Sense of Foreboding

(Image from UC-Berkeley)

During the summer of 1989 the Bay Area experienced a swarm of small earthquakes that caused little damage. On October 17th the 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake struck and, according to Wikipedia, resulted in 63 deaths, 3,757 injuries, and about $6 billion of damage.

Although I've experienced many earthquakes in my 50 years living here, the 1989 experience has taught me to stop what I'm doing after a jolt to see if there's a bigger one coming. Fortunately that didn't happen after a series of shocks along the Hayward fault on Thursday.

It's been 158 years since the Hayward fault's last major temblor, a 6.8, and it's perhaps more "overdue" than the San Andreas fault that produced the great 1906 and 1989 quakes.

The Bay Area has escaped the natural disasters that have occurred in other parts of the State, but I am feeling a sense of foreboding based on nothing more than wondering how long both major faults will continue to be quiet. May we keep our go bags ready and our gas tanks full.

Santa Cruz Wharf

Debris from the partial collapse (CBS/YouTube)

The Santa Cruz Wharf experienced a partial collapse after being buffeted by large waves on December 23rd. Repairs had been planned since 2014 but were stymied by environmentalists to protect seagulls (who are not endangered): [bold added]

Strict permitting requirements and lengthy litigation by environmental activists have stalled efforts to fortify the pier that could have helped it withstand the storm, current and former city officials say.

At the center of the delays: seagulls.

It was for the benefit of the western gull, commonly known as the seagull, that the city of Santa Cruz delayed the most critical part of the repair work, installing new timber piles — the columns that hold up the wharf — until September, because gulls and another bird, the pigeon guillemot, make their nests in the wharf’s wooden beams.

The protections for the birds are imposed by the state Coastal Commission, from which the city must obtain a permit before it can do repairs. Most major construction — including replacing the piles — must take place between September and March to avoid the nesting season.

“Our work window is a very narrow six months over the winter time when we tend to have storms and big waves,” said Tony Elliott, director of Parks and Recreation, which oversees the wharf. “The wharf is a 110-year-old structure, and it requires a lot of work. … It takes more than six months out of the year to maintain it effectively.”

Neither the western gull nor the pigeon guillemot are endangered species, yet the Coastal Commission says federal and state laws protect their nesting areas.

One can see thousands of seagulls in San Francisco and down the Peninsula in Foster City. They swoop into the stands at the end of Giants games, looking for scraps. They are ubiquitous, far from endangered, and, frankly, hazardous to human and animal health. Somehow I think the seagulls will adapt if they couldn't nest at the Santa Cruz Wharf over several summers.

The blame for the wharf collapse rests squarely on the shoulders of the California Coastal Commission, which refused to modify its protection of the nesting areas of a species called by many as flying rats.

Santa Cruz Students Don't Know Why It's Popular

John Travolta wears the iconic T-shirt (SFGate/YouTube screenshot)

Most UC-Santa Cruz students don't know why its banana slug T-shirt is a sought-after item. The shirt's popularity is due to Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarentino's greatest film, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

“The Fiat [slug] is like the logo,” said [Jason] Cohen of the UCSC bookstore. “It’s a cartoon banana slug wearing glasses and reading Plato. It’s our best-selling logo, period. We sell it in many different capacities. I put that on academic planners and notebooks and all kinds of stuff.”

Among all the slug merch available, the Fiat Slug T-shirts remain the school’s top seller, by far, Ray Rideout, UCSC’s apparel buyer, told SFGATE. “Everyone gets it,” he said. “Anyone who’s seen the movie, it was the cleaner scene, right? When people — they find out where I work, they always send a picture of Travolta wearing it.”

Last month we noted how the banana slug has been named the official California state slug.

"Politics is downstream of culture" is a well-known saying. 30 years after it entered the culture, politics has recognized the cultural significance of the lowly banana slug.

Slow Landslide

Residents have to walk around the slide to get home.

When I think of a "landslide," I imagine a wall of rocks and mud and/or dirt crushing all before it, posing an immediate threat to life and property. Some residents in Santa Cruz County are suffering through a landslide that moves a foot a week.

County officials first became aware of cracks appearing on a portion of Mountain Charlie Road just south of Lexington Reservoir on Feb. 26. The slide, which officials say is currently still moving at a rate of at least one foot per week, has rendered a portion of the road inaccessible to cars and barely accessible on foot, and almost completely decimated a private driveway just off the road that leads to five houses.

