Meet Menlo Park Police Commaner Dave Bertini

For those still saying goodbye to Police Captain Dave Bertini from mid-October, 2011, a look back.

From Pacifica Tribune/Elaine Larsen, 10/14/11.  "He's been an integral part of the Pacifica Police Department since he was an Explorer Scout, a Pacifica native who started in police work while still in his teens. And over the years, Dave Bertini has literally grown up in the PPD, rising up through the ranks as dispatcher, police officer, corporal, sergeant and captain with, by all accounts, a stellar track record. Today, many people see Bertini as "the face of the Pacifica Police Department," a hard-working, go-to kind of cop who devoted himself not only to the department, but also to Pacifica where he lives and is active in the community.

But this month, Bertini, 43, will be moving on to new challenges. He will be making a lateral career move as a commander with the Menlo Park Police Department, a position he will assume next week. His colleagues feted him with a goodbye party today, Wednesday.  "Dave has been a tremendous asset to the department. Most recently, as a captain, he has been a go-to guy," said Pacifica Police Chief Jim Tasa. "You could always rely on Dave to get it done, get it done on time and get it done right. He is an extremely smart and talented individual. While he needs to grow as a police administrator with more experience he has a solid foundation which he has developed over the years. Menlo Park's gain will be our loss but it will also provide new opportunities to others within the organization. Something has to be said about the organization that has brought Bertini, himself, concedes that he literally "grew up" with the Pacifica Police Department.Dave up and made him ready to take on new challenges."  Full Story....

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Pacifica Police Chief Jim Tasa - who is he?

Another look at our new police chief, appointment 7/8/11, oath of office 7/13/11.

Pacifica Tribune/Elaine Larsen, 5/19/11. "Pacifica City Manager Steve Rhodes has appointed Jim Tasa as the new Police Chief for the City of Pacifica. He will succeed Jim Saunders who retired from the position in December 2010 but has been working on an interim basis. Tasa was selected through an internal recruitment that included three candidates from the department. Tasa is a 28-plus year veteran employee of the Pacifica Police Department, who is married and has two teenage sons. Tasa comes from a family of law enforcement, which includes his brother-in-laws Mike Pedrini (retired Inspector, San Francisco Police Department), Bill Pedrini (retired Assistant Sheriff, San Mateo County Sheriff's Department), Jonathan Smith (retired Police Officer, Salinas Police Department) and nephews Chris Pedrini (Lieutenant, San Francisco Police Department) and Vincent Pedrini (Police Officer, San Francisco Police Department).

Hired in November 1982 as a police officer, Tasa subsequently held positions as a motorcycle officer and narcotics officer. In 1992 he was promoted to sergeant. As a sergeant, he worked in patrol, juvenile and administrative positions. In 2002, Tasa was promoted to captain, where he supervised the field services, administrative services and investigative services divisions on a rotating basis. Tasa holds a bachelor of arts degree in management from Saint Mary's College and is a graduate of both the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training Command. Tasa has been recognized in the past by the San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Association as "Police Officer of the Year" and has been awarded the Pacifica Police Department's Life-Saving Medal.College and Supervisory Leadership Institute. 

Initially, Tasa said he does not anticipate making many changes. Currently, he will be evaluating the current budget cuts and the impact they will have on the police department. The loss of a captain's position will force him to look at possibly reorganizing the department into two divisions versus the three current divisions. In addition, the department is considering outsourcing the communications division which will require much oversight, he said. "I am excited about the current and future challenges the department will be facing," Tasa said. "I recognize I have received much support from colleagues within the department as well as from the community. I look forward to the continued support as the department moves forward. It is the people within this organization that make it the successful and professional department it is."

"Captain Tasa is an excellent leader to get us through these times of budget challenges," added Chief Saunders. "He understands the operations of the department, the role we have in the community and the tough choices that have to be made while keeping Pacifica safe. He is well grounded, cares about his personnel and has the experience, training and dedication to make the Pacifica Police Department an even better agency as we move through these uncharted times. "I'm pleased that Jim Tasa accepted the Police Chief position and look forward to working with him," said City Manager Rhodes. "He brings years of experience and solid knowledge of the department to the position." Tasa's appointment will be effective on July 8."

Posted by Kathy Meeh

City Council Agenda, Monday, November 14, 2011

Attend in person, 2212 Beach Boulevard, 2nd floor.  Or, view on local channel 26, also live feed internet www.pct26.com.  The meeting begins at 7pm (but usually starts a few minutes late).   
   
Agenda 11/14/11, pages 1-61.

