4th of July weekend, 2011

xxx

 

Posted by Kathy Meeh

A coastside business functioning in the grey area of eco-tourism

Compare to Pacifica.  How is eco-tourism is not going to save our economy?  Conventionally understood development is need, 10 years past due. 

 

From Mercury News/Julia Scott, 6/29/11.  "A Half Moon Bay pumpkin farm may continue to offer controversial "agritainment," such as train rides, a hay maze, a petting zoo and a bounce house, under an agricultural permit, county planning commissioners decided Wednesday. 

The San Mateo County Planning Commission voted 3-1 to award the Arata Pumpkin Farm a short-term agricultural permit and coastal development permit, even though only a very small portion of the 6-acre farm is actually devoted to growing pumpkins and other active agriculture. In fact, many of the pumpkins it sells to the public each October are purchased from other local farms. 

The hearing exposed a rift over the new face of farming in San Mateo County and in many other counties across the state, which have sought to boost profits by adding tourist entertainment in the name of farm education. The commissioners acknowledged stretching the meaning of "agriculture" to justify their decision.  "We're obviously breaking new ground with this -- it seems we're all, as a county, struggling with this, fudging at the borders where we allow agritainment, which we all know isn't farming," said Planning Commissioner Chris Ranken."  Read More.....

Reference - The Pumpkin Farm map.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Highway solutions, wisdom from Tanzania

Gaining progress on building a Serengeti highway through Tanzania (Africa), is not quite the same thing as fixing the 1.3 mile road bottle neck on highway 1 in Pacifica, CA (USA) , or is it?  The balance is between the transportation needs of people and protecting the environment. Tanzania will move forward with a 75 mile gravel road compromise in the Serengeti Park area. Will Pacifica accept a solution to fix its 1 mile asphalt highway bottleneck at Calera Creek Parkway?    

Yahoo News 6/30/11.  "Tanzania still plans to build a highway through the iconic Serengeti park, a minister said Thursday, contradicting an announcement by UNESCO that the project had been abandoned.  'The government will continue with the project, but leave out 120 kilometres (in the park) as gravel. Gravel road will not have a big impact on wildlife,' Tourism and Natural Resources Minister Ezekiel Maige told reporters. Maige explained that sections of the highway running through the celebrated park will be not be tarmacked. He cited a 12-kilometre stretch between Mugumu and Tabora 'B', and two 57-kilometre stretches from Tabora 'B' through Klens Gate to Loliondo.

On Saturday, a UNESCO official told AFP that  'the World Heritage Committee has received assurance on the part of the Tanzanian government that the highway project is abandoned.' Environmentalists have campaigned against the highway project arguing that it will endanger millions of wildebeests and zebra that annually cross from Serengeti into the Masai Mara in Kenya, forming a migration spectacle that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists.

Tanzania's government has argued the country should start caring for its people as much as for its wildlife. The route is intended to link Musoma, on the banks of Lake Victoria, to Arusha. 'We understand that there is a lot of resistance from environmentalists, but we have to balance between people's development, especially efficient transportation and conservation issues,' Maige said."

Reference - definitions.
Tarmac. A road surface, usually thought of as concrete and asphalt, Free Dictionary, and Oxford Dictionaries.

Environment. Conditions by which one is surrounded (physical, chemical, biotic factors),  Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Pacifica environment. Mostly recognized as NIMBY, Your Dictionary.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Internet collecting sales tax in California as of July 1, 2011

From the San Francisco Chronicle, 7/1/11. "Beginning today, Amazon.com is supposed to start collecting sales tax on goods it sells in California. So are Overstock.com and other out-of-state online retailers and catalog houses doing business here. Ready or not, like it or not, it's now the law.  First payments will be due by the end of October, 30 days after the close of the third quarter, according to the State Board of Equalization, the state agency in charge of implementing the "e-fairness" law.

Amazon and Overstock, which announced they have cut off their California affiliates, are by no means alone. Approximately 2,000 letters and questionnaires are to be sent to individual out-of-state online retailers nationwide, to ascertain whether they fit the criteria outlined in the law."  

The process will take some time, board officials said - they've been given a meager $1,000 out of the general fund to get the law up and running - but suggest companies start collecting now to meet their October bill.
"Any retailer that falls under the new criteria should begin collecting the (sales) tax as of July 1," spokeswoman Anita Gore said.  According to the law, an out-of-state online retailer with any kind of "nexus" in the state - a physical or corporate presence, not just a brick-and-mortar retail outlet - is liable. With one exception: retailers who have sold no more than $500,000 worth of goods in California in the previous 12 months. (Full text of the law, ABX1 28, at sfg.ly/kkSCkM.)" Read more...

