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| The City of Half Moon Bay turns 45 By MATT KAPKO Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, July 14, 2004 11:17 AM PDT Half Moon Bay Review Dust off your favorite set of kazoos and party hats. Half Moon Bay turns 45 years old tomorrow! The city was officially incorporated July 15, 1959 and has gone through many changes since then. It's annexed substantial plots of land, and seen significant amounts of development in the past 45 years. John L. Carter "was really honored to be elected as the first mayor," his granddaughter, Larkin Evans said. Although she was 10 years old at the time, she recalls seeing Carter spend hours talking to people throughout the area, listening to them and their opinions. Evans, who's now an art teacher at Half Moon Bay High School, said Carter would want to be remembered as an educator. "I think because he had so much experience as a teacher, he had a lot of respect in the community," she said. Her grandfather had a vision for the entire area that hasn't completely left the unique political arena of Half Moon Bay, but its support has come and gone like the fog rolling in from the sea. He wanted to see the entire Coastside encompassed into one town - "All one Coastside" was his catch phrase, Evans said. Not everyone was supportive of that vision, Evans recalls. There were many locals vehemently opposed to such an idea. "He really believed we would have been better off to all be one," she added. "He just loved people. He never stopped teaching." Evans recalls growing up on the coast as a fun, yet sometimes dull experience. To her, it seemed like every building was white and that everyone in town knew her, and she's pleased with some of the changes over the years - at least those on the exterior. "I love how beautiful the town has become. It really was just kind of a hick town. At times it was embarrassing to be from Half Moon Bay. Now I can't think of a more perfect place to live," she said. "I miss the closeness of the people," she said, however. "I wish people could compromise more than they seem to." Al Adraveno, who was the mayor of Half Moon Bay in '70, '71, '76 and '79, has lived here for 50 years now and has seen many changes come over those years. "I feel that basically we have a high-quality community and a very diverse community - all walks of life," he said. Mayor Mike Ferreira took the light-hearted approach at first. "Forty-five for a lot of folks is considered prime," he said of the news. "We're in our prime." Of Carter's now 45-year-old plan, Ferreira said, "it makes too much sense for us to do it," but "you get too many reactions that are anchored to past battles. It would be a really good thing for the city to have the Coastside all as one city." He added, "If it could be done without all of that enormous effort, it would be a good thing to do." He looks forward with excitement toward the city's future. His near goals include: trails, parks, the renovations to the intersection at Main Street and Highway 92, and the update to the Local Coastal Plan. "The city's in good financial shape, I think, in spite of the flat economy," he said. |