Assembly member and speaker pro tem Leland Yee (D-12th District) is holding a town hall meeting to discuss public access to the Farallon Islands National Marine Refuge.  The Chronicle reported in February:

House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, and the top Democrat on the committee have introduced a bill that would direct the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to offer special permits to visit the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge in response to requests from amateur radio operators who enjoy broadcasting from remote islands.

But scientists who study seabirds and other species on the islands 28 miles off the coast of San Francisco—which some call "California’s Galapagos"—said even limited public visits could have serious effects on populations of birds and marine mammals that have rebounded since access to the islands by humans was strictly limited in 1969.

Yee will host a meeting that includes a representative of the American Radio Relay League, and a host of environmental organizations (Sierra Club, Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association, Audobon Society, Sierra Club, Enviromental Defenese).  The press release quotes Yee:  "This federal legislation is yet another example of efforts to peel back important environmental protections. I will not stand idly by while our environmental policies are neglected or reversed."

The meeting will be held Thursday, April 14, 2005 at 7:00 P.M. at Richmond Recreation Center, 251 18th Avenue (between California and Clement St.), in San Francisco.

Click "read more" to see the press release.

Abalone poachers are dealt with pretty severely by the state.  The County Times has a story about a poacher in Pescadero who paid a $5,130 fine and lost his car. It could have been worse. But with abalones fetching up to $100 apiece, it has to be pretty tempting. The poacher had 20 abalones in his Hello Kitty backpack.

Eddie Rapoza was found guilty of murdering his pregnant wife and four-year-old daughter Monday afternoon.  He drove his minivan off the steep cliffs at Bernal and Ocean in Moss Beach  in October 2002. Rapoza alone survived the plunge.

I just got an email from Jo Dee Massanari, the proprietor of La Di Da. Apparently there’s a rumor going around that the cafe is closing, and she asked me to reassure everyone that they’re open as usual while the cafe on the market. Last time I was there, it looked pretty lively to me. Now might be a good time to stop by, say hello, and impress any prospective buyers.

Everything was 50 percent off at Coastside Sports yesterday. It was also their last day of business.

I stopped by an hour before closing, unhappy to see the loss of another business serving Coastsiders. Owner Lisa Garcia looked happier than I did. She and her husband Robert will have more time to focus on their design firm Harvey + Garcia Graphic Design.  The design business is doing well now that the economy is picking up. "It’s great to have a real life and see the kids," she added. The Garcias will continue to operate their online store.

Lisa attributed the store’s problems to a combination of the small population of the Coastside, and their own inability to compete with the vast selections and low prices at big box retailers over the hill.

"There were some people that didn’t care as much about price and would shop on the coast no matter what," said Garcia. All I know is that when my son was in Little League, they gave me the kind of help that I’ve come to expect from local businesses. But the writing was literally on the wall. The "For Lease" signs went up weeks ago. Understandably, Robert Garcia declined to talk to me when I called after seeing the signs.

When I entered the store, on their last hour of business, they took one look at my notebook and camera and asked, "Are you from the Review?" No one from the Review had come by in their final days.  "I think it’s because we never advertised with them very much," said Garcia. "They did do a story about us when we opened."

"I didn’t hear about it till Friday," wrote Clay Lambert, Managing Editor of the Review, in response to an emailed question about why the Review hadn’t written about the closing.

I hope we see something from the Review on Wednesday. We need a conversation about how to make the Coastside economy work for locals as well as daytrippers for Burlingame, and to do it in a way that supports our downtown areas instead of strip malls and KFC’s on the highway.

When I was first set up Coastsider about a year ago, I created a custom link to the TerraServer satellite image database with links to lots of Coastside locations, embedded in a Coastsider page.  I’m still pretty proud of it, as it was kind of a programming exercise for me. But Google just released their new satellite image database, which is superior to the old TerraServer stuff in every way—newer photos, more detail, color, and links to Google’s remarkable new map server.

I’m keeping the original Coastsider map page, because it still has links to topographic maps, which are useful. But from now on, I’m using Google maps and satellite images as my primary map links

Here are some links to satellite images and maps of Coastside locations on Google, TerraServer, and the California Coastal Records Project. I’ve also added some links to historical topographic maps at the US Geological Survey.

You can click on a link on any of these pages to get the corresponding maps. You can also click and drag these images to scroll around them on the screen.

Devil’s Slide | Montara, Moss Beach | El Granada | Half Moon Bay | Cunha Middle and Hatch Elementary Schools | Wavecrest | 22 Acre Park Site and Cypress Cove |

This site always takes my breath away. Kenneth Adelman has taken pictures of every square mile of the California coast.  And now he has added historical photos from 1972, 1979, 1987, 2002, as well as today.

Devil’s Slide | Montara | Moss Beach | El Granada | Miramar | Half Moon Bay | North Wavecrest | Redondo Beach | Ritz-Carlton | Martin’s Beach, Lobitos Creek | San Gregorio State Beach | Pescadero |

These are good if you’re looking for geographical features, such as mountains, streams, and beaches. You may also want to compare the images to the ones on Google for changes. The satellite photos were taken about 1992. Click on the arrows at the edges to scroll around and use the number scale to zoom the image.

Devil’s Slide | Montara, Moss Beach | El Granada | Half Moon Bay | Wavecrest | Cunha Middle and Hatch Elementary Schools | Purissima Creek | Martin’s Beach, Lobitos Creek | San Gregorio | Pescadero |

The US Geographical Survey site has some downloadable JPEG’s of great old maps of Half Moon Bay from 1940, 1943 and 1961, as well as of current maps of the Coastside and points north.

