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The Harbor goes psychedelic in search of fecal bacteria |
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Written by Darin Boville
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Sunday, 05 October 2008 10:08 |
The Harbor was alive with color last Saturday--bright alien green and interstellar purple. The color was the result of a study at the harbor which is trying to determine the sources (or sources) of bacteria--the kind that comes from human and animal waste. The beaches at the harbor have a pronounced level of E. coli and Enterococcus (strains used as indicators for water quality), and by tracking the flow of water to the beaches the study should be able to determine the source of the pollutants. Many residents suspect the bacteria may be caused by human waste dumped overboard by the several "live-aboard" boats in the harbor. Others point to the feeder streams that run through horse ranches. In addition, there are drain pipes which flow to the harbor and plenty of birds. Luckily the study will include genetic testing of bacteria samples which should sort through some of these issues.
The San Mateo Resources Conservation District, the sponsor of the study, has a detailed study plan in pdf form which can be downloaded by clicking here.
From the RCD Project Description
Pillar Point Harbor water quality chronically is so poor that the State Water Resources
Control Board recently listed the location as impaired by coliform bacteria on the 303(d) list
submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Capistrano Beach has
elevated levels of fecal indicator bacteria, such as E. coli and Enterococcus on over 95% of
sampling events in wet and dry conditions. This beach has been ranked for several years by
the Heal the Bay's Report Card as a “Beach Bummer,” meaning that it is in the top ten most
polluted beaches in California in dry weather conditions. In 2005/2006, Capistrano Beach
ranked sixth on the “Beach Bummer” list. It was the worst ranked beach in Northern
California and is a Clean Beaches Task Force Priority Beach with regard to fecal pollution.
Capistrano Beach is permanently posted by the San Mateo County Environmental Health
Department as a potential health hazard.
To see the entire gallery of images click here.
Photos by Lori Boville and Elizabeth Boville. The images are not "computer enhanced." |
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An Evening at Cafe Gibraltar |
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Written by Darin Boville
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Saturday, 29 March 2008 11:43 |
Ask anyone who lives here “What is the best restaurant on the coast?” and you’ll more often than not receive the answer “Cafe Gibraltar.”
This Mediterranean-styled, El Granada gem isn’t our little secret--it has received glowing reviews from the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Jose Mercury News, the LA TImes, Fodors, and it has one of the highest Zagat ratings in the entire Bay Area.
Owned and operated by the Montara husband and wife team of Chef Jose Luis and manager Liam (both of whom seem possessed of supernatural amounts of energy), Cafe Gibraltar is a must-visit destination for out-of-towners and a lovely local place for residents.
My friend Neil and I went there one night, video camera in hand, to try to capture some of the flavors and aromas of a cooking class that Cafe Gibraltar holds about once a month on a variety of themes. Not only did we get to shoot videotape but much to our glee we also shared in the several courses of “Mediterranean street food” (the theme for the evening). Sometimes having a web page can have its perks.
This video, I hope, will serve as a sort of introduction to Cafe Gibraltar to those who have never had a chance to visit and a enjoyable reminder of its charms for those who haven’t been back recently. In future videos we will take a closer look at wines and the pairing of wines with food, and at where it all begins--a visit to a local organic farm where Jose Luis and Liam purchase some of their ingredients.
Cafe Gibraltar has a well-made web page (click to visit), or just jump right to their menu by clicking here.
You can also learn more about the possibility of joining one of the classes by visiting their classes page.
Cafe Gibraltar is located in El Granada but is a little tricky to find for first-timers. Basically you go to Princeton Harbor but turn the other way, into El Granada, instead. Then make an immediate right onto Avenue Alhambra, running parallel to Highway One. The restaurant is just down that road a bit, maybe a half mile, on your left. Here’s a Google map.
Video by Darin Boville with additional camera work by Neil Merrilees. |
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Bono Sings "All You Need is Love" at Lantos Service |
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Written by Darin Boville
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Thursday, 14 February 2008 17:17 |
At this morning’s memorial service for Representative Tom Lantos, Bono (of U2) sang a touching version of “All You Need is Love.”
By popular request I’ve pulled this segment of the memorial video out and have posted it here separately.
Video by the U.S. House of Representatives |
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Lantos Memorial Includes Rice, Pelosi, Weisel, and Bono |
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Written by Darin Boville
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Thursday, 14 February 2008 13:55 |
Representative Tom Lantos, Holocaust survivor and one of the coastside’s representatives in Congress died on Monday. A memorial service, to a jam-packed audience, was held today in Washington, DC and the House Foreign Affairs Committee was kind enough to videotape it for us.
The speakers at the service included many dignitaries--Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, United Nations Secretary-General Ban-ki Moon, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Joe Biden, Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, among others as well as members of the family. Bono, the lead singer for the rock band U2, sang a complete a capella version of “All You Need is Love” by the Beatles.
Video courtesy of the US House of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Committee. |
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Flooding On the Coast |
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Written by Darin Boville
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Friday, 25 January 2008 19:12 |
You could have surfed the streets of Montara and Moss Beach today.
The coastside is famous for its beautiful beaches and tangled politics. It also has the distinction of being a place with serious flooding issues. (When I first moved here I heard mention of sandbags being handed out to residents at the airport. I thought it a joke at first.)
Today’s heavy rain, as expected, flooded the streets and many houses. The status of the Slide remains unclear.
If you missed the flood waters here is a small taste.
Video by Darin Boville, with a little help from his friends. |
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