Edition 1 January 2026

Calendar

See posted calendars for:

• Skyline College
• Pacifica Libraries
• Mildred B. Owen Concert Hall

Photos have been contributed by Leo Leon and Mark Hubbell

Pacifica Voice is eager to receive articles on issues important to our community. Please send them to editor@pacvoice.org for consideration.

To receive press releases and periodic messages from the Pacifica Voice please add your name and email address to our subscriber list – SUBSCRIBE HERE. FREE

---

---

CLOSE TO HOME

---

The Mayor’s Newsletter

Dear neighbors,

Happy new year from your new mayor! I’m really excited to work with you all to lead Pacifica forward in 2026! We have a lot of major challenges in the year ahead but I truly believe that this is where the strength of our dedicated, engaged, and caring community shines through best. 

This email is much longer than my usual updates, as I want to give you some context on some of our critical work. If you’re limited on time you can scroll through the highlighted topics that interest you. 

Welcome new subscribers! My goal in sending out these updates is to inform you of the major items coming before the City Council so that you can choose what issues matter to you and get involved when you are able. I cannot share my opinions here on topics that may come before the council as, by law, we need to stay open minded and not communicate our views (especially to other councilmembers), except in a formal meeting. We 5 councilmembers are serving in this role to represent your voices, but we need to hear from you!

For other official city updates, please subscribe to Connect with Pacifica (a weekly email from the City Manager), as well as to SMC Alerts for emergency notifications from the County. The Pacifica Tribune is also an excellent source of information. While it is no longer in print, it is available online here. Please consider supporting important, independent local journalism! 

With the state focused on the housing crisis and repeatedly passing legislation that limits our ability to review or modify projects that include housing, Pacifica is on the verge of some major changes, so it is all the more important that we pay attention and speak up. Our major challenges this year include:

A. CITY MANAGER RECRUITMENT 

The City Manager is the most important staff member, the orchestra leader of all the work that takes place in town.Their role includes advising council and implementing council priorities, preparing the budget and managing finances, supervising staff and ensuring effective and equitable service delivery, as well as overseeing emergency response. Our current manager, Kevin Woodhouse, is retiring in early March, and we are currently recruiting! If you know anyone who might want to apply, here is the link to our Brochure – the deadline to apply is January 18th!

We also want to hear from you as to what qualities are important to residents and business owners in a city manager. Please take a minute to complete this Community Survey

B. BUDGET

As a primarily bedroom residential community our revenues are limited and we’ve struggled for decades to balance the budget while trying to not cut services, but we are at a critical impasse with a 3 million plus projected deficit next year. A short summary of these issues can be found in a recent Tribune article here and if you want a deep dive, our current budget book can be found here. Without enough staff, and without any money for capital improvement/infrastructure projects beyond what we can get in grant funding, we are in a tough bind, needing both short term and long term solutions. 

This fall we held two revenue generation study sessions and directed staff to look into potential ballot measures focused on public safety, as well as look into Finance Districts to try to get more funds for infrastructure improvements from developers in defined areas of town. 

We’ve also just hired a new Economic Development/Housing Director, Gretchen Heckman, coming to us from San Francisco where she managed the Mission Bay redevelopment areas – press release.

C. COASTAL FLOODING, EROSION AND SEA LEVEL RISE

The last few winters of atmospheric rivers and king tides show us that the effects of climate change are already upon us. Please prepare now for the coming storms and wave surges in the next few days that are projected to be the most extreme this winter. Sandbags are available at council chambers (2212 Beach Boulevard parking lot), and at our fire station at 1100 Linda Mar Boulevard. Check the storm drains around your home as well to make sure they are clear of debris, and report any needed maintenance to public works on their website portal. If you see an emergency, flooding, landslides, bluff erosion, etc., call 911. 

While we were able to get our Local Coastal Plan updated to include sea level rise last year, the actual adaptation strategies for each segment of town were removed because the Coastal Commission did not feel they were complete, nor did they take into account the length of time to plan specific projects. This will be a major council undertaking next year, starting with a study session currently scheduled for January 26 to discuss public engagement strategies. These have been extremely difficult and contentious conversations in the past here in Pacifica, partly because we have so much construction so close to the coast, and also because many of our beaches and access to them have been lost due to sea walls and rock placement. How can we find that delicate balance to protect the things we love most and ensure the survival of Pacifica for future generations and for the creatures with which we share this special location? We must find ways to come together, find compromise one step, one location, at a time, and build consensus towards a community vision for Pacifica. 

This work is also key to finding grant funding for adaptation projects, and we are learning that more and more state funds are prioritized towards nature-based solutions versus pure hard armoring, so we need to get creative! And of course, with the current administration, our access to Federal funds for the seawall is currently cut off. 

There will also be an update on the Sharp Park seawall replacement project (BBIRP – Beach Boulevard Infrastructure Resiliency Project) at our first council meeting on January 12. Agenda will be available here by Thursday morning January 8.

D. Short Term Rentals

Please see attached update memo from Assistant City Manager Yulia Carter, that includes information about our new ordinances and processes, as well as links to access addresses of permitted STR’s broken out by coastal zone (west of highway 1) and non-coastal zone. I have asked staff for an update on when the ordinance will be submitted to the Coastal Commission. 

There have been fewer renewal applications than projected, and staff analyzes the lost income, but a key missing component is whether homes that were STRs have been sold and the property tax income increased. 

If you know an STR near you that has recently sold, could you please send me the address? Would someone like to volunteer to compile the information for me from Zillow or other public real estate sites? I can forward my Google spreadsheet, so you just need to enter the information.