Consent Calendar (pass through)

1.     Approval of Disbursements
2.     Approval of Minutes
3.     Continuation of Local Emergency proclamation.
4.     Disposal of certain obsolete city documents and papers resolution.
5.     Cancellation of the 12/26/11 city council meeting.
6.     Mayor's letter to Congresswoman Jackie Speier supporting acquisition of Millwood Ranch by the GGNRA.
7.     Replacement of 1,500 linear feet sewer system collection pipe at Bower Road in southwest Linda Mar area, $164,092.
8.    Award lowest bid for Pacifica Dog Park fence to Bragato Paving Co., Inc., $134,258. 
8a.  Beautification Task Force, appoint John Meria. 

Public Hearing (public discussion)

9.   Ordinance amendment:  require private property owners to replace their sewer laterals when they sell or remodel their homes.

Consideration (public discussion)

10.  Current (7/2011) distribution of city council member packets 1 week in advance of meeting, discussion.
11.  Amendment to the City contract agreement with Steve A. Rhodes, General Manager. Vehicle allowance limited to mileage reimbursement at IRS rate. These reductions in benefits have been requested by General Manager Steve A. Rhodes, this is the 3rd reduction.
12.  Approve and authorize Teamsters union local 350 management unit contract agreement, 2 years:  No salary or merit increases, benefit reductions. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Time change: Sunday, 2 AM, November 6, 2011

From MSNBC, Alan Boyle and David Ropeik, 11/1/11. "If you've been falling behind on sleep, this is the weekend to fall back into bed for an extra hour — and take advantage of the transition from daylight saving time to standard time.The time change is part of a longstanding tradition, in which most Americans push their clocks ahead an hour in the spring ("spring forward") and turn them back an hour in autumn ("fall back"). The change officially takes place at 2 a.m. daylight saving time on Sunday, Nov. 6 (which instantly becomes 1 a.m. standard time).

A few years ago, lawmakers shifted the schedule slightly, setting the changeover for the first Sunday of November rather than the last Sunday of October. The goal was to extend the energy savings that are thought to result from daylight saving time. The idea behind daylight saving time — or summer time, as it's known in other parts of the world — is to use the extended daylight hours during the warmest part of the year to best advantage. Timekeepers shift some of that extra sun time from the early morning (when timekeepers need their shut-eye) to the evening (when they play softball). The shift reduces the need for lighting during the evening, and that's why daylight saving time is considered an energy-saver — that is, as long as there is morning sunlight to spare. Now that dawn is coming later and later, the daylight-saving advantage has largely dissipated.

With the clocks turned back, it will be lighter (or at least less dark) in the morning, but darkness will fall earlier in the evening. Not everybody goes along with the daylight-saving plan. Arizona and Hawaii, for example, stay on standard time all year round. Each state or country comes up with its own schedule for the switch, and that schedule may be subject to change. Around the world, Canada and the members of the European Union operate similar summer-time shifts. Most European countries made the shift to standard time last weekend, so in that sense America is just now catching up. And yes, some countries in the Southern Hemisphere move their clocks forward an hour at this time of year, in time for the coming summer there.

If you're in a fall-back time zone, you'll want to savor that extra hour of shut-eye: A major study released by the National Center for Health Statistics indicated that sleep deprivation was linked to all sorts of health problems, including smoking and obesity.  Read more about sleep science, and Fall.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Sharp Park improvement

From Pacifica Tribune/Jane Northrop 11/1/11.  City Council took the lead on a conceptual plan for the redevelopment of the city owned Beach Blvd. property a week ago Monday. The council members also unanimously agreed to fund the necessary environmental studies to prepare a draft environmental impact report.  The preliminary plan includes a boutique hotel, restaurant, retail shops, housing units and a library. Underground parking will be provided. The plan is expected to change as the project progresses. 

The plan was developed after a study session City Council held on Sept. 14 where members of the public were asked to conceptualize what they wanted to see in the Beach Blvd. redevelopment area. City staff worked with Leland Consulting Group to draft preliminary site plans, options and a timeline. "This is an expression of what we can expect," said Pacifica City Manager Steve Rhodes.  City Council authorized the expenditure of $200,000 to pay for environmental studies to see if the site can accommodate the plan and to determine what future work is needed. A soils stability study and a soils hazmat analysis will be managed by the Leland group. The plan requires zoning and general plan amendments, which will be accomplished by city planning staff. A draft environmental impact report will report the outcomes of the studies and the land use changes.
The environmental work is expected to take about a year to complete. Once that work in complete, the project will proceed through the regulatory revisions and reviews. A developer will be recruited in 2013 with ground breaking expected in 2014. The development will be built and infrastructure improved over an 18-month period for a completion date expected in 2015.   By taking the lead on a conceptual plan and the environmental studies, the city will be in a stronger bargaining position to solicit potential developers. Interest should be piqued because the project will be ready to move forward after the environmental studies are completed. 

