half moon bay november 2012

h a l f m o o n b a y r e v i e w m a g a z i n e

Pumping up nonprofits Q&A with Anna McDevitt Centerpieces to liven the Holiday table Which wine works?

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N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 2 nonprofits & Volunteers

Montara State Beach

2013

Benefits!

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Parker Toms, class of 2011 You will be known. You will belong.

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“Being part of prestigious clubs, including the National Honor Society, has taught me that in order to genuinely know who I am, I must adopt the notion of ‘service before self.’ By serving others, I realize that people need people in their lives. By assisting people with their hardships, both lives are transformed.”

— Micah SanchezNational Honor Society

California Scholarship FederationVolunteer, Avalon Academy

Block SocietyCivil Air Patrol – U.S. Air Force Auxiliary

Big BrothersVolunteer, Second Harvest Food Bank

Open House

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Great fun for Good cauSeS

�his is the first year that i’ve been more than a spectator and consumer at the annual Pumpkin festival. after a foggy pumpkin run with my family and a couple hundred friends, i continued jogging to the Chamber of Commerce’s beverage booth to help out pouring wine and champagne. The fellow volunteers were great company and the

demand for mimosas was steady but not overwhelming. everyone seemed to have a good time and we raised quite a bit of revenue for the chamber. Down the road hundreds of other volunteers were busy sautéing artichoke hearts, blending smoothies and hawking hot dogs for 35 local nonprofit organizations. for many of the groups, this is the biggest fund raiser of the year and its success continues to grow. The boy scout troop used to use one fryer to cook up their garlic fries. now they employ six to serve up the nearly 3,000 pounds of potatoes. Take a look at Sara hayden’s story on page 22 for some insight of what kind of impact our signature event has on these Coastside nonprofits. ¶ For the past ten issues of the Half Moon Bay Magazine we have been featuring paintings of Coastside scenes on the cover. i’ve really enjoyed talking to the artists, and it has been truly been inspiring to discover and meet so many creative people. i decided to take a stab at it myself this month. it’s been many years since i have done any landscape painting, and this was a great opportunity to get some oil paint under the fingernails (and on my favorite sweater). i’m not sure sold on the result, but i really enjoyed the process. in fact i just stretched another canvas and started another local scene. we’ll see how it goes. i don’t think i’ll quit my day job, but doing something creative that doesn’t involve a computer sure is refreshing. hope you enjoy the magazine and this holiday season i’d encourage you consider helping out one of our local nonprofits. Processing turkey legs might not be your thing, but give your favorite organization a call. There’s surely something up your alley.

— Bill Murray, Publisher

PuBlisHer Bill Murray editor clay Lambert Writers Sara Hayden, Mark noack,

Stacy trevenon, Saman Ghani Khan

CoPY editor Julie Gerth PHotograPHer charles russo design Bill Murray, Mark restani Business oFFiCe Barbara anderson CirCulation Sonia Myers advertising sales Linda Pettengill,

Louise Strutner, Susan Verlander, Barbara dinnsen

Find us 714 Kelly avenue, Half Moon Bay, ca, 94019, (650) 726-4424, www.hmbreview.com

HalF Moon BaY is published the first week of every month and inserted in the Half Moon Bay review. the entire contents of the magazine are also available online at hmbreview.com. ©2012, Half Moon Bay review

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PuBLiSHer’S noteon tHe coVer

h a l f m o o n b a y r e v i e w m a g a z i n e

Montara Beach north, Bill Murray12x16, Oil On canvas, 2012

FrOM the artist: My favorite view of Montara Beach is actually sitting out in the water on a surfboard and looking back at the towering peak and meadows leading up to it. unfortunately, its pretty hard to paint from out there. Second best is this iconic view looking towards devil’s Slide. the road cut heightens the drama and adds a chance for contrast. after a couple quick sketches and a thumbnail watercolor, i completed the painting back at home just a few blocks away.

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ContentsContentsContentsn o v e m b e r 2 0 1 2

Q&A: leADing tHe CluBinterview with anna Mcdevitt, executive direc-tor of the Boys and Girls club of the coastside. Page 34

RetuRn to yesteRyeARcolumnist Louie castoria concocts a conversation. Page 18

PReVieWdoctors Without Borders art exhibit. coastside Land trust holiday show. annual alumni games. “Back to eco-School Seminar Series.

CenteR of Attentioncenterpieces evolved through history, from rome to Half Moon Bay. Page 8

WHiCH Wine WoulD Be WelCoMe?Picking the right wine crucial for thanksgiving meal. Page 14

PuMPing uP nonPRofitsLocal groups make most of coast’s Pumpkin festi-val. Page 22

entertaininG

nonProfitS

fiction

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n o V e M B e r 2 0 1 2 � H a l f M o o n B a y � 7

11/17 more than 20 members of the Colony of Coastside artists take part in Coast-side open Studios. They are open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., nov. 17 and 18. artists will display photography, textile art, jewelry, batik, ceramics and more, with more than 20 demonstrations and in more than 14 studios. www.colonyofcoastsideartists.com.

arTiSTS oPenDoorS

a day to cLean uP11/10 The Coastside land Trust is looking to clean up the coast from 10 a.m. to noon today. meet at Smith field and join the cleanup team that will be remov-ing invasive plants, debris and graffiti near Seymour bridge in half moon bay. 726-5056.

art refLectS LandScaPeS11/11 more than 25 mostly local artists will display paintings ad other artworks at the Coastside land Trust holiday show. There will be an opening from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, nov. 11, and the show runs through Jan. 25, at the gallery at 788 main St. in half moon bay. 726-5056.

Get cLoSe to tHe eartH11/13 The “back to eco-School Seminar Series,” presented by ecoDesign in half moon bay, features a class in feng shui at 6 p.m. at the business at 330 main St., Suite 103, in half moon bay. learn about simple space plan-ning with this free introduction. 726-3583.

HeLPinG WitHout HindranceSThrough 11/14 forty-three local artists have come together to create and donate a variety of artwork that includes paintings, photographs, sculptures, collage and more to support the sixth annual Doctors without borders fundraising art auction. all of the art will be on exhibit and available to bidders via a silent auction, at the Pasta moon music box lounge in half moon bay. having opened oct. 24, the silent auction will run until the closing gala on nov. 14. Doctors without borders is an independent international

medical humanitarian organiza-tion that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural or manmade disaster, and to those excluded from health care, in nearly 60 countries around the globe. in 1999, the organization won the nobel Peace Prize for its work. not long after that, it came to the notice of Coastside artist Judy Shintani, who helped organize the annual Doctors without borders art exhibit and auctions on the Coastside to benefit the organization. This year’s theme is “Transformation.” the music box lounge is located at 315 main St. in half moon bay and can be reached at 726-5125.

a HeartWarMinG ‘cHriStMaS Story’11/16 The holidays are even more heartwarming when Coastal repertory Theatre pres-ents Philip grecian’s nostalgic seasonal comedy “a Christmas Story.” young ralphie longs for a red ryder bb gun for Christ-mas, but can he endure the town bully? Can his mother endure the leg lamp, bunny pajamas and Chinese turkey? find out at 8 p.m. fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 16, at 1167 main St. in half moon bay. Tickets range from $17 to $35. 569-3266.

aLuMS uP11/21 former half moon bay high School basketball players are invited to participate in the annual alumni games. The girls’ game starts at 5:30 p.m., with the boys’ game to follow. The alumni teams are scheduled to play this year’s varsity teams. it’s free! 712-7200.

PReVieWPReVieWPReVieWh a l f m o o n b a y r e v i e w m a g a z i n e

noV.2012tHings to Do

baCkgrounD image by laura mCCugh

8 � H a l f M o o n B a y � n o V e M B e r 2 0 1 2

CenTerPieCeS evolveD Through

hiSTory, from rome To half moon bay

By Stacy trevenon

�lena Jean whiting barragan sits at a picnic table on the fresh green lawn in back of her shop, alena Jean, in half moon bay. Sunshine pours down on her, but her attention is fixed on the

table in front of her, on a round piece of a cork tree that looks like a textured beige stump.

“fall in half moon bay is such an amazing time,” she murmurs as her hands fly.

her fingers nimbly dance over and around the cork base so that a symphony of flowers and leaves in autumnal shades, punctuated with small white pumpkins and sparkling orange rose hips, is tak-ing shape.

The eye of the viewer travels, as if led by the lines of flowers and vines, up and along and over the oranges, whites, dark reds and multiple greens of pistachio leaves, dahlias, creamy roses and sprinkling of delicate lysimachia.

barragan is constructing a centerpiece, which she estimates ac-counts for roughly 25 percent of the floral design work she does in her business, which is part nursery, part flower shop and part landscaping. guided by the season, event, or customers’ wishes, barragan puts together centerpieces like this one for events rang-ing from weddings to memorial services to family parties to corpo-rate events — often drawing almost exclusively from floral plants

�enter of�ttention

entertaininG

n o V e M B e r 2 0 1 2 � H a l f M o o n B a y � 9

Shopowner and floral designer alena Jean Whiting Barragan shows off her handiwork in the garden of her namesake business, alena Jean flower Shop and nursery.

