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Editor's note: This is an SFGate.com In The Peninsula Blog. These blog posts are not written or edited by SFGate or the San Francisco Chronicle. The authors are solely responsible for the content.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley gives sick and orphaned animals a second chance
By Whitney Mountain; Peninsula Press
This screech owl is just one of the many sick or orphaned animals that is living and recovering at the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley.
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The Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley was established in 1993, licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game, to provide veterinary attention to injured, sick, and orphaned wild species in the Bay Area. Mostly operated by volunteers, the center treats an average of 4,000 animals a year, as well as offering community educational programs to teach people about coexisting with wildlife in the region.
The Peninsula Press photo gallery offer a glimpse of the many animals that have gotten a second chance at the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley. View Photo Gallery >>
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| Jan 19 at 07:30 AM
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Dr. Kerry Kriger, Save the Frogs, San Pedro Valley Park, January 22
Saturday, January 22 at 7:30 p.m. in San Pedro Valley County Park visitor center. Save the Frogs Founder Dr. Kerry Kriger. 600 Oddstad Boulevard (at the three-way intersection with Linda Mar Boulevard and Rosita Road). Free parking. Free admission. Free refreshments. Open to the public. Donations are appreciated.
| Jan 18 at 12:45 PM
Dislike mall music? When you consider the environmental impact, it's even worse
By Nik Sawe; Peninsula Press
QUESTION: What is the carbon footprint of all the wretched, canned pop music played incessantly in the retail stores and malls of the world? Asked by Gregory Wright, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
ANSWER: I'm glad you asked. With the holiday season (and lots of shopping) just behind us, there's no better time to ask whether it would really be a fate so terrible if we were met with silence while we shopped, instead of played-out, early-decade billboard hits. How much would we lighten the energy load at retail centers if they just eased up on the cliched chord progressions?
The psychic relief would be a given. But audio energy demands are a little trickier to pin down. In contrast to a 100-Watt (W) light bulb, which draws 100 W of energy at a consistent rate, a 100-W amplifier would rarely deliver the full output to the loudspeakers, unless you've got the canned Christmas carols cranked to full volume. Then, too, the consumer audio industry uses specialized but inaccurate terms such as RMS power to characterize many of their systems. This complicates our ability to approximate the energy demands of bad music, but as you can see in The Nitty Gritty answer, we hashed out the numbers and came back with something rather astonishing. In the malls of America alone, horrendous vocals and '80s synths account for roughly 1.18 Gigawatt hours of energy usage a month. That adds up to more than 7 million pounds of CO2 lofted into the atmosphere annually upon the dulcet tones of Bryan Adams and Britney Spears.
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| Jan 18 at 07:30 AM
Monday, January 17, 2011
Monterey Bay Aquarium fun for a holiday weekend 'StayCation' (VIDEO)
By Doug Ray; Peninsula Press
View Video >>
Located an hour and a half south of Palo Alto in Monterey, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has been delighting visitors with its numerous displays of marine life since it opened on Oct. 20, 1984.
The aquarium estimates that annually some 1.8 million people visit, making it one of California's top tourist attractions. The aquarium's most popular exhibits include the playful sea otters and the penguin habitat, both of which offer feedings and shows narrated by aquarium staff. The aquarium is also currently featuring a special exhibit, The Secret Life of Sea Horses.
The aquarium is an easy drive from the Peninsula, making it a fun destination for families looking to celebrate Martin Luther King Day with a day trip. In this video, Peninsula Press reporter Doug Ray captures some of the marine life visitors can take in at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. View Video >>
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| Jan 17 at 07:30 AM
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Benefit concert for Dusty Dimas @ Half Moon Bay Oddfellows Lodge, January 22
Coastside Farmers Markets and The Half Moon Bay Oddfellows Lodge 143 are honored to present outstanding musicians Stevie Coyle and Taylor Brown in a benefit concert on Saturday, January 22 at 7 p.m. at Oddfellows Hall in Half Moon Bay. All proceeds from the performance go to the family of Dusty Dimas to help defray the cost of the spectacularly expensive but so far effective treatments for leukemia for this 4-year-old Coastsider. This is a Pass the Hat affair, in keeping with the traditions of small communities coming together to help one another in times of celebration or distress, contributing what they can to assist their neighbors. A Top Hat will be passed between sets, and guests contribute what they can. Gift cards to New Leaf Community Market or gas cards are also really valuable ways to help the family. Colleen Granahan, Dusty's aunt and assistant manager of Coastside Farmers Market in Pacifica, is conducting a blood drive at the Skate Park on Kelly Avenue that afternoon as well. The historic Oddfellows Lodge is upstairs at 712 Main Street, Half Moon Bay. To reserve a spot, drop a note indicating the number of guests to farmersmarket@coastside.net --Erin Tormey, Resources for Community Projects, 650/576.8354 (M), 650/726.3027 (L)
| Jan 16 at 08:23 PM
Friday, January 14, 2011
SamTrans rider survey through January 28
SamTrans is conducting an online survey to determine the best way to deliver information to customers and to understand their reasons for riding the countywide bus system. Through January 28, customers can take the brief survey by visiting the transit agency’s website at http://www.samtrans.com/ and clicking the survey link on the main page. Participants will be entered in a drawing to win one of two SamTrans Monthly passes by filling in the optional information at the end of the survey; only one chance per customer. Nearly 45,000 people ride SamTrans on an average weekday. If you are one of those people, SamTrans wants to hear from you.
| Jan 14 at 10:45 PM
Painting from the Wrong Side of the Brain @ Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, through February 13
We start off the new year with a main gallery exhibit based on humor: Painting from the Wrong Side of the Brain, with Bob Armstrong, Jeff Carr, Gael Fitzmaurice, Linda MacDonald, M. Louise Stanley, and Jesse Wiedel; Editions & Additions, prints by David Avery, Linda Lee Boyd, Barbara Rogers, and Ron Tanovitz, and journals by Debra Cramer and Jill Russell; and All About Me: Self-Portraits, Real & Imagined. Visit now through February 13 on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. Free admission. Artists' Talk on Sunday, February 13 at 4 p.m. Sanchez Art Center, 1220-B Linda Mar Blvd. in Pacifica. Info: 650-355-1894 or SANCHEZ ART CENTER
| Jan 14 at 03:25 PM
Neighborhood mountain lions? Summer Berkeley incident causes cities to rethink wildlife policies
By Jamie Hansen; Peninsula Press
Berkeley police chased a mountain lion like this one through the downtown streets in August, ultimately having to shoot it out of concern for public safety.
Most other diners had waddled home with bellies full of seasonal vegetarian lasagna, onion tart with anchovies, and macrobiotic kale when a giant carnivore padded into downtown Berkeley. Nobody can say for sure what he was after, but given that it was 2 a.m. -- his normal dinnertime -- he likely had raw meat on his mind.
The Berkeley Police Department got word at 2:13 in the morning that a 100-pound mountain lion was wandering the streets of the city's "Gourmet Ghetto," home to famous vegetarian restaurants and bordered by residences with bite-sized pets and small children.
Determining that the giant wildcat was a "great concern," the department assigned a lieutenant, two sergeants and slew of officers to the job. After calling several animal management agencies for guidance, the police headed to the scene. The wildcat, in response, turned tail and bounded away, leading the officers on an hour-long chase down city streets, over backyard fences and through a playground where the homeless slept. Continue Reading >>
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| Jan 14 at 07:30 AM
Thursday, January 13, 2011
The latest information on schools, restaurants, real estate, events and sports from The Peninsula's finest local bloggers.
By John Maybury, Peninsula Press, Read Bios
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