The project is estimated to have a property value of $34.8 million and generate $498,800 in tax revenue. The 35 room hotel would generate $63,000 in property tax and $136,800 in temporary occupancy tax per year. The restaurant would generate $10,500 in property tax and $11,000 in sales tax. The 90 housing units would generate $270,000 in property tax. The shops would generate $5,000 in property tax and $2,500 in sales tax.

Under the preliminary plan, City Council would still meet on the site, but in a new building on the northeast corner of the property that will also house the new library-media center and community meeting rooms.  Members of the two library foundations and library staff members attended the last City Council meeting. Several spoke about how excited they were to see plans included for a new state-of-the art library. A recent needs assessment had determined Pacificans to be woefully underserved by the current state of the libraries. Eric Ruchames, representing the Pacifica Library Foundation said, "It's very exciting to have this land come into better public use. We know this is the first step toward getting a bigger library. Thanks." Caroline Barba, a member of Friends of the Library, said, "I'm excited about having a site for the library to be able to have all the programs we could."  Margaret Goodale said she wanted the council members to consider an educational attraction, such as the conceptual Ocean Discovery Center once hoped for by many on that site, to be included in the plans in order to bring in tourists."

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Asteroid comes close to Earth Tuesday 11/8/11 - no expected threat

From  CNN 11/3/11, includes embedded video (1 minute).  "An aircraft carrier-sized asteroid, a little over four football fields in diameter, is heading toward Earth and it will pass closer to our planet than the moon.  NASA has classified the asteroid as a “potentially hazardous object” and it will pass to within .8 lunar distances on November 8.  It is the closest approach to Earth of an object this size in over 30 years.

What would happen if an asteroid this size crashed into Earth?  It would result in a 4,000 megaton blast, magnitude 7.0 earthquake and - if it falls into the ocean - could cause a 70-foot high tsunami within 60 miles of the crash site, according to an expert at Purdue University.  However, this space rock poses no threat of an Earth collision for at least the next 100 years, according to NASA’s Near Earth Object Program.

So what’s the big deal?  Encounters of objects this large this close to our planet won't happen again until the year 2028 when an asteroid will pass near Earth to within .6 lunar distances.  NASA plans to study the asteroid with the Goldstone radar antennas in California’s Mojave Desert. Goldstone antennas are very sensitive radio telescopes used to investigate quasars, radar mapping of planets and comets.  Scientists plan to reconstruct the shape of the asteroid with a resolution as fine as 13 feet (4 meters) using the antennas. Several days of high resolution operations are also scheduled at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

It will also provide a rare opportunity for amateur astronomers to directly observe an asteroid with optical telescopes.  The asteroid will approach Earth from a sunward direction and it will be a daylight object until the time of its closest approach on November 8.  The best time to see the asteroid will be after the hours of 4 pm EST (21:00 UTC)."

Separate article from SF Gate, 11/5/11.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Weak Economy update

 
From the New York Times/Catherine Rampell, 11/4/11.  "U.S. Added 80,000 Jobs in October; Unemployment Rate Dips to 9%. The United States had another month of mediocre job growth in October, the Labor Department reported Friday. Employers added 80,000 jobs in October, slightly less than economists had been expecting. The figure for September was revised upward to 158,000, from the initially reported 103,000, in a month when the figure was helped by the return of 45,000 Verizon workers who had been on strike.The unemployment rate, from a different survey, declined slightly to 9 percent, from September’s 9.1 percent." Read More...

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Any restaurants open in Pacifica for Thanksgiving dinner?

The following just got posted on TripAdvisor. Does anyone know of a place?

For the first time in 28 years we will not have any children home for Thanksgiving, so my wife agreed to let me book a couple relaxing days in Pacifica. Now I need to find a restaurant to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thank you.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g32842-i2206-k4924632-Thanksgiving_dinner-Pacifica_California.html#36793746


Posted by Steve Sinai

Java with Jerry Hill - Mazetti's Bakery, November 5, 2011, 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Please join me for a cup of coffee and conversation. Bring your ideas, questions, and concerns about legislative issues affecting the community. 

Saturday, November 5
8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

 

Mazzetti's Bakery

101 Manor Drive
Pacifica, CA 94044

I'll provide the coffee at no taxpayer expense.

You are welcome to sit down and stay a while or just drop in for a brief chat. No appointment is necessary.

***

In honor of Veterans Day, I will be collecting donations of new blankets for homeless veterans during the Java with Jerry. I encourage you to include a small, personal note with the blanket, conveying your appreciation for that veteran's service to our nation.  All blankets will be given to our local VA hospital for distribution to homeless veterans.

***

Posted by Steve Sinai

Think your brain and genes are "special"?

