Hollywood superstar Kirk Douglas produced and stars in his favorite film, a nuanced and beautifully shot western that laments the vanishing of the Old West and its breed of heroes and mores.

Kirk Douglas, a star known for his independence and contempt for the constraints of the studio system, loved Edward Abbey’s novel, "The Brave Cowboy", the moment he read it. He bought the rights and hired another rebel, his friend the black-listed screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, to write the screenplay. He filled the cast with the best up and coming actors he could find. The film got very little promotional push when it was released and died quickly at the box office.  Small art theaters began booking the film, which gradually became one of the most beloved westerns of all times.

The plot: Jack Burns (Douglas) is fiercely independent cowboy still rolling his own smokes in 1962. He gets himself tossed into jail to spring a friend (Michael Caine). Turns out his friend is quite happy where he is. So Jack escape by himself, in the process branding himself as a serious criminal. Jack bolts for the Mexican border on his trusty horse Whiskey. Sheriff Johnson (Walter Matthau), admires Jack’s pluck, but feels duty bound to use all the jeeps and helicopters he can lay his hands on to chase Jack down.
"The performances are strong. Matthau and Gena Rowlands are particularly memorable. But it is Douglas’ film. He exerts his presence and believability in the role of the man who wants to keep his soul free. The director David Miller never did anything better." George Perry, BBC

Friday Oct 22, at 8:00 pm
Suggested donation, $8.00 adults, $3.00 kids
United Methodist Sanctuary, 777 Miramontes at Johnson, Half Moon Bay

More info: www.HMBFilm.org

On Saturday, October 23, The Visionary Edge will present Beyond Our Differences, a thought-provoking film that aired on Bill Moyer’s Journal.  It examines one of the most profound and relevant subjects of our day - that of faith in the modern world.

What are the fundamental issues facing our world today?

Where do world leaders and the biggest thinkers of our time in politics, religion, culture, arts and science weigh in on these issues?

How do these leaders apply their own experiences with faith and morality when forming constructive solutions for the world’s most distressing and calamitous problems?

In what context do faith and religion play principal roles in inspiring our collective peoples toward a more peaceful and compassionate humanity?

These are the critical questions that Beyond Our Differences strives to answer.

With large, complex problems facing the world today — war, poverty, weapons, environmental degradation, starvation, overpopulation and severe desperation among millions — people are longing for meaning. Many find answers in religion or spirituality, but as a result, faith and religion are often hijacked by those seeking to enhance their own power at the expense of others, often all in the name of God.

Saturday October 23rd at Community United Methodist Church, 777 Miramontes Street (at Johnston), Half Moon Bay. Suggested donation for the film portion of the evening is $12 advance, $16 door. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Call 650-207-3440 for information and tickets.

The Big Pave Final Environmental Impact Review was just completed on Friday October 15.  The public has just 12 days to comment on it - October 26 is the last day of the public review period.  There’s no indication on the County’s website how to make a public comment - one might somehow infer they didn’t want to hear from the public.  There are two ways you can voice your opinion:

http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/portal/site/planning/menuitem.2ca7e1985b6c8f5565d293e5d17332a0/?vgnextoid=c74d2daf7b2ab210VgnVCM1000001937230aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e2ec2daf7b2ab210VgnVCM1000001937230aRCRD&appInstanceName=defa

1. Email [email protected] – that email address gets to all the planning commission members.  Planner Camille Leung says that if you email her at [email protected] she will forward your response to the planning commission.

2. Speak at the planning meeting next Wednesday October 27 at 6pm at El Granada Elementary.  You will get all of 3 minutes to speak.  Use every second of it.

On Wednesday October 20, the staff report for this project will be released via snail mail.  Camille says she will ask for permission to PDF it and send the PDF to the mailing list of interested parties, as the staff report will not be posted on the County’s website for technical reasons.

I urge you to go out to Airport Boulevard and see the story poles they erected for Big Pave.  It made me very sad to see plans to erect such huge buildings in the middle of those fields.  To deny that those buildings would be enormous and out of place is to deny reality.

I also urge you to both email your opinion of Big Pave to the Planning Commission and to speak at the planning meeting next Wednesday October 27 at 6pm at El Granada Elementary.

I’ve taken quite a bit of time to read through the EIR.  It is simply amazing what people will do and say to get their way.

Join us on Saturday October 23rd from 10AM - 1PM and help revitalize the Pigeon Point Light Station by removing iceplant, a non-native invasive plant species, from the grounds of this State Historic Park. No experience or skills are necessary! You will join both parks staff and dedicated long term volunteers who have been actively removing the iceplant from the grounds and replacing it with native plants.

Iceplant smothers native plants and reduces natural habitat. Native plants increase biodiversity by providing native wildlife with food and shelter. Some native plants are in bloom or seed all year, providing food for insects, birds and small animals. Native plants are also well adapted to mild winters and dry, foggy summers of the coast.

