Comments by Dennis Paull
November 08, 2011
It is not necessary to ask for a write-in ballot. All ballots have a place to write-in candidate names. But it is necessary to make sure you do it right. It IS necessary that you first indicate that you want to make a write-in vote by selecting the write-in option, either by 'selecting' the write-in option on the electronic voting machine or by filling in the box to the left of the write-in candidate's name on a paper ballot. Then enter the candidate name on the line next to the selection mark. On…
November 08, 2011
It is not necessary to ask for a write-in ballot. All ballots have a place to write-in candidate names. But it is necessary to make sure you do it right. It IS necessary that you first indicate that you want to make a write-in vote by selecting the write-in option, either by 'selecting' the write-in option on the electronic voting machine or by filling in the box to the left of the write-in candidate's name on a paper ballot. Then enter the candidate name on the line next to the selection mark. On…
August 01, 2010
I am a State Parks volunteer at Francis Beach with the Snowy Plover program and regularly walk the plover habibitat area of Francis Beach. All spring, Pilarcitos Creek exited across the sand into the ocean. I have no idea how polluted it might have been but it looked pretty clean to my eye. However, once the creek exit closed up as the water level dropped, it became clear that the lagoon formed by the creek south of Venice Beach was badly polluted. Unfortunately, some children were still playing…
October 14, 2009
Here's the report from the Alsace Lorraine area of HMB: I measured 2.92" on my automated weather station on top of my roof and 3.27" on my manually read CoCoRaHS rain guage in my back yard. I probably should recalibrate my rooftop guage since it seems to be consistantly about 10% low. I had at least 2 high wind gusts of 49 mph, several hours apart. For those interested, my automated station readings, updated every minute or so, can be viewed at: www.weatherlink.com/user/dpaull I am also a weather…
September 17, 2009
Barbara, your comments hit the "sustainability" concept on the head. There are many global trends that point to our economy needing to be less global and more self contained, especially for cities as isolated from the major centers as we would be if some disaster strikes. Where would our food come from if highways 92 and 1 were closed? Where would our water come from? What about those teachers, firefighters and police? There are many of us who have been following the "peak oil" discussions and believe…
August 31, 2009
Hi all, I would like to point out the difference between a 'right' and 'good social policy'. A right is something cast in stone, like our Bill of Rights. Good social policy is a program that is in place because it makes sense and is preferred over other means toward desired ends. Most folks look at rights very differently from social policy. In that sense I agree that health care should not a right. But affordable health care sure makes good sense when considering how best to assure that our fellow…
July 29, 2009
Hi Lisa,
Let's hope that the State Parks looks at this as a budgetary problem and makes rational decisions about what and where to make the cuts.
I suggest that you contact the State Parks Foundation and to Supervisor Paul Keel whose office is in HMB at the Ranger Station.
If keeping Montara Beach open 'only costs a small amount', then not much is saved by closing it and much could be lost.
July 28, 2009
Carl, right you are on the park cuts being a cover for the lack of cuts in certain other programs. The Parks Department will need to cut its budget however it sees best and we don't have a clue yet how it will decide to do that. Those park/beach use numbers are way too precise to be real. Please note that some parks don't collect parking fees and that will surely change. They will either start charging or will lose staff support. It is interesting to think about the State Parks Foundation's role…
July 28, 2009
It appears, according to Paul Keel as reported by the San Mateo Times, that beaches and other parks may be seasonally closed rather than closed outright. I'm sure that all the parks get more use in the summer time, including the local beaches. For example, even though HMB State Beach gets almost 1M visitors annually, very few of them are on Monday through Thursday in months from October through March (surfers excepted) by my guess. And I am out on the beach almost every Sunday afternoon. It would…
July 21, 2009
Hi Barry, I'm very disappointed that you posted a ten day old article when there is breaking, up to date info available on such a critical topic. This is not a matter of taking money from parks to support social services. That would be swallowing the Gov's frame. The real situation is that a bunch of no-tax diehards, including the Gov, are making a huge monetary goof. As noted in the comments, this is true unless the Legislature is planning to privatize the parks and I don't believe this for a minute.…
July 21, 2009
Hi Chris, I believe what you saw is probably a long tailed weasel. They are native to this area and have been seen frequently at Francis Beach at the west end of Kelly Ave in HMB. We have even seen weasel moms carrying their cubs around from one gopher hole to another in the camping area. They are really cute to watch and can be quite bold. I believe that they dine primarily on the critters that run in tunnels underground, mainly gophers, moles and voles (field mice). But I wouldn’t be suprised…
June 05, 2009
Hi Erin,
What I find odd is that no one mentions potatoes. I grow potatoes in my back yard all year around and they taste great. Mostly I grow Yukon Golds but I am growing Corollas and Red Golds too.
