The Half Moon Bay Review
May 21, 2003
 
Push is on to fund parks

By David Gorn

Coastsiders will be camped out in front of supermarkets for the next month, armed with clipboards and petitions, stumping for more money for county parks.

They want to get a measure on the November ballot that earmarks cash specifically for improving and acquiring parkland - and on the Coastside, that would include Mirada Surf, Pescadero Creek, Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, Crystal Springs and Pillar Point marsh.

And all they need to do is come up with 5,000 county residents' signatures by June 19.

"All five county supervisors have indicated they'll support it," said John Lynch, who's leading the coast's signature-gathering effort for the Burlingame-based Fund Our County Parks committee.

"They'll be talking about the budget in earnest starting in June," Lynch said, "and we want to make sure there's a dedicated source of money for parks."

According to organizers, San Mateo is the only county in the Bay Area that has a county park system, but no dedicated source of funds to run it.

"It's only advisory," Lynch said of the proposed ballot measure. "But it's a sign from residents to the supervisors. It says, 'I believe in it, and I support it.' That's all the supervisors are looking for."