Perched on a cliff on the central California coast, 50 miles south of San Francisco, the 115-foot Pigeon Point Lighthouse, one of the tallest lighthouses in America, has been guiding mariners since 1872.

Contact Ami at [email protected] or (650) 726-8801 for registration or more information or visit http://daytabank.handsonnetwork.org/event/native-plant-restoration-pigeon-point-light-station .

This weekend’s Farmer’s Market won’t happen in Half Moon Bay. They’ll be selling that space for parking.

But the market will return Saturday, October 23, and be open through December 18.

The owners of the 12-acre Glencree site, adjacent to Beachwood, will donate the land to the city of Moon Bay, reports the County Times. Ronald and Patricia VandenBerghe, of Merit Manor LP, will receive a tax write-off. The donation will take place at next Tuesday’s city council meeting.

The city took possession of Beachwood at a cost of $18 milllion as a result of its settlement of a lawsuit with the property’s owner.

"It gives the city the opportunity to consolidate the properties for future development," said [city manager Michael] Dolder by telephone. "It is a piece that allows you to do a better plan for the area."

The city settled a separate legal dispute over Glencree in March 2010, in which it gave up its option to purchase the site someday. In recent months, the VandenBerghes approached the city about donating the parcel. The owners will receive a tax write-off as a result of the donation, according to Dolder.

Glencree was approved for a 47-lot subdivision in 1990, but a sewer moratorium prevented construction of the homes. Glencree attorney Anna Shimko has said that when the owners sought to extend their expired development permit in 2001, the city denied them.

The owners filed a lawsuit in San Mateo County Superior Court seeking to restore their development rights and a refund for the money they paid toward expanding the city’s sewer system, but they agreed to stay the lawsuit until two other tangled legal disputes—regarding Beachwood and another neighboring property called Ailanto—could be settled.

The County Times reports that biologists surveyed at least part of Glencree last winter as part of a study of Beachwood’s development potential.

Potrero Nuevo Farm, located on Tunitas Creek Road just south of Half Moon Bay, is once again hosting a free Open House and Fall Festival to showcase its Farmstand Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.

Scheduled for Sunday, October 24, 10am-4pm, the family-oriented event features guided tours of the farm, special activities such as bobbing for apples, pumpkin carving, hayrides, and scavenger hunts.

“We enjoy sharing our farming experience and knowledge with local families,” says the farm’s co-owner Bill Laven. “It’s important to get people in touch with food and where it comes from.”

Attendance, parking, and all activities are free and open to the public (Please, no pets). Families can bring a picnic lunch or a dish to share at the community potluck lunch. Some produce will be available for purchase as well.

Interested parties should RSVP by October 18 with name and total number of guests to [email protected].

In its inaugural season, the Potrero Nuevo “Farmstand CSA” offered more than twenty varieties of vegetables and fruits to its 32 subscription families.  Produce was sustainably grown and harvested twice each week, and members then traveled to the farm to select their choice of the available fruits and vegetables. Members could also self-harvest ornamental flowers and culinary herbs from the farm’s gardens.

The farm is currently expanding its CSA production with new dry-farmed and irrigated growing plots, and will accept up to 40 subscribers for the 2011 growing season (May 15-November 15). Subscription reservations will be taken at a Mandatory Members Meeting on Sunday, November 14.

Potrero Nuevo Farm is located just eight miles south of Half Moon Bay and one mile east of Highway 1 (Cabrillo Highway) at 1045 Tunitas Creek Road.

You are cordially invited to attend the Inaugural “Tuscan Nights” Wine Tasting and Silent Auction on Wednesday, October 20th from 6-9pm at Mezza Luna Restaurant in Princeton by the Sea.
Treat yourself to night out and nibble on light appetizers provided by Mezza Luna while tasting a wide variety of wines from Pure Argentina Wines, Husch Vineyards, Michael Martella Wines, Alexia Moore Wine Marketing, Thomas Fogarty Winery, and more.
 
Participate in a small silent auction, with an opportunity to bid on wine-related getaways, music, and family activities.
 
This event is generously hosted by Mezza Luna and will benefit the Friends of Farallone PTO.
Tickets are $30 if purchased by October 15th, $40 after the 15th.
 
Space is limited, so BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW at http://fofpto.org

Childcare is available at UpGrade Children’s Center, 103 Harvard Ave #3 - just blocks from Mezza Luna. For more information, please contact the center: (650) 728-7662 or 650-867-0058.  http://upgradechildrenscenter.com

We just received the following alert from the Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services:

At 8:00 AM this morning a mountain lion was seen on the hill in the vicinity of the 600 block of North Street in Pescadaro California.

I just wanted to say that I saw a ton of termite swarmers on Beach Street in Moss Beach near the ocean all the way out to rt. 1.  I saw some more near the old Chart house too.  Not sure how to avoid having your house "eaten", but I thought you might want to be aware that the swarmers are in our neighborhoods.