“Essentially, we carry the same genes as mice".  ”What distinguishes our brain is mRNA levels".  The greatest changes occur before birth, and during midlife (50's to 70's).

From Science News/Laura Sanders, 10/28/11. "Human brains all work pretty much the same and use roughly the same genes in the same way to build and maintain the infrastructure that makes people who they are, two new studies show. And by charting the brain’s genetic activity from before birth to old age, the studies reveal that the brain continually remodels itself in predictable ways throughout life. In addition to uncovering details of how the brain grows and ages, the results may help scientists better understand what goes awry in brain disorders such as schizophrenia and autism.

.....In the studies, published in the Oct. 27 Nature, researchers focused not on DNA — virtually every cell’s raw genetic material is identical — but on when, where and for how long each gene is turned on over the course of a person’s life. To do this, the researchers measured levels of mRNA, a molecule whose appearance marks one of the first steps in executing the orders contained in a gene, in postmortem samples of donated brains that ranged in age from weeks after conception to old age.

.....These different patterns of mRNA levels distinguish the brain from a heart, for instance, and a human from a mouse, too, says Nenad Šestan of Yale University School of Medicine and coauthor of one of the studies. “Essentially, we carry the same genes as mice,” he says. “However, in us, these genes are up to something quite different.”

.....Both studies found lots of variation in gene behavior at different life stages, but one particular period stood out: The prenatal brain had massive changes in gene activity. Many genes there were pumping out big quantities of mRNA, and this production abruptly slowed after birth. “Prenatally, things are changing faster than they change at any other time,” says Carlo Colantuoni of the Lieber Institute for Brain Development at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, and coauthor on one paper. “Things are happening fast in there.” Kleinman and his colleagues turned up a curious finding: Many of the genes that slow down right after birth show a surge of activity as a person gets older. “The biggest changes that are going on occur fetally,” he says. “And then they drop off until mid-life, and then in the 50s to 70s, expression changes pick up again and become quite dramatic.”  Full article...

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Vallejo's bankruptcy ends after 3 tough years

Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Vallejo -- Vallejo is bankrupt no more.

A federal judge released the Solano County city from bankruptcy Tuesday, ending its dubious distinction of being one of the largest and first U.S. cities to go that route since the financial meltdown.

"I think we're all exhausted but exulted," said City Councilwoman Stephanie Gomes. "It's been a rough road."

Vallejo's City Council declared bankruptcy in May 2008, faced with large deficits, few reserves, costly police and fire contracts and plunging tax revenue. Declaring bankruptcy gave the city protection from creditors and allowed it to renegotiate its employee contracts.

Among other changes, city staffers now contribute more to their health insurance, new firefighters have lower pension plans, and the fire department no longer has minimum staffing requirements.

The city has also taken steps to find more revenue. It's created a one-stop permit center for developers and is asking for a 1-cent sales-tax increase and medical marijuana tax on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/11/01/BARI1LPAHN.DTL#ixzz1cYshQbjk

Submitted by Jim Alex

Scandal-plagued former Bell official sues city for his $1.5 million salary

By Shaya Tayefe Mohajer Associated Press

Posted: 11/01/2011 07:31:30 AM PDT

Updated: 11/01/2011 07:31:30 AM PDT 

LOS ANGELES -- Public outrage -- and changed locks -- forced Robert Rizzo out of a job last year, but the former city manager says he's still owed his $1.5 million salary and benefits. 

In a lawsuit against the city of Bell filed Monday, Rizzo claims he's owed his wages -- with interest -- because he hasn't been convicted of a felony and hasn't resigned his post.

According to prosecutors, Rizzo orchestrated a scheme to bilk the Los Angeles suburb out of more than $6 million by paying himself and other Bell city officials' exorbitant salaries. They face charges of fraud and misappropriation of public funds.

Rizzo has pleaded not guilty.

In the lawsuit he filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Rizzo said he hasn't been paid since a public meeting in July 2010, when the small, blue-collar community of Bell learned of his outsized salary and benefits.

Protesters were outraged by compensation of $100,000 to City Council members that met once a month, but it was Rizzo's $787,637 salary, along with numerous perks that amounted to nearly $1.5 million a year, that made him the poster-child for corruption in government for furious Bell residents.

They came out in droves to let that anger be known at city meetings.

"In response, the City Council locked Rizzo out of his office and stopped paying Rizzo his salary and benefits due to him under his employment agreement," the lawsuit said.

Read more...

Submitted by Jim Alex

Restore railroad car 1409 benefit 11/13/2011

Ocean Shore Railroad

Benefit for the Restoration of Car 1409

The only OSRR Car Still Existing!