1 0 � H a l f M o o n B a y � n o V e M B e r 2 0 1 2

grown on what was once her mother, nancy’s, flora farm and is now her business.

“when i’m doing a big pruning, i end up with a big pile of stuff” that becomes raw material for her eye-catching, color-ful centerpieces, she said.

Centerpieces are defined in the entertainment industry as ornamental objects used in a central position on a table or buffet. Created with plants, flowers, candles, food, or any type of colorful or thematic elements, they serve as a focal point, defining the tone of the event or gathering.

in ancient rome, according to “The history of Center-pieces” at ehow.com, citizens of the city of-ten put decorative fo-liage on their tables, or they incorporated vases, ceramics or dishes of rock crystal. aristocratic tables in the middle ages were often too crowded for centerpieces unless it was Christmastime, when central deco-rations, including pastries and marzi-pan shaped to look like people, animals or other decorative items, were used.

in the 18th century, the overcrowding problem was solved with the introduc-tion of servants who handed out food dishes to the host-ess one at a time. elaborate dessert table centerpieces were the rage for the fabulously wealthy at the time, according to janeaustensworld.wordpress.com.

The gentleman’s magazine, in its June 19, 1811 issue honoring an exiled royal french family, cited a banquet centerpiece that featured a re-creation of a land-scape, with fantastical bisque figurines, vertical decoration defined by fountains, aquatic flowers, ponds sporting live fish, or elaborate set pieces that could call to mind an elabo-rate garden or even a city. Confectionery was considered as much a decorative art as porcelain, defining social status, prestige and wealth.

The 19th century saw a revival of the custom of adding

flowers to table décor, and, by the end of that century, those floral touches reflected the season or the event, says ehow. by world war i, decorative objects, and later food, began to replace those flowers and foliage.

more recently, 1950s centerpieces were known to incorpo-rate regular prism vases with gaudy mums or brightly hued carnations. in the back-to-the-earth mindset of the 1960s and ’70s, flowers and grasses returned to their place in the center of tables and “never really left,” says ehow.

The same might be said of barragan, for whom floral design started gen-erations ago in her family and never left. her mother, nancy, started flora farm in 1982 — in the same spot the alena Jean business occu-pies now — helped out by husband Jerry, who still works in the landscape business.

even as a child, bar-ragan, born in 1980, recalls that she “was always drawn to na-ture and what it has to offer. i love natural materials. i look at and see raw materials that could become some-thing beautiful.”

Though her moth-er had closed the flower shop in 1998, barragan reopened it in 2005. She had grown up on the coast, attending los niños nursery school (run by her uncle Tom whiting), and then hatch elemen-tary and Cunha inter-mediate schools be-fore half moon bay high, from which she graduated in 1998.

She earned a two-year degree in floral design at the College of San mateo be-fore transferring to San francisco State university where she earned a degree in art, with an emphasis on sculpture and ceramics, in 2003. She recalls one of her past art teachers telling her, first you learn the rules and then you break them. and that’s a philosophy she is putting to work in her busi-ness today.

She says she still follows certain guidelines for her cen-terpieces. She incorporates sightlines that lead the eye in

White pumpkins add individuality to a fall flower centerpiece.

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n o V e M B e r 2 0 1 2 � H a l f M o o n B a y � 1 3

a pleasant way, up and around the centerpieces, and staunchly follows her clients’ wishes for the event, theme, budget and personal prefer-ences.

and she makes sure her center-pieces follow a time-honored rule for visual satisfaction. “no holes!” she laughed. “it’s a no-no to see the mechanics” like the plastic liners that unobtrusively form a reservoir of water for the plants, or the pads of sponge into which she sticks flower stems.

but she does call her own creativ-ity into play. “at this point, it’s gut,” she says as she looks critically at the almost-finished centerpiece and then selects one more flower to fill a tiny open space.

as the history might suggest, there are and always have been trends that shape the centerpiece business. “Trends come and go,” sighed barragan. “People learn tra-ditions and move away from tradi-tions.”

what’s popular now? unusual things, said the designer,

indicating the little white pumpkins that one might not think would have a place in a floral centerpiece. lots of textures, too, which is one reason why, she said, she chose the container of cork, with its rough and pocked surface, or why she fin-ishes it off with “green bells” that look like tiny green puffs of flowers, or mossy dianthus.

monochromatic themes — with one overall color but lots of varia-tion in it, such as different flowers in the same color or color family — are also big right now, she said.

but the price tags are not that big. her average price, for a 14-by-16-inch centerpiece, is $85. most of her centerpieces range from $55 to $65, but “i can do less.”

That may be, but as long as she gets to design with flowers whatever is called for, she is happy.

“i get to play with flowers,” she said. “every event needs a center-piece.”

floral designer and business owner alena Jean Whiting Barragan demostrates how to create a fall centerpiece using various textures.

i LooK at raW MateriaLS tHat couLd BecoMe SoMetHinG BeautifuL.” — �lena Jean Whiting Barragan


BeFore dinner

if you’re hosting a Thanksgiving dinner party with more than a few people who like to drink, you probably want to offer a pre-dinner refresh-ment for your guests as they’re arriving. a rosé is always a safe bet, said robert Pickett, wine & Cheese in-house wine expert. The wine is lighter and fruitier, he said, perfect for stoking conversations when everyone is still getting comfortable.

“it’s a nice and dry selection for when people are just milling about,” she said. “it’s a great choice if you’re not particularly wanting white or red. it’s nice and reasonably priced, so you can have several bottles.”

recommendation: domaine Sorin rosé, france – $13

PiCking The righT wine CruCial for ThankSgiving meal

wineWe offer thanks for the

food&drinK

By Mark noack�very family makes Thanks-giving dinner a little bit dif-ferently, but there are some basic rules for picking the right wine for your meal.

a good pinot noir or a well-selected riesling can make the perfect comple-

ment to balance out the flavors of the traditional roast turkey and potatoes. a tasty port or a savory muscat can turn a simple dessert into a centerpiece delicacy.

unlike Christmas, with its mad rush of gift-giving, Thanksgiving is a time when people invest their mental energy into the food and drink. local merchants say wine is one thing their customers want to do right.

The review asked the local grape nuts at the half moon bay wine & Cheese for help suggesting the right kinds of drink for a Thanksgiving meal. finding the right wine for the right situation was no problem for the oenophiles we encountered.

“actually, this is what we talk about all day long, what wine goes together well with a meal,” said ruth Starr, store manager. “wines are meant to be had with food.”

ultimately, finding the right pairing for your holiday meal is not a perfect science, but a matter of taste. That said, the experts say there are some good general rules to follow for choosing the right wine.


a pinot noir, such as this one from en

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“WineS are Meant to Be Had WitH food.”— ruth Starr, Half Moon Bay Wine & cheese store manager

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turkeY tiMe

This may be the biggest challenge of the meal, both for food and drink. Picking a good wine to meld perfectly with the flavors of the turkey depends entirely on how the bird is prepared. wine & Cheese manager Starr said a host might want to think ahead for the style of turkey before making a wine purchase.

“are you frying the turkey? are you barbecuing it? are you brining it? are you giving it a rub?” she said. “Turkey is not just turkey.”

one rule of thumb: a strongly spiced bird should be paired with a bold wine, she said. a traditional bird that might have more mild flavors would probably go well with pinot noir. zestier turkeys, such as recipes using brine or Cajun spices, would taste great with a zinfandel.

The type of the meat can also be a factor. The dark turkey meat, which is richer in protein and flavor, would go better with a red wine, she said. for white meat, a lighter white wine such as a riesling is a good choice.

recommendations: enroute pinot noir, russian river Valley — $60 Gruner Veltliner riesling, austria — $17

dessert

it’s time for pumpkin pie, and you’re itching for a third glass of wine. which one do you choose?

Sweet desserts go well with sweet wines, Starr explained. her own drink of choice to follow a hefty meal would be a ben rye, a honey-like wine made from muscat grapes with hints of apricot and caramel flavors that would mix well with any pastry.

The syrupy ports can also make for a great dessert wine, or some-thing to pair with cheese as an appetizer. but anyone sipping a port would do well to remember they’re fortified with brandy and have a higher alcohol content than you might expect.

recommendations: Ben rye, Sicily — $43Krohn Port, Portugal — $52Smith Woodhouse Port, Portugal — $33

Vintage ports make excellent dessert wines.

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HalfMoonBay.Ad.11.12.pdf 1 10/18/12 11:57 AM


By Louie castoriaillustrations by Sheila Longacre

this conversation may not have actually occurred on nov. 7, 1865, in San francisco, but it could have. the characters were really there at the time, and the events mentioned are true.

�am stopped in at the montgomery block early that Tuesday, having com-pleted his report for the San francisco Dramatic Chronicle, which, as usual, consisted of maligning reporters from the town’s

other newspapers including the Daily Call, where Sam had himself been a staffer in 1864,

before two upstarts, the Chronicle and the examiner, began

their daily runs.Despite the rivalry among the papers

the “monkey block” was the literary hangout for all journalists, along with pickpockets, drunks, and lawyers (the four types of patrons not being mutually exclusive). Sam chose a table in a corner in one of the saloons, hoping to have some time to himself.

