San Mateo County is progressive enough that they’ll let you pay your traffic tickets online. As long as you don’t have a Mac.  The website:

  https://www.sanmateocourt.org/traffic

only works for Internet Explorer. There hasn’t been a version of Explorer for the Mac since about 2005.

We are once again inviting the public to join us this coming Friday, March 13 at 8:00 am to have coffee with Mr. Michael Andrews, Principal of Cunha Intermediate.  This is a great way to get to know our on site administrators and ask any questions about the construction, testing, curriculum….whatever is on your mind!  The coffee will be served in the Community Schools room, in the E Building.

The California Coastal Commission has postponed consideration of the county’s revisions to its Local Coastal Program until a date and location to be determined.

The may be because the Commission’s staff had recommended so many extensive changes to the county’s plan.

A kite surfer was killed in the surf off Poplar Beach at about 2pm Sunday afternoon.

According to the Coast Guard, all the victim’s equipment was found on the beach. They believe he may have gone back into the water to wash off and was caught in a riptide, but this was unconfirmed.

You are invited to a free talk and slide show by Toni Corelli, Half Moon Bay Botanist, on Friday, May 15, 2009, 7:30-9:30 p.m. at the Half Moon Bay Library.

The San Mateo County coastline is one of the most scenic and breathtakingly beautiful spots in the state. Join Half Moon Bay’s resident botanist Toni Corelli to learn about California’s remarkable native plant heritage and the best sites for wildflower viewing.

Friday, May 15, 2009, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Half Moon Bay Library, 620 Correas Street, Half Moon Bay • 650.726.2316
http://smcl.org/libraries/hmb/ • www.cnps-scv.org

Free admission • Limited seating • First come, first served

The Coastside Land Trust will hold a Francis Beach restoration event this coming Saturday, March 7, 12:30–3pm. We’ll identify native and invasive plants, discuss strategies for drought survival, and selectively remove invasive plants to help our natives thrive.

The best time to remove early spring non-native plants is before their roots are well-established and before they start to produce seeds. This Saturday, after a discussion of native and invasive plant strategies for surviving drought, we will identify non-native and native plants and selectively remove non-natives to help our natives thrive. 

Please join us; children and families always welcome. Check in at the Francis State Beach kiosk at Kelly and the Pacific Ocean, and proceed north on the maintenance road to the maintenance sheds. Our properties are on the east side of the maintenance road. Refreshments, California Poppy seeds, good humor and appreciation are provided for all ages and abilities.

Jo Chamberlain

Volunteers make a difference.  Along the San Mateo County coast, trained volunteers play a major role in protecting the Western Snowy Plover—a small shorebird that lays its eggs on the sand at a few California beaches every summer.   

The snowy plovers, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, may be found on several local beaches during the winter months.  In the spring and summer, the plovers congregate on the few beaches that can provide safe nesting sites, including Half Moon Bay State Beach—a busy recreational beach where a protected habitat is set aside for the plovers to nest.

A free, one-day training workshop for prospective Plover Watch volunteers will be offered on Saturday, March 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Half Moon Bay State Beach office located at 95 Kelly Avenue, in Half Moon Bay.  To register for the workshop or for more information, call Rangers Nelle Lyons or Michael Grant at (650) 726-8804, voice mailbox 7 #, or e-mail [email protected]. 

Eda Cook of Half Moon Bay and Scott Buschman of San Bruno were awarded co-winners of Assemblymember Jerry Hill’s "constituent legislative" contest for their proposals addressing the problem of spilled loads from trucks on highways and roads.  The idea was researched, received input from the California Highway Patrol, and submitted to the Office of Legislative Counsel where it was drafted before being introduced as Assembly Bill 1379 on February 27, 2009. 

AB 1379 does two things: 

1. Requires commercial trucks that are carrying open loads (no top / cover on the truck) to post the phone number of the company on the truck.  This will allow consumers to report any issues.

2.  Increases the base fine for spilled load violations.  Currently the base fine is around $35.  This bill would increase it to $50.  This should encourage people to make sure that their loads are secure before driving.

According to the California Highway Patrol, since 2003 there were over 7,000 collisions caused by spilled loads in California resulting in 10 fatalities. 

More than 70 constituents submitted ideas ranging from local fixes to statewide reforms. 

The contest winners will be able to testify in support of the legislation during committee hearings in Sacramento in the coming months. 

Senior Coastsiders is seeking volunteers to serve as escorts for local elders at their annual Seniors’ Night Out. Senior Coastsiders matches each volunteer escort with an elderly guest who may be frail, homebound, or have limited opportunities to socialize. Volunteers pick up the seniors at their homes and bring them to the Community/Senior Center for a delicious dinner and lively entertainment. This year’s Seniors’ Night Out will take place on Thursday, April 2nd from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The $50 cost includes dinner and entertainment for both guest and escort. Those who are unable to attend may still contribute to the event as a sponsor.

Volunteers should sign up by March 15. For more information, contact Senior Coastsiders at 726-9056.

Fax Your Letter of Support by Friday March 6

After more than 6 years of local public hearings and meetings, boxfuls of written testimony from citizens, and just plain hard work on the part of countless public officials, [pdf] the California Coastal Commission will consider on March 12 whether to approve a major amendment to the Midcoast Local Coastal Program (LCP). This comprehensive planning document will shape the future of Midcoast for the next several decades.

Your help is needed to urge the Commissioners to adopt the recommended document prepared by the Commission’s professional planning staff. A sample letter that can be faxed to the full set of Commissioners for inclusion in their meeting packets can be found at the end of this article. Anyone who cares about preserving California ’s coast for future generations can and should weigh in, not just residents of the Midcoast. Please don’t wait. Fax your letter of support to 415-904-5400 before 5 pm Friday March 6.

The Coastal Commission staff’s recommendations include the following: 

• An allowable growth rate for the Midcoast of 1 percent, consistent with Half Moon Bay’s voter-approved growth limit, [pdf] which is also recommended by staff for approval at the same March 12 meeting.

• A requirement for traffic analysis and mitigation for new development (except single family homes on existing legal lots and visitor serving uses).

• A prohibition against new private residential water wells until San Mateo County develops a groundwater management plan.

• An increase in priority water service connections for failed residential water wells from 10 houses to 50 houses.

• A prohibition against new private septic systems, unless authorized by an approved groundwater management plan.

• A requirement for a coastal development permit and LCP amendment for any new desalination plants, in order to fully protect sensitive coastal resources.

• A rezoning of the Burnham Strip in El Granada to allow public parking, trails, and public restrooms with an appropriate permit.

As stated in the executive summary of the 341-page staff report:

"The [County’s proposed] LCP amendment provides an important framework for updating portions of the LCP. However, additional changes are needed to assure consistency with Coastal Act requirements…[T]he County’s proposal does not sufficiently address the significant public services issues that have arisen since original certification of the LCP in 1981, including physical changes to the environment resulting in significant adverse effects on public health and safety, coastal resources, and coastal access. These changes include significant development over the last 20 years, new water supplies, issues and constraints, including failed private wells in the urban area; systemic sewage overflows and water quality problems; and severe congestion on the major coastal access routes that is adversely impacting public access to and along the shoreline."

A sample letter follows.