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Pacifica Prognosis 1969: "Rugged, Rocky Vistas" and 90,000 People

William Chapin's Suburbs of San Francisco, a book published in 1969, predicted that Pacifica would have a population of 90,000 by 1990. Chapin wrote about Pacifica:

•"It has no industry and its local sales are among the lowest in the state."
•"To remedy this, the city manager has stressed efforts to 'provide a little better balance by attracting recreation-oriented businesses to exploit our beautiful beaches and rugged, rocky vistas.'"
•"Citizens' participation in civic affairs and community events is unusually high...Hardly any Council meetings have fewer than 50 to 100 citizens in attendance..."

(Thanks to Bill Collins for sharing this.)

Donald Trump's Ghostwriter Tells All

The New Yorker

Tony Schwartz feels "deep remorse" for his role in ghostwriting Donald Trump's Art of the Deal.

Sandcastle: "Books @ The Beach" Library Plan Does Not Compute

Bill Collins Op-Ed

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Montara Mountain Book Back in Print

Montara Mountain is back in print. Barbara VanderWerf’s guidebook to the trails, plants, and fascinating historical lore of Montara Mountain, including San Pedro Valley Park, is available at the Visitor Center Trailside Store. Originally published in 1995, Montara Mountain was reprinted in 2010 with a foreword by Mike Vasey. As this is still a great reference book for hikers, bicyclists, and horseback riders, the Friends of San Pedro Valley Park (SPVP)—working with Barbara—have facilitated a third printing. Trailside Store hours are Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The park entrance is at 600 Oddstad Boulevard just south of the Oddstad/Rosita/Linda Mar intersection. Friends of SPVP present informative nature programs, and always welcome new members to support volunteer work in the park:

Friends of San Pedro Valley Park

Dan Lyons: My Year in Startup Hell

Book Excerpt

Journalist Dan Lyons' hilarious but somehow sad tale of his bumpy year as a marketing guy for a startup. (published in Fortune magazine, April 1)

Amy Goodman, Pacifica Radio's Democracy Now!

Pacifican Ron Berger meets with Democracy Now! host and investigative journalist Amy Goodman during a Peninsula stop April 12 on her national speaking and book-signing tour that celebrates the progressive TV news program's 20 years, currently broadcast on 1,400 stations, including Pacific Coast TV Channel 26 in Pacifica. Goodman starts each morning's program proclaiming, "From Pacifica, it's Democracy Now!" The program originally aired in 1996 on five Pacifica Radio stations around the country. (Editor's note: Pacifica Radio has no connection with Pacifica, California.)

Photo and caption by Alan Wald

Pacifica's Vision for New Underwater Library

Pacifica.city envisions the proposed new Beach Boulevard library some years hence.

Which Woodstock Were We?

Woodstock Times

Woodstock, New York town historian says a history book about his town got its facts all wrong, including mixing up two different Woodstocks (see the final paragraphs of the column).

Library Seeks Entrepreneurs

Press Release

Scholastic Recalls Racist Children's Book After Protests

Background

 

FLOREY'S BOOK CO.

Florey's Book Co. welcomes special orders; most books are available in just a few days. Florey's offers FREE gift wrapping for any purchase. Community groups hold meetings and activities at Florey's. Call or visit the bookstore for information. 2120 Palmetto Avenue (Sharp Park), Pacifica. Phone 650-355-8811. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

FLOREY'S BOOK CO.

FLOREY'S ON FACEBOOK

Poetry @ Devil's Slide Ride

City Press Release

We are not sure why the city's free shuttle bus features poetry onboard, but we are not against any of it. Riptide gladly supports poetry and free bus rides anytime.

Lost in the Fog of History: Portola Expedition Snafus

The Portola expedition’s accidental discovery of San Francisco Bay was celebrated with a giant exhibition in the 1915 Panama-Pacific Expo. Now S.F. Chronicle columnist Gary Kamiya tells the dramatic story of the Spanish explorers who landed on the beach in what is now Linda Mar, hiked up the hill in full body armor, and spotted the bay, mistakenly thinking they were on an island off the coast of California. Kamiya says, “That discovery was in fact of comedy of errors…(they had) no idea what they were looking for, (didn’t) recognize it when they found it, and returned to camp to receive a tongue-lashing from none other than Father Junipero Serra.”

Gary Kamiya

Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself & the World

Book Review by Mitch Hall

Shipwrecks, Scalawags & Scavengers

On October 4, Pacifica Coastside Museum welcomed back Joann Semones, shipwreck aficionado and author of Pirates, Pinnacles, and Petticoats: The Shipwrecks of Point Pinos and Monterey Bay, a painstakingly researched account of maritime tragedies that convincingly ties together the first U.S. female lighthouse keeper, Robert Lewis Stevenson, and even Leonard DiCaprio. Semones also mentioned the 143rd anniversary celebration of Pigeon Point Lighthouse on November 14 from 1 to 7 p.m. and a piece of an 1880s shipwreck that washed up recently in Half Moon Bay.

Story courtesy of Pacifica.city

Poetry Is Autumn

Library Press Release

Libraries Add Wireless Hotspot Checkout

ANNOUNCEMENT

Poetry @ Devil's Slide Ride

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Steve Blank: Four Steps to the Epiphany

Book Review by ScienceGrrl

Four Steps to the Epiphany: Successful Strategies for Products That Win

Steve Blank's new book (5th edition) is worth a read for anyone in any organization—startup or not! Eminently useful, a fast read, with a detailed contextual bibliography, plus two appendices that can be used as hands-on workbooks—to start applying your new knowledge.

Blank introduces a new idea: Customer Discovery. Thought you knew about your customers? Think again. Then validate! The book walks you through all the steps of Customer Discovery, from getting buy-in through verification of your hypotheses.

There's more, though. Blank elucidates the four steps to the epiphany: Customer Discovery, Customer Validation, Customer Creation, and Company Building. And we learn that not all startups are alike. OK, maybe most of us were on to that.

Blank explains how understanding market types will define whether you know where to move next in the fast-changing world of business. Are you bringing a new product to an existing market? To a new market? It makes a vital difference to all choices along the startup road map.

Four Steps to the Epiphany is based on real-life experience over a successful career that includes eight startups. Blank credits many interesting people, including "his best student" Eric Reis, who wrote The Lean Startup.  

Want to learn more but don't want to read the book? Check out the website: Steve Blank