Coastside Peace is presenting "Peace Flix, a night of progressive film and open discussion" on Friday. Admission is free. There are three films on the program.

There’s Something about W (2004 - 40 min) A wry look at the policies of the Bush administration, offering a lively mix of analysis and levity.  Director Robin Chin juxtaposes the president speaking in his own words with insightful responses from people like Molly Ivins, Paul Krugman, Al Franken, Arianna Huffington and many others.

Orwell Rolls in His Grave (2003 -  97 min) Director Robert Kane Pappas draws disturbing parallels between George Orwell’s classic novel of Big Brother totalitarianism “1984” and the current relationship between big media and government in the United States.

Hijacking Catastrophe, 9/11, Fear & the Selling of American Empire  - (2004 - 64 min) Examines how a radical fringe of the Republican Party has used the trauma of the 9/11 attacks to advance a pre-existing agenda to radically transform American foreign policy while rolling back civil liberties and social programs at home.

That’s 3 1/2 hours of movies for the price of none.

The films will be shown at the Johnston House Ocean Shore Depot Building on Friday, Sept 24 at 7pm. The building is located at the south end of Main Street, 1/4 mile up Higgins Purissima Road, near the historic Johnston House.

Local author and activist George Gipe will host a public discussion that examines the roots of the war in Iraq. The event, sponsored by Coastside4Kerry, celebrates the release of Gipe’s War In Iraq: Is There an Exit?, an examination of the events leading up to Sept. 11, 2001 and the Iraq war.

The discussion takes place Sept. 23 at 7:30pm at Moon News, 315 Main St., Half Moon Bay. The event is free. In addition to Moon News, the book is available at Coastside Books, 432 Main St. in Half Moon Bay. I recommend buying it locally, but you can buy it online at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

The Mercury News is reporting that the stabbings at Montara Beach on Saturday was the result of a father allegedly stabbing his son to death and turning the knife on himself.

The Chronicle has more detail, but don’t have the names and refer to the incident as a knife fight.

I saw a California Condor over Skyline Blvd and points west in southern San Mateo County. This is the first sighting in San Mateo County in decades, and has already been reported to the various local birding lists, wildlife biologists and others who are interested in this topic.

I saw the bird on Friday August 13, 2004, just after 2pm. It joined a group of about 11 Turkey Vultures circling overhead. California Condors (Gymnogyps californianus) typically key on Turkey Vultures to follow them to carrion and to locate currents and updrafts.

Briefly, here is what I observed and what you can look for:

California Condor size (9-foot wing span) is significantly larger than Turkey Vulture, so that was very obvious. This bird had whitish coloring on the leading edge underneath the wings, splayed primaries, obvious tags on underneath of wings (red, rusty or orangish in color & I could not read the number) and the characteristic (of vultures) "downflexing" of wings as s/he flew southeast towards Long Ridge in San Mateo County and to Santa Cruz County beyond.

In talking with a wildlife biologist involved in condor recovery, he is surmising that this bird came up from Ventana, rather than from Pinnacles National Monument; both of which are release sites.

There are numerous identification sites on the Internet, one of which is http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i3240id.html

[Reported by Georgia Stigall, West of Skyline Blvd., San Mateo County]

Two people have been found stabbed at Montara State Beach.  One man is dead and the second has been rushed to the hospital.

At 7:20 this morning, someone called the police to say that a person was bleeding near the parking lot at the beach, according to Lt. Lisa Williams of the Sheriff’s Department.

I was there to participate in the Calfornia Coastal Cleanup Day event at the beach, as were a lot of other startled Montarans.

Two campers were being questioned by the police when I arrived. Surfers and others who happened to be at the beach when the victims were discovered have either been questioned or have had their cars trapped behind the police line.

This case is especially frightening in view of the shooting death of two campers on August 18 just north of Jenner on the Sonoma County coast.

UPDATE: The Mercury News is reporting that the stabbings at Montara Beach on Saturday was the result of a father allegedly stabbing his son to death and turning the knife on himself.

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) has taken the first step in its expansion to the coastside by seeking an ombudsperson.

When the Judge finally OK’d MROSD’s expansion, the district said it had 60 days from the issuance of LAFCo’s Certificate of Completion to appoint an Ombudsperson, begin public participation, and plan for amending its Good Neighbor Policy.

The job has been posted on the district’s Web site:

The part-time, volunteer position will be a vital link between the District and its constituents by following up on inquiries in order to resolve misunderstandings or conflicts that have not been settled by District staff.  In addition to facilitating the resolution of disputes, the ombudsperson will educate concerned constituents on District polices or procedures and help open avenues of communication.

Qualifications:  Must be a District constituent.  Demonstrated successful facilitation and conflict resolution skills; familiarity with the District mission and purpose; knowledge of land and property use issues, and how District programs fit into the greater region; ability to communicate complex issues clearly and concisely in writing; excellent interpersonal, oral communication and public speaking skills.  Ability to work independently, using good judgment and personal initiative.  Professional demeanor and appearance.

A thick skin might be useful. The deadline for application is September 30 and they have said the appointment will be made by the end of October.

What do you think of the job description? Would you want the job? Post your comments here on Coastsider.

It’s not too late to win our limited-edition Point Montara Lighthouse print, but I’m closing registrations in a couple of days.

Ironically, the photo in the original story doesn’t do this print justice. We had it on display at the Chili and Chowder Cookoff and a number folks offered to buy it.

Only a few people have registered for the print, and I’m going to be closing registrations in a couple of days. All you have to do to get a chance to win is to post any comment on the story is sentence is linked to.

On Sunday, September 26th, the all-volunteer La Honda Fire Brigade will present three simultaneous events: A flea market, an open house and a free ice cream social.  The flea market goes from 10 am to 4 pm, while the open house and ice cream social is from 1 pm to 4 pm.

So bring the family and find out what the area’s busiest and best volunteer fire department is up to, hunt for treasure at the flea market, enjoy free ice cream treat,  meet Smokey the Bear, and learn from the US Geological Survey about local flood and earthquake zones, and meet the local sheriffs.

All events take place at the La Honda Fire Station located on highway 84 in downtown La Honda.  For more details call 650-747-9337.

Some comments have been posted under my name on the RLINC (Los Pueblecitos) Web site. However, my "postings" in the forums were copied from the comments pages on Coastsider and posted on the RLINC forums under my name without my knowledge or permission. And some of the text posted under my name was written by other users. I stand by my comments, but they have been ripped from their context and don’t come close to expressing my opinion of this complicated subject.

Furthermore, apparently now someone other than me owns my identity on the RLlNC site, which is problematic for lots of reasons. Until RLINC posts a public notice about their policy on users’ identities, I don’t recommend accepting anything that’s posted there as coming from whom it claims to be.

I applaud RLINC for allowing users to discuss the pros and cons of the proposal on their site, but there are better ways to jump-start a discussion than faking postings.

The Coastside Film Society is showing In the Light of Reverence this Friday.

Ten years in the making, In the Light of Reverence explores American culture’s relationship to nature in three places considered sacred by native peoples: the Colorado Plateau in the Southwest, Mt. Shasta in California, and Devils Tower in Wyoming.

Rich in minerals and timber and beloved by recreational users, these “holy lands” exert a spiritual gravity which pulls Native Americans into conflicts with mining companies, New Age practitioners, and rock climbers. Ironically, all sides see themselves as besieged. Their battles tell a new story of culture clashes in an ancient landscape.

The film begins at 8pm at Community United Methodist Church Sanctuary, 777 Miramontes (corner of Johnston), Half Moon Bay.