E. Upcoming Major Council Agenda Items (dates subject to change, check final agendas when they are released, typically Wednesday night before the Monday meeting).Reminder that all meetings are open to the public and available for commenting in person, on zoom or on the phone, with information on meeting location and how to participate located at the top of the agenda. There is always a time to comment on anything not on the agenda too if you want to bring something to the whole council’s attention.

January 12, 2026 

• Proclamation for former mayor Mary Ann Nihart who recently passed away from complications from a brave battle with ovarian cancer 
• Adoption of ordinances for 570 Crespi, which include the sale of city property
• BBIRP (Sharp Park seawall) update and next steps

January 26

• 650 Cape Breton hearing on rezoning, development plan and specific plan related to illegal grading
• Study Session for next steps and community engagement for Shoreline Adaptation Plan and LCLUP (Local Coastal Land Use Plan) Coastal Access and Resilience Program (for mitigation projects required as part of Rockaway and Sharp Park “Special Shoreline Resiliency Areas”. In these areas development would be able to rely on seawalls and armoring for approximately 20 years to give us more time to do long term planning.)

February 9

• Study Session for Emergency Preparedness and Safety Commission Charter (and possibly Beautification Advisory Committee) 
• Appeal of Planning Commission approval of new home on Bayview Road in Rockaway

February 23

• Economic Development Study Session
• Financial Reports 
• Inclusionary Housing and Density Bonus Ordinances

And stay tuned for a date for Council Strategic Planning and Goal Setting, probably in early March. This is the time for the community to bring ideas for projects and ordinances that we may want to consider working on in the year ahead. 

With gratitude for each of you and in your service,

---

Harvesting Dreams

Cosechando Sueños

Reprinted with permission “Our Vision – Puente de la Costa SurPuente de la Costa Sur mypuente.org/whoweare/“
Pacifica Voice to reprint one story an edition

Harvesting Dreams was born more than a year ago, in the wake of a painful loss in our community. After the tragic deaths of several farmworkers, we felt a deep need to honor their lives and bring visibility to the people who quietly sustain us every day.

This project is a collaboration between the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office CARON Program, Coastside Hope, and Puente—created with the participation of more than 40 farmworkers who generously and courageously shared their stories and dreams. We are also grateful to other community partners whose early support helped shape this work, even if they are not named here.

Each portrait holds dignity, strength, and humanity. And many of them are accompanied by a QR code linking to a short video—giving viewers the opportunity to hear directly from the participants in their own words. We invite you to listen with care and openness.

Our goal was simple but powerful: to create space for farmworkers to be seen, to be heard, and to be valued—not just for their labor, but for their wisdom, resilience, and aspirations.

In this moment, when fear and uncertainty weigh heavily due to current government policies, this exhibition stands as a quiet act of memory, gratitude, and resistance. A reminder that the contributions of farmworkers deserve not only recognition but also protection, care, and respect.

Thank you for joining us in honoring their stories.
We continue harvesting dreams.

Pedro Sanchez

Pedro Sánchez Galindo vive con su familia en Santiago Ixcuintla, una localidad cercana a Tepic y al mar, en el estado mexicano de Nayarit. En agosto, viaja al norte para trabajar en la cosecha de coles de bruselas. “Estamos en el campo, cortando, tumbando y moliendo las mazorcas con las coles. Empezamos a las siete de la mañana y terminamos a las tres y media o cuatro de la tarde”. Cuando llega el frío y llueve, las cosas se ponen más complicadas. “Porque las matas hacen como un hielito, y hay que cosecharlas igual…” Pedro dice que se siente solo aquí. Extraña a sus tres hijos. Pero le da alegría saber que su familia “come bien en México. Que le puedes dar lo que, a lo mejor, en algún tiempo careció, su sustento y su casita”. Sus hijos estudian, y él quiere que completen su escolaridad “para que no tengan que venir como yo, a trabajar con frío; para que estén estudiados y acomodados”.

Pedro Sánchez Galindo lives with his family in Santiago Ixcuintla, a town near Tepic and close to the ocean in the Mexican state of Nayarit. Each August, he travels north to work the Brussels sprouts harvest. “We’re out in the fi elds—cutting, knocking down, and grinding the stalks with the sprouts. We start at seven in the morning and fi nish around three-thirty or four in the afternoon.” When the cold and rain arrive, the work gets even harder. “The plants get frosty, but you still have to harvest them…” Pedro admits he feels lonely here. He misses his three children. But it brings him joy to know that his family “eats well in Mexico—that I can give them what, at one point, they might have lacked: food and a little home.” His children are in school, and he hopes they fi nish their studies. “So they won’t have to come like I did—to work in the cold. I want them to be educated and well established.”

---

ALAS Receives National Grant

ALAS Receives Prestigious National Research Grant to Advance the Colibrí Child Wellness Program
Dec 15, 2025

By Victoria Sanchez De Alba

One of Only Five Organizations Selected Nationwide, ALAS to Pilot New Model with Stanford University School of Medicine Centered on “Cultura Cura”

Pilot to Practice

The Colibrí Child Wellness Program expands an earlier ALAS–Stanford pilot (PRIMES) into a full-spectrum clinical model that delivers bilingual developmental screenings, speech and occupational therapy, behavioral care, Early Start referrals, and parenting support both on-site and via the ALAS Equity Express Bus, which reaches geographically and linguistically isolated farmworker families. The study will enroll families participating in the intervention and families receiving standard care through clinical pipelines and regional center referrals. Mixed methods research will assess feasibility, acceptability, and early indicators of systems-level impact, including piloting the Measure of Immigration-related Stress, Trauma, and Strengths in Children (MIST-C).