This week’s crimewave includes public intoxication, two burglaries of unlocked autos in Montara, residential burglary, three cases of vandalism, two warrant arrests at traffic stops, DUI, a fire, and possession of a controlled substance by a bicyclist. Don’t forget to lock your car, even when it’s in front of your house.

Sheriff’s Deputies observed several individuals loitering in the parking area to the rear of the Beacon Fueling Station located at the corner of Pescadero Creek Road and Stage Road in Pescadero. Deputies made contact with the six individuals who were consuming alcoholic beverages. The ground was littered with broken glass and empty beer cans indicating that the subjects were consuming mass quantities of alcoholic beverages. While speaking with the subjects, one individual, age 32, began to urinate in front of the deputies. Deputies spoke to him and noticed the signs of alcohol intoxication. He was unable to care for himself and was placed under arrest for public intoxication. He was transported to the county jail.

Deputies were dispatched to the above address on the report of and auto burglary. The owner of the vehicle had parked in the driveway of her home and left the vehicle unlocked. When she next entered the vehicle she noticed that the glove compartment had been opened and the contents disheveled on the floor. An inventory of the vehicle revealed several items missing.

Deputies were dispatched to the above address on the report of an auto burglary. The owner of the vehicle parked in the driveway of his home and left the vehicle unlocked. Upon returning to the vehicle, he noticed that the glove compartment and the center console had been opened and papers were disheveled on the floor. Various items were taken.

Deputies were dispatched to the above address on the report of a burglary. They met with the residents of the home and were told that on the previous night prior to going to bed the garage door had been secured. The following morning the garage door was open and various items were taken. A neighborhood check was conducted but no one had seen or heard anything.

Deputies were dispatched to La Honda Road on the report of a vehicle being vandalized. They met with the reporting party and took her statement. The victim had parked her vehicle approximately 50 yards from her driveway and when she returned she noticed that someone had broken both side mirrors and kicked the passenger side front door causing a dent. She doesn’t know who would have done this and doesn’t remember seeing or hearing anything suspicious in the area.

Deputies effected a traffic stop on a vehicle and contacted the occupants. A check with county communications revealed that the driver of the vehicle, age 29, of Montara, had two outstanding warrants. He was also found to be in possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested and transported to the county jail.

Deputies were dispatched to a local business located on Beach Way in Moss Beach on the report of vandalism. The reporting party informed deputies that she had parked her vehicle in the lot before going to work. When she returned she noticed that unknown suspects had broken her driver side wiper off and flattened her rear tire.

Deputies were dispatched to the above address on the report of vandalism. Unknown suspects punctured the left front tire of a vehicle that was parked in front of the residence. At this time there are no leads, suspects or evidence.

Deputies were notified by county communications of a vehicle traveling north on Hwy 1 and driving reckless. Deputies located the vehicle and spoke to the four occupants. The driver, age 23, of Pleasanton was found to be driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage. One of the passengers, a woman, age 20, of Hayward was found to have an outstanding warrant. Knowing of the warrant, she gave false information to the deputies trying to avoid arrest. Both were arrested and transported to the county jail. The two other occupants were released at the scene.

Deputies were dispatched to Culebra Street in Moss Beach on the report of a structure fire. Black smoke was observed coming from the rear window of the residence. Not knowing if anyone was inside the residence, the front door was forced open. The smoke was too thick to enter. Fire arrived on scene and extinguished the fire. There was no one in the residence and it appeared that the fire started in a rear bedroom.

While on routine patrol, Deputies effected a stop of a bicyclist traveling eastbound in the westbound lane. The subject, age 45, of Moss Beach was found to be in possession of a controlled substance as well as drug paraphernalia. He was arrested and transported to the county jail.

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) Board of Directors voted unanimously last night to purchase the 183-acre Peninsula Open Space Trust/Forde property near Half Moon Bay.  This is the District’s first purchase on the Coastside and its first board meeting here.

The property is adjacent to the District’s Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve. It includes the headwaters of Lobitos Creek, a likely spawning area for the federally threatened steelhead, and the scenic top of Irish Ridge, which affords views of the Tunitas Creek and Lobitos Creek watersheds, coastal ranches, and the Pacific Ocean. A mixed evergreen forest of Douglas fir and redwood, including a few first growth trees, characterize a portion of the property’s landscape.

This story is based on MROSD’s press release. Click "read more" to see the full press release.

This Friday, the HMB FIlm Society is showing Paloma de Papel (Paper Dove). Set in the Peruvian Andes during the chaotic 1980s, this tense drama follows a group of paramilitary guerillas trying to survive in the midst of a bloody civil war. It’s an incredible coming-of-age story of a young boy who is forcibly recruited into the Shining Path movement.

Film begins at 7:30pm at the Community United Methodist Church Sanctuary, 777 Miramontes (corner of Johnston), in Half Moon Bay. Admission $6.  From Main Street in Half Moon Bay turn east on Miramontes to Johnston (just one block).    

I have received a request for information about former Coastsider.  Cami Rogers is looking for information about her father, Lionel S. Rogers, whom she never met.  Rogers died at his home in Montara on August 10, 1990 at the age of 48. Rogers was the General Manager of the Miramar Beach inn. His memorial service was at the Miller-Dutra Coastside Chapel in Half Moon Bay.

If you have any information or pictures, you can contact his daughter at:

Cami Rogers

942 Third Avenue North

Kent, WA 98032



Her home phone is: 253.856.3414

Her email address is [email protected]