Going Coastal with Neil Merrilees

Neil's guest is Supervisor Rich Gordon. Gordon is the long-time representative of the Coastside's district on San Mateo County's Board of Supervisor's and is poised to win a seat in the State Assembly this November. Rich talks about his tenure on the board, his marriage, coastal development, and offers advice to his replacement.

The video, part one of two, runs about twenty minutes.


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From the Associated Press via MercuryNews.com:

"Pacifica police Capt. Fernando Realyvasquez said that witnesses on Linda Mar Beach reported seeing the shark around 1 p.m. Monday about 200 yards offshore.

Realyvasquez said a surfer in the water at the time saw a large amount of blood in the water as the shark thrashed about with the sea lion in its mouth.


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Julia Scott, writing in the San Mateo County Times, outlines the possibility of disincorporation that faces Half Moon Bay as a result of disastrous decisions by City leadership.

A few excerpts:

"The council has done everything in its power to keep the city whole," Muller said. 'If it [the sales tax measure] doesn't pass, we could seriously not be in business much longer.'"

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"...the city will finish the current fiscal year with a deficit north of $500,000. And tourist dollars, the city's economic mainstay, aren't likely to flow in anytime soon.

'We're digging ourselves into a hole and the hole keeps getting deeper regardless of whether the sales tax comes in,' Dolder warned."

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"Disincorporation is so rare in California that it's almost without precedent. The last city to do it, Cabazon in Riverside County, had fewer than 2,000 residents and no functional government to speak of when it voted to give up cityhood. The process is so complicated that county officials said they don't know what kinds of services the Board of Supervisors would choose to provide or how much they would cost."

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"One thing is certain: disincorporation is not a bailout. The county would lay claim to revenues, including Half Moon Bay's property taxes, sales taxes and hotel taxes, but not its liabilities. Today's Half Moon Bay residents would be required to assume the debt burden of Beachwood bond payments, which would likely be added as a lien on their properties, according to Assistant County Controller Bob Adler."


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Thsi video includes both the Regular Meeting and the Special Meeting which immediately preceded it. The Special Meeting is indicated on the video menu by the prefix "Special" and that agenda can be found by clicking here.

The full agenda can be found by clicking here.

Note that item 7a of the Regular Meeting was taken up out of order as indicated in the video menu. The Board of Directors of the Coastside Fire Protection District met at their regular meeting this past Wednesday--Montara Fog videotaped the meeting on behalf on the Board.

CFPD holds the copyright to this video but desires that it be widely disseminated. Therefore, they are granting permission for its use (including use by the news media) as long as proper attribution is given. Attribution can take the form of, for example, the text "Video courtesy of CFPD" located next to the video or at a visible place within an article. That's it. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Montara Fog.
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The San Mateo County Harbor District is between the devil and the deep blue sea. It's time for an overhaul.

I'm running for San Mateo County Harbor Commissioner because of my commitment to helping Pillar Point Harbor and Oyster Point Marina thrive.

As Commissioner I will work to improve visitor-serving facilities at both Oyster Point Marina and Pillar Point Harbor and work with local restaurant and business owners to strengthen their customer base. Broadening the economic viability of the Harbor District is of the utmost importance.

Buying seafood at Pillar Point Harbor supports the commercial fishing industry and the local economy. I will put my marketing and event planning skills to work promoting the Harbor as a great place to enjoy fresh seafood.

The Draft Project Management Plan being developed by the Army Corps of Engineers to address Surfers Beach erosion is scheduled to be released September 2010. I strongly support plans for a demonstration project to determine the best strategy for slowing the rate of erosion at Surfers Beach and look forward to reading the draft plan.

Providing a public restroom facility at Surfers Beach is a top priority and could be achieved quickly through a management agreement with County Parks.

I support developing the California Coastal Trail through Pillar Point Harbor. This segment of the trail will offer pedestrians and bicyclists a working harbor experience while meeting ADA standards.

I'm committed to improving water quality at Pillar Point Harbor and Oyster Point Marina. San Mateo County Beachwater Contamination Results are the second worst in the state. In 2009 Pillar Point was ranked number two and Oyster Point was ranked number five in terms of beach closure/advisory days due to beachwater contamination.

If elected I would prioritize Harbor Patrol Search and Rescue services. Fast emergency response time is a very important service currently being provided by the Harbor District. The Pillar Point Harbor Search and Rescue team works with Cal Fire and the Coast Guard to provide fast response times to emergencies. This important service has saved numerous lives. Beach goers, recreational boating, surfing and the commercial fishing industry ALL benefit from maintaining a high level of service. If the Harbor District Search and Rescue team is cut back or disbanded altogether the Coast Guard will need to fill the gap; response time by helicopter out of San Francisco can take up to 45 minutes.

I will work hard to balance the Harbor Districts budget as soon as possible.

I would be honored to have your vote on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Sabrina Brennan

www.sabrinabrennan.com

Discuss (2 posts)

Brian Ginna

Sabrina Brennan: Why I am running for Harbor Commissioner Aug 25 2010 18:04:12 Do not waste your vote. Please vote for James Tucker and Bill Klear.

#144

DavidV

Sabrina Brennan: Why I am running for Harbor Commissioner Sep 06 2010 03:38:42 For those that weren't aware, Brennan has taken a stand against Big Wave. As for Tucker: "Tucker would also like to see a new office complex built at Pillar Point" coastsider.com/index.php/site/news/harbo...er_this_year/100903/

#147

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PRESS RELEASE

Brussels Sprouts, Wine Grapes Bright Spots for Local Farmers
San Mateo County Crop Report Presented to the Board of Supervisors

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Strawberries and wine grapes enjoyed a sharp increase in value in an otherwise down year for much of San Mateo County’s agricultural industry, according to the 2009 Crop Report.