Sustained community support ensures families can continue receiving care without cost barriers. To help expand access and meet growing needs, donate or learn more at www.alasdreams.com.

About Systems for Action

Systems for Action is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that aims to discover and apply new evidence about ways of aligning the delivery and financing systems that support a Culture of Health.

About Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)

RWJF is a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime. To get there, we must work to dismantle structural racism and other barriers to health. Through funding, convening, advocacy, and evidence-building, we work side-by-side with communities, practitioners, and institutions to get to health equity faster and pave the way together to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

About Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS)

Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS) is a Latino-led, community-based organization in Half Moon Bay dedicated to advancing the health, cultural leadership, and resilience of Latino and farmworker families. ALAS provides bilingual mental health services, early childhood and parent education programs, cultural arts, community organizing, and mobile outreach through the ALAS Equity Express Bus, which brings care directly to families in isolated agricultural regions. Founded in 2011, ALAS is rooted in the belief that cultura cura (“culture cures”) and that community wellness grows from trust, dignity, and belonging. For more information, please visit: alasdreams.com

---

---

HOUSING

540 Crespi: A Missed Opportunity

By Suzanne Moore, Pacifica Housing 4 All

Surplus Land is defined as publicly-owned property, and the California Surplus Land Act of 2024 requires local agencies to prioritize affordable housing, parks and schools upon its sale. That is why the City’s approval to sell 540 Crespi to a for-profit contractor is a disappointment.

In a 3-2 decision by our City Council, the majority voted against a renegotiation of the development agreement or an updated appraisal of 540 Crespi. “The City is aware of their obligations to send a proposed disposition summary to Housing and Community Development”; but barring any missteps by the City, the land can be transferred to the Murphy brothers.
Some Pacificans question whether this decision was the best deal the City could wrangle.

The City will get a limited number of below market-rate units (3 in number), some monies for our general fund, a limited amount of monies for our Housing Fund, and landscaping for the Community Center.
The City declined a current appraisal of the property, both as a stand-alone and as a parcel intended to be merged with development, or any negotiation for further low-income units.

The Surplus Land Act came into being in an effort to encourage communities to reduce building expenses for contractors and thereby create more low-income housing. As an example, Habitat for Humanity and Redwood City, utilizing a site roughly equivalent to 540 Crespi, collaborated to build Jefferson Avenue, 20 townhomes that provide homeownership for low-income homeowners.

Habitat’s model creates homeownership for families historically excluded and helps those families begin personal wealth growth through property equity. Habitat’s units stay affordable in perpetuity as owners resell the units back to Habitat.

But unless Pacifica is prepared to create similar collaborations, our City will never build an adequate number of much-needed below market-rate housing – housing needed to support working families, families just starting their careers, and those on fixed income. Surplus land is a significant way to enter into negotiation for truly affordable housing, and we passed up that opportunity with 540 Crespi.

It is my understanding that 3 ingredients are needed to create housing: land, money, and community will. I encourage all Pacificans to increase our understanding of how best to build low-income housing which I believe is necessary for the health of the individual, the family, and our community as a whole. Future surplus land should be prioritized for below market-rate housing, our housing fund should be used to incentivize below market-rate housing, and Pacifica should stabilize a clear system/pathway to assure that construction.

For three decades, Pacifica has failed to build low-income housing, directly connected to homelessness and the housing crisis. I suggest it’s time to correct past mistakes and avoid further missed opportunities like 540 Crespi.

---

Destabilizing HUD funding: what is the impact? 

By Suzanne Moore, Pacifica Housing 4 All 

As we watch the financial attack on federal social service systems, we need to watch the impact on HUD funding (US Department of Housing and Urban Development) and last-minute attempts of the federal administration to change the rules for funding application to the Continuum of Care Grant Program (CoC). The impact will be local, regional, and national – and it may be dramatic. 

This spring, I and community advocates first heard of tenants with Section 8 vouchers being evicted from a local apartment complex. Upon investigation, we learned the evictions strongly appeared to be a regional systemic action to preemptively evict vouchered tenants in response to rumors of HUD funding cuts. We encouraged clients to seek legal aid and speak with the housing authority in order to preserve their vouchers and housing. As this is a vulnerable population with a past history of trauma, we know some did not seek assistance – and at least one individual locally resumed living in a car. 

As we connected with others regionally, we recognized the complexity and far-reaching implications for the funding cuts. The crisis impacts:

• our most vulnerable section 8 voucher tenants, our landlords who provide necessary housing, 
• HUD offices who may be forced to reduce community services, – our County’s efforts to reduce homelessness,
• and potentially our community’s economic, health, and social stability. 

“A federal judge has granted motions for preliminary injunction, which will temporarily block the Trump-Vance administration’s attempts to implement unlawful and unreasonable restrictions that seek to shift funding away from proven solutions to homelessness. The order comes in National Alliance to End Homelessness et al. v. HUD, a case brought by local governments and nonprofit organizations, which seeks to prevent the administration’s harmful attempt to stop funding permanent housing projects that are keeping hundreds of thousands of people out of homelessness as cold winter months arrive.” (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 12/19/25) 

Although the Courts blocked rule changes to the 2024-25 Notice of Funding Application (NOFA), it does not guarantee monies reach service agencies – grant money may not be disbursed in a timely fashion. Evidently, the current administration believes disbursements are not required until May, 2026. It is unclear if the Courts can act quickly enough to assure much-needed program funding.

