Dear friends,

Thanks to each of you that stopped by our Saturday booth at the Farmer’s Market. We are VERY thankful for the bicycles, toiletries, school supplies, blankets, furniture, towels, and the many kind words. Special thanks to our friend, Erin Tormey, for the opportunity.

Just a reminder that 5% of all sale at New Leaf Market on 7/30 will benefit Puente. Come by and see us, especially at our cooking demonstrations from 11-2 and 4-6.

Thanks!
Kerry

Two life rings have been placed on the backs of the posts of the new warning signs at the south end of Montara State Beach.  They are hard to miss.

These are unofficial (volunteer, out of pocket) placements.

The life rings are uscg certified and are paired with 60ft nylon tethers, the general purpose of which are to enable near-shore water rescue attempts to be made without necessitating the prospective rescuer enter the water.

Human nature being as varied as it is, one cannot ignore the likelyhood that these placements may over time be vandalized, abused, or simply stolen.

Anyone inclined to replace them or obtain related equipment can do so by ordering from marine rescue products, inc.  (800) 341 9500, http://www.marine-rescue.com/ which is where these items were obtained.

No equivalent placement has been made upon the north end of the beach at the public access point.  These placements are specifically targeted at the south end because that is where the most dangerous and recurring currents are, and where most people tend to congregate upon the beach.

For residential Seacoast Disposal customers within the Granada Sanitary District, the Quarterly Special Items Recycling Drop-off is 9 am to 1 pm Saturday, July 25 on Obispo Road at Avenue Portola in El Granada (across from the El Granada Fire Station.)

Many items—such as fluorescent bulbs and electronic devices including televisions—which cannot be put into the trash or curbside recycling bins can be disposed of at these quarterly events at no charge.

For complete details, see the flyer available on the Granada Sanitary District’s web site and posted around town.

Last night, I was invited to the final rehearsal of the Coastal Repertory Theater’s production of Pete Townsend’s rock opera, Tommy, which opens a five week run at the south end of Main Street in Half Moon Bay tonight.

I was simply blown away by the incredible production - the fabulous performances by local actors, the brilliant staging, the excellent band which performed the entire musical with verve and precision.

In general, I’m not a fan of musicals.  And having grown up a dedicated fan of the music of the Who (I’m 51), my expectations were that it would simply be fun to see a local production’s effort to do what in my mind is an utter classic.  Superlatives do not come easily to me.  That being said, I can only paraphrase the lines from one of the final numbers in the show:

"Come to this House!  Everyone go home and fetch your relations!"  Kids, seniors - everyone will love it.

Don’t miss this great local show, and don’t let any of your friends miss it, either!

For the past several years, a group of amateur and professional writers have been holding monthly readings in Half Moon Bay. The first coastside group met on the fourth Thursday of each month at Moon News. With the sad passing of that coastside treasure, the group has moved to La-Di-Da Cafe. Each writer has ten minutes to share a poem, a story, or anything original that he or she has written. We would like to open the group to writers and literary aficionados as well. You need not live on the coastside to attend or read. To learn more about this ongoing monthly event, visit our website at coastwriters.org. The next event will be held at La-Di-Da Cafe on Thursday, August 27, at 7:30.

As a retired professional wildlife biologist who has visited every possible life zone in California over the last 50 years, I must say, I am continually amazed by people who turn in "sightings" of feral domestic ferrets.

Make no mistake, there has never been any documented discovery of a feral population of the domestic ferret in CA, nor any other continental state in the U.S. This was shown in a survey conducted by the California Dept of Fish and Game a number of years ago under the auspices of them Senior Biologist Ron Jurek.

Do domestic ferrets escape their owners? Certainly. But it is a huge step from escaping to surviving long enough to establish a viable feral population and one that has so far been insurmountable to the domestic ferret, which, by the way, has been inside California since at least the 1840’s.

You see, unlike the domestic cat (or dog or goat or pig), which can cooexist with others in a shared niche, the domestic ferret would first have to displace one of its cousins (Long-tailes Weasel, American Mink etal) to establish itself as an successful predator. Given the domesticity of the ferret in question and the loss of hunting skills that it has suffered over the 3000 plus years that it has been domesticated, statistically it is highly improbable that the necessary circumstances could occur to allow such a feral population to develop.

Thanks for this chance to comment,

Scott Sinclair

I’m excited to unveil the new look Montara Beach web site, I hope you like the new format. While the site will still be driven by a strong environmental awareness we will be complimenting this content with selective articles and information about Montara State Beach and Montara town including other local coastal issues and stories. Our main focus will as always remain driven by a love for the beautiful beaches, parks and countryside that are in and surround Montara and this section of the San Mateo Coast. Check out our apparel store, I have designed a few unique Montara flavored T-shirts just for fun! The site will also remain the as the online presence for the Montara Beach Coalition, where local beach clean ups will be announced.

I would also love any constructive feedback to help iron out any kinks etc, or suggestions for content. Please use the contact page on the website.

PS. Check out Coastsiders very own Barry Parr on our ‘10 Questions’ page!

www.montarabeach.com

Open Mike Night, Friday, July 31, 2009, 7:00-9:30 p.m.

The Coastside Film Society proudly presents:
IRON JAWED ANGELS

"An important history lesson told in a fresh, and blazing fashion."  Ebert and Roeper at the Movies.

From 1912 to 1920, a group of fiery young suffragettes led by Alice Paul (Hilary Swank) and Lucy Burns (Frances O’Connor) work together to pass a Constitutional amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote. Along the way, they incur the wrath of not only President Woodrow Wilson (Bob Gunton) but also many of the old guard suffragette leaders (Anjelica Huston and Lois Smith).

This is no dry period piece populated by one-dimensional figures out of a distant past. Director von Garnier has succeeded in imbuing the film with drama and humor, breathing life into the characters and relationships it depicts.  The movie received a standing ovation at its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and a Golden Globe for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography.
 
"Director von Garnier has created about as lively a rendering of the period and issues as possible. It is extremely well acted, features terrific production design, costumes and cinematography and contains a (remarkable) directorial control over theme and style." Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter.

Friday, July 24, 2009 at 8:00 pm
$6.00 suggested donation
Community United Methodist Church Sanctuary
777 Miramontes, Half Moon Bay

More info and movie trailer at: www.HMBFilm.org

My question is, what do you do when you encounter someone picking wildflowers in the protected habitat adjacent to the Jean Lauer Memorial Trail? 

Robert Norbut