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Builder jailed for bad business practices

June 30, 2011, 02:55 AM Daily Journal Staff Report

The builder and former Green Building Exchange CEO accused of bilking two Pacifica homeowners of thousands of dollars through incomplete home projects was sentenced to 18 months in jail and ordered to pay more than $400,000 in restitution. A prosecutor argued that Michael George Schaeffer, 52, deserved two years and eight months in prison but Judge Jack Grandsaert opted for a lesser jail term followed by three years of supervised probation. He must also pay one homeowner $269,231.33 and the other $132,813.00. Schaeffer, who had been out on a $50,000 bail bond, was immediately taken into custody. A jury convicted Schaeffer April 15 of two felony counts of diverting funds and misdemeanor counts of contracting without a license and accepting a down payment greater than $1,000. Prior to jury deliberations, the judge granted the defense request to dismiss two counts of felony grand theft. Prosecutors say Schaeffer collected thousands of dollars for the two remodels but abandoned the projects before completion. One house was gutted to the point of being uninhabitable and another renovated without permits, according to the District Attorney’s Office. Schaeffer made a splash in local sustainable building circles with his own contracting work and as CEO of the Green Building Exchange in Redwood City. A year after opening, the exchange filed for bankruptcy, claiming nearly $1 million in debt, and moved out of Redwood City. Schaeffer is also facing a similar court trial in Santa Clara County. Submitted by Jim Alex

Call Wisconsin Voters

When Scott Walker launched his attack on working families in February, something incredible happened -- people from all over Wisconsin descended on Madison to stand up for their communities. Inspired by their energy, I watched what was happening in Wisconsin and wished I could be there. Did you feel the same way?
Now with several recall elections later this summer, we have the opportunity to show Walker and the Wisconsin Republicans what happens when they attack working families -- we fight back and win.
Democracy for America and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee are launching our Call Out the Vote program this Thursday so that progressives all over the country can talk to Wisconsin voters about the importance of these elections. Will you join me in making calls from your home for two hours this Thursday?
Yes, I can call this Thursday!
Yes, I can call this Sunday!
I can't make calls this week, but I can chip in $5 to recall the WI Republicans.
Yesterday, news broke that one of the Republicans challenging a Democratic incumbent failed to collect enough valid signatures to get on the ballot. We have the momentum, but we need to make sure voters know about the election.
Wisconsin was the first of many states to take up anti-worker legislation, but it's not the only one. That's why it's vital we win right now. Because once we stop them in Wisconsin, we'll stop them in Ohio, Michigan, and across the nation.
If we turn out the vote in these recall elections, we will win -- can you help by signing up for a two hour phone shift?
Yes, I can call this Thursday!
Yes, I can call this Sunday!
I can't make calls this week, but I can chip in $5 to recall the WI Republicans.
Together, as a united progressive community, we will defend our country and stop the Republican attacks on working families.
Thanks for everything you do.
- Kaili

Kaili Lambe, Political Campaign Manager
Democracy for America

Submitted by Mark Stechbart

Save Sharp Park: Write letters to Public Officials

Let San Francisco elected officials know you care about Sharp Park!

The golf-haters have promised to bring their campaign to close the golf course to a vote this year before the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

Please write a letter telling the Supervisors why saving Sharp Park is important to you, for example: affordable public golf; healthy recreation for seniors, school students; racial and socio-economic diversity; historic Alister MacKenzie-design; etc.

Say it in your own words. You can download a pre-addressed Microsoft Word template by clicking here.

Please send a copy of your letter to us or just let us know you have written a letter: info@sfpublicgolf.com.

Other information on contacting public officials can be found on our webpage.

Thanks for helping out!

Donations are greatly appreciated. To donate, please visit our website: Donations Page

 

 We are on Twitter (@SFPublicGolf), Facebook and our website

 Submitted by Richard Harris

San Francisco Public Golf Alliance Wins Ruling in Federal Court to Intervene in the Defense of Historic Sharp Park Golf Course Facing Endangered Species Lawsuit

Dear Fix Pacifica:

There’s been a noteworthy development in an environmental lawsuit to determine the fate of San Francisco’s historic Sharp Park Golf Course. On Friday, a U.S. district judge ruled that the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance (SFPGA) is legally entitled to intervene in all phases of the case. 

Championing the rights of area golfers, the 4,500-member SFPGA filed papers six weeks ago to join the city and county, Mayor Ed Lee, and Parks & Rec Director Phil Ginsburg as defendants. A coalition of environmental groups – including the Sierra Club – is seeking to shut the 80-year-old public golf course, using the Endangered Species Act, in the name of protecting an indigenous frog and snake that use the course as habitat. 

SFPGA believes that shutting Sharp Park would be a crushing loss to public golf in the region. The course, designed by legendary architect Alister MacKenzie, serves a tremendously diverse constituency of golfers – from students to senior citizens – for whom many other area courses are too difficult, busy, or expensive. 

In its Motion to Intervene last month, the SFPGA asserted that Bay Area golfers “have legally protectable interests in their use and enjoyment of Sharp Park.” SFPGA is represented by law firm Morrison & Foerster. 

Judge Susan Illston’s order from June 24 cited SFPGA’s “unique interests… in maintaining Sharp Park specifically for use as a golf course,” concluding that it isn’t necessarily an interest shared by the other defendants. 

Chris Carr, chair of Morrison & Foerster’s Environment and Energy practice group and co-chair of its Cleantech group, said, “SFPGA is committed to the conservation of protected species while adhering to the original vision of Sharp Park as a course for everyone. We are looking forward to presenting our case before the Court.”

Please be in touch if you would like to learn more from Mr. Carr about SFPGA’s unique action in this case, or want to see a copy of the judge's order.

James Bourne 212-262-7470 jimbournenyc@aol.com
Robin Brassner 212-262-7472 rbrassnernyc@aol.com

SAN FRANCISCO (June 27, 2011) – Following a hearing on June 24, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston issued a written order that the nonprofit San Francisco Public Golf Alliance (SFPGA) has a right to intervene in a lawsuit against Sharp Park Golf Course, a popular municipal course, brought under the federal Endangered Species Act.  As a result of the decision, the 4,500-member SFPGA can join the City and County of San Francisco, along with Mayor Ed Lee, and Recreation and Park Department Director Phil Ginsburg in defending the historic public course from threatened closure by environmental groups.  Morrison & Foerster is representing the SFPGA in the suit.  The golf course, which first opened for play in 1932, was designed by legendary architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie, one of the most revered golf course architects of all time.