Talk and Power Point Presentation

Guest Speaker: John Schmale, Author and OSRR Expert

John Schmale has researched the Ocean Shore Railroad for 40 years.  He has accumulated a large collection of documents and pictures of the railroad.  He is by far the most knowledgeable expert on the history of the railroad.

Moose Lodge Hwy 1, Pacifica, 776 Bradford Way

Sunday, Nov 13, 1PM

Original music:  "Car #1409" performed by composer Rob Wullenjon

Admission:    $5 (Refreshments available for purchase) 

(650) 359 5462  OR  355 5268

reservations and information

Submitted by Jim Wagner

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Pacifica Planning Commission meeting 11/7/2011

Meeting cancelled, changed to November 21st, 2011  (rev. 11/7/11)

The Planning Commission meeting is located at City Council Chambers, 2212 Beach Boulevard, 2nd floor, from 7pm, Monday November 7, 2011.  The public is welcome to attend, or view on Pacifica Community Television live feed http://www.pct26.com/ .

Thank you Pacifica!

PC Agenda 11/7/2011, 19 pages.  Public hearing:  Certify the Final Environmental Report (EIR), site development permit, use permit and sign permit for construction of a 3-story, 96 unit Assisted Living Center at 721 Oddstad Boulevard. The project includes 3 buildings and underground parking.  San Pedro Creek boarders 2-sides of the property, located behind a single-family house at 725 Oddstad Boulevard.  The site is approximately 2 acres of land, previous use was agricultural.  Current zoning is C-1 (neighborhood commercial), no change.

Reference.  Final EIR, 10/2011, on city website, broken into sections. Previous DEIR, 5/2011, 72 pages.  Project applicant:  Ken Winters (Contact), WDM Marketing Consultants, LLC , San Francisco, on behalf of the owner, Cabot Sheley.  Applicants Agent:  JC Engineering, Pacifica.

Submitted by Jim Wagner

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Eco-Halloween tips

What are you doing for Halloween?
 
Mercury news/Rebecca Jepsen, 10/28/11.  "Go green for Halloween! Skip the plastic and create a custom, one-of-a-kind costume out of materials and items you probably already have at home. Ban classic candles and opt for soy ones instead. Look for fair-trade chocolate or sweets made from fruit juice and natural colors. Or avoid the candy altogether and hand out small toys, pencils or soy crayons. Go to Treehugger.com for more Halloween tips."

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Redistribution of wealth in America - the continuing conversation

From ABC News, 10/26/11.  "The income of the richest 1 percent in the U.S. soared 275 percent from 1979 to 2007, but the bottom 20 percent grew by just 18 percent, new government data shows.  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a study this week that compared real after-tax household income between 1979 and 2007, which were both after recessions and had similar overall economic activity. While the income of the richest 1 percent nearly tripled, increases were smaller down the economic ladder. After the 1 percent, income for the next highest 20 percent grew by 65 percent, much faster than it did for the remaining 80 percent of the population but still lagging well behind the top percentile.  

The changes illustrate how the better off have captured the bulk of income gains over the past three decades. The top quintile has seen its share of income rise while the other four quintiles have suffered declines in their shares, according to John Bowler, director of country risk service with the Economist Intelligence Unit. The report states that without the growth of the top percentile, income inequality still would have increased, "but not by nearly as much." The study was prepared at the request of Sens. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. Click to Expand (Source: Congressional Budget Office)."

Submitted by Jim Alex

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Sheriff's Office - Halloween Safety Tips

As we approach Halloween, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office would like to advise coastal residents to be cognizant of traffic and safety concerns during this seasonal time.   
 
Although our coast is one of the safest places to work, live, and play, events do occur which may require the intervention of Law Enforcement.  Within the last month very few incidents of auto or home burglary have occurred on our coast, however, locking your home and vehicles still remains the most sensible ways to secure your home and possessions and we want to encourage you to not give criminals an easy opportunity.   
 
Attached is a flyer regarding Halloween Safety Tips which should help keep your Halloween trouble free.  Should you need the assistance of the Sheriff's Office while in our jurisdiction - please remember to program our Sheriff's Dispatch phone number into your cell phone for quicker response;  Sheriff's Dispatch is 650-363-4911. 
  
Sheriff’s Office - Halloween Safety Tips 
Trouble Free - “Trick or Treat” - Tips: 

PREPARATION: 
•Purchase several connectable “glow sticks” to wear as necklaces and bracelets. 
•Make sure kids wear light colors and/or put reflective tape on their clothing. 
•Keep costumes a short length to prevent trips, falls, and other bumps in the night. 
•Use make-up instead of masks if possible.  Masks are hot and uncomfortable and obstruct vision. 
•Make sure the kids wear flame retardant costumes so burning jack-o-lanterns don’t ignite them. 

