Annual police report 2012

Pacifica Police Department 2012 Annual Report, 18 pages.    Page 3, "Message from Chief Jim Tasa."

"This has been a challenging year for the Pacifica Police Department filled with emotional highs and lows. During the year, personnel have been faced with ,the on-going talks of the department being utsourced to another agency. This has left the employees with the feeling of instability and insecurity. As a result, the department has seen employees leave and go to other agencies.

While the outsourcing of the department has resulted in some emotional lows, we recorgnize that our personnel are our greatest asset. The continued dedication and loyalty of our employees allows us to provide a service to the community that is unmatched. Collectively, the employees of the department have over 400 years of historical knowledge, experience and service to the City.

During the past year, we have continued to be faced with challenging economic times. Our staffing levels have been reduced, yet we continue to provide the high level of service our citizens have come to expect. We have expanded our volunteer group within the department, which includes a number of highly talented individuals that allow us to perform some tasks and services we might not otherwise be able to offer.

The department did see an overall increase in crime during the year, however this was not isolated to the City of Pacifica as there was an increase nationally in both violent crimes and property crimes. While the department did see an overall increase in crimes, this year the city was recognized as being one of the top 100 safest cities in America.

Grant funding continues to be a priority for the department as it allows us to provide programs to the community that we might otherwise not be able to fund and allows us to purchase equipment we might otherwise not be able to purchase. Funding this year has allowed us to continue many alcohol and traffic enforcementprograms as well as the purchase of a command trailer.

I hope you find this annual report to be informative as you gain a glimpse of your police department. Thank you for your continued trust and support in our agency and for allowing me to serve as your Police Chief."

Submitted by Bob Hutchinson 

Note:  photograph from  City of Pacifica Police Divisions.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

What happened to Recology pickup?

Thursday morning is when my garbage gets picked up, but I noticed that there was no neighborhood service on Thanksgiving Thursday.

Recology/Coastside always picked up on holidays before. Did something change?

Posted by Steve Sinai

Taking the best path to a stable and healthy city

Pacifica Tribune, Letters to the Editor, 11/26/13.  "A financially stable city direction is needed" by Bob Hutchinson."

Negotiate city employee wages,
and develop city revenue

"Editor:  Now that Measure V has failed by a staggering 2-1 landslide, City officials need to be shown what new direction to go in order to make Pacifica financially stable and healthy. The path they were on of raising taxes was a dead end. If measure V had passed it would have quickly been eaten up by any wage and benefit increases the unions expected from donating so heavily to the campaign. Our 8 million dollar reserve has dwindled to 1.5 million due to unsustainable City staff compensation.

It is time for citizens to come before labor unions. There is no reason to cut services, lay off employees or de-fund non-profits. I know politicians are afraid of the "C" word, but the City needs to get serious in negotiating concessions from Unions. Over 80 managers and department heads are still making from $100,000 to $200,000. We have not really cut actual wages. Pacifica ranks 120 out of 480 California Cities for highest average wages. Look for yourself http://publicpay.ca.gov/Reports/Cities/Cities.aspx The amount spent on wages has gone up by over $330,000 in the past few years. While many Cities like Millbrae have made real cuts, they cut 10% in wages in the past 2 years.

We need to create revenue too, attract more business, increase residential units, allow more development, but that will take years to pay off. I respect and appreciate all our city employees and I am pro Union in general. But we just can't afford to maintain this level of expenditures. We can't continue to try and keep up with the Joneses. And the landslide vote against Measure V says voters have had enough.

Making small wage decreases now will help maintain all jobs and services. The city must make negotiating reductions and freezes a priority. But they are still afraid to even utter the words. Why do they still not even mention this as an option? Do they get it now? 

I would also like to see the Tribune cover labor negotiations more closely. Tell us what's coming up, who's in negotiations and what they are asking for. Talk to the unions and the city. I see it reported in other cities newspapers, so I assume we can do it here too.

Write or call the Tribune and your Councilpersons and our new City Manager and let them know how you feel.   ltinfow@ci.pacifica.ca.us, O'Neillm@ci.pacifica.ca.us,  LenStonePacifica@gmail.com,   nihartm@ci.pacifica.ca.us,  ErvinK@ci.pacifica.ca.us,  digres@ci.pacifica.ca.us,  elarsen@bayareanewsgroup.com."

