Manhattan Beach City Councilman Jim Aldinger has resigned from the Coastal Commission. He had failed to disclose a decade-old public intoxication charge and a 1998 temporary restraining order. He resigned in a letter to state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, on Thursday. Perata had demanded his resignation last month for his failure to disclose the incidents in his application for the position.
Five people were swept off the breakwater at Pillar Point Harbor this weekend. Powerful waves driven by a storm in the southern hemisphere have been hitting south-facing beaches. The breakwater faces the south. At 10am Sunday, the National Weather Service said these waves have reduced in strength, but could continue for a couple of days:
Southerly swells will continue to impact the California coast through today. Although swell heights have decreased to 3 to 4 feet with 16 second swell periods they are still capable of producing powerful breakers in the 6 to 8 foot range along south facing beaches. These waves will break against rocks with greater force than normal…providing a hazard for unsuspecting beachgoers.
The southerly swell is expected to slowly taper off through the first part of next week.
Two Half Moon Bay commercial fishermen are alive and well after eight hours in the icy Pacific after their boat capsized off the Golden Gate. The Chronicle has their amazing survival story and it’s a must-read.
Afte the boat capsized, one fisherman had made it onto a flotation platform and the second was in the water.
After about an hour, Woods struggled onto the platform, and the experienced sailors oriented themselves to the northwesterly winds, acting as human sails to move themselves toward shore.
"Every now and then a big swell would knock us off the thing and we’d get back up,’’ Woods said. "By now, the sun’s going down. We’re freezing. Then the fog let in and San Francisco disappeared (from view) and we were totally disoriented. All we could see was the moon above us.
Hours later, they washed up in the surf at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. The Chron interviewed them from the American Legion Hall in Princeton Saturday night.
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| Cheri Parr |
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| Cheri Parr |
Omar Contreras looks like any other coastal kid. With an irrepressible smile and warm handshake, Omar proudly shows me his collection of soccer trophies, scholastic medals and his award for the 8th grade science fair at Cunha middle school. Lupe, Omar’s mom, beams at her son as she explains that he’s always been interested in science. "He’s wanted to be a doctor ever since he was 6 years old!."
Just under a year ago, 14-year-old Omar Contreras, honor-roll student and avid soccer player from Moss Beach, was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. Omar’s family had no way of knowing how emotionally and financially difficult the next year would be.
Friends of the family are capping off a summer of fundraising events with a wine tasting and auction next Saturday, September 24th at 6pm at the Courtyard Gallery in Half Moon Bay.
Aplastic anemia, a rare life-threatening bone marrow disorder, affects fewer than 1,000 people each year in the United States. Simply put, Omar’s bone marrow has stopped producing enough new blood cells, leaving him at high risk of infection, severe uncontrolled bleeding, and immune system conflicts. For a young athlete with such promising abilities and big dreams, the future looked suddenly dim.
It didn’t take long for the Contreras’ story to reach neighbors and friends who immediately came together in support, both emotional and financial. Over the summer, the "Friends of Omar" have been a catalyst to the community—organizing pizza nights, a neighborhood garage sale, and, with the help of Albertson’s employee Mary Terre, selling hot dogs and root beer floats outside the store. Family friends Mey Wong-Norris and Shannon Gibbs have organized the events with the help of community volunteers, many who do not even know the family.
Next up for the Friends of Omar is a wine tasting and silent auction to generate the necessary funds for medical treatment. Now halfway to their financial goal of $20,000, the Wine Tasting has moved to "main event" status.
"The outpouring of community support has been incredible," said event organizer Mey Wong, "donations of local products, dinners and events have already exceeded $6000 in value." Bart & Mary Colucci of The Courtyard Gallery (643 Main Street Half Moon Bay (650) 712-1114) donated their space, and The Rogue Chefs ( www.roguechefs.com) are donating the catering. Local realtors responded generously as well. Jerome and Carole Brolan ( www.phonejerome.com and www.divinedesigns4u.com ) are donating $5000 of commissions if an individual will list and sell their home with Jerome,and Carole will donate $3000 of free home staging to sweeten the deal. Farris Hix ( www.farrishix.com) is donating a discount on the sale or purchase of a home as an auction item.
Despite the trials of the past year, Omar remains typically optimistic. "I’ve learned a lot about disease this year and now I want to study to be a hematologist, so I can help others." Omar and his family have big dreams, and the friends of Omar are dedicated to making them a reality. How can you help?
You can read more about the Aplastic Anemia at http://www.aamds.org
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Cheri Parr
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Alex Ortiz
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Alex Ortiz
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Last Saturday Boy Scout Troop 255 spent the early morning in Montara collecting money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Our scout Masters Doug Slater, Lou Cohen and George Macleod and a number of parents took 14 Scouts door to door . The scouts not only collected donations but handed out a list of ways that we can be prepared for local emergencies such as earthquakes, tsunami’s and especially here on the coast, landslides.
