As enjoyable today as it was when it first opened in 1879, The Pirates of Penzance is the comical tale of two young lovers mixed up with a band of tender-hearted pirates, bumbling policemen, an eccentric Major-General and his beautiful daughters - all morally bound by a sense of duty. The enchanting music and witty lyrics of Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic score has delighted audiences for over a century… even the revival took New York by storm in 1980, winning 3 Tony Awards and 5 Drama Desk Awards. Come join Frederic and Mabel on their musical journey of love, loyalty, duty and, of most importantly… Pirates!

Fridays:  3/14, 21, 28, 4/4 at 8pm
Saturdays: 3/15, 22, 29, 4/5 at 8pm
Sundays:  3/16, 23, 30, 4/6 at 2pm

Tickets: $30, $25 for Students/Seniors
Box Office: (650) 359-8002
Online: pacificaspindriftplayers.org/

Pacifica Spindrift Players Mainstage Theatre
1050 Crespi Dr, Pacifica, California 94044

Full disclosure: Our son, Alex Ortiz, will be playing the Pirate King.

Mary Bordi, who lives on 50 acres in the vicinity of Portola Redwoods State Park, Pescadero Creek County Park, and MROSD lands, posted this image of a mountain lion taken on Valentine’s Day of this year. The movie is from 2012.

Mary says, “After having some sheep killed by a lion (or lions) a few years ago I got several wildlife cameras. For a while I was getting pictures of lions (or lion tails) infrequently, but the last month or so I’m seeing more. Not sure if it’s the drought or just more lions. We have not lost any sheep for a year or so. I think they like goats better.”

Project includes paving of three previously unimproved rights of way in Seal Cove (San Ramon, Del Mar, Madrone), and replacement of a small section of paving on Carlos Street at California with vegetated biotreatment and pervious paving. 

Public comment period on the environmental review documents extends from February 25 to March 27, 2014.  More details on the MCC website.

Free clothing, toys & gear for babies & children. Saturday, March 1,  open to the public from 11am to noon. Please don’t arrive early.

Coastside Baptist Church
555 Seymour Street, HMB
(West side of Hwy 1, across from Ford Dealer)

The city of Pacifica held a meeting on Wednesday, Feb 19, to review the project to widen San Pedro Creek and build a new bridge for Highway 1. Topics included the route of the planned detour around the project site.

Guide to video:

• Additional Day to Day wait times discussion at 21:54
• Construction Schedule at 27:48 min
• Community Questions at 31:39 min
• Community Questions end at 1hr 29:04 min

This was rewritten from a press release

The San Mateo County Resource Conservation District has released its final report on fecal contamination at Pillar Point Harbor.

The study focused on Capistrano Beach due to its well-documented, chronically high levels of bacteria found in the digestive tract and feces of warm-blooded animals. The secondary focus was the other five beaches of the harbor and the live-aboard boats within the harbor.

The study monitored beaches streams, tested the bacteria they found, and modeled the circulation of the harbor. Seventeen sites were sampled, including sites at the harbor and the urbanized upland area that drains into the harbor. A total of 514 water samples were collected for analysis of the amount of fecal indicator bacteria and a total of 225 samples of water, sediment, and biofilm were collected for genetic analysis.

Highlights of the study included:

• The high counts of bacteria entered the harbor through storm drains and creeks.
• Regardless of the original source, the bacteria accumulate and persist inside storm drains and on the surrounding vegetation at the outflows. These bacteria are released when flushed by waves and stormwater.
• Humans, birds, marine mammals, and horses are not significant sources of bacteria to the harbor.
• Dogs are a significant fecal source at Capistrano Beach and Deer Creek, but they are not the main source. Dog inputs are from upland sources, not at the beaches.
• Bovine inputs are the primary source at Deer Creek and were significant nowhere else. The report provides seven recommendations to reduce the contamination at the harbor.
• Upland wildlife may play a significant role in some of the contamination at the harbor via creeks and storm drains.

Top recommendations include:

• Work with property owners throughout the watershed to make the connection between the landscape, stormwater runoff, and the harbor. This includes managing dog and livestock waste in the upland areas.
• There are no reasonable ways to prevent wildlife waste from entering the storm drainage system. Recommendations focus instead on preventing contaminated stormwater from entering the harbor.
• Manage stormwater before it enters the storm drain system and local creeks using techniques such as vegetated filters and capturing rainwater.

$909,338.45 for the project was provided by the State Water Resources Control Board via Proposition 50: the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Act of 2002. An additional $15,000 was provided by the San Mateo County Harbor District.

The report can be downloaded from the RCD’s website.

The city of Pacifica will hold a public information meeting on the Route 1 San Pedro Creek Bridge Replacement and Creek Widening Project. The meeting will take place Wednesday, Feb 19 from 7 to 8pm at the Pacifica Community Center auditorium at 540 Crespi Drive in Pacifica.

The goal of the project is to replace the current bridge over San Pedro Creek along Route 1 on the same alignment, provide for a multi-purpose path along its eastern side and widen San Pedro Creek to manage capacity in the event of a 100-year storm. The work will complete the US Army Corps of Engineers Flood Control Project for lower Linda Mar and Pedro Point.

The undertaking, requested by the City of Pacifica, will be managed by Caltrans and funded by the San Mateo County Transportation Authority and state and federal funding.

The Coastside’s State Senator, Jerry Hill, will hold an online town hall on Wednesday, February 19, from 6:30 to 7:30pm about the top issues facing the Peninsula and the state, and key bills in the legislature this year.

Hill invites constituents to share their concerns and questions about state government and legislation by visiting http://sd13.senate.ca.gov/AskJerry.

Questions may be submitted to the senator in advance or during the online, interactive town hall. He’ll respond to as many questions as time permits during the live stream event.

More information about the online town hall is available at http://sd13.senate.ca.gov/event/2014-02-19-online-town-hall or by calling the district office at (650) 212-3313.

Supervisor Don Horsley will hold Coastside office hours Friday, Feb 21, from 10 AM to noon, at the Sheriff’s substation, at Hwy 1 and California Ave. in Moss Beach. Constituents may drop by any time, or may call for an appointment 650-363-4569.

Coastside Design Review Committee (CDRC) is an important part of the County process for approval of new development in Midcoast residential communities.  There is an urgent need to fill the Montara vacancy.

CDRC meets the second Thursday of the month (as needed) at 1:30pm in El Granada.  Members are appointed by the Board of Supervisors.  Applicants for the Montara community representative vacancy must reside in Montara.

More info, including a “List of Desirable Traits for a CDRC member”, and how to apply, at the link.  http://www.midcoastcommunitycouncil.org/get-involved/