“mark!” exclaimed the familiar, deep voice of the town’s Customs inspector and, until recently, its fire Chief. “mind if i pull up a seat?”

“g’afternoon, Thomas,” replied the report-er, snarling slightly on the name to remind his frequent poker rival and drinking partner that he preferred his given name to his nom de plume when among friends. Tom Sawyer pulled a chair from a nearby table, swung it backwards at Clemens’ table and straddled his legs across the seat, his beefy arms on the back.

“Don’t see you here much since the earth-quake,” Clemens observed. “i was starting to think you’d got tired of losing at poker.”

Sawyer didn’t rise to the bait, instead turn-ing pensive. “Sam, we’re in a four-story brick

building. after that quake in october, this is the last place i want to be

when the next one hits.” The “big one” on the 8th was the most severe quake on record in a town already famous for them.

“well, inspector, i

return to yeSteryear

fiction

editor’S note:

� his month marks 15 years in the marriage of the half moon bay review and

louie Castoria. it’s safe to say we would be lost without him.

Castoria says it all started in the 1970s, when he worked for the university of San francisco student newspaper, the foghorn. There he learned the most important rule of working in journalism: if you hang around long enough, eventually someone puts you in charge. he became the editor and there was no longer anyone to tell him no. not content with merely boring readers with his editorials, he decided to write a humor column. afraid that they wouldn’t be funny, he decided to sign them “allen funky,” be-cause, well, that was already funny.

he got a law degree, got mar-ried, had kids and somewhere in there he moved to half moon bay. but the genie was out of the bottle. one day in 1997, he walked into the review of-fices and asked

whether we’d run his humor col-umns. The rest is sordid history.

Castoria writes about silly things. he stages fake conversa-tions between presidential candi-dates. he goofs on Star Trek. he is the only writer here who invokes the wider world. but he’s funda-mentally a Coastsider. he provides his perspective on pumpkins and the fog and our unique people and places.

So 15 years on, we gave him some room to roam here in the pages of the magazine. it’s only appropriate that this piece is accompanied by the drawings of his daughter, Sheila longacre. Take it away, louie and Sheila.

-- clay Lambert

Louie castoria


reckon that if the next one is going to be big-ger than that, a bar with a billiard table is just the place to ride it out.”

Sawyer was unimpressed by his friend’s false bravado. “it’s an unlucky year, Sam, what with the president’s assassination and the quake. Trouble comes in threes, they say. Mark my words.”

Clemens winced at the wordplay on his pen name and was about to release a volley of his most obscene insults when the door swung open and the most peculiar man in town (a town duly proud of its misfits) strode proudly in, his sword raised high above his overly decorated Civil war surplus uniform and his high, feathered hat.

“all hail, norton the first, emperor of the united States and Protector of mexico!” an-nounced the barkeep, using Joshua norton’s self-bestowed title. The harmless crackpot replied, “a sandwich, your choice, my good man,” plunked one of his phony bills on the bar and his rear in a chair at Clemens’ table.

“greetins, yer excellency,” Sawyer wel-comed, his brooklyn roots showing. Clemens busily lit a new cigar, then tossed in a perfunc-tory, “hail. yes, hail,” looking up at the ceiling as if he expected an ice storm.

lacking any other employment, norton’s official duties as monarch were limited to printing his own money, which was accepted at some San francisco eateries but nowhere else on earth, and issuing proclamations. This was evidently an occasion for him to try one of the latter out.

“a great city deserves a great monu-ment,” he began, but was interrupted mid-pronouncement by an insistent tugging at his left pant leg. a dog of dubious lineage had entered the bar behind h.r.h. norton, and

was craving both attention and some of the sandwich, which he knew would soon

arrive. “bummer!” commanded norton,

“hold your horses! i was about to pontificate.”

Clemens, though not fond of dogs or royalists, tossed a food

scrap to bummer, the surviving half of San francisco’s most storied couple.

for more than a dozen years bummer and lazarus, who anywhere else would have been

called pests, had been heralded by the local

papers, their daring adventures chronicled — and largely made up — by newspapers short on news and long on paper. hardly a horse-drawn street car rattled down market Street without bummer and lazarus rescuing an errant child from its deadly approach, at great risk of life and a combined eight limbs. lazarus had passed on, a tragedy of general public lamentation, and despite his name had not seen fit to resurrect. bummer had bravely soldiered on, alone.

norton the first had naturally claimed the dogs to be his own, though no one knew where or when they had come from. norton’s claim to ownership was, if anything, better than others’ in that he shared their residence, the city streets.

“as i was saying,” he resumed, “a great bridge will be a fitting monument for San francisco, stretching from the foot of market Street to yerba buena island, and connecting the city with the roads to the gold Country, the valley, and, yea, even unto to the great financial centers of the east!” he suddenly stood, stretching his arms as widely as he could to suggest the breadth of the great span.

“beggin’ your pardon, your worship,” Cle-mens drawled, “but that island is solid rock. how do you s’pose that road will run up and down it?”

“neither up nor down, sir, but through! a huge tunnel will be dug straight through the isle. Surely, the bridge is the reason that Providence placed it there.”

Clemens was shocked to hear norton refer, even obliquely, to a higher power than him-self, and was about to say so when the pro-phetic poser continued. “you must think big, mr. Clemens! not only shall the bridge cross the bay, it shall unite the city with the faral-lon islands, miles across the Pacific!”

“mostly gulls and sea lions there, i hear,” Sawyer re-marked. “five dollars say it’ll never be built.” he put his money on the table.

norton cried,

“Double!” putting down a ten-spot of his own design and palming Sawyer’s five. The knave’s cleverness gave Clemens his first hearty laugh of the day. “That’ll teach you, Tom, to go cros-sin’ swords with royalty!”

norton made a hasty yet flourished exit, having actual u.S. legal tender in his pocket for once. bummer stayed behind, noticing that norton had also left with his sandwich, and hoping for Clemens’ further largesse.

“Seriously, Sam,” Sawyer confided, “Do you think this town is ready for big ideas like that?”

“maybe,” Clemens answered in a puff of smoke. “Seems to me that it started out with larger than life ideas and characters to match. we can only speak for our own time. The future is for the dreamers and the scalawags.”

“and the writers?”“for my part, i’m thinkin’ of younger days

along the mississippi. you’d probably have liked it there, Tom.”

afterword: clemens first published “the ad-ventures of tom Sawyer” in 1876, borrowing the lead character’s name from his poker pal. He loosely based the characters the King and the duke in “the adventures of Huckleberry finn” on emperor norton. the Bay Bridge was eventually built, and many suggested that it be named after emperor norton. it never reached the farallones. the “Mon-key Block” is currently the site of the transamerica Pyramid. two later earthquakes (so far) surpassed “the big one” of 1865. the city survived them both, thanks to larger-than-life char-acters, dreamers, and scalawags.


M - F 11 am to 8 pm • Sat - sun 8 am to 8 pm523 Church st • half moon bay • 650.726.7699

Café

Capistrano Café

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mayan &Americancuisine

mayan &Americancuisine Pumpkin Soup and Empanadas

Half Moon Bay Fish MarketHalf Moon Bayaya Fish Markrkr etFresh Seafood

Call us to plan yourHoliday Dinner

Mon-Fri, 9am–7pm, Sat & Sun, 8am–7pmHalf Moon Bay Fish Market, Corner of 92 and Main Street

Call726-2561

Fresh

Natural Turkeys

Available!

CASEY’SCAFÉ

Homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, and entreesGluten free menu items • Soups and Chowders availableBreakfast all day • Dog-friendly patio • Wine & beer list

328 Main St. #101, Half Moon Bay • 650-560-4880

www.caseyscafeofhalfmoonbay.comCateringavailable!

CHOICE

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R E A D E R S Let us helpyou with

your holidaymenu planning.

WINNER! of the 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2012 “AS FRESH AS IT GETS” AWARD

Daddy-O’s!Daddy-O’s!

225 Cabrillo Highway South (the caboose)Half Moon Bay | 650.560.9832

Tues.-Fri. 11-6, Sat. 9-5 (or till its gone!)

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Burgers, Dogs and More!

Dining OutFrom fast to fancy, there are many delicious options on the coast.


Since 2001 Sonrisas has been working to improve the dental health of Coastside residents and to break the cycle of dental disease in our community. When the clinic opened, many people only sought emergency care and were not aware of the importance of dental hygiene and the need for ongoing dental health.

Eleven years later, with many innovative programs in place, 55% fewer patients now seek emergency care because of the preventative measures taken. Sonrisas has succeeded in improving the dental health of Coastsiders and breaking the cycle of neglect by providing access to affordable dental care, but the effort never stops as we continue to work with new patients each year. Please join us in the effort.

SonriSaS community Dental center210 San Mateo Rd., Suite 104, Half Moon Bay [email protected] www.sonrisasdental.org, 726-2144 facebook.com/SonrisasCDC twitter.com/SonrisasCDC

Sonrisas Community Dental Center

ABOUT Founded in 1994, Boys and Girls Club of the Coastside is a community supported organization that provides programs and services for youth. Housed on the Cunha Middle School Campus, we offer lunch time and after school activities until 6 p.m. Our organization is dedicated to promoting health, social, educational, vocational, and character development for boys and girls.