Residents of the five houses currently have tenuous access to water, internet and propane, and were forced to carve out a trail down a steep hill to walk by foot onto Mountain Charlie Road since the driveway is completely inaccessible by car and by foot. For residents living south of the landslide, the portion of Mountain Charlie Road that was affected by the landslide remains temporarily accessible on foot, but ongoing movement with the slide and intermittent rain may change that in the near future.

With fire season approaching, residents are also worried that the landslide could block emergency vehicles from accessing their homes in the event of a fire or other emergency...

But since the slide is moving every day, it will soon be inaccessible by foot, and all residents will be forced to drive several miles to Scotts Valley to safely get onto Highway 17, making a 15- to 30-minute commute now one to two hours. And with the onset of warmer weather and a corresponding increase in traffic from beachgoers using Highway 17, they’re worried that these already long commutes could double or even triple in length.

After the slide slows to 3-6 inches a week, repairs to the road will take one to three years. The effect of this slow-moving slide is reminiscent of the mudslide that sorely inconvenienced thousands in 2017.

Despite wildfires, earthquakes, and other natural (and human-caused) disasters, there are still millions of us Californians who would not live anywhere else. Go figure.

Animal Tales

Catching up on local animal news:

Mother's burden: stuck and heavily lactating (Chron)

Mother Raccoon stuck in roof

A mother raccoon trying to reach her babies in an attic got stuck as she chewed through the roof of a home in the Santa Cruz Mountains on Monday morning, wildlife rescue officials said.

The raccoon may have been trying to get to her babies in the attic, following the homeowner’s repair of an attic vent...

Construction workers nearby then helped the homeowner, and the raccoon made its way back to her babies...It was unknown how many baby raccoons were in the attic.

The lesson is that we need to check for critters before undertaking home repairs. No love for animals is required, just self-interest--no one wants dead animals in their roof, basement, or walls,

(Intl Bird Rescue / Chronicle photo)

Pelican Crisis

California’s brown pelicans are suffering from a mysterious affliction that has landed more than 200 of them in wildlife rehabilitation centers in recent weeks, resulting in what wildlife officials are calling a major “pelican crisis.”...

Determining a cause for the pelicans’ conditions has been difficult because the issue appears to be affecting pelicans of all ages in different ways, and the injured and hungry birds are coming from all over..

The affliction, whose cause could take years of research and tracking to fully understand, could be the result of a combination of factors, [International Bird Rescue spokesperson Russ] Curtis said. Young fledglings are just now learning to feed on their own, and IBR officials believe there could be a lack of available fishing stocks, meaning pelicans are struggling to find enough fish to eat or taking unusual risks in search of food.

International Bird Rescue is spending about $2,000 on 1,000 pounds of fish every day....“They are voracious eaters,” Curtis said. “We got a lot of mouths to feed.”

The quail is both the State and City bird. (Chron photo)

Coyotes may help bring California quail back to San Francisco (?!?)

The last California quail known to live in the Presidio was a male...Scientists gently collected it in 2008 and brought him to the San Francisco Zoo. The hope was that at least the bird’s genetics would live on, even if its flock had not.

Coyotes reduce predators like rats, raccoon and feral cats that threaten quail and its eggs. The effect is significant.

The presence of coyotes in urban parks increased the odds quail would live there, too, by 73.3%, according to an analysis of data on quail sightings.

Today there are "5 to 10" coyote in the Presidio. They eat the rodents that dine on quail and quail eggs. Thanks to coyote, the park service is considering reintroducing quail to Golden Gate Park.

California newt (Chron photo)

Amphibians Need Road Crossings, Too

Every winter, a road in Tilden Regional Park closes to vehicular traffic so California newts can safely get to water during their breeding season. They’re lucky. Elsewhere in the Bay Area, thousands of newts get squashed every year by unaware drivers.

...Despite their size, newts share something with mountain lions: They’re top predators on the forest floor, with a steady diet that regulates the invertebrate population and may even help combat climate change.

...In Santa Clara County, over 7,000 newts have been killed on a stretch of Alma Bridge Road this breeding season. It’s the highest known roadkill rate of any other species in the world, according to the UC Davis Road Ecology Center.

Given the weightier issues of the day, these tales des animaux seem frivolous. I for one am glad that so many people know so much about and care for our fellow creatures.