The ruling by Judge Illston of the Northern District of California, in San Francisco, allows the SFPGA to join the entire lawsuit – both in the liability and potential remedy phases.  Wild Equity, the Center for Biological Diversity and the other plaintiffs had vigorously opposed SFPGA’s participation in the liability phase of the case.  In the order granting intervention, Judge Illston found: “Should plaintiffs prevail or come to an agreement with defendants regarding management operations of Sharp Park, SFPGA’s ability to protect its members’ use of the golf course may potentially be impaired or impeded.”  SFPGA believes its full participation in the liability phase – where it will be determined whether golf course operations and maintenance, as alleged by the Plaintiffs, cause “take” of protected species -- will enable it to present a complete picture of the scientific evidence in the case.  Importantly, the Court rejected the Plaintiffs’ requests that SFPGA be required to share briefing with the City and other defendants, ruling that SFPGA can “file independently to protect its unique interests in this case.”  Similarly, the Court also rejected the Plaintiffs’ request “that SFPGA be considered one party with the defendants for purposes of discovery limitations.”

Environmental advocacy groups led by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Wild Equity Institute, filed suit on March 2, seeking to shut down the landmark, 79-year-old seaside course in the name of protecting a frog and snake listed under the federal Endangered Species Act – the frog uses, and the snake may use, the course as habitat.  The Sierra Club joined the suit for the limited purpose of protecting the animals, without specifically calling for closure of the golf course.

“The court’s ruling is extremely important for golfers in the Bay Area – they represent a vital constituency in this case. Other public 18-hole courses in San Francisco and northern San Mateo County are too expensive, too busy, or too hilly for the profile of low-income, racially diverse, juniors and seniors at Sharp Park,” said SFPGA spokeswoman and Sharp Park Women’s Club member Lauren Barr. “It is imperative that we preserve this historic public jewel. For nearly 80 years Sharp Park has served as an important recreational outlet and gathering-place for people of all economic means in our region.”
The San Francisco Public Golf Alliance is a non-profit organization that was formed in 2007 to promote and support affordable, accessible public golf and to educate the public and golf community about issues relating to public golf in and around San Francisco.  The SFPGA is committed to preserving and restoring Sharp Park in an environmentally sound manner that preserves the public golf tradition on Dr. MacKenzie’s storied course.

Chris Carr, an environmental and land use partner at Morrison & Foerster, said, “We’re very pleased that the District Court has allowed the SFPGA to intervene in this case for all purposes.  The Court recognized that the Alliance represents the diverse users of Sharp Park, and that their voices should be heard in resolving this case.  Sharp Park is an historically and architecturally significant course that fills a critical needed for Bay Area golfers and upholds the best tradition of public access.  Most courses with the heritage and location of Sharp Park would be exclusive private clubs and available to only a narrow sliver of the population. The Alliance is committed to the conservation of protected species while adhering to the original vision of Sharp Park as a course for everyone.  We are looking forward to presenting our case before the Court.”

Mr. Carr, chair of Morrison & Foerster’s Environment and Energy practice group and co-chair of its Cleantech group, regularly handles matters involving the federal Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and their California counterparts.  Morrison & Foerster has a long history of supporting environmental causes in the Bay Area.‪

About the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance: A 4,500-plus-member, volunteer, non-profit public-interest organization supporting San Francisco-area public golf, and dedicated to preserving affordable, environmentally-friendly public golf. www/sfpublicgolf.com/

ABOUT MOFO.We are Morrison & Foerster — a global firm of exceptional credentials. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, investment banks, Fortune 100, technology and life science companies. We’ve been included on The American Lawyer’s A-List for seven straight years, and Fortune named us one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.” Our lawyers are committed to achieving innovative and business-minded results for our clients, while preserving the differences that make us stronger. This is MoFo.

Submitted by James Bourne

Half Moon Bay quarry next 100 years

San Francisco Business Times, 6/22/11. The Pilarcitos Quarry in Half Moon Bay, running out of rock to mine, is pushing a century-long plan to extract up to a million tons of sand, rock and gravel each year from nearby canyon walls, the San Mateo County Times reports. The expansion would add 117 acres of land to the quarry, pending approval by the San Mateo County Planning Commission. 

The quarry is operated by West Coast Aggregates Inc., which supplies all the sand, rocks and concrete aggregate used by the city of San Francisco, the report says. The expansion is supported by West Coast Aggregates' biggest prospective opponent, the Committee for Green Foothills, because it would set aside more than 200 acres for wildlife protection.

Reference
Half Moon Bay Review article 1/13/10.
Mercury News/Julia Scott article 6/21/11.
Manta small business information, sales stated at $2.5 to $5 million annually.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Chalk Talk: Pacifica teen wins prestigious honor for environmental work

By Neil Gonzales

ngonzales@bayareanewsgroup.com

Posted: 06/25/2011 10:11:53 PM PDT

A student from Oceana High School in Pacifica has won a $36,000 award for his innovative, environmentally conscious project.