SERVICES Homework help during “Power Hour”, Surf Club, Soccer Club, weekly activities, sports, art, cooking, Torch Club, activities with Sheriffs Activity League, STEM, HEAL and the library. Call Anna today to offer your time or donate via our website!

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF THE COASTSIDE600 Church Street, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019www.bgc-coastside.org | (650) 712-9710

Boys & Girls Clubof the Coastside

community supported organization

organization is dedicated to promoting health, social, educational,

g i v i n g b a C k

our local nonprofit organizations are crucial to the well being of the Coastside. we invite

you to take a look at the following groups and learn a little about what they do.

During this holiday season, consider lending a hand or donating funds to ensure the success

of these nonprofits.

American Association of University Women www.hmb-aauw.org/Boys & Girls Club of the Coastside www.bgc-coastside.orgCoastside Adult Day Health Center www.coastsideadultdayhealth.orgCabrillo Education Foundation www.CEFfund.orgCoastal Arts League www.coastalartsleague.comCoastside Hope www.coastsidehope.orgCoastside Land Trust www.coastsidelandtrust.orgCompanions in Waiting www.CompanionsInWaiting.orgGRACE (Grassroots Alliance for Community Education) www.grace.usa.orgHealth Plan of San Mateo County www.hpsm.orgHMB Beautification Committee Johnston House Foundation www.johnstonhouse.orgSecond Harvest Food Bank www.SHFB.orgSenior Coastsiders www.seniorcoastsiders.orgSan Mateo County Farm Bureau sanmateo.cfbf.comSonrisas Community Dental Center www.sonrisasdental.orgUC Cooperative Extension www.cesanmateo.ucanr.eduYoung Actor’s Workshop www.coastsideyoungactors.com

Half Moon Bay Review


� umpkins make pretty good cash cows when the annual half moon bay art & Pumpkin festival rolls around. in fact, many non-profit organizations on the coast would be in serious trouble if not for the annual

infusion of money.“we provide an opportunity for a lot or most of the non-

profits on the Coastside,” said Cameron Palmer, current president of the half moon bay beautification Commit-tee, the nonprofit group that organizes the festival each october.

“This relieves pressure on nonprofits from constantly having to fundraise, and eases the burden of small local businesses being constantly bombarded with donation requests,” said Tim beeman, spokesman at miramar events, the production company hired by the beautification Com-mittee to put on the event.

Thirty-five local nonprofits took home a piece of the

PumPing uP nonProfiTS

Local groups

make most of coast’s

Pumpkin festival

By Sara Hayden

nonProfitS

By Sara Hayden

Charlie ruSSo / review

the cougar Boosters stall sold tamales and drinks to raise money for high school athletic programs.

Stephanie Lyons, left, and carla edwards sell pumpkin flavored goodies at this year’s Pumpkin and arts festival for the coastside Land trust.

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UC Cooperat ive Extension San Mateo/San Francisco Counties

The mission of the University of California Cooperative Extension service

is to transfer research-based information to local practical application.

Field based academic staff and paraprofessionals have an almost

100 year proven, unique, and respected ability to bring together

resources to solve problems.

Our mission is a future where healthy people and communities,

healthy food systems, and healthy environments are strengthened

by a close partnership between UC and its research and extension

programs and the people of California.

Our Programs:

4-H Youth Development is a non-formal program that

focuses on building leadership, citizenship, and life

skills for youth 5-19 years of age. Coastside clubs

include Half Moon Bay 4-H, Coastside 4-H, and La Honda

4-H. Contact Mary Meyer at [email protected].

The UC Master Gardener Program is a cadre of trained

volunteers who extend research-based information in

home horticulture and pest management to

County residents. Contact the Master Gardener hotline at

(650) 726-9059 x 107 or email [email protected].

Nutrition Education Programs are targeted toward limited

income individuals, families with children, and youth.

Staff provide free multi-lingual, interactive nutrition

and gardening curricula, teacher supports, parent

nutrition, workshops, and directly teach a series of nutrition

classes to individuals at qualifying schools and agencies. Contact

Nutrition staff in San Bruno at (650)871-7559 or

[email protected].

Elkus Ranch Environmental Education program provides

hands-on, standards based programs for children in

preschool through high school, including those with spe-

cial needs. A Conference center, commercial kitchen and

board room can be rented for meetings, retreats, or special events.

Call Leslie Jensen at (650)712-3151 or [email protected]

UCCE San Mateo Office 80 Stone Pine Road

Suite 100

Half Moon Bay, CA. 94019

Telephone: 650-726-9059

Fax: 650-726-9267 Email: [email protected]

Website: http://cesanmateo.ucanr.edu


proverbial pumpkin pie during the 42nd fest over the weekend of oct. 13 and 14.

The committee requests 10 percent of the participating non-profits’ earnings to cover expens-es associated with the festival, such as permit fees and cleaning, but the rest is theirs to keep.

The final take won’t be entirely totaled until later this month, said Palmer. even so, many people are abuzz with what they think is their biggest moneymak-ing event of the year. it’s vitally important as other resources are drying up for many of these organizations.

getting notiCeda 1,175-pound pumpkin that

took first place at the annual Safeway world Championship Pumpkin weigh-off got a lot of attention all weekend long. The pumpkin broke the record as California’s heaviest pumpkin. grown by stay-at-home dad Thad Starr of oregon, it was not quite big enough to be Cinderella’s car-riage, but it did make for some excellent photo opportunities.

The Cabrillo education foundation, in cooperation with the Silicon valley Community foundation, took advantage. Pumpkin enthusiasts had the chance to be photographed with the giant gourd for $15, and that money goes directly to Cef and ultimately to fund school needs.

between 750 and 800 people lined up, got their photo taken with equipment provided by local business alifano Technologies and walked away with a ready-made souvenir.

blue skies and sunshine en-couraged people to come out to the booth this time, speculates Cef executive Director melissa rey. in rainy 2011, the photo booth brought in $10,949, and in 2010, Cef earned $9,056. This time around, the haul was more than $12,000.

Cef plans to use the money to provide enrichment opportuni-ties in Coastside classrooms, such as bolstering elective options or helping classes go on field trips.

further down main Street in

above, there was a huge line down Main Street for the Half Moon Bay Great Pancake Breakfast, conducted by the boys High School Basketball team.

Members of cougar Boosters get popping with Lady cou-gar Kettle corn to support the girl’s freshman basketball team.

PhoTo CourTeSy mike miTChell

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ABOUT Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties is the trusted leader dedicated to ending local hunger. Since its inception in 1974, Second Harvest has become one of the largest food banks in the nation, providing food to an average of nearly one quarter of a million people each month. The Food Bank mobilizes individuals, companies, and community partners to connect people to the nutritious food they need. More than half of the food distributed is fresh produce. Second Harvest also plays a leading role in promoting federal nutrition programs and educating families on how to make healthier food choices.

Thanks to community support and partnerships, Second Harvest Food Bank is able to:

• Feed 1 in 10 people in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.

• Provide more than 37 million meals to people a year.

• Provide food at no cost to more than 300 community-based non-profi t organizations at 740 sites up and down the Peninsula, including food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters.

• Distribute healthy food where people live, work and play through direct service programs such as Family Harvest, Brown Bag for seniors and Produce Mobile.

CEO Kathryn Jackson, [email protected]

SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK1051 Bing Street, San Carlos, CA 94070Need Food? 800-984-3663Want to Donate? 866-234-3663www.SHFB.org

Second Harvest Food Bankof Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties

ABOUT Since 1987, the Health Plan of San Mateo (HPSM) has fought for the health care needs of underinsured residents of San Mateo County, giving individual and personal attention to its members and providers to meet the needs of our community.

HPSM is a managed care health plan that provides health care benefi ts to approximately 1000,000 members. It is a County Organized Health System—one of only fi ve in California.

Members of HPSM receive benefi ts through the following programs:

• CareAdvantage (HMO SNP) (seniors and people with disabilities)

• Healthy Families (children and adolescents)

• Healthy Kids (children and adolescents)

• Medi-Cal (adults and families)

• San Mateo County ACE/MCE programs (adults age 19 to 64)

HPSM is governed by the San Mateo Health Commission. Members of the Commission represent community advocates, physicians, pharmacists, and elected offi cials that serve on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

HPSM’s network consists of more than 800 providers (solo practitioners, small group practices, and clinics). More than 2,000 specialty care providers are available by referral.

At HPSM we fi ght for you. To make a diffi cult process easier. To improve the quality of life for those in our community. We also have a vision, that “healthy is for everyone.” And we fi ght to make that possible, for you.

This commitment we call the Healthy Fight, and it’s our daily focus. It’s in how we serve our members. It’s in how we reach out to the doctors in San Mateo County. It’s in the hearts and on the minds of each and every staff member.

Learn more about HPSM and the Healthy Fight online at www.hpsm.org. Or call HPSM at 1-888-616-1578. TTY users call 1-800-735-2929.