The Right Day

Beach

On the drive down to Santa Cruz the airwaves were filled with what yesterday's results mean for the 2020 election.

Give it a rest, political junkies. You remind me of sports fans who wonder about next year's champion on the morning after the Super Bowl. Let the winners have their moment. Please stop talking about future campaigns. For the sake of your families make Thanksgiving a politics-free zone.

Cocoanut Grove

The Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk overflows with thousands of people during the summer but was deserted this November morning. There were a few workers about; signs needed painting, rides needed fixing, and lavatories needed cleaning.

A few seagulls scavenged without enthusiasm; they seemed to know that the pickings were slim.

One doesn't have to travel to the forest or mountains for a quiet meditative walk.

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will do fine if you pick the right day.

It's Pretty to Look at, Though

Despite health warnings Cowell Beach will probably be crowded
on Memorial Day weekend (Coastal Home and Garden image)

In contrast with Hawaii's best beach in America (see yesterday's post), nearby Cowell Beach is one of the worst:

Even wading in ankle-deep is frowned upon. That’s because, for the third straight year, Cowell has been crowned the worst beach in California for water quality, due in large part to animal excrement.

At Cowell, excrement largely from seagulls and sea lions, coupled with relatively calm waters, may be giving the beach its place at the top of the list, experts say. Since 2010, it has occupied the No. 1 or 2 ranking for worst in the state,

Cowell Beach is a few steps from the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and is pretty to look at. However, its beauty should be appreciated at a distance.

Aloha and Mahalo, John

I first met John Keast in the 1980's, when he joined the local Episcopal church. He participated in the choir and various ministries, becoming an integral part of church life.

15 years ago John felt called to address the problems faced by released prisoners trying to make their way back into society. According to a 2011 report by the California Department of Corrections

The total three-year recidivism rate (return to prison) for all felons released during FY 2006-07 is 65.1 percent.

John's foundation, with its cadre of professional volunteers, educated and trained groups of prisoners before release, helping hundreds of the formerly incarcerated. Local law enforcement has praised John and his organization for helping to reduce the crime rate.

At 93, he no longer can move around as well as he used to and is moving to Santa Cruz to live with his daughter. His work at the Inmate Correctional Education Project is an inspiration to everyone, not only for its devotion to one of society's most powerless populations but also for showing that it is possible to embark on meaningful new initiatives at the age of seventy-eight (78). Godspeed.

Shaky Anniversary

Today is the 23rd anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake. To my personal recollection there's not much to add to the post of three years ago.

In 1989 the third game of the World Series at Candlestick Park was about to start when the quake hit at 5:04 p.m. In 2012 the Giants are playing in the third game of the National League Championship Series, indicative of the increase in the number of playoff rounds. This year's World Series could extend into November.

The quake demolished the double-decker freeway that blocked the view of the buildings.

Boardwalk Taste on a Baltic Ave. Budget

While the Bay Area’s attention was focused on the Gilroy Garlic Festival last weekend, we decided to go to the beach.

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is a great place to people-watch, enjoy the weather, and entertain oneself without too much damage to the wallet. Its rides, games, and carnival fare hark back to a less electronic era when recreational pursuits engaged all of one's senses.

We arrived during the early afternoon when it was cool and overcast. I found a parking place by the Boardwalk and dropped $4.50 into the meter. Your humble (and cheap) correspondent refuses to pay $11 to the all-day lot when his visit will only last three hours.

We strolled down the Boardwalk to the old casino. Originally built in the decade before the Roaring 20's, its target customers were the young, well-heeled, and fashionable who wanted to carouse all night. A century later the complex has been renovated to appeal more to toddlers than flappers.

We couldn't resist trying the Pirate-themed indoor miniature golf course that had audio-animatronic special effects, fluorescently lit "night" holes, and, best of all, undamaged putting surfaces.

The sun had burnt away the fog after we had finished the 18th hole, and the beach began filling up with sunbathers, swimmers, and surfers. During my salad days I would have eagerly hopped onto the Giant Dipper roller coaster, but on this day the sedate Sky Glider provided more than enough thrills as it ski-lifted us above the Boardwalk. We got back to the car just before the meter expired.

Herewith the final cost of our day trip:

Parking         $4.50
Mini-golf       10.00
Sky glider       6.00
Train ride        8.00
Gas (6 gals)  18.00
Food              15.60

Total           $62.10