In addition, the current federal administration “prohibits use of federal funds for diversity and inclusion efforts, support of transgender clients, and use of harm-reduction strategies that seek to reduce overdose deaths by helping people in active addiction use drugs more safely.” (CalMatters, 12/3/25). Disruption of existing programs is likely. 

Some have already gone to court to sue the administration for the huge shift in its homelessness policy – including the State of California and San Francisco and Santa Clara Counties in collaboration with the National Alliance to End Homelessness and the National Low Income Housing Coalition. 

Rule changes for 2026 are anticipated. The administration proposes to refocus attention away from permanent housing, permanent supportive housing, and rapid rehousing efforts. Existing programs, dependent on federal funding, may find funding sources greatly reduced or nonexistent. It will be up to state and local governments to fill in the funding gaps if they can. 

For advocates seeking direction, we need to keep up with information provided by the National Alliance to End Homelessness and the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Advocates can also share concerns with our County’s Board of Supervisors and our Governor. “Congress has until Jan 30, when the November stopgap measure to reopen the government expires, to determine whether or how deeply to cut the Section 8 program.” (Section 8 housing assistance in jeopardy from proposed cuts and restrictions, by Capital and Main, 1/2/26). 

Housing and Urban Development, a system which served our nation since its inception in 1937 and has never faced cuts to existing subsidies, is now threatened. We await the release of the 2026 NOFO with great concern for our CoC funding and the vulnerable populations that will bear the greatest impact. 

San Mateo County Board of Supervisors: boardfeedback@smcgov.org
Congressman Sam Liccardo: (202) 225-8104 
Senator Alex Padilla: (202) 224-3553 
Senator Adam Schiff: (202) 224-3841
Governor Gavin Newsom: governor@governor.ca.gov
National Alliance to End Homelessness: endhomelessness.org

---

Why is “Affordable Housing” Like This? 

Understanding a weird, convoluted system—a Christmas special, of sorts

JEREMY LEVINE
DEC 25, 2025

This article is written by Jeremy Levine in his personal capacity and does not represent the views of his employer, the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo. You can subscribe to receive more of his writings at the following link: jeremyl.substack.com 

Merry three-days-after-Chanukah, gentiles! Ok ok merry Christmas and happy various other traditional celebrations, especially a belated debaucherous pagan Saturnalia to you. May this article give you a good excuse for taking a break from your families and loved ones to read about the convoluted nature of affordable housing as we know and love it today.
A few weeks back, I wrote about how “affordable housing” as defined by urban planning can’t make housing affordable on its own. Creating a functioning housing market that provides housing for everyone who needs it requires allowing all kinds of housing, not just housing at certain price points.
However, my article glossed over the convoluted insanity of the United States’s current “affordable housing” system. A convoluted set of financing mechanisms and regulations applies to our modern subsidized housing, a regime created in the 1980s to replace the old public housing system.
Though the system may be Byzantine in its absurd complexity, it has counterintuitive benefits that its detractors often miss. This is the story of how “affordable housing” works in America, why we do it this way, and what it means for the future of the pro-housing movement.

---

HIP Housing Readiness Program

By Laura Fanucchi

HIP Housing’s Housing Readiness Program (HRP) empowers San Mateo County older adult (62+) community members to navigate our complex local landscape. Experienced staff, volunteers, and interns support low-income older adults who contact our agency to help them become more “housing ready”. This support can include providing housing resources, assistance completing housing applications, and offering activities that help prepare individuals to access housing. The Housing Readiness Program has limited funds to offer a housing scholarship to an older adult who currently resides at one of the San Mateo County-supported shelters. For more information about the Housing Readiness Program, please visit Housing Readiness Program – HIP Housing or contact HIP Housing at (650) 348-6660.xxx

---

---

SOCIAL JUSTICE

HOPE: Healing, Overdose Prevention and Education

by Susanne Hoff 

HOPE: Healing, Overdose Prevention and Education, has been hard at work since our last article and wants to keep Pacifica and the surrounding communities apprised of what HOPE has been working on. In March of 2026, HOPE will be entering into its third year as a nonprofit. We are thankful and grateful for providing the resources to help others. 

HOPE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides community resources related to overdose prevention. HOPE also provides local resources to help give assistance to those seeking a clean and sober life from substance use disorder. 

Since March of 2024, HOPE has accomplished many things. This is a condensed list of what we have achieved since March 2024:

• First Annual Memorial Walk and Resource Fair, August 2024;
• First Annual Hearts 4 HOPE Gala, February 2025; 
• HOPE was a guest on Pacific Coast TV as a component to our Mission to create awareness to the community; 
• Second Annual Memorial Walk and Resource Fair, August 2025;
• Pacific Coast Fog Fest: Parade and HOPE Table, September 2024 and 2025; 
• Pacifica Pride, Parade and HOPE Table in both 2024 and 2025;
• HOPE tabling events throughout San Mateo County;
• placed four NARCAN dispensers in Pacifica with more coming soon in Pacifica and surrounding communities;
• conducted educational classes at local high schools, providing students with information on lethal effects of fentanyl and preventing overdose by teaching what Narcan is and how it can save a life.

HOPE also wants to highlight our volunteers – HOPE could not do what we do without them. Our volunteers make past and recent community events possible. 

HOPE is a Narcan (Naloxone) Distributor. If you or someone you know is in need of free Narcan, HOPE, with the generosity of our community and grants, has placed several Narcan dispensers in the following businesses, please check hours of operation. You may also contact HOPE directly by emailing us at: 
hope4change650@gmail.org. 