HEALTH PLAN OF SAN MATEO701 Gateway Blvd., Suite 400South San Francisco, CA 94080Phone: 650-616-0050TTY: 1-800-735-2929 or dial 7-1-1Email: [email protected]

Health Plan of San Mateo

2013

Benefits!

MISSION STATEMENT Since its inception in 1982, the Coastside Adult Day Health Center’s Mission is to keep people as healthy, active and independent as possible, when advancing years or physical/mental conditions call for extra care and attention.

ABOUT Coastside Adult Day Health Center is excited to celebrate our 30th year of providing health care services to our frail, elderly, and disabled. We are especially proud that we were the fi rst Adult Day Health Center in San Mateo County. Over the years we have continued to assist coastside families and their loved ones in an effort to keep the elderly in their own homes, near family and friends, and in the community they helped build, preserving their dignity and choice. One of the biggest fears a senior has is to be placed in a nursing home. Our services offer a cost effective alternative to premature placement.

With Compassion and Professionalism, we offer comprehensive and all inclusive services that are individualized for each participant.

SERVICES INCLUDE: • Nursing and personal care/medications monitoring• Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapies• Social Services/case management• Memory Enhancement program/beginning dementia• Alzheimer’s program/progressed dementia• Alzheimer’s Café• Stimulating group activities• Respite and support groups for families and caregivers• Nutrition education and counseling• Hot nutritious lunch served daily• Door-to-door, wheelchair-accessible transportation• Information and referrals

Hours of operations are Monday thru Friday, 9AM – 4PM.We accept Medi-Cal, long term insurance and veteran’s benefi ts.Those paying privately, fees will be based on a sliding scale. For more information call: 650- 726-5067

COASTSIDE ADULTDAY HEALTH CENTER645 Correas St., Half Moon Bay(650) 726-5067www.coastsideadultdayhealth.org

Coastside AdultDay Health Center

Executive Director Janie Bono-James

ORGANIZATION | Senior Coastsiders

MISSION STATEMENT | To offer opportunities that supportsuccessful aging.

ABOUT | Founded in 1977, Senior Coastsiders hasbecome the focal point for senior services on theCoastside.We strive to create an atmosphere thatacknowledges and affirms the value, dignity and selfworth of seniors and adults with disabilities.The agencyalso serves as a resource for the entire community forinformation on aging, support of caregivers, and develop-ment of innovative approaches to address issues of aging.

SERVICES | Information, guidance and referralsSocial workClasses, lectures and tripsTransportationGrocery shoppingHome delivered mealsLunches served at the centerHome repair assistanceSpecial eventsVolunteer services and opportunities

EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR |CaraSchmaljohn

Senior Coastsider staff left to right (back row): Sharon Maggert, CaraSchmaljohn, Tracy Gould, John Yengich, (front row) Molly Duff, Carla-Ruth Morgan, Kathy Perlongo, Vicki Cormack, (not pictured Paul Parsons)

SENIOR COASTSIDERS | 535 Kelly Ave., Half Moon Bay726-9056

www.seniorcoastsiders.org

MAJOR EVENTS/FUNDRAISERS |

Seniors Night Out | APRILHome Rehab Day | JUNETaste of the Coast | SEPTEMBER5K/10K Pumpkin Run | OCTOBERSenior Coastsiders Thrift Store | YEAR-ROUND

CURRENT BOARD | Herreid, Susan Kealey, James Kellenberger, Tom Kirkpatrick, Nancy Stern, Ben Tyson, Robert Zadek

Suzanne Black, Howard Hayes, Marian

■ ORGANIZATION | Coastside Adult Day Health Center

MISSION STATEMENT | Since its inception in 1982, the CoastsideAdult Day Health Center’s Mission is to keep people as healthy,active and independent as possible, when advancing years or physical/mental conditions call for extra care and attention.

ABOUT | Coastside Adult Day Health Center is excited tocelebrate our 25th year of providing health care services to ourfrail, elderly, and disabled.We are especially proud that we werethe 1st Adult Day Health Center in San Mateo County. Over theyears we have continued to assist coastside families and their lovedones in an effort to keep the elderly in their own homes, near fami-ly and friends, and in the community they helped build, preservingtheir dignity and choice. One of the biggest fears a senior has is tobe placed in a nursing home. Our services offer a cost effectivealternative to premature placement.

With Compassion and Professionalism, we offer comprehensive andall inclusive services that are individualized for each participant.

Services include:■ Nursing and personal care/medications moni-

toring■ Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapies■ Social Services/case management■ Memory Enhancement program/beginning

dementia■ Alzheimer’s program/progressed dementia■ Stimulating group activities■ Respite and support groups for families and

caregivers■ Nutrition education and counseling■ Hot nutritious lunch served daily■ Door-to-door, wheelchair-accessible trans-

portation■ Information and referrals

Hours of operations are Monday thru Friday, 9AM – 3PM.We acceptMedi-Cal, long term insurance and veteran’s benefits.Those payingprivately will be based on a sliding scale. For more information call:650- 726-5067

COASTSIDE ADULT DAY HEALTH CENTER645 Correas St., Half Moon Bay, CA 94019(650) 726-5067www.coastsideadultdayhealth.org

EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR |Janie Bono-James

CoastsideAdult Day

Health Center

CoastsideAdult Day

Health Center

coastsideadultdayhealth.orgcoastsideadultdayhealth.org

Compassionate Care for Seniors Respite for Families

Compassionate Care for Seniors Respite for Families

650.726.5068645 Correa, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

650.726.5068645 Correa, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

MISSION STATEMENT To offer opportunities that support successful aging.

ABOUT Founded in 1977, Senior Coastsiders has become the focal point for senior services on the Coastside.We strive to create an atmosphere that acknowledges and affi rms the value, dignity and self worth of seniors and adults with disabilities.The agency also serves as a resource for the entire community for information on aging, support of caregivers, and development of innovative approaches to address issues of aging.

SERVICES Information, guidance and referrals Social work Classes, lectures and trips Transportation

Grocery shopping Home delivered meals Lunchesserved at the center Home repair assistance Special events Volunteer services and opportunities

MAJOR EVENTS/FUNDRAISERSSeniors Night Out | APRILHome Rehab Day | JUNETaste of the Coast | SEPTEMBER5K/10K Pumpkin Run | OCTOBERSenior Coastsiders Thrift Store | YEAR-ROUND

Senior Coastsider staff left to right (back row): Sharon Maggert, Cara Schmaljohn, Tracy Gould, John Yengich, (front row) Molly Duff, Carla-Ruth Morgan, Kathy Perlongo, Vicki Cormack, (not pictured Paul Parsons)

CURRENT BOARD Suzanne Black, Howard Hayes, Marian Herreid, Susan Kealey, James Kellenberger, Tom Kirkpatrick, Nancy Stern, Ben Tyson, Robert Zadek

SENIOR COASTSIDERS535 Kelly Ave., Half Moon Bay, 726-9056, www.seniorcoastsiders.org

SeniorCoastsiders

Senior Coastsider staff left to right (back row): Sharon Maggert, Cara

Executive Director Cara SchmaljohnExecutive Director

ORGANIZATION | Senior Coastsiders

MISSION STATEMENT | To offer opportunities that supportsuccessful aging.

ABOUT | Founded in 1977, Senior Coastsiders hasbecome the focal point for senior services on theCoastside.We strive to create an atmosphere thatacknowledges and affirms the value, dignity and selfworth of seniors and adults with disabilities.The agencyalso serves as a resource for the entire community forinformation on aging, support of caregivers, and develop-ment of innovative approaches to address issues of aging.

SERVICES | Information, guidance and referralsSocial workClasses, lectures and tripsTransportationGrocery shoppingHome delivered mealsLunches served at the centerHome repair assistanceSpecial eventsVolunteer services and opportunities

EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR |CaraSchmaljohn

Senior Coastsider staff left to right (back row): Sharon Maggert, CaraSchmaljohn, Tracy Gould, John Yengich, (front row) Molly Duff, Carla-Ruth Morgan, Kathy Perlongo, Vicki Cormack, (not pictured Paul Parsons)

SENIOR COASTSIDERS | 535 Kelly Ave., Half Moon Bay726-9056

www.seniorcoastsiders.org

MAJOR EVENTS/FUNDRAISERS |

Seniors Night Out | APRILHome Rehab Day | JUNETaste of the Coast | SEPTEMBER5K/10K Pumpkin Run | OCTOBERSenior Coastsiders Thrift Store | YEAR-ROUND

CURRENT BOARD | Herreid, Susan Kealey, James Kellenberger, Tom Kirkpatrick, Nancy Stern, Ben Tyson, Robert Zadek

Suzanne Black, Howard Hayes, Marian


front of the i.D.e.S. hall, many groups popped up tents to sell pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin macaroni and cheese and other seasonally appropriate delicacies.

well, some were seasonally appropriate. others were classic festival fare, like the boy Scouts’ garlic fries.

“i like being fry fetcher. That’s one of the jobs where you actually get to sit down,” said 13-year-old Jack Crofton. he sat on top of a cooler for a break from delivering fries to the main tent from the garlic mixing station.

The other 45 to 50 Scout and parent vol-unteers passed out drinks, refilled supplies and stood in as cashiers with the efficiency of an assembly line.