Naftali Moed, 16, is among just five students out of about 125 statewide chosen for the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam awards, which recognize socially responsible or eco-friendly work by youngsters. 

The awards given out by the Helen Diller Family Foundation in collaboration with the Jewish Community Federation honor efforts that exemplify "tikkun olam," a central Judaic precept meaning "repair of the world."

Naftali was cited for his enthusiasm for gardening and green space, which resulted in the development of a school garden. His project involved many volunteers, thousands of pounds of gravel and plenty of waste removal. The outcome was a hands-on learning oasis that gives students an opportunity to garden, explore renewable-energy sources, understand irrigation systems and landscape construction, and study sustainable agriculture.

Submitted by Mark Stechbart

City Council meeting, June 27, 2011

City Council Agenda 6/27/11, overview.  Pages 1-3

Consent Calendar - pass-through items 1-6, pdf pages 4-74
Item  1.  Check disbursements.
Item  2.  Minutes approval.
Item  3.  Police resolution to accept an ABC grant to reduce accessibility alcohol  to persons under age 21.
Item  4.  Transfer of 2010-11 parent and state fees to the childcare reserve account.
Item  5.  Frontierland Park cellular site equipment lease to GTE Mobilenet, dba Verizon Wireless.  Location behind the parking lot, NE of fences.
Item  6.  Purchase of a Bobcat mower.
Public Hearing 
Item 7 .   City user fee charges (permits, licenses, services), pdf pages 75-95

Consideration
Item 8.   County animal control and shelter services contracted with the Peninsula Humane Society (PHS) on behalf of the 20 cities. 3rd amendment extension until fiscal year 2015, pdf pages 98-101.  Fiscal year impact 2011-12 is $274,274. Amendments to Agreement pdf pages 102- 125.
Item 9.  Police communications dispatch  and Pacifica records management system services outsourced to South San Francisco.  Fiscal year impact for 2011-12 $600,000, pdf pages 126-136.
Item 10.  Rejection of bids for new centrifuge unit for Calera Creek Water Recycling Plant (CCWRP). Authorization to re-bid, cost to advertise about $300.  

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Blue Box Warning

From the July-August edition of the Pacifica Friends of the Library Newsletter...

We recently received an email from the Orinda Friends of the Library warning us of a danger to our book donations and sales. It seems that a company from Washington state has been placing blue book donation boxes marked "Books for Charity" in shopping centers.  In the Bay Area most of the boxes have been placed on Safeway property, and one has shown up in Pacific Manor. Of the books that are collected, 25% goes to charity, half are pulped, and the remainder are sold on line by Thrift Recycling Management of Lakewood, WA. TRM is the largest used bookseller in the world and has annual sales of 26 million dollars. That is not a charity!

Our libraries depend on the support we are able to give through our book sales to fund programs like the Summer Reading Program and the Quick Pick collection. Please pass the word on to support our local libraries. In Portland, Oregon book donations to the libraries dropped off dramatically after the blue boxes showed up in parking lots all over the city. Our libraries need our help now in these financially trying times. Please continue to donate your books to the library. The book donation box is in the foyer downstairs at the Sharp Park Library and large donations can be arranged by calling Donna at 359-9664 or Caroline at 359-3848.

Posted by Steve Sinai

Esplanade update in a city with no money to assist

Don't give-up on continuous seawalls
 
Mercury News/Julia Scott, 6/23/11. New bluff damage behind an occupied apartment building on Esplanade Avenue has again raised questions about the future of the precarious dwellings and the efforts of some property owners to avoid facing evacuation as Mother Nature marches on.  

The heavy rains this year were not kind to 340 Esplanade Ave. along Pacifica's spectacular but receding northern coastline. The apartment building's side walkway has caved in, taking a drainage grate and safety railing with it. Residents still have full use of their bluff-top patios, but the ocean has eaten away enough bluff to expose the casing of an old, buried swimming pool. Building owner Dennis Thomas blamed the cave-in on drainage problems at the property next door that have now been resolved. "There's no problem with the bluff. There's some erosion at the top, but it's just surface erosion," said Thomas, who is counting on some loosely stacked boulders at the base of the cliff to protect against wave action.

Neighboring apartment buildings at 330 and 320 Esplanade were evacuated in the winter of 2009-2010 as chunks of bluff fell into the ocean. Now the structures lean into the air. Dirt is crumbling away from the foundations. Neither building owner is working on repairs at the moment -- both are tied up in lawsuits with a former contractor over late payments and accusations of negligence.

One of those owners, Farshid Samsami, said he now plans to abandon 330 Esplanade because "Things could be solved in advance with the cooperation of the other agencies, but they say they won't do it," said Samsami. "We're not asking for a handout or a whole repair, but at least help us. ... It seems like their hands are tied as well."Pacifica building official Doug Rider said the city has no playbook for what may happen next. "If he's going to up and abandon the building, do we get the deed?" he said. "Could we then get FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) funding to protect this property? I don't know."  It will be an interesting headache for whoever takes it over.he can't afford to fix the bluff. He said he's asked the city and the federal government for help, but he doesn't qualify for emergency funding from FEMA because his building is located on private property.

City officials have said that even an abandoned, peeling apartment building on the edge of a cliff still has value: It covers the sandy soil, slowing the rate of erosion and protecting city utilities, streets and transmission lines from being gobbled up by the ocean. More than a decade ago, the city evacuated several single-family homes at the south end of Esplanade as the bluff eroded. When one of them fell into the ocean, the rest were demolished.

