. Well then, how come the contractor was still working at around 8am on Tuesday 6/7 on Hwy 1, south of 92 when it was perfectly…

Once again we have people telling property owners what they can with with the land they own. I have a neighbor who bought a house next to an empty buildable lot. He is now trying to get the neighbors to block a proposed house that is to be built on the…

Wait a sec. These houses are being suilt on property owned by the home builders. It is their property and they should be able to do what they want on their property. I am against over development but if someone owns land why shouldn’t they be able…

If it were left up to SAMCAR the entire San Mateo Coast would look like Daly City. I do not think their REAL priority is “Cheap” Housing. I think their priority is MORE Housing, more the better as far as they are concerned...

mal.comX wriites: “These are people who go around complaining because they have to drive over the hill to shop at WalMart or Costco. In addition, there are lots of others who make their living in construction and real estate.” I’m not…