“This is much more satisfying in terms of fundraising. we don’t sell sugar. we sell fat and salt,” joked Jeff Crofton, Jack’s father and also this year’s garlic fry coordi-

nator. he declined to say how lucrative the fry sales were so as not to incite envy.

“Some troops don’t make as much,” he said. “we make more money than if we were selling light bulbs or popcorn, let’s put it that way.”

he did confirm that the troop sells 2,700 to 3,000 pounds of garlic fries in a single weekend, and that they’ve boosted their fryer count to six fryers from one fry-er 15 years ago. The troop uses the money to subsidize programs and merit badges.

a tasty recipe is their secret. gordon biersch of brewery and restau-

rant fame purportedly gave a signature gar-lic fry recipe to the troop’s first fry master, bob klimenko, said Crofton.

neW tastesvendor booths don’t turn over often,

but, when it happens, it allows a new group

to be bumped up the waiting list, said Palmer. Thirty hopefuls were in line for this year’s festival.

The half moon bay yacht Club — which had been a pumpkin fest snack mainstay — was noticeably missing this time around.

“The core group who has run the calamari booth the last 13 or 14 years has more gray hair than me, and that’s saying something,” said ray Durazo, the yacht club’s commodore. Still, if the time is right, or new members want to take up the tradi-tion, the yacht club would like to return.

“we love the community, and we love the spirit of pumpkin fest,” said Durazo.

The half moon bay high School girls basketball team took the yacht club’s cov-eted place and sold kettle corn.

although its presence is nothing new, the boys & girls Club’s fundraising idea is.

Members of the young actors Workshop and their parents dress up as pirates and other spooky characters and guide visitors through a Haunted House.bill murray / review

“we’re always reinventing our-selves to raise money,” said rocky raynor, vice president of the boys & girls Club of the Coast-side. “we’re all just scrambling for dollars, and there’s not a lot of dollars, so we’re hoping to get dollars from over the hill.”

an anonymous donor gave a brand-new fiat car to the organiza-tion, which is now raffling it off.

The club sold 500 of the 4,000 tickets in a first week of sales that included Pumpkin festi-val weekend. The club earned $3,000. raynor suspected sales were low because the group didn’t have permission from the beautification Committee to sell them at the festival.

many kids turn to the club with its low membership costs to have access to tutoring, leader-ship, mentoring and other oppor-tunities. Two years ago, member-ship in the club was fewer than 100 kids. Today, it’s more than 300.

“it’s a bigger strain on us. we’re having to turn kids away because we don’t have enough money to support those kids,” said raynor.

he hopes that many more tickets will be sold in time for the drawing in february.

taking tHe Creative aPProaCH

The Coastside young ac-tors workshop has opted for a spookier fundraising approach.

Teacher and director kevin north, also known as pirate Captain n. Tennille during the Pumpkin fest, made a haunted barn by the half moon bay Jail his haunt to help raise money for the workshop

“we be nonprofit pirates — the rarest kind,” growled north with a pirate’s gruffness. “i recollect (we collect) a lot of booty. how much, i cannot say. i hear tell that it goes to a good cause. we pass it on to our young

the Half Moon Bay High School’s water polo team sold pumpkin smoothies to raising funds at this year’s Pumpkin and art festival.

PhoTo CourTeSy mike miTChell

MISSION STATEMENT To protect, preserve, restore and refurbish for future generations the historic James Johnston House in Half Moon Bay.

ABOUT Founded in 1972, the all-volunteer Johnston House Foundation has rebuilt the James Johnston House from a crumbling ruin to its current stately presence. Work continues on historically-correct interior rooms, furniture and accessories. Our goal includes providing a comprehensive educational experience for visitors. We desire to tell the story of this unique saltbox house, its inhabitants and the impact on Coastside, California and American history. We are actively seeking volunteers to join us in the endeavor.

SERVICES Open House – Third Saturday each month January - September, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free tours by costumed docents. Private tours and school group tours available upon request. The revised “The White House of Half Moon Bay” book available for sale, a comprehensive description of the house, family and restoration efforts.

MAJOR EVENTS/FUNDRAISERS Johnston House Holiday Boutique and Winter Tea: November 3, 4, 10, 11. 10am - 4pm. Free Admission. Winter Tea is served at 1pm. Tickets are $30/person Reservations required. For information - [email protected].

CURRENT BOARD Mary Bettencourt, Jan Gray, Deborah Houston, Jack McHugh, Ann Mori, Cameron Palmer, Edie Phillips, John Ryan, Carolyn Waring.

JOHNSTON HOUSEFOUNDATION, INC.P. O. Box 789, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019726-0329, www.johnstonhouse.org

Johnston HouseFoundation

ABOUT The Main Street Beautifi cation Committee was formed in 1971.It was founded as (and still is) an all-volunteer group of civic-mindedcitizens from the Coastside who wanted to make a lasting contributionto the preservation and beautifi cation of the town’s historic Main Street.Directors have always served without compensation. The Committeehas been responsible organizing the world-famous Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival since it was launched in 1971.

• For the fi rst two years, the offi cial festival name was “Spanishtown Art& Pumpkin Festival”. It was changed to Half Moon Bay Art & PumpkinFestival in 1973.

• Changed its name to Half Moon Bay Beautifi cation Committee andbecame incorporated in the State of California in 1985.

• Trademarked the name “Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival” in 1985.

• Changed its bylaws in the mid-1980s to begin making grants (throughan application process) to Coastside non-profi t organizations servingchildren, youth, families, and seniors, as well as for Main Street andcommunity projects, and also to fund annual scholarships for deservinghigh school students.

• Has contributed millions of dollars in direct grants and donations since the festival’s inception in 1971.

• Provides the opportunity for local non-profi t groups to raise an estimated $500,000 every year through the operation of food, beverage, game and parking concessions at the Pumpkin Festival.

• Has funded a multitude of Main Street projects over the years at nocost to the city including: the renovation of City Hall, the painting ofhistoric buildings, the installation of old-fashioned street lights and wooden benches, the underground wiring of Main Street, the construction of Mac Dutra and Kitty Fernandez Parks, and the purchase of garbage receptacles and Christmas lights. Additionally, the committee spends $25,000 annually on the maintenance and sprucing up of Main Street. Workers hired by thecommittee plant and maintain fresh fl owers, re-furbish benches, and clean up and sweep Main Street every week.

HMB Beautifi cation Committee

Left to right: Cameron Palmer, Kathy Llorente, Kris Mason, Bev Ashcraft, Naomi Patridge, Heidi Kuiper, Mel Mello Jr. (not pictured: Ken Ormonde,John Bianchi, Joe Borges)

buccaneers who put on a good production in the spring.”

near half moon bay feed & fuel, it’s Javier gutierrez’s second year teaching at half moon bay high School, and his second year bringing a petting zoo to the festival to benefit his future farmers of america students.

“at a $1 entrance, it’s a pretty cheap thrill,” said gutierrez.

it was a thrill for visitors, but also for gutierrez, who witnessed a bunch of people trying to chase chickens last year. Small children who were desperate to see the animals but didn’t have money were allowed in for free. gutier-rez ushered them in to get face time with goats, sheep, chickens and rabbits.

This year, gutierrez also introduced a little pig and a calf, as well as mini pumpkins for the kids to decorate.

more than 1,500 people of all ages visited, and 40 to 50 stu-dents volunteered.

last year, a dissatisfied customer demanded a refund when an animal decided to sleep instead of eat. The petting zoo raked in $800 this time around, which will be used to help pay for meetings, scholarships, awards and conferences.

The potential money that the pumpkin fest offers is vital. groups start to plan for the opportunity with the beautifica-tion Committee in June. but the connections that these Coastside organizations can make with their community are critical too.

“The Pumpkin festival is a great community event and op-portunity for my students to get involved,” said gutierrez. “not just to fundraise, but also to edu-cate and share our skills.”

at the Pumpkin festival attendees can start the day with a heary pancake breakfast.

MISSION The mission of the Farm Bureau of San Mateo County is education and public policy advocacy to promote and protect agricultural interests throughout San Mateo County.

ABOUT San Mateo County Farm Bureau is a non-governmental, non-profi t, voluntary membership California corporation. The California Farm Bureau, comprised of 53 county Farm Bureaus currently representing approximately 76,500 members, is California’s largest farm organization. The American Farm Bureau has approximately 5 million members.

GOALS Since it’s inception in 1948, the Farm Bureau of San Mateo County strives to:

• Insure adequate water supply for San Mateo County Agriculture

• Increase awareness and understanding of local agriculture

• To enhance relations with elected offi cials and decision makers

• Continue to develop the huge market for locally grown food through “As Fresh As It Gets”

MAJOR FUNDRAISING EVENT

Golf Tournament, June 21, 2013 at the Half Moon Bay Golf Links.

Proceeds from this tournament are used for local youth scholarships.