In one morning we were able to raise over $2000.00 in cash donations to be used in helping the hurricane victims.
If you want to know more about being prepared for an emergency, you can go to FEMA’s website This site gives a general emergency preparedness checklist, and also a list of supplies that you should keep at your house.
Scout Troop 255 would like to thank everyone who donated to our cause, and to say thank you to all of the volunteers who are helping with the hurricane relief in New Orleans.
On September 24, 2005, our community has a rare opportunity to help create a lasting legacy for Hatch Elementary School. A Hatch parent and local landscaper, Ralph Laughlin, has generously donated his skills and expertise to design and direct a remodel of the Hatch school grounds. Mr. Laughlin’s plan includes coastal grasses, vegetable and flower garden beds for the school’s very successful gardening program, a California native wildflower corridor and a renovated central plaza where parents relax and chat with each other and the teachers and students every day. This will all be possible in one single day with the help of over 100 volunteers.
Half Moon Bay major Jim Grady will be issuing a formal proclamation calling September 24, 2005 “A Day to Make A Difference”. Local businesses including Half Moon Bay Nursery, Blue Sky Designs, Nurseryman’s Exchange, Half Moon Bay Garden and Design, John Deere Irrigation, Get Going Growing Foundation, Safeway, Albertsons, San Benito House, and Starbucks have already come on board to help with food, plants, and supplies. Hatch parents, and CUSD district office employees are donating time, resources, and funds to this great project.
In such a close-knit community where everybody knows your name, there seems no better way we can spend our time, money, and energy than making this vision a reality. The impact of creating a beautiful, safe place where children, teachers, and parents are proud to go every day is one of the most important efforts a community can make to invest in its future. Please help make a difference. Donate your time, your services, supplies, or money to our project. All major donors will receive public recognition in the form of commemorative bricks displayed in a prominent area of the Hatch grounds.
Italian educators call the environment or “ambiente” the third teacher. Our environments affect our emotions, our motivation, and our achievements. As adults, we have all experienced how it feels and what it means to our success when we walk into a place of beauty. Let’s give our children the chance to feel that too.
For more information: please contact Diana Inglis at
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Save Our Shores has released location and contact informaiton for California Coastal Cleanup Day 2005 in San Mateo County this Saturday, September 17, from 9am to noon.
Contact Site Cleanup Captains directly to inquire about specific meeting spots, or visit www.saveourshores.org for more details on participating in Coastal Cleanup Day in San Mateo county.
Coastal Cleanup Day provides a stewardship opportunity for communities to clean up their neighborhoods, encouraging beautification around shorelines and creek corridors, creating pride in their surroundings, and having a positive impact on our coastal and marine resources. Coastal Cleanup day is a part of International Coastal Cleanup Day organized by The Ocean Conservancy. More than 50,000 Californians participated in last year’s event, collecting 909,853 pounds of trash from 1,951 miles in California.
Volunteers help to remove trash and debris from the natural environment, and to collect data on the sources of debris. Volunteers should wear closed- toe shoes, layered clothing, hat and sunscreen for protection from the sun. All participants are encouraged to bring their ownwork gloves. Cleanup Captains provide all other supplies (bags, data collection cards).
Local officials, including the Half Moon Bay City Council, as well as the Sierra Club and Sheriff Don Horsley, have written to the governor in support of a bill that would allow county supervisors to place a one-eight percent sales tax on a future ballot. The smallest increase now permitted is a quarter percent, reports the Examiner.
Advocates estimate the tax could raise $13 to $16 million a year for parks and recreation. The county Parks Department says that $90 million worth of upgrades are needed.
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Cheri Parr
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What a perfect night for this year’s Wine Walk. Click on the picture to see Coastsider’s gallery of the evening.
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Darin Boville
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Venus (on the left) and Jupiter form a duet in the night sky
over Montara Beach.
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As the fog begins to break up Coastsiders are in for an unusual astronomical treat. Appearing just after sunset two dazzling lights now decorate the southwestern sky. These star-like beacons might at first be mistaken for approaching passenger airplanes due to their brightness but they are Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets, which outshine every star in the night sky.
Cloud-wrapped Venus, to the left in this image, bounces back out into space an impressive 72% of the light that strikes it from the Sun—but due to a greenhouse effect gone wild temperatures still reach over 800 degrees Fahrenheit at the surface. The beautiful Evening Star is a hellish place.
Jupiter is the largest planet—about 1300 Earths could fit inside of it (and Venus is about the same size as Earth)—but is much more distant from us than Venus. For reasons unknown its famous Great Red Spot—a monster hurricane 15,000 miles across—has been fading in recent years.
As the weeks go on Venus and Jupiter will drift apart in the night sky (they were closest on Sept 1 ) so enjoy the view while it lasts.
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