Category Archives: Misc.

Reflections on Cayucos

New Years Moon over Cayucos

California Central Coast is mostly pristine and unspoiled. The beach town known as Cayucos features 6 miles of sandy beach tucked into Estero Bay along the rugged central coast about half way between Los Angeles and San Francisco on Highway 1. It remains much as it was over the last 150 years without traffic lights or fast food. Originally populated by the Chumash, the town got its name in 1603, when Sebastian Vizcaino sailed his ships off the Central Coast and observed a number of small canoes just south of Point Estero. He christened the site “Cayucos,” or place of small canoes.

According to Dan Krieger, professor emeritus of history at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, during the mission period, the area from the southern end of Morro Bay to Point Estero was designated as the...

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Bay Area Oyster Farm Fights for Life

By REBEKAH KEARN, Courthouse News Service July 22, 2014 OAKLAND, Calif. (CN) - The government is illegally forcing a Bay Area oyster farm to shut down, which will devastate the businesses that rely on its oysters, the Tomales Bay Oyster Co. and several other business claim in Federal Court. Tomales Bay Oyster Co., three restaurants, the Alliance for Local Sustainable Agriculture et al. sued the Department of the Interior, the National Park Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Coastal Resource Management and their top officials, on July 17. The plaintiffs claim the government ignored its duties under the National Aquaculture Act and the California Coastal Management Program when it issued a memorandum shutting down the Drakes Bay Oyster Co. in November 2012. Drakes Bay is not a party to the complaint. Moreover, the decision to close Drakes Bay did not analyze the impacts of the closure on local coastal resources since "an oyster farm had been operating in the same...
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Travel and Adventure: Charm and adventure abound on Catalina Island

By Doug Hansen Creators Syndicate - Wickedlocal.com This trip to Southern California's Catalina Island doesn't even compare with the last one I did 25 years ago. That time I made the mistake that many do of just walking around Avalon, shopping and eating, spending the night and then leaving. But while Avalon is a delightful place and time spent here is worthwhile, it's not sufficient to fully savor all that Catalina Island offers. Continue Reading...  ...
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20th annual Baja Ha-Ha boating rally sets sail for Mexico

CBS8.com SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - Gray skies didn't dampen the excitement of boaters participating in a sailing rally on San Diego Bay. The 20th annual Baja Ha-Ha kicked off Monday with a parade of boats. The recreational boaters will sail together for two weeks on a 750-mile course to Cabo San Lucas. Multiple stops along the way offer time to socialize. Continue Reading......
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West Coast states and BC to link climate policies

By JASON DEAREN Associated Press - San Jose Mercury News SAN FRANCISCO—The governors of Pacific coastal U.S. states and a Canadian province official are joining forces in a new effort to fight climate change. In an agreement announced Monday, the governors of California, Oregon, Washington and the environment minister of British Columbia, Mary Polak, will place a price on greenhouse gas pollution and mandate the use of cleaner-burning fuels. Continue Reading......
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From the Boathouse: Helping the blind to sea

By Mike Whitehead - The Daily Pilot Ahoy! Saturday sees an inspiring happening at the American Legion Newport Harbor Post 291, when eager sailors will take part in the Sail for the Blind and Visually Impaired event. Participants will be able to help steer the boats and adjust sheet and halyard lines while feeling the sensations of wind and motion. The event is sponsored by the Women's Ocean Racing Sailing Assn. (WORSA) and hosted by the American Legion Post and Yacht Club. Continue Reading......
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A Fight Over Vineyards Pits Redwoods Against Red Wine

ideastream.com Environmental groups in Northern California are suing to stop a winery from leveling 154 acres of coast redwoods and Douglas firs to make way for grapevines. As climate change heats up California's interior valley, the wine industry is creeping toward the coast, where majestic redwoods grow.
Environmental groups are fighting to stop the leveling of 154 acres of coast redwoods and Douglas firs to make way for grapevines.Environmental groups are fighting to stop the leveling of 154 acres of coast redwoods and Douglas firs to make way for grapevines.

Aerial Stunts and Land Activities at Catalina Air Show

eCatalina.com - By Jim Watson AVALON, CATALINA ISLAND - From dazzling high-in-the-sky aerobatics to activities in more down-to-earth venues, spectators will be treated to a wide variety of entertainment at the 2nd Annual Scheyden Catalina Air Show Oct. 26 with a static display at Airport-in-the-Sky on Oct 27. Like last year’s show, all aerial stunts and most ground-based entertainment will be available free of charge.  The show will also be simulcast by Catalina radio station KISL 88.7 FM, including the station’s website at www.kislavalon.com. The show’s title sponsor, Scheyden, is a Huntington Beach-based manufacturer of aviator’s eyewear, chronometers and other pilot’s accessories. Streaking, rolling and looping through the heavens will be nearly a dozen aerobatic performers, including an encore appearance by “Super Dave” Mathieson in his Team Scheyden MX2 stunt plane. Continue Reading......
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Calif. city turns to birds of prey to solve problems

by William M. Welch, USA TODAY
AVALON, Calif. - For years, this island harbor town has had serious tourism problems: Its beaches were consistently rated among the most polluted on the West Coast, and its waterfront was crowded with aggressive gulls that harassed visitors and stole food off their plates. All that has changed, and leaders are giving much of the credit to a group of environmental enforcers they hired - Larry the hawk, Chin the falcon and Big Al the owl. Continue Reading......
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New boat show debuts at Harbor Island’s Sunroad Marina Jan. 28-31

by Nicole Sours Larson - SDNews.com When the San Diego Sunroad Boat Show opens at Sunroad Marina at the east end of Harbor Island on Jan. 28 for a four-day run, it will have more than a new venue name. Replacing the annual San Diego Convention Center boat show formerly held in early January, the new show will have a different look and approach. On-land exhibitors will display their wares under canopies and all but small trailerable boats will be at docks in the water. Continue Reading... ...
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