Other nearby apartment owners are trying to avoid a similar fate by investing millions of dollars in complicated sea-wall structures. The Land's End condominium complex at 100 Esplanade Ave. is building a 670-foot-wide sea wall designed to withstand storm surges and a sea-level rise of 4½ feet.  Construction workers sunk deep steel-and-concrete piles into the upper bluff in case that area also needs a wall to protect it someday, according to Rob Anderson of RJR Engineering. Land's End has lost roughly 100 feet of bluff since 2009.
Anderson said his firm could still save 320 Esplanade Ave. with some combination of a sea wall and tiebacks along with steel beams to keep the foundation in place. But it would need to happen soon, before any more bluff disappears, he said. "We're able to come up with a wall design," Anderson said. "You just have to make the economics work." Millard Tong, owner of 320 Esplanade Ave., is believed to have lost as much as $600,000 in forfeited rent payments since the evacuation.

Local observers worry about the piecemeal manner in which these engineering "fixes" occur. Building owners along Esplanade initially came together to discuss erecting a single, continuous sea wall or something similar that would protect the quarter-mile stretch, but talks broke down. Today, the stretch of beach contains a sea wall, then a patch of sand, then another sea wall. Engineers say sea walls with gaps between them are ineffective. The ocean sweeps through the openings and undercuts the walls. "If my neighbor has his done and I don't, eventually his erosion is going to affect my property," Samsami said. "It's a big mess. A big mess."

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Pacifica Roads at Risk

By: Will Reisman

Examiner Staff Writer
06/23/11 4:00 AM

Roads in ruin: To improve street conditions, the region would need to spend $975 million annually.
 
Four cities in San Mateo County have some of the worst streets in the Bay Area, and while San Francisco’s roads are in fair shape, they’re not getting any better.

The streets of Millbrae, Pacifica, Woodside and East Palo Alto have deteriorated and require immediate rehabilitative work, leading to bumpy rides for local residents, according to a regional report released Wednesday by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

The MTC report reviewed local pavement data to assign road condition scores for every city, town, and municipality in the Bay Area.

On a scale of 1-100, East Palo Alto received the worst grade in San Mateo County, scoring just a 53, while Woodside had a 57, Pacifica a 59, and Millbrae a 59. The road conditions in all four cities were deemed “at-risk” by the MTC report.

The streets of San Francisco ranked a little better, with a score of 64 — enough to put them in the “fair” category. But The City’s score has not changed since 2006.

Because the study averages data on every street, road, or alley in a jurisdiction, it’s much harder for big cities to make improvements, agency spokesman John Goodwin said. With 2,130 lane miles, San Francisco has one of the biggest networks in the Bay Area. The City’s score could improve if a $248 million road repair bond is approved by voters in November.

With 124 lane miles — roughly 5 percent of San Francisco’s total — Millbrae may be able to move up in the rankings a little easier. However, Daniel Quigg, Millbrae’s mayor, said street repair projects in the city are beset by funding problems.

Read more...

Submitted by Jim Alex

Why Stay in Pacifica?

A recent conversation about staying in Pacifica on TripAdvisor. The initial request for suggestions was as follows:


My husband and I are visiting California July 3 - July 10. Will be renting a car and have resersved a room in Pacifica at the Sea Breeze motel. Thinking of using it as a base to visit San Francisco one day and hwy 1 for 2 or 3 days. Thinking maybe visiting Lake Tahoe during our visit as well.

Is this practical to do? In some of the posts I see that there isn't much to do in Pacifica. We are looking for hiking and great ocean views, tide pools, California sights, sounds, tastes...

Thoughts on what to do in Pacifica, what day trips to take with minimal driving. We would like not to have to drive over 1 to 2 hours. Our main goal is to relax and experience California coast. 

We are from Wisconsin and this is our first visit.

Thanks for any recommendations, suggestions, tips!


Responses can be seen at the link below. Not a whole lot of love for our town from Bay Area locals, which is the typical response whenever Pacifica comes up.


http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60713-i30-k4581711-Staying_in_Pacifica-San_Francisco_California.html

Posted by Steve Sinai

Planning Commission 6/20/11 "Oddstad Assisted Living Center"

DEIR comment follow-up

San Pedro Creek and the steelhead that spawn in that creek are important consideration to members of the Planning Commission and to local environmentalist who attended the 6/20/11 meeting.  Other San Pedro Creek issues included cliff erosion and pollution, wetlands delineation and mitigation, set-back from the creek, visual characteristics to and from neighborhood properties, traffic, noise, pollutants in building the project, room/bathroom circulation design, and adequacy of the report itself. 

From the City of Pacifica website regarding, the Steelhead trout. "Steelhead come up San Pedro Creek to spawn between December and March. Like salmon, they unerringly return from the ocean to the stream of their birth to mate. They're handsome fish, large and gunmetal gray, with a silvery stripe on the side and a white underbelly. Upon arriving, the female digs nests in the clean gravel by turning on her side and swimming rapidly. Once the eggs are deposited and fertilized, the parents return to the ocean. 

 

In approximately fifty days, the eggs hatch. The fry wriggle their way to the surface where they hide among the overhanging plants and school up for safety. Once they attain six inches or so, they're ready to try the open sea. In the summer, you may see a few hardy souls heading downstream toward San Pedro Beach. A small number of steelhead never leave their streamside home. These stay quite small and resemble rainbow trout with red side strips and numerous black spots.