The Farm Bureau of San Mateo County also provides local teachers scholarships to attend California Ag In The Class’s yearly conference.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:PRESIDENT / Don McCahonVICE PRESIDENT / Louie FigoneTREASURER / BJ BurnsDIRECTORS / George Armanino, Richard Deeney, Peter Marchi, Bob Marsh, Steve Oku, Stan PastorinoEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / William “Bill” GassOFFICE ADMINISTRATOR / Cindy Machado

San Mateo County Farm Bureau

SAN MATEO COUNTY FARM BUREAU765 Main St., Half Moon Bayhttp://sanmateo.cfbf.com(650) 726-4485Email: [email protected]

Our offi ce in downtown Half Moon Bay


sonia Myers: What exactly is your role as executive director of the Boys and girls Club of the Coastside?anna Mcdevitt: i wear several hats as the executive director, but primarily it is identify-ing strategic goals and implementing them for the organization overall. There are several tasks, such as board development, resource develop-ment and program development. i also help with marketing. basically, my job is to doing ev-erything for a small organization. i think that’s one of the challenges: i do not have admin staff. i have to implement a lot of the things, from financial officer, budgets, grant writer. i am on 13 different committees.

sM: How did you handle grant writing dur-ing a recession?aM: it’s very tough. a lot of foundations are giving to organizations they have relationships with. one strategy that i focus on is to really take advantage of the foundations that do believe in us and strengthen that relationship we do have. i still try to solicit proposals to new foundations, but i don’t get my hopes up too high because, in this economy, rejection is common.

sM: it seems fundraising doesn’t ever take a rest.aM: no. we have three main sources of fund-ing: grants, fundraising events and donations from the community. They all help to support our organization. So, the fundraising is con-tinual.

sM: With all the hats you wear that come with the job, are you able to spend any time with the kids?aM: i definitely try to. i always try to come out and say hello every day. but i see that, the more responsibility i have and the bigger we are, means the less and less time i get to interact

than i would like. That is one of the challenges of my position because that’s the love of why i chose to go into the field of working with kids.

sM: You are a mom of three with a toddler and two teenagers. How do you balance a full-time job with being a mom and running a household? aM: first and foremost, i couldn’t do it without my family network support. i am going to give complete kudos to the mcDevitt family because without them i couldn’t do my job. i am so lucky to have my mother-in-law. my husband supports me in everything i do. it’s hard to turn it off when you have a small organization like this. i’m always going. Someone always has a question. it’s hard to find the balance.

sM: How do you work with your staff ?aM: The staff is golden! we all meet weekly and talk about goals. without them there wouldn’t be a program. Staff is key to having a successful program because they have built the bond with the children. more and more kids are stay-ing with us, and we are building a relationship over time. eighty percent have stayed with the program.

sM: Back in March of this year, the review ran an article about the club’s wait list. With limited resources, there wasn’t enough room for all the kids who were eager to be a part of the club, and the wait list had nearly 80 names. How have things changed?aM: we don’t have a long waiting list for sever-al reasons. we have expanded the program, and we have another room now. we have increased our ratios and so were able to take on more kids. also some kids have graduated on or found other programs. one thing that makes our club different is we are very academically focused. we have the “Power hour” and there is no other

Q & a

�eadinG tHe cLuB

review staffer sonia Myers sat down with anna Mcdevitt,

executive director of the Boys and Girls club of

the coastside, and talked about current challenges and hopes for the future

for the club.

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“it’s hard to turn it off when you have a small organization like this. i’m always going. Someone always has a question.”

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“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men”

- Frederick Douglass, former slave, Social Reformer and advisor to Abraham Lincoln

While working in AIDS research at UCSF, Half Moon Bay resident Natasha Martin went to Kenya to meet with AIDS researchers. It changed her life. One thing led to another, and in 2001 Natasha founded Grassroots Alliance for Community Education (G.R.A.C.E.) to help orphans of the AIDS epidemic in Kenya.

G.R.A.C.E. believes that the people in Kenya know best how to identify and solve their own problems, and they use education as the tool to create lasting life transformations. Their new Director in Kenya, Pascal Mailu, oversees many community based programs with local leadership that include:

Support for orphans 0-6 years old with preschool education, food, medical care and protection from abuse and neglect.

Educational support for older orphans in college programs

Teaching caregivers to create self-funded savings and lending clubs

Because G.R.A.C.E. works directly at the community level, the impact of their work is visible with very modest outlays of funding:

$5 provides a child with 40 meals a month

$25 enables a woman to establish a vegetable stand to support her family

$150 will provide child-size tables and chairs for 15 children in a home-based center who now sit on the fl oor. ($10 per child)

The Half Moon Bay community has supported several children through the Naisula Education program who are now university graduates, themselves helping young orphans attend school.

Even the smallest gift goes further than you can imagine! There is no large overlying organization that dilutes your donation. Please send checks to address below or donate thru their website. Thank you for your kindness.

G.R.A.C.E.Grassroots Alliance for Community Education

G.R.A.C.E.PO Box 185Half Moon Bay, CA 94019www.grace.usa.org, 712-0561

MISSION Coastside Hope’s mission is to help our neighbors meet their most basic needs while helping every one of us reach our full potential.

ABOUT Coastside Hope has served the Coastside community for 36 years. We serve approximately 10% of the Coastside population each year. Coastside Hope serves the entire community, the working poor, low income seniors, veterans, residents with physical disabilities, single parents, the unemployed and the homeless.

Thanks to the support of good neighbors like you, we provide:

• Emergency Food Pantry • Food Stamp Applications (CALFRESH)• Weekly Senior Brown Bag Food Distribution • Monthly Family Harvest Food Distribution• Thanksgiving and Christmas Turkey & Warm Clothing Distributions• Christmas Adopt-A-Family• Emergency Rental and Utility Assistance • Emergency Shelter Referrals• Free Income Tax Preparation • Forms Assistance (Unemployment, etc.)• Immigration Assistance• Free Citizenship Classes • Service Referrals – if we can’t help you,we will do our best to fi nd someone that can.

To fi nd out how you can strengthen our community and help those in need, please contact Keith Terry, Community Development Director at (650) 726-9071 ext. 222 or [email protected]

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Fatima Soares

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Bob ReillyVice-President: Douglas WaringTreasurer: Barbara Wright Secretary: Dianne Baker Members: Pablo Jaime, Peter Lowenberg, Laurie McKinney, Mike Montgelas, Judy O’Leary, Jeff Perls, Valerie Spier

HONORARY MEMBERSDavid Pasternak, Rose Serdy, Dell Williams

COASTSIDE HOPEP.O. Box 1089, 99 Ave. AlhambraEl Granada, CA 94018(650)726.9071www.coastsidehope.orgwww.facebook/coastsidehope

Coastside Hope

Coastside HopeNeighbors Helping Neighbors In Need...

Executive DirectorFatima SoaresExecutive Director

MISSION STATEMENT Coastside Land Trust is dedicated to the preservation, protection and enhancement of the open space environment, including the natural, scenic, recreational, cultural, historical, and agricultural resources of Half Moon Bay and the Coast for present and future generations.

JOIN US We are the only non-profi t working to protect open space along the urban San Mateo coast. Tour our protected lands to learn about raptors, songbirds and our local wildfl owers. Learn to identify coastal plants and birds and see why the San Mateo coast is such crucial wildlife habitat.

Grab your boots and come out for a satisfying day of restoration work in the open space. Help us tackle the trash, cigarette butts and debris before they reach the ocean. Pulling invasive pampas grass is a favorite activityat our restoration workdays.

Help us take care of our community open space by joining us for annual monitoring.

COASTSIDE LAND TRUST GALLERY Support us through a purchase from our gallery, with spectacular coastal art by local artists. Their beautiful images convey the essence of the Coastside Land Trust spirit and mission. A percentage of gallery sales directly benefi ts the work of the Trust.

COASTSIDE LAND TRUST788 Main St, Half Moon Bay,CA 94019 | [email protected]

CoastsideLand Trust

Restoration team members at work on Railroad Right of Way

Gary Deghi on Wavecrest bird tour

Pigeon Point Lighthouse — Beau Gill

Dick CharnockPresident

Brian McNamara

Deborah “DJ” Johnson

Patrick Charnock

Lori Wisner

Located in the historic Debenedetti Building 700 Mill Street, Half Moon Bay | email: [email protected]

www.refsi.com | Call now: 726-2179

DRE#00809629 NMLS 321681

From our family to yours ...

Wishing you a very

Happy Thanksgiving!