The value of all San Mateo County crops in 2009 was $149,226,000, an 8.3 percent decrease from the $162,726,000 value posted on 2008. The decline reflects the overall economy as growers planted fewer indoor and outdoor flowers and nursery crops.

“While most people think of San Mateo County as fairly urban, the coast is mostly agriculture,” said Fred Crowder, the Agricultural Commissioner. “Much of that industry suffered in 2009 because of either falling crop prices or slack demand for nursery stock, cut flowers and even lumber.”

Crowder presented the report Tuesday to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

The report provides an insight into an industry that is often overshadowed by the biotech, software and financial services firms that are just minutes away from family farms and ranches. Crowder estimates the agricultural industry contributes more than a half-billion dollars, or $522 million, to the local economy each year through employment, purchasing and other factors.

Brussels sprouts accounted for $7.4 million of the $16.1 million in vegetable crops grown in 2009. Brussels sprouts were a bright spot for farmers, shooting up 27 percent in value from 2008 even with less acreage.

Strawberries rose in value by 155 percent to $1.3 million with 29 acres given over to planting compared with $543,000 and 24 acres in 2008. Wine grapes rose 29.9 percent in value to $625,000 with a modest 135 acres planted compared with $481,000 and 96 acres in 2008.

The crop categories showing the greatest losses were floral and nursery stock with an $8.86 million (6.6 percent) decline, vegetable crops with a $4.25 million (21 percent) decline and forest products with a $1 million (58 percent) decline.

Reduced sales are responsible for the declines in floral and nursery stock; the closure of the county’s largest mushroom operation is responsible for the decline in miscellaneous vegetables; while the decreased production of forest products reflects the construction downturn, according to the report.

The California County Agricultural Commissioner’s Data for 2008, the most recent State report summarizing agricultural production by counties, reports San Mateo County as being the number one producer in the State of indoor potted nursery stock, the number two producer for Brussels sprouts and the number three producer for artichokes.

The report is available online on the San Mateo County website under Departments, Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures, Agricultural Crop Report, 2009 Crop Report.


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PRESS RELEASE

At approximately 0700 hrs today a mountain lion was seen in the vicinity of the 1900 block of Tunitas Creek Road in Unincorporated San Mateo County, California.

If you see a mountain lion DO NOT APPROACH IT, especially one that is feeding or with offspring. Most mountain lions will try to avoid confrontation.

Here are a few tips:

Avoid hiking or jogging when mountain lions are most active—dawn, dusk, and at night.

Keep a close watch on small children.

If you encounter a mountain lion, do not run; instead, face the animal, make noise and try to look bigger by waving your arms; throw rocks or other objects.

Pick up small children.

For more information about mountain lions click here www.keepmewild.org

Sent by Joe Sheridan to Skyline, San Gregorio (E-mail accounts, Wireless devices) through SMC Alert


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A clerk at a Pacifica Gas station on Hickey was shot multiple times during a robbery.

From the MercuryNews.com article:

"Police are searching for three suspects for the robbery and shooting. They are described as black males in their late teens or early 20s with thin builds who are between the heights of 5 feet 7 and 5 feet 11 inches.

The suspects were wearing masks, black sweatshirts and black pants, police said. They were believed to be driving a light colored mid to late 1980s Toyota or Honda 4-door vehicle, police said."


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A man fishing from his kayak near Pigeon Point on Saturday is reporting that his boat was attacked by a Great White shark. Adam Coca describes the shark chewing on the bow of his kayak and then becoming entangled in a rope. Other kayakers then came to his assistance.

MercuryNews.com has the story.


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Click here for Oversight Committee's By-laws

Click here for Application to serve on the Oversight Committee

PRESS RELEASE

Cabrillo Unified School District
August 13, 2010

Board approves formation of parcel tax oversight committee; applications now available

The Cabrillo Unified School District Board of Education took formal action to fulfill a campaign pledge to the Coastside community by approving a set of Citizens’ Measure E Oversight Committee Bylaws during the course of last night’s regularly scheduled board meeting. The Board also approved a timeline for the formation of the Oversight Committee that calls for an application deadline of 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 3.

The purpose of the Oversight Committee is to inform the public at least annually in a written report whether the tax dollars that are generated by the parcel tax measure (Measure E) approved by Coastside voters on June 8 are being expended in a manner consistent with the ballot language.

Application forms and copies of the Bylaws are now available on the District website ( HYPERLINK "http://www.cabrillo.k12.ca.us/" www.cabrillo.k12.ca.us/ ) and at the District Office, 498 Kelly Avenue. In lieu of a completed application form, interested school district residents can submit a signed letter of interest to:

Cabrillo Unified School District Board of Education c/o Superintendent Rob Gaskill 498 Kelly Avenue Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

This letter should indicate whether the applicant is applying as either 1) a representative of the local business community, 2) an active member of a local senior citizen’s organization, 3) a member of the Cabrillo Unified Teachers’ Association or the California School Employee’s Association, Chapter 485, or 4) an at-large member. Please also indicate whether you have at least one child currently enrolled in a CUSD school (required for one of the three at-large positions). The letter should also include a statement of interest in serving on the Committee and a brief description of any strengths, skills, or experiences that the applicant could contribute to the oversight process. The Bylaws call for the Committee to consist of at least seven members. The Board is expected to formally appoint the Oversight Committee during the course of its September 9 Board meeting and the group is expected to hold its initial meeting in early October.


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