•Create a map of a safe trick-or-treating route and set a time limit for your kids to return home. 
 
CHILDREN: 
•Carry a flashlight and always keep a safe distance from moving cars. 
•Cross at street corners, NOT diagonally across an intersection and NEVER between parked cars! 
•Look in ALL directions before crossing; obey all traffic signals; walk and NEVER run. 
•Wear a glow stick necklace and wear glow stick bracelets – These glow sticks have saved lives. 
•Do not take shortcuts through back yards, alleys or parks.  Only visit homes with porch lights on. 
•Don’t go inside anyone’s home; instead remain on the porch at all times. 
•Don’t accept rides from cars with strangers. 
•Don’t eat any treats until your parents have inspected them. 
•Discard any homemade or unwrapped treats. 
 
PARENTS: 
•Clear all outdoor obstructions such as ladders, hoses, and toys from your property and walkway. 
•Welcome trick-or-treaters with your porch lights and all exterior lights turned on early. 
•Make sure your “trick-or-treat” rules are clear to your children BEFORE they leave the house. 
•Try to “trick or treat” while it is still light outside. 
•Carry a flashlight and use a powerful flashlight if at all possible – it will command attention better. 
•Parents should always accompany young children while trick or treating. 
•Older kids should “trick-or-treat” with friends that are known and familiar to parents. 
•Trick or treaters should be in groups so they aren’t a tempting target for real-life goblins. 
 
MOTORISTS: 
•Halloween is one of the nation’s MOST DANGEROUS nights to drive a car.  Use extreme caution. 
•Consider driving at least five miles per hour UNDER the speed LIMIT in residential areas. 
•Accept that you will be late to your destination; Call them, excuse yourself and drive extra slow. 
 
PETS: 
•Costumes and special effects can be stressful on pets – they can misunderstand Halloween time. 
•Electrical cords from special effects make tempting chew toys, or animals may become frightened of the “monsters.”  Take pets into a garage to calm their curiosity and cool their protective instincts. 
•Halloween treats can be deadly to dogs and cats.  Shiny foil wraps attract animals and can cause intestinal distress.  Chocolate, (especially dark) contain theobromine, a stimulant for humans, but causes shaking, seizures, heart issues and death for dogs. Sugar free candy and gum with Xylitol can cause liver damage, blood pressure drop and death. One gram of Xylitol can require veterinary treatment for a 22 pound dog. Raisins & grapes also can also have a poisonous effect and have caused kidney failure in dogs. Keep these dangerous goodies away from pets! 
 
Get more information on the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office at www. SMCSHERIFF.com

Sent by Owen Yoch to Miramar, Princeton, San Gregorio, Moss Beach, Coastal Communities, El Granada, Pacifica, Pescadaro, Half Moon Bay, Montara (E-mail accounts, Wireless devices) through SMC Alert

Home Energy Audit Workshop

When: Wednesday November 2, 7:00PM
Where: Pacifica Community Center Card Room; 540 Crespi Drive, Pacifica, CA 94044

To discuss: Available Home Energy Audit Incentives
Join the Pacific Gas and Electric Company for a workshop to learn how a home energy upgrade can help to:

Lower utility bills
Protect the environment by saving energy
Improve home comfort

For more information please contact: Deb Kramer, Dkramer@ecoact.org or by calling 1-831-515-1EUC

Posted by Steve Sinai

Dive in home values hits San Mateo County governments

By: Niko Kyriakou | 10/26/11 7:00 PM
Examiner Staff Writer

 

As property values decline in San Mateo County, governments are feeling the pain.

According to county data released this month, Peninsula property values declined a whopping $4 billion in the 2009-10 tax year, which worked out to $40 million less in property tax revenue for governments.

“Coming at a time when San Mateo County itself is running a $50 million deficit, it’s just another hit,” said Rebecca Irwin, legislative aide for county Supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson, whose website links to the report.

And between 2010 and 2012, governments will lose another $30 million, the report predicts.

In 2010, the county reassessed property values, taking a huge bite out of tax revenues that year, said Terry Flinn, special assistant to the county assessor.

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/peninsula/2011/10/dive-home-values-hits-san-mateo-county-governments#ixzz1bzyIxOcV

Posted by Steve Sinai

Mammoth bones found in Pacifica

By Julia Scott

julia.scott@bayareanewsgroup.com

Posted: 10/24/2011 03:51:14 PM PDT

Updated: 10/24/2011 05:13:12 PM PDT

PACIFICA -- Ian Butler was picking up trash in a cliffside gorge when he saw it: yellow and calcified, not rock or shell, but marrow.

