UPDATE: This meeting was postponed at about 4pm on Wednesday, December 15.

The Jay at Mavericks big wave surf contest and public officials will discuss safety plans at a public meeting

at the Oceano Hotel at 280 Capistrano Road, Princeton at 6pm Thursday, Dec 16

, according to a the county.

Members of the public and the media will be able to ask detailed questions to members of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, San Mateo County Harbor District, and the event’s producer, the Jay at Maverick’s Big Wave Invitational. Representatives from other agencies will also be on hand to answer questions.

Public safety officials hope to spread the word that they plan to close the beach.  The Jay at Maverick’s has arranged for live video feeds to be shown at a festival location in Princeton, as well as on any PC with an internet connection.

The Jay at Maverick’s Big Wave Invitational is scheduled to be held sometime between December 1, 2010, and February 28, 2011. The contest during the winter of 2008-09 was not held due to lack of swell and the contest of 2009-10 was held on Saturday February 13th and made national headlines following a wave crashing on shore where some spectators were attempting to view the contest.

The County says that up to 40,000 people are anticipated to visit the Coastside for the event. Several spectators were injured by a wave at the event in February.

Well Seasoned Greetings, Marketeers -

We sure hope that you’ll find time this week to swing by The Coastside Farmers’  Market one final time this year to fetch all the fixings for your upcoming holiday soirees, fetes, and wing-dings, and to stock your panty for the winter. 

This week is our Seasoned Finale, and we sure hope to see you this one last time - Wednesday in Pacifica and Saturday in Half Moon Bay -  before we pack up our tents for the winter, and dry out our footwear in time for Spring.

I’ll be making like a squirrel and enhancing my stash of dried fruits, nuts and Indian spices these next two Market Days to help see me through the dark days of winter with a little stored sunshine.  Hey, ever make a winter squash curry with a few dried apricots thrown in? No? Well, why not? Those tangy ‘cots zing up a curry delightfully.  Or how about one with lamb and dried cherries? That works surprisingly well too. About as good as a pot roast I made last week for a select and chosen few that featured fennel & fresh ginger zapped up with a cinnamon stick and pink peppercorns. Dang.  I had hoped for leftovers to fortify me for the week ahead, but it didn’t quite work out that way.

Hope you enjoyed Sunday’s sunshine, because the National Weather Service forecasts that Coastside is about to get wind and rain through the weekend and possibly into next week.

A very wet weather pattern is forecast to develop across the San Francisco bay area and Monterey Bay area by the end of the week. This wet pattern is then expected to continue through the weekend and into early next week. Periods of heavy rain and strong winds will be possible as several strong storms move onshore. Emergency managers and other decision makers…As well as those planning travel…Should stay abreast of the latest forecasts and be prepared for a series of wet and windy storms.

Two auto burglaries in four days Pescadero, drug possession and DUI’s, and this:

Deputies responded to Seton Coastside Hospital in Moss Beach on the report of a battery.  The victim stated he was attacked by several unknown subjects at a ranch near Cabrillo Highway and Purissma Creek Road.  The victim received injuries to his face and was treated by hospital staff.

Officials from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area will be at the Midcoast Community Council meeting Wednesday at 7:30pm, to discuss the GGNRA with focus on San Mateo County, details of the plans for initial opening of Rancho Corral de Tierra, and considerations for plans for the first year or two of operation

The GGNRA gave a presentation to the Midcoast Parks and Recreation Committee (MPRC) in November on a “soft opening” for two portals for Rancho Corral De Tierra after the first of the year: Coral Reef and Le Conte (near Farallone View Elementary). At that meeting two community members provided letters of concern one addressed the Coral Reef portal with an emphasis on fire danger and mountain bike access on trails. While San Mateo County Liaison George Durgerian is still working on the fire safety information, he has replied on the mountain bike question:

We plan on welcoming mountain bikes.  The trail system and trail regulations will evolve over the coming years, but we agree with the community that—apart from some dramatic and erosive bike trails we’ve seen on McNee Ranch—bikes are an appropriate use of the property.”

The MCC will continue their discussion of Big Wave—which has been approved by the county Planning Commission and is likely to be appealed to the Board of Supervisors—and the Local Coastal Plan Update, which is still before the Board of Supervisors.

The meeting will take place at Seton Medical Center Coastside, Marine Boulevard & Etheldore, Moss Beach. Take Highway 1 to Marine Boulevard and follow hospital signs uphill, MCC attendees must park in upper parking lot per hospital policy.

Join us on the evening of Friday, December 10th as we celebrate this festive time of the year with a plentiful selection of seasonal foods and beverages, great company, and excellent entertainment.  We will be featuring performances by "Calling On".  This talented group comprised of local musicians Diane Burns, Mo Robinson, and Bob Peterson will be performing a mixture of Christmas music, poetry, and prose.  David Minton and Casey Fitzsimons will provide additional readings. Adding to the spirit of the season will be appearances by members of the San Francisco State University Handbell Choir, led by Caroline Harnly.  They will be performing a selection of seasonal songs with what they term "twelve bell" music.  Ms. Harnly is also the director of the Methodist Community Church of Half Moon Bay’s Handbell Choir.

We hope you will be able to make space in your busy December calendar to join us for this very special evening.  Tickets are only $25 per person and cover food, beverages, and entertainment. The doors open at 6 pm for an hour of food and beverages.  The concert will begin at 7 pm and conclude at 10 pm.  Dessert and beverages will be served at intermission.  To reserve seats please call 650-728-8045 or email [email protected].  Cypress Meadows is located directly behind Cypress Flower Farm at 343 Cypress Ave. in Moss Beach.

Happy Hollandaise, Marketeers!

Yes. 

The answer is yes.  The rumors are true: The Coastside Farmers Markets are open, rain or shine, through and including Saturday, the 18th of December.

So, if you have yet to begin a winters day with a breakfast of toasted fig and pistachio sourdough with a generous schmear of Harley Farms fromage blanc topped with thin slices of yellow bellflower apple, you still have a few weeks left to change the way you feel about getting out of bed on these chilly - no, let’s face it, freaky cold - mornings.  Or, if your homecoming has not yet included P-soup ( in this case pumpkin, parsnip, potato, pasilla pepper & pear, cut into chunks, roasted together with onions then popped in a soup pot -  omnivores can add a piece of prize-winning pot-roast - and stewed in its own juice with peppercorns and peeled cinnamon for a bit while you slip into PJ’s) well then you still have a remarkable new experience to anticipate.  Follow it up with one perfect piece of glacied organic valencia orange peel tucked in a cozy robe of dark sweet chocolate and it is really just about too much.

In the last two weeks, we’ve seen auto burglaries in El Granada (2) and Pescadero, DUI’s and public intoxication, a lost hiker in Pescadero, cocaine in El Granada, tires destroyed in El Granada, residential burglary in Moss Beach, theft of a hatch cover in Princeton, robbery and false imprisonment on San Mateo Road, and this from Princeton, which some Coastsiders might be able to relate to:

Unknown suspects too seven “No Parking” signs from two separate businesses. The total loss was estimated at $140.