• Lytt Cannabis Dispensary 2110 Palmetto Ave, Pacifica • Longboard Bar 180 Eureka Square, Pacifica 
• Fog Zone 5420 Coast Highway, Pacifica 
• Pacifica Resource Center 1809 Palmetto Ave, Pacifica 

HOPE has distributed over 2,500 NARCAN since we began as a distributor in 2024 – Saving Lives and Helping our Community! Naloxone, also known as Narcan®, is a medicine that can help people who are overdosing on an opioid. Opioids include prescription medications, heroin, and fentanyl. Sometimes other drugs, including cocaine and methamphetamine, are mixed with fentanyl. 

Naloxone can reverse the effects of an overdose from opioids, including Heroin, Morphine, Oxycodone (OxyContin®), Methadone, Fentanyl, Hydrocodone (Vicodin®), Codeine, and Hydromorphone. 

Thank you to our Pacifica and surrounding communities that make it possible for HOPE: Healing, Overdose Prevention and Education, to provide the resources needed to help families learn and help their loved ones that struggle with substance use disorder. As HOPE continues to grow as a nonprofit, our HOPE is that you grow along with us by sharing our resources (which can be found on our website) and educating others. We strive forward in hope that one day no family will ever receive the devastating news that has affected so many families in our country. 

If you would like to make a donation to HOPE, please visit our website at hope4change650.org. HOPE will be holding its Second Annual Hearts 4 HOPE Gala which will be held February 13, 2026. Tickets and information are available by visiting our website at hope4change650.org.

---

Fair Wages

---

Faith and the Moral Imperative of Housing

By Rev. Dr. G. Penny Nixon
Rev. Dr. G. Penny Nixon is the Faith Director for the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County and Minister Emerita of the Congregational Church of San Mateo, where she served as Senior Minister from 2007-2022.

As a faith leader, and as a human, what I am thinking about this holiday season are the faces of all those so deeply impacted by the high cost of housing. It’s the faces. The woman working three jobs who still can’t afford rent. The teacher forced to move two counties away from the students she loves. The family living in their car in the shadow of empty buildings.

These are not statistics. These are our neighbors. And if my faith means anything at all, it must speak to this crisis with clarity and conviction.

While there is a broad range of faith traditions, some truths remain foundational: compassion, integrity, responsibility, and the power of radical, uncompromising love. These aren’t abstract concepts. They are calls to action that thunder through every religious tradition I know.

When I read the Hebrew prophets, I hear Amos crying out against those who “sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals.” I hear Isaiah demanding we “loose the chains of injustice” and “provide the poor wanderer with shelter.” I hear Micah asking what the Lord requires: “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Jesus didn’t mince words either. “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” Not “I was a stranger and you formed a committee to study the issue.” Not “I was a stranger and you worried about property values.” You welcomed me. Period.

This isn’t about charity. This is about justice. This is about recognizing that housing is not a commodity to be traded for profit while people suffer. Housing is a human right. Housing is the foundation upon which people build their lives, raise their families, pursue their education, maintain their health, and contribute to their communities.

What could be more “essential” than stable housing? We praised essential workers during the pandemic. Now many of these very people face eviction with nowhere to go. Where is our moral outrage?

When we talk about housing, we’re talking about who gets to live with dignity in our communities. We’re talking about teachers and nurses and janitors and cooks—the very fabric of our society. We’re talking about seniors on fixed incomes and young families just starting out. We’re talking about people with disabilities who need stable homes to access care.

If we truly believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person, then we must believe they deserve a safe, stable, affordable place to call home.

Our congregations sit on some of the most valuable land in our communities. Some faith communities are already leading the way, building affordable housing on their land, opening their facilities as warming centers and navigation centers, advocating for policy changes, educating their members about NIMBYism and exclusionary zoning. But we need more. So much more.

We need clergy to preach about housing from the pulpit as often as they preach about any other moral issue. We need faith communities to show up at city council meetings and planning commission hearings. We need people of faith to examine their own resistance to housing in their neighborhoods and ask themselves: whose comfort are we centering? Whose dignity are we ignoring?

The housing crisis is a spiritual crisis. It is a moral crisis. It is a human crisis. 

Do we believe in human dignity? Then we must rage against a system that forces people to choose between rent and food.

Do we believe in the kinship of all people? Then we must see the housed and the unhoused as family.

Our faith teaches us to feed the hungry. To clothe the naked. To welcome the stranger. To house the homeless.

The rest is commentary.

---

---

CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT

Tree City Pacifica Update 

By Paul Totah

More than 50 volunteers planted 20 trees at the Fairmont West Park on Nov. 1 in a joint effort by the city’s Public Works and Parks Beaches and Recreation Departments along with Tree City Pacifica, a community group focused on Arbor Day and growing our urban forest. 

Pacifica, now in its seventh year as a Tree City USA, celebrates Arbor Day each year by adding trees to help increase canopy cover and to fight climate change. 

The day began with speeches by Mayor Sue Beckmeyer and Director of Parks, Beaches and Recreation Scott Leslie. After comments, landscape architect Sandy Ayers and ISA arborist Maija Wigoda-Mikilla demonstrated the correct way to plant a tree. They also supervised the planting along with Marj Davis, Susan Miller and Jeff Moroso, all master gardeners.

Volunteers who planted trees included families of Scouts, Little Leaguers, and Pacificans committed to ensuring that the city remains verdant for years to come. They were assisted by members of the Planning Commission, the PB&R Commission, and the Beautification Advisory Committee alongside city council members Mayra Espinosa and Greg Wright. 

Mayor Beckmeyer also read the names of the winners of the student art contest. The winning entries were displayed at Sanchez Art Center in the foyer of the East Wing Gallery.