With permission by Bob Hutchinson to post the entire text.  

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Note:  graphic from Miss Math Dork.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Frivolous lawsuit: Loeb, Peter vs. City of Pacifica

Pacifica Tribune, Letters to the Editor, 11/26/13,  "Thanks a lot" by Jim Wagner

- $53,668.80 gift to Pacifica,
not even the value of a Pet Rock

"Editor:  Re: Loeb, Peter vs. City of Pacifica 
Invoice August 6, 2013 $11,379.16
Invoice September 17, 2013 $13,328.15
Invoice October 14, 2013 $6,278.01
Invoice November 15, 2013 $22,683.48
Total: $53,668.80

That's how much the city of Pacifica paid their attorney in legal fees to argue the lawsuit brought by Peter Loeb and Hal Bohner to stop the Highway 1 safety improvements. This is the one the judge dismissed because there was nothing the city did that could be sued over.

Thanks a lot guys."

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Note photograph: from Pet a rock homestead.com. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Happy Thanksgiving - the history and tradition of being thankful and sharing

First Thanksgiving feast of 1621, colonists and Wampanoago Indians

"In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies."  See  History.com/Thanksgiving.

"For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November." 

Now, the feast, at that time was not meant to include the indigenous Indians living in that area. In fact, Chief Massasoit and his 90 Wampanoag braves tuned up at the feast uninvited with the sole purpose of investigating what all the shooting had been about (remember all the fowls they’d hunted). Although the reason why they arrived unannounced is speculation on part of Dr. O’Connel, it seems reasonable enough to be accepted at face value.

The pilgrims displayed excellent manners and invited the Indians to join the feast, and as a gestural token, the Indians contributed five deer to the feast. So, historians are quite sure that the first Thanksgiving feast included venison, fowl meat, squash, onions, pumpkins, beans, and Jerusalem artichokes. There were no pies or sweet potatoes, and there was certainly no cranberry sauce, since the colonists barely had any sugar supply to make a substantial amount for the feast."  Urban Review/Observer blog, 1/19/13.  Note:  the painting is from the Urban Review website.  (Who is the Urban Review? Research Gate/The Urban Review, may be the same).   

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Thanksgivukkah - a very special day, could have an almost traditional Thanksgiving Day menu

The Daily Journal/Associated Press, Jim Romanoff, 11/27/13.  "Thanksgiving and Hanukkah - together at the table."

Holiday coming back to you in 70,000 years

Hanukkah begins at sundown, 11/27/13

"It’s a meeting of holidays so rare it will be tens of thousands of years before it happens again. Thanksgiving and the first day of Hanukkah — the Jewish Festival of Lights — fall on the same day this year, creating what many celebrants have dubbed “Thanksgivukkah.” And it’s opened up a whole new world of culinary opportunities.

....   So on Thanksgiving itself, Frankel plans on bringing a little Hanukkah spirit to her traditional Thanksgiving dinner by, for one thing, serving sweet potato latkes with a cranberry-apple sauce alongside the turkey."  Read article.

Related articles -  Jewish Palm Beach.  "This year, Jews don’t have to worry about the “December dilemma,” when Hanukkah and Christmas collide on the calendar. Instead, we get a specialand rare treat.  For the first time in recorded history Thanksgiving Day will also be the first day of Hanukkah. And it won’t happen again for another 70,000 years! So bust out the pumpkin pie and the latkes: This year, we’re celebrating Thanksgivukkah! On Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, at the same time that Americans gorge themselves on turkey and weirdly textured cranberry desserts, expressing their gratitude and indulging in the joy of family, American Jews will be eating latkes, spinning dreidels and lighting the menorah (or should we say menurkey?). So, put a pilgrim hat atop your kippah, douse your latkes with gravy and stuff your cornucopia full of gelt, because we’ve got a once-in-a-lifetime holiday to celebrate!"   International Business Times/Zoe Mintz, 11/16/13, "Hanukkah 2013:  When Does the Jewish holiday start and 5 facts to know."