60 N. El Camino Real, San Mateo

www.immediatecare.org

Only 1.3 miles north of Hwy 92

• No appointment needed • Physician always on duty

• Walk-in clinic

• Most major insurances accepted

• Workers’ Comp & Industrial Medicine

• Preplacement (DOT) Exams

• Drug Screening

• Travel Immunizations

• High School Sports Physicals

Monday-Friday 8-7Saturday 9-4Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years Day

(650) 570-2273


option — and that’s not for everyone. we are pretty structured.

sM: are there new programs or projects in the near future you plan to implement with the club?aM: we are still trying to find our one sig-nature event because it makes up a big part of our revenue. we are trying new things and they are getting better along the way. we do have a car raffle. This fundraiser kicked off oct. 1. we are hoping this could be one of our signature fundraisers. The drawing will be held feb. 23 at our annual crab feed. of course we are waiting to firm up details, but we will be selling tickets at the farmers market.on the other side of things, right now we are doing a big impact study where we are looking at California standardized test scores and grades from our members and putting it together to prove the impact we are making in the lives of the Coastside community’s children. That is a huge component to our program right now. we are working closely

with school counselors and the high school principal. our hope is to ensure the students are meeting the standards and that they are on track, showing improvement and that we are better able to help support the students.

sM: How does the Coastside work with other Boys and girls Clubs around the Bay area? aM: we are all part of the national organiza-tion, but we are all separate, meaning we all have a set of guidelines, but we all do our own thing, because every community is differ-ent. we have a few in the area that we work with. we are one of the smallest in the bay area. we don’t have corporations over here. many boys and girls Clubs rely on govern-ment money and corporate sponsorship, and those are two areas we have never really had. it’s pretty much nonexistent. That has been a challenge for us. other clubs have big busi-nesses around them to support them.

sM: do you work with other nonprofits on the Coastside?

aM: There are several of us that meet to share ideas. we have what we call the execu-tive Director round Table. originally when i first joined on, it was facilitated by the Center of excellence for nonprofits. but after we realized we didn’t have enough money to con-tinue, we started meeting on our own.

sM: do you have any good advice in stay-ing positive when times get tough?aM: being open-minded helps to stay posi-tive. if you can learn just one idea from some-one else it can change your whole perspective, even if it is just for that week. i am always learning something new from one of my col-leagues. i am eager to learn and to share and listen to new ideas. especially in this day and age, you have to think outside the box.

sM: What is your involvement with the Half Moon Bay surf Club? aM: we have two main components to the boys and girls Club: The after-school pro-gram and the athletics program, which is the

the staff is golden! Without them there wouldn’t be a program.AnnA McDevitt, BOys and Girls cluB OF the cOastside executive directOr

MISSION AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research.

ABOUT With 125 members, AAUW-HMB offers substantive monthly programs on wide-ranging topics, plus lively interest groups for intellectual growth and enjoyment, from book discussions to gourmet dinners, as well as school volunteer opportunities. The branch annually awards mid-college scholarships to women graduates of HMB and Pescadero high schools, and sponsors middle-school girls at “Tech Trek” math and science camp. The branch has endowed two national grants through AAUW Funds.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATIONOF UNIVERSITY WOMEN726-2893, www.aauw-hmb.org

AAUWHalf Moon Bay

ranging topics, plus lively interest groups for intellectual growth and


soccer and surf clubs. The athletics programs don’t necessarily come in here, they meet outside at the beach or the soccer fields. everyone helping on those athletic teams are volunteers and great coaches. They are a great group of community people that is helping to get the youth involved about things they are passionate about as well. all the kids are boys and girls Club members. going forward, i would like to learn how to integrate the two programs. one foundation has given us money in the past to help us think strategically. and one of the strategic effectiveness grants i am going for now is to look at how i can integrate the two programs into one boys and girls Club where we all have the same background, where the values are the same — not just they are out there and we are in here.

sM: How have things changed in the time you have worked with kids?aM: i have been doing this since i was 15, and for the last 25 years the issues have been the same. we haven’t had a place for kids to go. when i was in school here we didn’t have one, and we still don’t have one. even after more than 25 years. it would be great to have one dedicated youth facility. everything is so segmented in this community.

sM: You say the issues have been the same in the last 25 years. Has technology changed anything?aM: oh, absolutely. especially with facebook and the instant communication. also, with constant contact, we can send out an e-blast. we are able to save money by reducing paper and sending things out electronically. we also have a mobile app.

sM: Has the technology and easy access to Facebook helped the kids? aM: we do not allow them to go on any so-cial networking here. we have a media policy that prohibits that. however, we do allow them to use our PowerPoint and microsoft office, so they can do their homework. we just got a grant from a local foundation to buy new computers. we are going to buy laptops so we can move them around and not be stuck with them at the table. This will open up a whole new concept. we will probably get eight to 10 new laptops. The grant will help fund ink for a year. we are getting two new wireless, color printers. kids are using the thumb drives now, so wherever they are they can work on their projects. we are trying to eliminate any barriers for the kids.

sM: When you move on or retire, what do you hope to have accomplished for the Boys and girls Club?aM: a dedicated youth facility in this com-munity. a facility where all children from kin-dergarten up to high school and even beyond as mentors have a safe place to be. whether that’s homework help, doing an art class or hopefully movies. it would be great to have a place where we could show movies, where teens can hang out and that was open on the weekends. a place where kids and teens can say, “This is my center.”

(now, for the fun questions:)sM: Where would you like to vacation?aM: i would love to go Costa rica!

sM: What are your hobbies?aM: i used to do a lot of salsa dancing. i like to make jewelry. i’m not that good at it, but i enjoy it. i love to read.

sM: What’s your favorite thing to do on the Coastside?aM: i love to go on the beach trail and ride bikes. i love to go to the beach and eat dinner at local restaurants.

CREATIVE THEATER BY AND FOR KIDS

Since 1989 the Coastside Young Actors Workshop (YAW) has served the Coastside as a non-profi t, after-school theater program for kids K-12th grades.

YAW’s fun and supportive environment helps young people develop confi dence in their abilities as performing artists. Students create and star in annual musical productions with imaginative story lines, unique characters, and original dialogue. The young actors also participate in the Pumpkin Festival Haunted House, where they frighten thousands of Festival visitors and raise the funds for their Spring performance. 100% of your donation supports our children’s program.

Please send your tax-deductible donations to YAW, PO Box 2104, El Granada, CA 94018.

YOUNG ACTORS WORKSHOPYAW, PO Box 2104, El Granada, CA 94018www.coastsideyoungactors.com(650) 576-4754

Young ActorsWorkshop

DoWn to eARtHDoWn to eARtHDoWn to eARtH

join indo you have a question for the pros? contact Jennifer Segale, Wildflower farms, 726-5883 and carla Lazzarini, earth’s Laughter, (650) 996-5168. {

Water, GoPHerS & deatH

this month, we will collaborate and chat about the top three topics brought up most often in the garden. these are some of the perennial topics that sprout up!

1) “But i thought it was drought tolerant!?”

Jenn: if i had a dollar for every time someone whined that sentence to me, i would be a very, very rich woman! i know the feeling: you look down at a potted plant or perennial you just planted in the garden and it’s dead. you feel like you’ve watered it, but it’s still dead and the soil is dry. i have to remind people (and myself) that “drought tolerant” is a general term referring to the type of plant that can naturalize a bit faster than other plants, and once established, will tolerate periods of drought. The problem (and subsequent whining) comes in when the plant hasn’t been established well enough and is exposed to drought.

Carla: i agree, Jenn. Drought tolerant means “low water,” not “no water!” So, to me, drought tolerant means just that, after getting established, the plant is less likely to die if neglected. i always tell clients that a plant usually needs from one to two full seasons of supplemental water before it can (maybe) survive on its own. and even then, there’s a dif-ference between surviving and thriving. even most drought tolerant plants look better with regu-lar water.

2) Help! Gophers are ruining my garden!Carla: The gopher problem seems to be at the top of most people’s lists and every-

one wants an easy answer. Sorry fellow gardeners, there isn’t one. but here’s what i tell people: The most effective solution is to use barriers, such as gopher wire or cages, raised planting beds and containers of all sorts. or just pour cement over everything! (kidding.) Then there’s trapping, which is an uphill battle (and kinda icky). you can also just coex-ist, which is easier said than done! Jenn, what’s your take on this?

Jenn: agreed. using gopher baskets is pretty much all you can do. i once went on a first-time consultation with a new client in moss beach. i drove up and saw her squatting over a gopher hole with a gutter extension clamped to her car tail pipe. The car was running and she was watching the exhaust flow into the hole. i literally just backed away and never completed the meeting. (True story).

another thing to remember when properly (not idiotically) fending off gophers is not to plant things they love, like California poppies. i love poppies, but so do my gophers, so save the poppies for your pots instead of planting them in ground.

3) “Why did this plant die?” Jenn: This is something i hear about once every couple of months. by now, most

people get the gist: Plants are natural, they live, flower, die — and sometimes not in that order. it’s a wild, independent life we are trying to work with and sometimes it just doesn’t go our way no matter how best we try. Then, other times, people really just want an answer. here are the top few reasons why your plant has died:

1. you killed it with incorrect watering. 2. Something else killed it, like gophers, deer, bugs, a dog, etc. 3. i have no clue! Carla: i’ve often wished i had better plant diagnostic skills so i could answer this

question more often than not. Jenn and i are better than most, but there are prob-ably 100 different reasons why a plant may have died! Jenn’s

right, in that lack of sufficient water is the no. 1 reason. a couple more possibilities are poorly drained soil

(which can make the roots rot) and planting too deep or too shallow.

but really, often they just die. yes, techni-cally there’s always a reason, but many of

them are plain out of your control. There are soil-borne diseases and old age. Sometimes, all you can do is watch it happen. That’s the way it is with my beautiful olive tree that’s dying before my eyes. it’s tragic but true. To look on the bright side, after a respectful period of mourning, i’ll

get to replace it with something new and fabulous!

Stay tuned for next month, when, after 10 years well

publish our last edition of down to earth for

the HMB review magazine.


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