Students were asked to draw their favorite tree in conjunction with tree planting events at their schools. Ten trees were donated to the Pacifica School District by the city, giving students the opportunity to learn even more about the value trees play in fighting climate change and promoting biodiversity. 

For more information on Tree City Pacifica, which helps the city earn Tree City USA status each year through Arbor Day events, go to facebook.com/treecitypacifica or send an email to treecitypacifica@gmail.com. 

CLICK HERE For photos of the event, go to our gallery.

---

Pacific Beach Coalition 

Happy New Year Pacifica Voice! We at Pacific Beach Coalition (PBC) are proud to have wrapped up 2025 with amazing total results—a whopping 314,000 cigarette butts and over 22,250 pounds of trash collected by more than 11,000 volunteers from all over the Bay Area. Many thanks to the many coalition participants who helped make this massive impact!

We invite you all to join us for our 130+ stewardship events that we’ll host this year, with weekly opportunities for service hours and community powered climate action. Now looking ahead, we’re excited for these key upcoming events

• Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. with Annual Beach Planting Day on Saturday, January 17th along the Coastal Trail between Linda Mar and Rockaway Beach (see below)
• Commemorating Lynn Adams retirement on Friday, January 23rd in the Courtyard at Vallemar Elementary School
• Celebrating Earth Day and with this year’s Eco Fest on Saturday, April 18th at Linda Mar / Pacifica State Beach; mark your calendars to make a difference!

As in years past, we will come together to TAKE ACTION in the morning, and then celebrate with educational activities and informational booths with content for the whole family. Last year’s Pelicanfest brought more than 6,000 visitors and 30 booths, and this year’s honoree, Steelhead Trout, should spawn even more great fun and insight into our coastal watershed.

Please continue to sign up and reach out to info@pacificabeachcoalition.org to get involved. There are always a lot of roles to support on Earth Day—day of action cleanups and habitat restoration activities, volunteer coordination, partner sponsorship—contact us today or come out to our next monthly general meeting to learn more.

Want to stay informed about these upcoming PBC events and other news? Visit our website at PacificBeachCoalition.org or fill out the contact form on this page to start receiving our monthly newsletter; here’s January’s issue. You can also follow us on social media. We’re active on all the major platforms @PacificBeachCoalition.

MLK Day of Service and Annual Beach Planting

STAY SAFE THIS WINTER

The recent high-surf warnings and king tides in the Bay Area serve as a reminder that we all need to remain alert as we head to the coast for recreation or volunteering this winter. As a rule, steer clear of the tide line and never turn your back to the water. Sneaker waves are real and can be deadly.

This is also the time of year when cliffsides can be particularly unstable. Like the tideline, it’s best to keep your distance whether you’re admiring the view from above or enjoying the sand from below.

NEW YEAR, NEW NESTS: BROWN PELICAN RESOLUTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING BREEDING SEASON

While many of us are working on (or quickly ditching!) New Year’s resolutions this January, our 2025 Earth Honoree, theBrown Pelican, has its own critical task—preparing for the next nesting season. Learn more on our latest blog article.

---

---

COMMUNITY UPDATES

Mildred B Owen Concert Hall

Pacifica Performances Calendar November and December

For more info and to buy tickets CLICK HERE pacificaperformances.org

Jan 10	O’Man Brothers Band Allman Brothers Tribute Band
Jan 17	Harvey Wainapel’s “Alegritude” Brazilian music beyond the Standards
Jan 24	Alpha Rhythm Kings They killed it last year! They are truly the kings of swing dancing music.
Jan 31	Dirty Cello Rockin’ ensemble led by energetic cellist Rebecca Roudman
Feb 1	Ives Consortium SUNDAY at 5:00 pm Classical Music with Kay Stern, Stephen Harrison & Susan Frazier

Pacifica Performances is in the old Sanchez Elementary School, now the Pacifica Center for the Arts at 1220 Linda Mar Blvd. We perform in the Mildred Owen Concert Hall or what we call “The Hall.” All tickets are $25.00 general, $20 for members.

---

Pacifica Library Events

Design Your Own Rubber Duck
Tuesday, January 13 at 3:30pm at Sanchez
Celebrate National Rubber Duck Day by designing and decorating your own rubber duck!
Children (6-11 years old) Teens (12-18 years old)

Responding to Dementia-Related Behaviors
Thursday, January 15 at 11:30am at Sharp Park REGISTER HERE
This program details common behavior changes of dementia and how they are a form of communication, non-medical approaches to behaviors, and recognizing when additional help is needed. Adults (19+ years old)

Sanchez Book Club
Thursday, January 15 at 7pm at Sharp Park REGISTER HERE
Do you like talking about books? Welcome to the Sanchez Book Club! You can join us in person or over Zoom every third Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM. The conversation is open to everyone 18 and older, regardless of where you live. We discuss member-selected literature, mostly literary fiction and popular nonfiction.
This month, we’re discussing James by Percival Everett
Visit our book group page to see everything we’re reading this year.

