Monday, Governor Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Merced, San Joaquin, San Mateo and Stanislaus counties:

Severe weather conditions, heavy rainfall, and floodwaters commencing on March 29, 2006, and continuing. These storms have caused the failure of local levees, evacuations of residents, and significant damage to public and private property throughout the affected area.

Schwarzenegger declared states of emergency in 34 counties as a result of the series of severe rainstorms on January 2, 3 and 12, 2006.

The Half Moon Bay Coastside Chamber of Commerce says, the governor’s state of emergency will allow Coastside businesses to get loans from the Small Business Administration for 75% of their weather-related losses: "The next step for the County will be to ask the President to declare San Mateo County a disaster area so that businesses can get Federal SBA loans at 100% reimbursement."

We skipped our report of police action last week in an effort to get the Slide coverage out.  There was nothing dramatic in the last two weeks—some drinking at the high school, a dispute over a woman, a scary dog, and some miscellaneous thievery and drunkenness. Click the link for the details.

A couple of people saw us in our photos on Devil’s Slide without any head protection and advised us to get some hard hats (and a better tape measure). Cheryl Sinclair of Seton Medical Center Coastside went out and got us some. They’re not going to protect us from the 4-ton boulders, but they’re still a good idea.

A member of Caltrans’s Geotech section as well as Caltrans Devil’s Slide spokesperson John Cunliffe will appear at Wednesday’s meeting of the Midcoast Community Council.

Mike Nevin, candidate for the District 8 California State Senate seat, was already scheduled to speak. This is the first in a series of appearances by senate candidates to present their platforms and answer questions from the public. Future invites will include Lou Papan and Leland Yee. This is an opportunity for citizens to learn about and discuss our representation in Sacramento and let the candidates know about the unique issues which impact the Midcoast.

The meeting will be 7:30pm Seton Medical Center Coastside, Marine Boulevard & Etheldore, in Moss Beach. Take Highway 1 to Marine Boulevard and follow hospital signs uphill.  The Caltrans representatives are on the agenda for approximately 8:35pm.

A very special tea party will take place Sunday, April 23rd at the historic Montara Grammar School (home of the Susan Hayward School of Dancing) 496 6th St. Montara. There will be 2 sittings:  1:30-3:00 and 3:30-5:00. There will be a selection of teas, savories and sweets served by characters from Alice’s Wonderland. Featured among the food will by recipes from the former Village Green Restaurant (owned by Susan Hayward) including their legendary scones and lemon curd.

There will be entertainment: a special sneak preview of the Mad Tea Party scene from the Susan Hayward School of Dancing production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. There will also be an opportunity to have photos taken with the characters. The event would be a very special Mommy and me afternoon, or a treat for a special friend or Grandma. Proceeds will benefit the Susan Hayward School of Dancing. Tickets are $25.00 per person or $40.00 for two people, available by calling Shannon at 726-0753.

A Jeep Cherokee rammed through the front of Main Street Grill, which was packed with 40 customers, on Sunday afternoon.  According to the County Times:

Half Moon Bay resident Carlos Pantoja said he was backing his car out of a parking lot on Main Street at about 1:12 p.m. when the accelerator engaged, throwing the car into reverse and sending it straight backwards into the window of the Main Street Grill across the street.

"Something happened to the gas pedal. The engine started running and I couldn’t stop it. I didn’t have control of the car," Pantoja said. Both Pantoja and his passenger, resident Tom Clements, were unhurt.

Patrons saw the SUV coming and ran for cover. Two people were taken to the hospital for minor injuries.

When Highway 1 over Devil’s slide was opened in 1937, the new road was a welcome relief after the winding mountain path previously used to go between the Coastside and Pacifica. 

However, it was unstable from the beginning, built on slippery shale resting on solid granite. Shortly after it was built, the state highway department wrote, "It is anticipated that considerable trouble will be experienced by our maintenance forces during the next two or three winters, in keeping the roadway clear of minor slides and the natural sloughing of material from the steep mountain slopes."  In 1941, the road was closed for eleven days.

That was the beginning.  The road would be closed dozens of times in years to come and would drop nearly 50 feet from its original elevation. In 1980, the Slide would be closed completely for seven days, and then for 31 days only one lane was open during the day and all lanes were closed at night.

This March nearly set a record month for rain in San Francisco, with 8.74 inches.  That record was set in 1983, with 9 inches. Mike Wong, who opened Spring Mountain Gallery in Half Moon Bay in 1980, recalls the night of March 3, 1983, "It was the worst rain I’ve ever seen, even worst than this year. I remember the night that all the desvastation took place. We knew everything was washing in around us. It was one spooky night. The rain was relentless."

A 300-foot section of the road began to break loose that night. Caltrans closed the highway. It would stay closed for 84 days.  Mike has provided us with some dramatic photos of that event that make this year’s slippage seem minor in comparison.  The originals are only a little larger than the ones you see here, but you can open them by clicking on the images.

Mike Wong

A 300-foot section of the roadbed broke loose on March 3, 1983

Mike Wong

Highway 1 over Martini Creek at the north end of Montara State Beach was also washed out.

Mike Wong

Meanwhile, the cliffs below below what was then the Chart House were heavily eroded.

Click the link for more photos.

The most recent closure of Devil’s Slide was also the worst.  On January 20, 1995, the Slide began slipping again, moving at times as quickly as a foot a day.  It would take Caltrans 150 days and nearly $1 million to fix it this time.  The drive from Montara to Highway 280 would take up to 2 hours.

It happened just as Coastsiders were fighting hardest to keep Caltrans from building a freeway bypass through the mountains to go around the Slide.  Many people still believe that Caltrans dragged out the repairs to the Slide in order to force the Coastside the accept the bypass. You can hear echoes of that struggle in the expression of concern that Caltrans isn’t moving quickly enough in 2006.

Mike Wong, owner of Spring Mountain Gallery in Half Moon Bay provided us with these dramatic photos of the damage in 1995. The originals are only a little larger than the ones you see here, but you can open them by clicking on the images.

Mike Wong

Mike Wong

Click on the link to see more photos.