San Pedro Creek is one of the few remaining steelhead streams in San Mateo County. Elsewhere, the habitat for this fish has been destroyed by urbanization, flood control and silt from logging. Pacifica's trout population is severely depleted and was nearly wiped out a few years ago when a chlorine spill, probably from an emptying swimming pool, poisoned the stream and killed thousands of fish."

Individuals in attendance associated with the Chamber of Commerce and others spoke in favor of the project, whereas the local environmentalists well you know.   

Posted by Kathy Meeh

"Dusty" San Mateo Klepto Cat

Probably don't try this in Pacifica....

Daily Mail, UK 6/21/11.  "He’s been caught stealing hundreds of items from homes, so you’d have thought police would have locked up this prolific burglar by now. But the strange thing about Dusty is not that he’s only aged five years old. It’s that he’s a cat. 
The feline from San Mateo, California, has stolen gloves, towels, shoes and many other items from households since owner Jean Chu adopted him from the Humane Society.

Experts say Dusty's predatory instincts have gone astray, leaving him hunting for other people's items. The cat's thieving has made him a minor celebrity.  Neighbours were mystified for years as their possessions went missing and had feared they were being targeted by a real criminal. It's extreme, but it's absolutely adorable,' cat behaviour expert Marilyn Krieger said. She told the San Francisco Chronicle he has a 'form of OCD' and neurological problems. Ms Chu's husband Jim Coleman said Dusty something brings home 'expensive' things. 'I get a little worried about that,' he added.  

It is estimated Dusty, a brown-and-white moggy, has stolen more than 600 items - and once even pulled an incredible bounty of 11 household items from nearby homes in a single evening. Neighbours keep a watch for the cat but his victims do not intend to file police reports. They say that when something goes missing they simply visit Dusty's owners. His crime sprees emerged when The Animal Planet television show 'Must Love Cats' installed a camera outside the house and captured his nightly forays for a week."

Additional reference
Animal Planet video, 2:05 minutes.  Dusty caught in his nightly caper.

ABC News 5/21/11.  Dusty achieves fame "Grand Marshal of San Mateo Pet Parade.
San Francisco Chronicle, 6/19/11.  Dusty, the local report. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Then again, some mice are "protected".

7 new mice species were discovered on Luson island, Philippines.

Science Daily, 6/20/11.  A group of American and Filipino biologists have discovered seven previously unknown species of mammals in the Philippines, increasing the number of native mammals known from Luzon Island (excluding bats) from 42 to 49 (17 percent).  

The formal descriptions of the seven species, all of which are members of the genus Apomys, were published on May 20, 2011 in Fieldiana, the peer-reviewed journal of The Field Museum, where the project is based. The nine co-authors included biologists from the University of the Philippines, the Philippine National Museum, Conservation International-Philippines, Utah Museum of Natural History, and Florida State University. "These animals are part of the rich biological heritage of the Philippines," said Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim, Director of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). "The forests where they live are crucial watershed areas for Manila and many other cities. Protecting their mountain forest habitat is good for them and for people." The DENR is a collaborator of the project, providing assistance at field sites and co-organizing conferences on wildlife and conservation.

All of the species are forest mice, and each species lives only in a small part of Luzon. According to Dr. Lawrence Heaney from The Field Museum, project leader and lead author of the publication, "These are wonderful little mice that live in forested regions high in the mountains. Although they are often abundant, they actively avoid humans and rarely cause any harm. They prefer to eat earthworms and seeds on the forest floor." Two of the new species live only in the Zambales Mountains (on Mt. Tapulao), two live only on Mt. Banahaw (south of Manila), two only in the Mingan Mountains of Aurora Province, and one lives only in the Sierra Madre of northeastern Luzon. "It is extraordinary that so many new species of mammals remain to be discovered in the Philippines," according to Danilo Balete, leader of the project's field team. "In the past 10 years we've published formal descriptions of 10 other species, and other biologists have described five more. And we are nowhere close to the end of our discoveries. The Philippines may have the greatest concentration of unique species of animals of any country in the world."

Dr. Scott Steppan, co-author and head of the laboratory at Florida State University where the DNA portion of the study was conducted, said, "The Philippines is an ideal place to study the evolution of animal diversity, even better than the famous Galapagos Islands. These animals have been evolving in the Philippine archipelago for millions of years."  Mr. Romeo Trono, Country Executive Director for Conservation International -- Philippines, said, "Protecting land and marine resources is key to maintaining healthy ecosystems which deliver ecosystem services such as food, clean water, health, tourism and cultural benefits and stable climate which are vital to the very survival of every Filipino. Although small in size, these little animals are part of our biodiversity which forms the basic foundation of healthy ecosystems."
M. Josefa Veluz, biologist at the Philippine National Museum and co-author of the study, pointed out that the new species from the Sierra Madre and Mt. Banahaw live within protected areas, but those from the Mingan Mountains and Zambales do not. Logging, expansion of agriculture, and mining all have an impact on wildlife and watersheds, she said.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

County gets $20 million lawsuit dismissed

Posted: Friday, June 17, 2011 5:20 pm
By Lily Bixler [ lily@hmbreview.com ]

On Thursday a San Francisco judge dismissed a $20 million lawsuit involving San Mateo County and local school districts because the complaint didn't comply with state and county laws governing lawsuits against public entities.