Ian "The Dinosaur Hunter" Butler

"The first thought that came to my mind was 'mammoth,' for some reason," said Butler.

He wasn't hallucinating -- he was right. Butler had stumbled on a tusk segment belonging to a mammoth, the kind that roamed the earth during the Late Pleistocene period, which ended about 11,000 years ago.

Then he found other pieces of bone. Bits of leg; a single mammoth tooth, larger than his own skull. Enough to fill four shoeboxes.

Last Friday he took the bones to Jean DeMouthe, Invertebrate Geology Collections Manager at the California Academy of Sciences. DeMouthe confirmed that the bones, which have extensive water damage, probably belonged to a Columbian mammoth -- a species of mammoth that ranged across the Bay Area until it went extinct at the end of the last ice age.

Back then, the shoreline extended as far as where the Farallon Islands are today.

"It was probably either grassland or a boggy nearshore area," said DeMouthe. "Sea level was a lot lower. This animal was not at the edge of the ocean. The sea shore is way out."

Butler's discovery may be the first mammoth remains ever found in San Mateo County. In 2005, a San Jose man found a well-preserved mammoth skeleton in a drainage ditch near the Guadalupe River. The mammoth, nicknamed Lupe, is now preserved at the University of California, Berkeley Museum of Paleontology.


Read more...

Submitted by Ian Butler

New Members and Volunteers Needed for the Save Sharp Park Campaign

WANTED: NEW MEMBERS Those who wish to eliminate Sharp Park have deep pockets and powerful friends.  We must build our membership and show City Hall that we have a strong, diverse membership.  We need your help recruiting new SFPGA members: friends, family, co-workers and golf buddies.  You can help us create a strong organization that can protect and advocate for affordable golf into the future.  Can you please take a few minutes and personally sign-up anyone you know who cares about public golf in the City?  Please visit this link and sign-up new members here: http://sfpublicgolf.com/member-signup.  Thank you for doing your part to save Sharp Park Golf Course. WANTED: SOLDIERS We're still looking for volunteers to help us gather letters and signatures from players at golf courses around San Francisco.  The Board of Supervisors may vote on Sup. John Avalos' plan to wipe out Sharp Park within the next few weeks, and we must demonstrate broad-based local support for public golf in the City.  If you can spare an hour or two, please contact our volunteer coordinator Andrew Brown anytime at 415-519-5318 or thesfpga@gmail.com. BAY AREA GOLF CLUB JOINS THE FIGHT!  The San Francisco-based Bay Area Golf Club, a mostly African-American club which was one of the six founding clubs of the Western States Golf Association - one of the oldest African American golfing organizations in America - has joined our fight and written a powerful letter to our elected leaders in support of Sharp Park. Bay Area Golf Club hosted the inaugural Western States championship tournament at Sharp Park in 1955.  They join other several other ethnic clubs -- Mabuhay Golf Club (Filipino-American), the Golden Hill Golf Club (Chinese-American) and the Mexican American Golf Association -- in supporting Sharp Park.  The President of the Bay Area Golf Club, Nathaniel Jackson, had these eloquent things to say: "Sharp Park is part of San Francisco's egalitarian tradition of providing great classical architecture for its public places . . . If San Francisco were to destroy this golf course, the city would be telling our members and those other minority and working-class golfers that the city does not respect or care about them . . . We thank you for your efforts to preserve the historic Alister MacKenzie golf course at Sharp Park. And we urge you to resist those who would destroy it." THANKS TO PACIFICA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR ITS SAVE SHARP PARK TOURNAMENT. Thanks to the Pacific Chamber of Commerce and all who played in the Chamber's Save Sharp Park tournament on Monday, October 17.  Your support for Sharp Park is greatly appreciated.  Let's do it again soon. Donations are greatly appreciated. To donate, please visit our website: Donations Page

Submittted by Richard Harris

Pacifica Sewer

Lionel Emde: Pacifica Sewer System Overhaul Estimate: $50 Million

Submitted by Jim Alex

Every city can except for Pacifica

Major changes may be coming to El Camino Real

FORECAST: Plan would triple transit use on roadway by 2035, officials say

By Gary Richards grichards@mercurynews.com

Posted: 10/22/2011 10:04:50 PM PDT

Updated: 10/23/2011 09:45:39 AM PDT

El Camino Real could undergo a major transformation over the next five years -- one that would impact everyone from motorists to bus riders to bicyclists to pedestrians from San Jose to Palo Alto.

The Valley Transportation Authority wants to run express buses along the well-traveled link between the South Bay and Peninsula, as well as on The Alameda, Stevens Creek Boulevard, Alum Rock Avenue and Santa Clara Street.

