La Honda, California
Thanks to the efforts and determination of Ray Harless, along with equestrians and CLHG support, our horse riding ring, which was starting to fall apart, is being rebuilt! Yay Ray!
Ray gets some help from others, or advice, and we’re not sure if those are the same thing?
It takes a village!
Once again, the Guild sponsored an Easter Egg Hunt in the playground on Easter Sunday, April 9th. And once again, Corinne Poulson pulled together a wonderful event, organizing volunteers, getting hundreds of eggs stuffed and hidden, and recruiting the community to come out and join the fun. Can you find the Easter Bunny? And who found the Golden Egg? Check it out…
Unfortunately, the custom-made piñata was lacking in structural integrity, lasting for only one mighty blow by an accurate whacker, but perhaps it was the abundance of goodies within that brought it down so easily? In any case, the scrambling for treats continued…
Thanks to all who came out for a fun community event.
Here are just a few historical artifacts…
Learn more La Honda history in the archives of the La Honda Voice, or the La Honda Historical Society, or Images of America: La Honda, all thanks to local historian Bob Dougherty.
Here are a few more resources for the curious…
Hopefully, everyone has survived the recent deluge of atmospheric rivers?
Unfortunately, there are two significant road washouts in Cuesta: one on Laguna Drive and one up by Granny Flats reservoir. Please abide by all signage, avoid approaching slides or washouts, and use caution on all our roads and trails!
Below is just one of the many mudslides along Highway 84, a raging La Honda Creek, and some tree work along Pescadero Creek Road…
“Changed, I headed back through the mud. I was drenched; anybody could see it was time to come in out of the rain.” ~John Knowles, A Separate Peace
Send pix and data so we can post more information. Stay safe out there…
The Cuesta La Honda Guild has contracted with Harley Farms to have some of their goats dine on our unwanted vegetation. Apparently, the project is moving along deliciously! Check it out…
Thanks to Liz Chapman for the photos – and for monitoring this and many other community projects!
It’s been a relatively calm and wonderful pool season this summer. Either good swimmers or dutiful vigilance have minimized lifeguard actions, until recently…
At the outset of a hot Labor Day weekend, on Saturday, September 3rd 2022, what was thought to be an oak leaf, then perhaps a loose Twix fragment or errant Tootsie Roll, turned out to trigger a “Code Brown” alert at the pool. (An offering from an “After Hours” child swimmer – hopefully properly supervised?)
The pool had to close! However, some swift chemical interventions applied by the pool staff, thanks to instructions from the Public Works crew, there was a quick resolution to this #2 problem.
Co-Head Lifeguard Orion, with assistance from LG Veronica, and guidance from On-Call Water Operator Caleb, in addition to oversight by CLHG essential worker Cheryl and PW Director and CLHG Board member Bob, succeeded in keeping the pool open – Yay.
And it stayed open for the whole three-day Labor Day weekend serving dozens of folks escaping the late summer heat in our cool pool. Just keep swimming…
Greetings Cuesta La Honda Guild Members:
In the next few weeks, we will begin Phase 1 of the Sequoia Playbowl Pipeline Project. Casey Construction, the same company that completed the Ventura Avenue Pipeline Project in 2018, is under contract with the Guild to perform Phase 1 of this project.
Phase 1 will:
● Replace the existing 2” main on Sequoia Dr. from Redwood to Play Bowl with an 8”HDPE main.
● Install new water pipe service to homes in the Phase 1 project area on Sequoia Dr. and Guardian Way.
● Install two new hydrants. One will be on Sequoia midway between Redwood and Playbowl. The second hydrant will be at the NW corner of Sequoia and Playbowl. The contract has been signed, and the San Mateo County encroachment permit has been approved. All materials have been ordered, and we are waiting on materials delivery before we can begin.
We want to make sure everyone is aware that production and distribution of materials are still in flux and may be delayed. Once the materials have arrived, Casey Construction will send out a two-week notice of the construction start date.
During the project, there will be daily road closures. There will be no vehicle access to closed roads 8am-5pm on work days. Work will begin at the intersection of Sequoia and Playbowl and work up through Sequoia to the tie-in on Redwood Drive. We have attached a map of the street closures along with a project map. Please note that the project map also includes Phase 2, which is still in the planning stages.
There may be water service disruptions during the project. If disruptions do occur, we will distribute potable water to the affected households as necessary. We know this work may be an inconvenience to nearby residents, but this project will bring enhanced fire protection and improved water service to the area. Phase 2 of this project, still in future planning, will extend the new 8” main and new water system service to the rest of the residents of Sequoia Dr. and Playbowl Dr. with additional hydrants on Sequoia and Playbowl.
If you have any questions, contact Terry Mahoney at tmahoney22@gmail.com
Thank you,
CLHG Board
By Mike Williams
Aug 25, 2022
In April 2021, the state Division of Drinking Water issued the Guild a citation for excessive disinfection byproduct (DBP) levels in the treated water. DBPs are formed when chlorine disinfectant reacts with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the water. We had two choices – remove residual chlorine by adding ammonia (chloramination), or remove enough DOC. For our water type, the best way to remove DOC is to pass the water thru granular activated carbon (GAC). Chloramination is unpopular in the community, and GAC is less expensive in the long run, so the CLHG board gave the go-ahead for GAC in December.
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| The GAC skid was delivered in June. Each vessel is 4-ft in diameter and about 9’ tall and holds 50 cubic feet of GAC media. | The skid was placed on a newly-constructed pad and plumbed into the Filter Treatment Plant by the end of July. |
The GAC skid was successfully prepared for operation by backwashing the vessels to remove fine GAC particles. It was put on-line on August 16 and has just now completed its initial week of operation. It is removing ~90% of the DOC, which is expected with fresh media. Our prediction is that we can meet DBP reduction requirements at 50% removal, which should let us operate for about 9 months before it is necessary to have a GAC changeout service remove the spent media and install fresh media. Changeout will cost about $9,000.
The non-recurring capital cost for this GAC upgrade came in at about $150,000, compared to a “professionally” engineered GAC update design completed for CLHG in 2018 with an estimated non-recurring cost of $585,000 (in 2021 dollars). The secret was to size the GAC skid for 50 gpm (more than enough to meet current and forecast needs) and directly drive it from the existing microfiltration membrane skid – no feed tank or pump, no electrical wiring, no FTP control system changes.
Thanks to CLHG member and vintage photo collector ‘Mountain Wood Joe,’ here’s a picture of the Cuesta Guild Playground in 1930 (note the heart shaped wading pool)…
So, here’s a challenge: which of the following photographs (taken this weekend) is closest to where the above shot was taken in 1930…?
And, ya gotta wonder, what happened to the merry-go-round, how about that slide, how about our current play structures, etc.? Is that heart shaped kiddie pool now a volleyball court? And, how much do trees grow (and things change) in almost 100 years?
Now, think about the fact that the kids who played in that old playground might have since died of old age? Carpe Diem! Maybe, their (great?) grandchildren are playing there now!
In conclusion, got kids? Want to help upgrade our little playground for your children (or their children), or improve our recreation facilities for everyone? Volunteer! Call our office, leave your contact information, and be a part of a new present – and/or an old future…