    Dreidel "G" gives you
"20 points plus everything in the middle".

Reference - Chabad organization FAQ.  "How is it spelled, Chanukah or Hanukkah? In the Hebrew, Chanukah is pronounced with the letter chet. The chet’s “ch” sound is not enunciated like the “ch” in child; rather it’s a guttural, throaty sound—like the “ch” in Johann Bach—which does not have an English equivalent. The letter “H” is the closest, but it’s not really it. So while some people spell and pronounce it “Chanukah” and others settle for “Hanukkah,” they really are one and the same. What does the word Chanukah mean?   Chanukah means “dedication” or “induction.”  ....  The word Chanukah can also be divided into two: Chanu—they rested, and Kah—which has the nume rical value of 25. On the twenty-fifth day of the Hebrew month of Kislev the Maccabees rested from their battle, and triumphantly marched into the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, ready to rededicate it."  Billy Bear 4 kids, "The Dreidel Game." points of the game explained.

Related Chanukah celebration announcement -  Pacifica Tribune, 11/26/13,  "Menorah lighting at Serramonte Shopping Center Chabad of North San Mateo County invites you to a grand menorah lighting and chanukah celebration at the Serramonte Shopping Center (near the food court) Tuesday, December 3, from 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. There will be a magic show, music, a juggling show, kids' crafts, balloons, contests and donuts. Free.For more info call 650-273-6273 or email info@jewishdalycity.com."

Note graphics:  turkey with candles from the Jewish Palm Beach article; turkey and menorah from Jewish Boston; dradles picture from the International Business times article.   

Posted by Kath Meeh

Vegetarian, one Thanksgiving variation among many

Think of the turkey as Santa,
you wouldn't eat Santa

Eat apples, celebrate turkeys

New York Times/Well recipes. "Vegetarian Thanksgiving 2013. "Every fall, Well goes vegetarian for Thanksgiving, taking the meaty bird off the table to make room for a spectacular array of vegetarian soups, sides, main courses, salads and desserts. So get ready to save a turkey and savor the flavors of the fall harvest." 

Related article -  San Francisco Examiner/Sara Gaiser, 11/28/11.  "Not everyone is looking forward to a traditional Thanksgiving with all the trimmings.  Maybe you’re doing Thanksgiving on your own this year, or you’re bored with the family tradition of overeating and watching football. 

Maybe you’re not a fan of turkey or you think Thanksgiving is politically problematic. Maybe you want to make a difference in the world, or maybe you just can’t sit still that long.  Whatever your reason, here are some ideas for ways to make Thanksgiving truly memorable. Get out of the house and try something different this year and you might truly thankful."  

Note photographs - Santa and turkey from San Francisco Examiner/Sara Gaiser, 11/28/11, turkey hand puppets from Gronicktales. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Thanksgiving is only a name

US Today/Scott Stump, contributor, 11/27/13. "Meet the woman name for the holiday:  Dr. Happy Thanksgiving."

Dr. Happy Thanksgiving, with Mom and Dad

.. that Happy Thanksgiving is not your name

"On Thursday, the family of a Minnesota woman will be wishing a happy birthday to Happy Thanksgiving. That's Dr. Happy Thanksgiving Reynolds of Minneapolis, to be precise, who will be celebrating her 43rd birthday on Thanksgiving, the holiday that inspired her colorful name.

....  Her parents, Thora and Kelly Reynolds, were part of the counterculture in the 1960s and chose her unorthodox name when she was born on Thanksgiving. She noted that she narrowly missed out on being named Snow because it also snowed on the day of her birth. “Yes, we were hippies,’’ Reynolds told TODAY.com. “We made our own tofu, our own goat cheese, our own sauerkraut. My parents founded a co-op. They were into it.”  Reynolds got used to people’s reactions to her name while attending 13 different schools during a childhood spent in Minnesota and California. " The article includes an embedded NBC video, 30 seconds about the same length as the ad.

Note photographs:  "Give thanks" from  Havertown smile dentistry blog,  Dr. Happy Thanksgiving family from  Mail Online/UK/Associated Press/Ryan Gorman, 11/25/13. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh