The Half Moon Bay Open Space Trust is changing its name Coastside Land Trust [website]. The new name reflects an expansion of their mission beyond the city limits of Half Moon Bay.

Coastside Land Trust’s updated mission is to preserve scenic lands, urban open space, and property that is environmentally or agriculturally valuable from the southern city limits of Half Moon Bay north through Montara.

They’re holding a celebration Friday, June 8, from 5 to 7pm at the San Benito House in downtown Half Moon Bay. There is no charge to attend, but tax-deductible donations are welcome.

Founded in 1997, the organization has protected several key coastal parcels.  Coastside Land Trust acquired conservation easements along the historic Ocean Shore Railroad Right-Of-Way in Half Moon Bay from Kelly Avenue south to Seymour Street, forever protecting this scenic corridor and sensitive wetland habitat. The trust also owns and maintains lands adjacent to the Coastal Trail in Half Moon Bay, providing scenic protection for this popular hiking and biking path.  Most recently, the group has accepted donations of several conservation easements along Pilarcitos and Frenchman’s Creeks, permanently protecting these sensitive stream corridors.

The Coastside Certified Farmer’s Market favors local produce, reports the County TImes in a really nice profile.

When she first organized the Half Moon Bay farmer’s market in 2002, Coastside resident Erin Tormey made it her goal to give locals the experience of buying produce, crafts, fruits and flowers from their local farms and ranches. Now, Tormey is starting up a new farmer’s market in Pacifica with the same ethos and many of the same farmers. The market will be located at Rockaway Beach on Wednesday from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m.

"My rules are that priority placement is given to county farmers," said Tormey.
That attitude seems almost old-fashioned in the modern farmer’s market scene. At weekly markets in Belmont, San Mateo and Daly City, one or two local vendors compete with dozens of other farm products trucked in from Fresno, Exeter, and Santa Maria. Several farms offer the same items, which can cut prices but leads to better deals and more selection for customers.
...
Frank Andreotti is one of two or three local farmers chosen to sell his artichokes, cauliflower, Swiss chard and zucchini at the San Mateo and San Carlos weekly markets. Andreotti Family Farm of Half Moon Bay has always subsisted on its relationship with the community at local farmers’ markets. Recently, that has become harder to do, said Andreotti.

The Coastside Certified Farmers Market is held Saturdays from 9am to 1pm at Shoreline Station, on the corner of Kelly and Hwy 1.

The Coastal Commission has put a hold on the construction of a house approved by the Half Moon Bay Planning Commission.

The Planning Commission approved the construction of a large two-story house at 2788 Pullman Avenue, near an intermittent stream and riparian area that provides environmentally sensitive habitat for the California red-legged frog and the San Francisco garter snake.

Professional biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Game notified the City about the existence of this protected habitat in March 2006, as explained in the lengthy Coastal Commission staff report.

The Planning Commission first considered the application in December 2006. The project was continued and then later approved on March 22, 2007 by a vote of 4-1, with two planning commissioners recusing themselves from the hearing.

At its May 9, 2007 meeting in San Pedro, in southern California, the Coastal Commission unanimously agreed there was a "substantial issue" about whether the local decision was legally consistent with the City’s ordinances that mandate buffer zones around sensitive habitat areas. The Coastal Commission will review the project at a future meeting to determine what changes are needed to ensure that the project complies with the city’s ordinances and regulations of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Game.

You can view a video of the May 9 Coastal Commission hearing on the Coastal Commission site. The discussion of the Half Moon Bay project starts at about 19 minutes into the video and runs for about 3 minutes. You can use the slider in the video window to scroll forward to the 19-minute mark.

Hike all the way around Pacifica this Sunday, May 13, via Milagra, Sweeney, and Mori Ridges. Meet GGNRA ranger George Durgerian at the Salada Beach Cafe (Oceana and Paloma) at 9:30 a.m. Hike begins around 10 and goes all day. Bring food, water, and layers of clothing. Hike is considered strenuous. You will see all the GGNRA national park areas surrounding Pacifica. Pacifica Riptide says, "We have enjoyed this hike in years past, and made new friends along the way".