Computer Basics: Borrowing eBooks @ Your Library
Saturday, January 17 at 2pm at Sanchez
Did you receive a new eReader or tablet during the holidays? Find out about the library’s diverse eBook and eAudiobook collection and learn how to download them on your device! Bring your eBook reader, tablet, laptop, or mobile phone if you have one. Adults (19+ years old

Walk & Talk Book Club
Tuesday, January 20 at 9:30am at Sanchez
Join the Walk and Talk Book Club! We meet the 3^rd Tuesday of the month (except for December). We meet at Sanchez Library at 9:30 AM and walk to San Pedro Valley Park and discuss the book while walking the flat Weiler Ranch Trail. In January, we will discuss Real Estate by Deborah Levy. Check out our full list of books here Adults (19+ years old)

Fun With Watercolors
Tuesday, January 20 at 3:30pm at Sanchez
Create your own watercolor paintings. Children (6-11 years old) Teens (12-18 years old

Creative Software Workshop: Learn the Basics of Blender
Wednesday, January 21 at 6pm at Sharp Park REGISTER HERE
The Creative Software Workshop is a time for you to learn to create something new with the multitude of creative software we have available through our libraries. In this session, you will learn to explore the basics of Blender, a 3D modeling software. Adults (19+ years old)

Maker Exploration Robots and Circuits
Thursday, January 22 at 6pm at Sharp Park
Come and explore our Sphere Mini Robots, Dot & Dash Robots, or try making electronics with LittleBits Circuits or for more advanced hobbyists and engineers, we have Adrino Tinker Kit. Adults (19+ years old) Children (8-11 years old) Teens (12-18 years old

Lunar New Year Mindfulness Art: It Only Takes One Stroke
Saturday, January 24 at 2pm at Sanchez REGISTER HERE
Celebrate Lunar New Year with hands-on Calligraphy Art! Welcome the new year with the flowing beauty of brush and ink, one stroke at a time. Join local artist, teacher, and picture book illustrator Zuzu Gong as she guides us through calligraphy techniques to create beautiful, meaningful pieces. This program is for children and their families.

Monthly Gaming Tournament
Sunday, January 25 at 12pm at Sharp Park
Compete, win prizes and enjoy Pacifica Sharp Park Library’s gaming consoles! Test your gaming skills against your fellow library goers in tournaments hosted by the library. We have a rotating game selection which includes FC 25, Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart 8 and more! On a select Sunday of every month. Ages 10 and up.

Build a Catapult
Tuesday, January 27 at 3:30pm at Sharp Park
Design and test a catapult made with everyday materials. Children (6-11 years old) Teens (12-18 years old)

Family Classic Movie Night
Thursday, January 29 at 6pm at Sharp Park
Share the fun with other families, bring your kids to see this classic PG movie you remember enjoying as a kid! Contact the Sharp Park Library directly for this event’s movie title.

Recurring Programs

Baby Bounce with Stay and Play
Wednesdays at 10:15am at Sharp Park
Bring your bouncing baby to our weekly playtime, full of nursery rhymes and songs you can do together to stimulate your baby’s development. Ideal for newborns up to 18 months old, but all are welcome. After Storytime join us for Stay and Play, a time to engage in open-ended exploration and learning in the company of other children and caregivers. Preschoolers (0-5 years old)

Toddler Storytime with Stay and Play
Mondays at 10:15am at Sharp Park (view all dates)
Get ready to learn and play with your little one! We have songs, wiggles and stories that are all developmentally appropriate for toddlers ages 18 months to 3 years old. Come play with us! After Storytime join us for Stay and Play, a time to engage in open-ended exploration and learning in the company of other children and caregivers.

Family Storytime with Stay and Play
Wednesdays at 7pm at Sharp Park (view all dates)
Saturdays at 11:15am at Sanchez (view all dates)
Get ready to learn and play with your little one! Hear new stories, sing songs and learn wiggles that the whole family can enjoy together, from toddlers to grown-ups. After Storytime join us for Stay and Play, a time to engage in open-ended exploration and learning in the company of other children and caregivers.

Musical Storytime with Stay and Play
Tuesdays at 10:30am at San Pedro Valley Park (view all dates)
Let’s make music together! Join us for a silly, funny, song-and-dance-filled storytime for all ages. After Storytime join us for Stay and Play, a time to engage in open-ended exploration and learning in the company of other children and caregivers. 

This event will be held outdoors at San Pedro Valley Park (600 Oddstad Boulevard, Pacifica). Please bring your blanket/seating and sun protection. Storytime may be canceled in the event of inclement weather or poor air quality.

Drop-In Mahjong
Fridays at 1:30pm at Sharp Park (view all dates)
Come join our dedicated Mahjong group! Whether you’re a seasoned player or just learned the basics, all are welcome to enjoy a fun and friendly session of mahjong. We play non-competitive Hong Kong mahjong with California scoring. Come play and connect over tiles!

Pokemon Club
2^nd and 4^th Wednesdays of the month at 2:30pm at Sharp Park (view all dates)
Gotta catch ’em all! Come hang out with other Pokémon enthusiasts at Pokémon Club. Learn how to play the Pokémon Trading Card Game, challenge your friends to a showdown, and try your hand at Pokémon origami!

Magic the Gathering
2^nd and 4^th Wednesdays of the month at 2:30pm at Sharp Park (view all dates)
Wednesday, January 14
Wednesday, January 28
Learn how to play the fantasy card game Magic the Gathering! You will have the chance to sort cards, build a deck, and play a match. The best part? You get to keep the deck you build!