A band of Peninsula school districts, including Cabrillo Unified, alleged San Mateo County imprudently invested in Lehman Brothers holdings. The school districts and the county superintendent of schools seek recovery of $20 million in school district investments. That money was lost, the plaintiff claimed, when the county and its former treasurer, Lee Buffington, allowed the county's Lehman Brothers notes to plummet from a purchase price of $155 million to roughly $34 million in fall 2008.

San Mateo County is suspected to have lost more in the Lehman Brothers' bankruptcy than any county in the United States.

At the local level, Cabrillo Unified's losses were estimated to be just less than $1.4 million. That money would have been used for construction and an assortment of different programs. The lawsuit comes at a time when the school district faces dramatic cuts.

Read more...

Submitted by Jim Alex

Planning Commission meeting, June 20, 2011

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Planning Commission Agenda tonight:  Public hearing for proposed "Oddstad Assisted Living Center" facility development.  
Location:  721 Oddstad Boulevard, behind a single-family dwelling at 725 Oddstad Boulevard.

The proposed project includes 96 units (42 1 bedroom, 54 studios), 3 floors, 55,914 square feet, underground parking, 2.13 acres, replacing a commercial nursery site, located south of Park Mall and north of Toledo Court.  

From the Agenda project Staff Report (pdf pages 3-5). .......

The Draft Environmental Report (DEIR) states:  the project "would NOT result in any significant and unavoidable environmental impacts," but includes alternatives:
A. No project
B. Reduce density to 2 buildings, "screen the project from off-site views", reduce units to 78.
C. Reduce height from 3 floors to 2 floors, reduce units to 62.

Developer applicant comment stated in the DEIR:  ".... the alternatives are NOT economically viable due to the reduction in size of the project."

Planning Commission staff recommendation to the Planning Commission:  "....open the public hearing and take public testimony on the Draft EIR (previously distributed May 17, 2011). 

Reference
DEIR: Oddstad Assisted Living Center, not included with the Agenda and may be may be slow to access. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Sharp Park Golf Course deemed "Historical and Cultural Resource" by Pacifica Historical Society

JUNE 14, 2011

PRESS RELEASE -- IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

PACIFICA, CA.

The Pacifica Historical Society, official historian of the City of Pacifica, on June 14, 2011 by unanimous vote of its Board of Directors, a resolution determining Alister MacKenzie's Sharp Park Golf Course to be an "historical and cultural resource" of the City of Pacifica, and calling upon elected officials at all levels of government, including San Francisco, San Mateo County, the City of Pacifica, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, to preserve the 80-year-old golf course.  Remarked Society President Kathleen Manning, “Sharp Park is a treasure of international golf architecture, and it is the purpose and duty of the Society to preserve and protect it.” 

A copy of the Society's June 14 Resolution is attached above, together with the Society's cover letter to the mayors of San Francisco and Pacifica, calling on those cities to protect and preserve the golf course. 

Since 2009, Sharp Park Golf Course has been the subject of a political controversy in San Francisco, pitting golfers and historic preservationists who want to save the golf course, against a group environmental activists led by the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity.  The dispute is currently the subject of a lawsuit, pending in Federal Court in San Francisco:  Wild Equity Institute, Center for Biological Diversity, et al. vs. City and County of San Francisco, et Al, U.S.Dist.Ct., N.D.Cal., No. C 11-00958 SI.   

In calling for historic preservation, the Pacifica Historical Society joins the Cultural Landscape Foundation, which in 2009 recognized Sharp Park as one of America's most imperiled significant cultural landscapes:  http://tclf.org/landslides/sharp-park-golf-course-threatened-closure

For more information, contact:

Bo Links

San Francisco Public Golf Alliance

bo@slotelaw.com

415-(415) 393-8099    

---

 We are on Twitter (@SFPublicGolf), Facebook and our website

Submitted by Richard Harris

Environmental group sues Fed over SF native plant

Another Wild Equity/Brent Plater lawsuit we're paying for. Yes, this plant does look like a Manzanita, no doubt about it.  Worth suing the Federal Government because this variety is not listed on the Endangered Species List?

Mercury News 5/15/11.  SAN FRANCISCO—An environmental group has filed a lawsuit accusing federal officials of failing to protect a San Francisco native plant that was rediscovered near the Golden Gate Bridge two years ago after it was believed for decades to be extinct. 

The Wild Equity Institute filed the lawsuit on Tuesday. The group criticizes the Department of Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for not listing the Franciscan Manzanita under the Endangered Species Act since its rediscovery in 2009.
Institute Executive Director Brent Plater tells the San Francisco Chronicle the plant needs the act's protection to recover.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman Sarah Swenty said she could not comment on pending litigation. But federal officials are currently reviewing the plant's candidacy.
Before its discovery two years ago, the plant had not been seen in the wild since the 1940s.  

Posted by Kathy Meeh 

Father's Day, Sunday, June 19, 2011

XXX

 



Do fathers ever get enough love and appreciation for all they do?  Not exactly...

Happy Father's Day to all you good Dads, and may you enjoy your day!

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Millbrae "state of the city" update

Millbrae is another city initially formed as a "bedroom community" that struggles with its economy.

The Daily Journal 6/17/11.  "Economic changes are coming to Millbrae in the form of development, plans for which Mayor Dan Quigg described in the annual State of the City breakfast Thursday. Renovations planned for the Clarion Hotel and Safeway will mean flat revenue in the year ahead, but hopefully a boost in years to come, said Quigg. In addition, Bay Area Rapid Transit has submitted conceptual plans around the train station that call for a hotel and relocation of the current transit center. Those large projects are examples of the changes coming to Millbrae. “We have lots of changes,” Quigg said.