The proposed changes on El Camino will draw the most debate -- especially the VTA's plan to remove two lanes of traffic and turn them into bus-only lanes running down the middle of the road for 10 miles -- from Lafayette Street in Santa Clara to Showers Drive in Mountain View.

It's all part of what's being called the Grand Boulevard Initiative for El Camino from San Jose to San Francisco. While it's now mostly a vision in San Mateo County, Santa Clara County officials are getting ready to turn the idea of a more transit- and pedestrian-friendly roadway into reality.

"I don't think I have ever run across anybody who says El Camino is great the way it is," said VTA transit planner Kevin Connolly, who led a two-bus caravan Saturday along El Camino to explain the proposed changes to elected officials, city planners and the public. "No one ever says that."

The express buses would be sleek and look more like light-rail trains, with ticket areas in the median and signals that turn green as a bus approaches an intersection.  They could run every five minutes during commute times, with fewer stops than regular service.

A 3-inch curb would separate the bus lanes from cars, enough to alert motorists who may wander into the transit-only lanes. The curbs would be low enough to allow emergency vehicles access.

The issue is this: Will people be happy with fewer lanes for motorists and more lanes for buses and bicycles, along with more pedestrian crossings, on the VTA's most heavily traveled bus route?


Read more...

Submitted by Jim Alex
 

Rural coastal town trash problems - Pescadero

Lack of San Mateo County financial subsidy could close Republic Services trash dumping, recycling transfer station.  Doing that would also leave rural Pescadero without a trash collection vendor.  Not knowing much about the business or the liability, Pescadero's town advisory committee is considering a cost saving "do-it-yourself" approach. Good luck! 

Mercury News, Julia Scott, 10/22/11.  "There was a time when rural residents of Pescadero, lacking anywhere to dump their garbage, would just dig a hole and toss it in. Those days could return, locals fear, if the county decides to close the town's transfer station -- the only place for thousands of South Coast residents to bring their trash, recycling and household junk. Operated by Republic Services, the transfer station runs a $15,000 monthly deficit despite a generous monthly subsidy from the county. Its prices are artificially low -- it costs just $3 to dump a mattress, for instance.

Now that subsidy is going away because the county is canceling its Solid Waste Fund. As of August 2012, locals will face astronomical rate hikes unless someone can find a way to make up the difference. If not, people living outside Pescadero's downtown corridor may take to dumping their trash deep in the woods or in ravines. Motorists can see it now, if they know where to look -- tires, a toilet, bags of broken tiles and soiled diapers.

"We don't want to get into the trash business, but we don't want to lose the transfer station, and we don't want to see garbage along the streets," said Greg Bonaparte, chairman of the Pescadero Municipal Advisory Committee, a local citizens group. Faced with the deadline, the committee is scrambling to hammer out a business plan to take over the transfer station, possibly as a nonprofit that would have less overhead and would be directly controlled by locals, instead of by Republic Services. The nonprofit would subcontract hauling and disposal, and try to make a little money by having employees sort recycling on-site and sell the materials, as opposed to shipping them off in a jumble as they do now. Even so, Bonaparte estimates the transfer station would probably run a deficit of $4,000 to $5,000 a month.

County officials have tentatively agreed to cover expenses for the first 36 months while the nonprofit works to develop other sources of revenue and reduce expenses. "Somebody needs to come in who really knows what they're doing, who has some passion and interest in the whole thing, so it can be turned around," said Catherine Peery, an advisory committee member who lives on the outskirts of Pescadero.  

Roughly 600 Pescadero residents and businesses along the town's three main streets get weekly trash pickup from Republic Services, while local farmers and plant nurseries contract with hauling companies for the green waste they don't compost on-site. Everyone else is on their own. By some estimates, more than 1,000 other South Coast residents -- from the wilds south of Half Moon Bay down the coast to Davenport, from La Honda up to Skyline Boulevard -- all use the transfer station somewhat regularly.   

At present, the county pays Republic Services $14,500 per month to operate the transfer station. The company also charges the county for per-pound dump fees it incurs when it hauls trash to the Ox Mountain landfill in Half Moon Bay -- on average, another $5,000 a month. Those dump fees are offset by use fees charged to people who use the transfer station, which amount to $7,000 in a good month.  Republic Services would be amenable to canceling its franchise agreement with the county, according to Bonaparte. It expires in 2015. Not everyone is convinced of the merits of the committee's proposal, however. "Once you get volunteers and let people wander around this equipment, it gets really dangerous," said Dante Silvesti, a local farmer. Silvestri's family used to own a landfill behind the transfer station, but it closed in the 1980s and is now being capped with a liner at county expense."

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Body of woman pulled from surf identified

Click here: Body of Woman Pulled From Surf Identified - Pacifica, CA Patch

Submitted by Jim Alex