The San Mateo County Resource Conservation District is sponsoring an interested student to participate for free this summer in the annual Range and Natural Resources Camp at Elkus Ranch south of Half Moon Bay.

Students 15-18 years old can experience the science and management of natural resources through classroom and field activities led by university faculty and resource management professionals. They will learn about career and college opportunities too, and this will look great on a college application.  It is likely that they will be able to get a letter of recommendation from the RCD for college as well. Topics and activities will include:

• Riparian Watershed Management
• Rangeland Management
• Wildlife Management
• Field Projects
• Forestry
• Recreation
• Private & Public Lands
• Urban Encroachment
• Team Project Planning Competition

You can download the flyer and brochure for the program from Coastsider. Please see the attached materials for reference, or interested students may contact me directly by email ([email protected]) or by phone (650.712.7765). if you’re interested, email or call today. The brochure shows a deadline of Monday, May 14.

Here is an opportunity to see a large piece of San Mateo County—just over the hill from the Coastside—that the public rarely gets to see.

Monday, the Pilarcitos Creek Restoration Workgroup took a tour of the upper Pilarcitos watershed on San Francisco Public Utilities Commission land. The land was purchased in the late 1800s by the Spring Valley Water Company to provide water for the city of San Francisco. This watershed is now the source for a significant portion of Coastside County Water District’s (CCWD) water.  

To protect the quality of this water, almost all of the watershed is closed to the public.  Only workgroup participants could be accommodated on this tour.  At the end of the tour, the business meeting took place, and is not included in the video although a bit of it is audible as I did a 360° shot of the outdoor meeting location, and then a quick pan of the participants.

The workgroup includes many organizations with an interest in Pilarcitos Creek and the watershed.  According to its memorandum of understanding (MOU) , the purpose of the workgroup is

to work as partners to balance all of the beneficial uses of available water resources in the Pilarcitos Creek watershed and to find solutions that protect the environment, agriculture, public health, domestic water supply, and economic interests.

I was able to take a video camera on the tour, to allow others to see the beauty of this closed watershed.  This video was all shot hand-held, so some of it is a bit jumpy, but I think it’s worth it.  

This was a rare hot sunny day in the watershed—we were lucky, because often when people are escorted up there, they complain that they can’t see anything through the fog.

Google Maps has an excellent satellite photo of Pilarcitos Reservoir. You can zoom in to see some of the structures in the video, and you can zoom out to see where it sits relative to the Coastside.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We’ve taken down the videos at Leonard Woren’s request, because of a request to Leonard from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

The daring and vivacious San Francisco singer Madeline Eastman has long been heralded for her vocal gifts, interpretive savvy, and irrepressible sense of adventure. We expect she’ll be in best form for this recording session, and she’s brining in the "A Team" to back her:  Rufus Reid on bass, Randy Porter, piano, and Matt Wilson on drums. 

Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society
307 Mirada Road, Half Moon Bay, CA  94019
$30.  Tickets at the door.
Doors Open at 3 PM, Music from 4:30 to 7:30 PM, with intermission.

ALOHA!

Have you heard the buzz?

We are having a reunion to end all reunions.  Because it’s not just subject to one or two classes—but rather for anyone who graduated from HMB High School in the 70’s. That’s right.  It will be that 70’s show! But all classes are welcome.

The reunion is an all weekend event, with the highlight being the big party at the IDES Hall on July 21st.  The theme is Hawaiian.  Bring your surfboard.  Join us for a Pina Colada.  Dig out your favorite Hawaiian shirt from the closet.  Let’s have some fun.

The details are numerous, so might I suggest you check out the official reunion website.  It will give you ALL the details you need for this wonderful weekend, including a complete RSVP list.  But trust me—between the luau food and the hula dancers, this is going to be spectacular.
It will also give you instructions on how to pay early—which we are encouraging—but it will be an open door policy the night of the event.

Don’t miss this one!  It’s going to be a spectacular night; one the reunion committee has been planning for years.

A free Monday photo on a Wednesday! Sorry for the delay—I was in Yosemite without Internet access.