Housing options will be growing in Millbrae. The mixed-use Belamor project located at 151 El Camino Real has more than half of the 142 residential units occupied. City staff is working on a project to create a 27-unit apartment building for low-income housing. And, currently going through the Planning Commission, are plans to demolish the Wendy’s in Millbrae, located at 120 S. El Camino Real, to build more than 50 condominiums and some ground-floor office space.  Millbrae is getting a new place to eat as well. Renovations are under way at the former site of Zack’s Bar and Grill, 100 El Camino Real, with a new restaurant called Boiling Bay to open in July, said Quigg.

This area around the Millbrae Train Station has always been slated for redevelopment. BART’s plans call for a hotel at the northeast corner of the area while moving the transit center west. Millbrae’s station is expected to be the connection between high-speed rail and the San Francisco International Airport, which should bring with it an economic stimulus, said Quigg. Plans for high-speed rail include funds the city can use to update the Millbrae Station Specific Plan.

A long-term goal finally becoming a reality is adding a traffic light at El Camino Real and Victoria Avenue near the train station. Ninety percent of the $750,000 project will covered through grants. It’s been a four-year goal for the city who needed to work with the state to get approval. It should be operational by October. As the state works out budget details, the fate of redevelopment agencies remains uncertain. Redevelopment funds cover about $700,000 annually in city services, said Quigg, who stressed a possible hit to the city without access to the money. Quigg also took time to emphasize the effort of volunteers in the city which help keep costs down. Grants have been secured in recent years for many of the technology and equipment upgrades to the safety services — another way the city saves money, he said. Shared services continue to be a priority particularly when it comes to emergency services. A study to create further savings in the way of police services should be finished in the coming weeks, he said. It will first be reviewed by a City Council subcommittee.  The speech will air on Millbrae Community Television. For times visit www.mctv.tv."

Reference:  Profile of Millbrae from City Data.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

Farallon Islands - an old mouse problem but....

within the ecosystem eradicating them is complicated. Wait for improved mouse bait?

KQED News Fix 5/16/11.  "The Farallon Islands have been crawling with house mice for years. They may have stowed away on boats and ridden out to the islands as early as the 1800s. Mice can be annoying or -- if they're your pets -- cute, but in the Farallones they’re causing problems on a life-and-death scale. “People on the island talk about how the ground moves because there's so many mice,” explains Brad Keitt, the Director of Conservation for Island Conservation. The non-native mice attract burrowing owls, which would normally stop by the island for a meal, then head out. But the mouse bounty has caused them to extend their stay. And when the mouse population falls in the winter, the owls switch to eating birds, including the ashy storm-petrel, an endangered species that only nests on islands off the coast of California.  Santa Cruz-based Island Conservation, whose mission is to stop extinctions by eradicating invasive species on islands, is working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and PRBO Conservation Science to rid the South Farallon Islands of the rodents. But as anyone who’s had a mouse infestation knows, that’s easier said than done. 

'You have to get rid of every single mouse,' says U.S Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Doug Cordell.  'Any method you choose has to be 100% effective, but it can't cause significant harm to other species.'  The Fish and Wildlife Service is considering its options. One of those is to drop rodenticide-pellets on the islands. That idea has drawn vocal criticism from San Rafael wildlife organization WildCare.  'The pellets are only for mice, but anything else could eat these things,' says Maggie Sergio, the director of wildlife advocacy at Wildcare. Birds that eat seafood probably wouldn’t be attracted to them, but birds like gulls might. Sergio’s concerned about secondary poisoning, too: Hawks and owls could be affected by eating the poisoned mice.  Sergio acknowledges it’s a difficult decision: Is it worth possibly poisoning other animals to save the ashy storm-petrel? What about the burrowing owls? (Burrowing owls, though not native to the Farallones, naturally live in California, and they’re a 'species of special concern [pdf]' due to habitat loss on the mainland.)

Last week the Fish and Wildlife Service held a public meeting at Fort Mason to gather feedback on the project. And they're accepting public comment until June 10 (the deadline's been extended). At this stage, nothing's set in stone, says Cordell. 'It's a tough call. We know we have a real problem out there. The question is what to do about it.'  He emphasizes that using a rodenticide is just one of the options he expects will be put forward in an environmental impact statement due this fall, but that he's open to hearing other suggestions. Doing nothing may be an option as well, he says.

The effects of invasive species on any ecosystem range from annoying to catastrophic. On islands, it’s always a bit more interesting. Islands usually have fewer species living on them, and those species are often not well-adapted to mainland dangers. The dodo comes to mind. (This fat flightless pigeon living on an island without humans was no match for hungry sailors.) As humans have become more mobile, we’ve also gotten better at distributing plants and animals to previously isolated places all over the world, to the detriment of native species.  And that’s one thing everyone agrees on: This is a man-made problem. What they haven’t figured out yet is how--or if--to fix it'."

Additional References
San Francisco Chronicle article, 5/13/11, and Fort Mason meeting, some island photos, video on image 12.

Case histories of island mouse/rat eradication.  Bay Nature 5/26/11.
Potential mouse specific toxic bait, government cost-sharing grant, 8/27/10 status unknown. 

Farallon Islands, California Galapagos, 10:55 minute video.

 Posted by Kathy Meeh