Miguel Zenón is widely considered as one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists of his generation. As a composer he has been concentrating his efforts on perfecting a fine mix between Latin American Folkloric Music and Jazz, commissioned by SFJAZZ, The New York State Council for the Arts, Chamber Music America, the Guggenheim Foundation, and many of his peers. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón has released six recordings as a leader and worked with jazz luminaries such as Charlie Haden, David Sánchez, The Mingus Big Band, and Bobby Hutcherson. Zenón has been featured in the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and LA Times. He has also topped the Rising Star Alto Sax category of the Downbeat Critic’s Poll on four different occasions. In 2008 Zenón was one of 25 distinguished individuals chosen to receive the coveted MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the “Genius Grant”.

Tickets, $35:
Sunday, November 20, 2011, 4:30
Douglas Beach House on Miramar Beach
307 Mirada Road, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
650 726-4143, www.bachddsoc.org

A collective of more than 25 artists who reside from Half Moon Bay to Montara are opening their studios to the public Saturday and Sunday, November 19 and 20 from 11-4. The artists who live in the small coastal enclaves of Montara, Moss Beach, El Granada, Miramar, and Half Moon Bay are hosting the 2nd Annual Coastside Open Studios.

Works will include painting, photography, jewelry, glasswork, textile arts, ceramics and even succulents.

So, take a drive along the coast, and look for the yellow and black Open Studios signs along Coastal Highway 1. With a wide range of artwork, and prices, everyone is sure to find something. This is a perfect opportunity to find unique gifts for the Holidays.

A map of the Open Studio locations and artist profiles is available at http://CoastsideEvents.org

Open Saturday and Sunday, November 19 & 20 from 11-4.

For more information about the Open Studios, please contact:
Denise Rabius Wehtje 650-726-1011
Pat Sheldon 650-726-9142

One year anniversary of the “3rd Sunday of every month” acoustic Round Robin Series hosted by Montara Guitarist Mark Kostrzewa this coming Sunday, November 20th at The Wine Bar in Pillar Point Harbor. Many of the guest Mark has had out over the last year will be returning for an Acoustic music blow-out going from 5pm-10pm. Local musicians include Kostrzewa, Mike McCall- montara, Stevan Pasero- El Granada, MJ Ahern- el Granada and many more. Event goes from 5pm-10pm. No cover but will be “Second Harvest Holiday Food Drive”, please bring some non-perishable food items to donate.

In today’s Coastsider Podcast, we interview Half Moon Bay resident Jimmy Benjamin about his recent successful lawsuit over Half Moon Bay’s removal of vegetation in the Kehoe Ditch riparian area.

We discussed the history of the area, the endangered species that live there, why the city needed to get a Coastal Development Permit to do the work, the background of the Coastal Act, what the next steps might be, and what the city might have to do to resolve the issue.

You can read our story of the decision and download the court’s decision from Coastsider.

The public is invited to review updated plans and projects in Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area is holding its quarterly open house on November 15. The GGNRA plans to bring the draft map that will eventually be posted online and a working map of their trails concepts. They hope to have some good conversations about Rancho and other projects in the park.

Steve Monowitz from San Mateo County planning will share an update on the Highway 1 Traffic & Trails Study.

GGNRA expects that Rancho Corral de Tierra will transfer to them before the year ends.

November 15, 2011
Drop in anytime
4:30-6:30 PM
Pacifica Community Center
540 Crespi Drive [Google map]
Pacifica, CA 94044

Topics

• Rancho Corral de Tierra interim trail concepts
• General Management Plan (The review and comment period has been extended through December 9)
• Mori Point Stewardship
• Highway 1 Safety and Mobility Improvement Study: Phase 2 (South of Devil’s Slide)
• Trails Forever:
• Hawk Hill
• Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary and Plaza Project
• Presidio Bluffs
• Coastal Trail
• Golden Gate Overlook
• Lands End Lookout
• Redwood Creek Restoration at Muir Beach*

While many Half Moon Bay families are busy with holiday activities, a group of local volunteers is focused on filling empty shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, hygiene items and notes of encouragement for needy kids overseas. Half Moon Bay families are participating in the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind—Operation Christmas Child—an effort that has hand-delivered 86 million gifts to kids worldwide since 1993.

This year-round project of Samaritan’s Purse is coming to its peak, as local businesses, churches and schools prepare to collect gift-filled shoe boxes during National Collection Week, Nov. 14-21. Volunteers can drop off their shoe box gifts at a bustling locations in the area to help kids in 100 countries know they are loved and not forgotten.

Click for details.

Midcoast Community Council write-in candidate Laura Stein now leads Leonard Stone by 74 votes, following today’s release of updated totals from County Elections.

Following Tuesday’s election, Stein led Stone by a mere six votes. Today’s totals included additional mail-in and election day ballots. While Stein received 54 additional write-in votes and Stone 51, Stein received 85 additional votes from election-day ballots and Stone received 19. The results are still unofficial.

The city of Half Moon Bay has been fined for clearing vegetation in a riparian corridor in violation of the Coastal Act.

In February 2009, the city cleared about 2,000 feet of the so-called Kehoe Ditch, also known as the Kehoe Watercourse. City workers used a chainsaw and weed whacker to clear several arroyo willow trees and two truckloads of vegetation. The city didn’t have the Coastal Development Permit required to perform the work.

The court found that the Kehoe Watercourse contains habitat for the California red-legged frog and San Francisco Garter Snake, both rare and endangered species, and that the city itself had designated the watercourse as a “riparian buffer zone”.

The suit was filed by former Half Moon Bay Planning Commissioner Jimmy Benjamin. Several local agencies, as well as Benjamin, had notified the city as early as 2005 that the watercourse contained environmentally sensitive habitat.

The court described the reasoning of city Planning Director Steven Flint that the site did not contain Red Legged frog or San Francisco gartner snake because “none had ever been seen there” as “untenable”. It also described his reasoning that the watercourse was not a riparian corridor as “untenable and illogical”.

The court also found that the damage to the environment was “not substantial” and fined the city the maximum minimum statutory penalty of $1,000 for “each day the violation persists”.

The decision was reached on September 15, but released to Benjamin’s attorney on Thursday, November 10.

Public intoxication, DUI, and a warrant arrest. And trespassing:

The suspects had been served with a court order 04/15/11, which told them to remove their personal property and vacate the rural piece of property they were living on. The suspects left, taking the trailer which they’d been living in, with them. On 10/25/11, the property manager called, advising the suspects had returned with their trailer and were again living on the property. The property manager advised he wanted the suspects arrested for trespassing. On 11/04/11, Deputies conducted a check on the property for trespassers. The two suspects, who had been previously advised to vacate, were located on the property and subsequently arrested for trespassing.