Drop-In Tech Help
Thursdays at 4:30pm at Sharp Park
Fridays at 2pm at Sharp Park
Got burning questions about your phone or laptop? Whether you’re puzzled about sending email attachments or adding new contacts or anything else tech-related, fear not! Swing by with your device and chat with our tech-savvy staff for personalized assistance that’ll leave you feeling empowered and ready to conquer the digital world! Please note, sessions may be limited to 15 minutes

Dungeons & Dragons – (view all dates REGISTER)
Wednesday, January 21 at 2:30pm at Sharp Park
Saturday, January 24 at 2:30pm at Sharp Park
Saturday, January 31 at 2:30pm at Sharp Park
Challenge yourself to a Dungeons & Dragons one-shot! Intended for middle and high school students. Handbooks and dice are provided; bring a character sheet or use one of our premade sheets. Space is limited, please register online to reserve your spot. Teens (12-18 years old)

PAWS for Tales
Monday, January 12 at 4:30pm at Sharp Park
Tuesday, January 27 at 3:45pm at Sanchez
Do you have a reluctant reader? Sign your child up to have their own session to practice reading with a therapy dog at the library. Registration is required and space is limited, so register early for your 10-minute. Children (6-11 years old)
REGISTER HERE

---

Apply for Pacifica Childcare

---

Youth Services Bureau

---

Pacifica Resource Center

Do you need help preparing your taxes this year?

In partnership with United Way of the Bay Area and the IRS, Pacifica Resource Center provides free, secure, and high-quality tax preparation. 

Our trained and IRS-certified volunteers help low-to-moderate-income households maximize their refunds by claiming tax credits they are eligible for, including the Federal and California Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.

All tax services, including e-filing, are provided at no cost by tax preparers trained on tax law and certified by the IRS.

Learn more and schedule an appointment by contacting PRC’s Tax Site Coordinator Claire Karo Schikore: Call: (650) 738-7470 // Email: claire@pacresourcecenter.org // Visit our website pacresourcecenter.org

Together, we are neighbors helping neighbors! #WeArePRC

Pacifica Resource Center is available to assist our community with essential services, including groceries, housing assistance, and other critical services.

1809 Palmetto Avenue, Pacifica, CA 94044 // Social Media: @prc94044

Pacifica Resource Center (EIN 81-1496989) is a nonprofit public benefit corporation recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

---

Skyline College Library Welcomes the Community!

By Sherri Wyatt and Pia Walawalkar

Happy New Year 2026! We are excited to share a few changes and information about the upcoming Critical Global Citizenship Education Project exhibit and activities.

The New Changes

We have created more lounge spaces for you and your family to enjoy. We continue to have a collection of books you can check out, board games and Legos to play, and the interlibrary loan services to utilize as part of the Peninsula Library System (PLS).

Come visit the Skyline College Library! Spring 2026 in-person hours are as follows:

• Monday – Tuesday | 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Wednesday – Thursday | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 pm

Can’t come in? Online services via chat or text are as follows:

• Monday – Thursday | 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• Friday | 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Saturday | 12:00 – 5:00 pm

Critical Global Citizenship Education Project

From January 28^th until March 15^th, we will host a Critical Global Citizenship Education Project traveling exhibit, called “The State of Water.” This travelling exhibit and series of events will explore water as a source of life, conflict, sustainability, and justice, which includes discussing the issues of environmental racism and conservation.

To celebrate the arrival of the traveling exhibit with refreshments and conversation, the two opening events will be as follows:

• Monday, February 2 | 2:00–3:30 pm
• Tuesday, February 3 | 9:00–10:30 am

In March, the Library will host a panel discussion and poetry event.

A dynamic community panel discussion of speakers from the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA), Filoli, and Association of Ramaytush Ohlone will explore the local and global challenges in water conservation and stewardship.

• Thursday, March 5 | 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Poet Aileen Cassinetto will visit the Library and guide our campus community in creating poetry and collaborative art inspired by water, drawing on the High Seas Treaty, other water treaties, and other texts.

• Wednesday, March 11 | 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Throughout the exhibit’s run, we invite the community members to submit original poetry and art on the theme of water. These works will be brought together as a community installation, which will be exhibited in the Skyline College Library throughout the Spring 2026 semester and after the traveling State of Water exhibit departs in March. If you have questions about submitting original art and poetry, please contact Pia Walawalkar – Outreach and Equity Librarian.

Look out for our future upcoming events and visit the Skyline College Library today!

---

Pacificans Care Highlights

Happy New Year from Pacificans Care

As the year 2025 ended, we continue to be deeply grateful to our Pacifica donors. Their generosity helped Pacificans Care reinvest more than $100,000 back into our community during 2025, strengthening critical services for Pacifica families, children, youth, and seniors. Giving Tuesday and End-of-Year contributions helped Pacificans Care meet its goal of raising over $20,000 and thanks to a generous $10,000 matching gift from the Good Karma Foundation (aka Oceana Market) your year-end donation made your impact go twice as far. This support helps provide food for families, counseling for youth in crisis, and essential assistance for seniors and individuals still facing impossible choices.

Together, we can enter the new year with hope.

Pacificans Care People Who Care Awards The Pacificans Care “People Who Care Awards” recognize community groups, businesses or individuals in Pacifica who have significantly contributed to the well-being of the community and, through their actions and contributions, have exemplified Pacifica as a “Community that Cares.”

This year Pacificans Care will honor 2025 People Who Care recipients

Pacificans Care Makes Emergency Support Donation

Pacificans Care is not just a fundraising organization in Pacifica — we are committed to giving back to our community whenever and however we can. With everything happening in the world right now, including the government shutdown and the temporary halt of SNAP benefits, we knewwe had to step up and support our neighbors. That’s why in November Pacificans Care donated $5,000 in grocery gift cards from Grocery Outlet and Oceana Market to the Pacifica Resource Center to help local families in need during these challenging times. Pacificans Care is grateful for the continued support of our community, which makes it possible for us to provide emergency help when it’s needed.

For more information about Pacificans Care:
Website: PacificansCare.com
Email:pacificanscare1982@gmail.com
Facebook.com/PacificansCare
P.O. Box 875, Pacifica, California 94044

---

---