I just harvested 5 of the potatoes I planted late last fall and I got 25 pounds, almost all of a good eating size. The most was 7.5 pounds from one plant! I have a dozen more plants that will be harvested one to two months from now.
I get seed potatoes from Ronnigers.
March 19, 2009
Hi Lisa, The ocean level changes due to storm surge as well as tides. Last year we had a surge that swept waves many feet higher than the high tide mark. These are relatively rare events that don't necessarily happen every year. The beach dunes at south Venice beach swept away last year have not returned this year and may never return because they are crested by high tides every winter now. Scientists seem to be learning that the effects of global warming are more severe than anticipated. Each year,…
March 18, 2009
The SAM plant (Sewer Authority Midcoastside) is our coastside sewer treatment plant. It is located west of Hwy 1 near the Pilarcitos Creek bridge on the Coastal Trail. It is well within the inundation zone.
If the plant has to move, where will it go?
March 17, 2009
I believe that the 1.4 meter number is the result of very recent data showing that polar ice is melting faster than earlier anticipated. Not only is Big Wave in the inundation zone along with the Pillar Ridge mobile home park but so is the SAM plant. SAM operations are of interest to ALL coastsiders. So, for example, should any new water purification plant be located at the SAM plant? Should SAM be setting aside reserves for future possible re-location? If so, where would that re-location site be?…
March 02, 2009
Hi all,
I was on this tour and here are the raptors we spotted:
Red tailed hawk, northern harrier, white tailed kite, american kestrel.
In addition, we saw a blue heron, surf scoters, black turnstone, cormorants along with numerous small sparrows, etc.
There was even a harbor seal playing in the surf.
Gary Deghi and Alvaro Jamarillo made exceptional tour guides. Thanks guys.
January 05, 2009
Hi Barry,
What is surprising is that the Coastside is so homogenious in its votong patterns. In fact the Coastside matches the County average pretty closely.
I trust that the county is not nearly as uniform as the Coastside.
April 29, 2008
I don't recall what kind of battery a Sparrow uses. But most batteries suitable for automotive use are now being recycled.
The fact that is mostly missing from the major media is that petroleum supplies worldwide are slowly decreasing and demand is still increasing. That explains why prices are going up.
So what do you plan on using for your transportation energy supply when oil is too valuable as a chemical feedstock to use as fuel?
April 29, 2008
The kids are cute and so is the car, but the Sheriff's Sparrow vehicle will only seat one adult. Unfortunately, the County hasn't found a use for this high milage car except to show it at public events.
The Sparrow also appeared at the Eco-Energy Expo at HMB High School last September. So was a Plug-Prius, a much more functional and useful vehicle.
April 10, 2008
Hi Steve, Sorry to hear of your less than enthusiastic concern for wetlands and endangered species. I do not think that that is the majority view shared by our community. The problem here is that this decision is not limited to Beachwood. Not only will other developers use this "settlement" as a basis for their HMB claims but so will developers all across the State. This is much bigger than HMB. How can any legislator or department head tollerate simply nullifying laws intended to protect the people…
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