I just discovered that Warren Slocum, San Mateo County’s Chief Elections Officer, has a blog. It’s mostly about elections and politics in Calfornia.  It’s a little weird because he’s reprinting full articles from newspapers without comment and without permission. But it’s an interesting glimpse into the mind of an influential public official.

Santa Cruz county is considering a couple of new landfill sites that would require garbage to be trucked through sensitive areas of San Mateo county’s coastside.

According to San Mateo county supervisor Rich Gordon, quoted in the SM County Times, both sites would require transportation of garbage through Año Nuevo State Reserve and Cascade Ranch State Park. Roads in landslide-prone areas would have to be widened and improved.

If you haven’t posted a classified ad on Coastsider yet, here’s a reason to try it.  I’ve added a list of the most recent classifieds to the top of the right-hand column. As new ads are created, they appear at the top of the list. Your ad will be seen by everyone who uses the site while it’s on the list.

In July, the Coastside Film Society’s local premiere of Greendale sold out. Half the audience was turned away. But Greendale is returning on Friday, September 10.

Greendale is a film shot on the coast by Neil Young, using locals as the cast and crew. According to the Film Society:

Everybody who came to see the film at least one of the locations used in the film, if only because the Methodist Sanctuary in which the Film Society screenings are held was used as a backdrop in the film. How often do you get the chance to see a movie that features the place you are sitting in at the time? In the QA period after the July screening, Young confirmed his love for area and confirmed that in his mind at least "Greendale is Half Moon Bay".

They’re not saying how many members of the cast and crew will attend, but assure us that some of them will be there to talk to the audience. For more information, see our earlier story on Greendale.

Build Day for the Moss Beach Park Renovation Project is a month away! It starts on September 29 and continues through October 3.  For those who don’t know about the effort to build the new park in Moss Beach, you can find out more at the project’s web site at www.mossbeachpark.com.

Click "Read more" for other ways to help build the park.

The bill to transfer the land for original Devil’s Slide bypass from Caltrans to California State Parks is now on the governor’s desk. The Coastal Commission is withholding its approval of the tunnel until the promised transfer is complete. There was some opposition in the Assembly from Republicans who felt the land, which is surrounded by park land, should be sold.

Aloha in the Redwoods, featuring the music and food of Hawaii, comes to La Honda Sunday, August 29. All proceeds benefit the La Honda Educational Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to raising funds for teacher salaries, classroom aides, educational enrichment, and the music program at La Honda Elementary School.

The event features slack key guitar and ukelele masters in concert including "Ki Ho ‘Alu" Slack Key Guitar Master Dennis Kamakahi and hula dancers beneath the redwoods. Kalua pig plate lunch will be sold by Ono Hawaiian Grill.

Aloha in the Redwoods will be Sunday August 29, 2004 3:00 ~ 6:00 PM, La Honda Gardens, 8865 La Honda Road (Hwy 84), La Honda [map].

Sponsorships are still available at the Web site, or by emailing [email protected] or calling 650-747-9633.

Now you can read the three-page letter from the Fish and Wildlife Service to the Coastal Commission [PDF]  for yourself. I’ve uploaded it to Coastsider.

A fire destroyed a home on Bear Gulch Road in San Gregorio as well as 2 acres of brush. The San Mateo County Times has a good account of the blaze and quotes from the fire fighter who lived in the house.

More than 30 fire fighters from the La Honda Volunteer, CDF/San Mateo County, Half Moon Bay, and Woodside Fire departments responded, but more than half of the home was involved when the first units arrived.

Firefighters were challenged by ammunition, propane and welding tanks exploding. There was no on-scene water available for the firefighting effort. Initial efforts to suppress the fire proved to be futile when the nearly 5000 gallons of water brought by the fire engines ran out. A water shuttle was set up using 3000 gallon water tenders between the fire and La Honda, about 12 minutes away.

The cause of the fire is under investigation

Click on the pictures at right to load larger versions in new window.

California Coastal Cleanup Day celebrates 20 years on Saturday, September 18.

The Coastal Commission’s web site has a list of beaches in San Mateo county where you can help clean up. I’m going to be at Montara State Beach, where the cleanup is sponsored by Montara Beach Coalition.

Each year, more than 40,000 volunteers turn out to over 400 cleanup sites statewide. Since the program started in 1985, over 552,000 Californians have removed almost 8.5 million pounds of debris from our state’s shorelines and coast.

Be sure to wear sunscreen, shoes, hat, and gloves. When you check in at the cleanup location, you will be given trash bags, pencils, and a special data card to tally the items you collect.

Data collection is important. Your data goes into the Ocean Conservancy’s international database, which is used to identify the sources of debris and to help devise solutions to the marine debris problem. Be sure to return trash, recyclables and your data card to the beach or site captain after the cleanup.