Call to action: Stop quarry expansion

The huge German mining company Heidelberg that quarries limestone and burns cement in the Santa Cruz Mountains above our homes wants to expand, again. Our local governments are waging valiant efforts to protect our health and environment. But they spar with a multibillion-dollar public global company.

This quarry and cement kiln have violated their environmental operating permits over the years. They have compromised our air quality and Permanente Creek, which flows to the San Francisco Bay. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and federal courts have intervened to establish compliance. But the law-breaking continues: The county cited the quarry in 2018 for constructing an illegal road through the mountains. In June, the county cited the quarry for allowing mining overflow into Permanente Creek. Now, these distant owners want to kill thousands of trees and destroy acres of wildlife habitat, then leave a huge pile of mining waste in their wake.

Open Boronda Lake to nonresidents

A Palo Alto friend told us their city is again considering the pros and cons of opening Boronda Lake to nonresidents. Palo Alto editorial websites have mostly expressed the sentiment that Los Altos residents long ago lost their opportunity and should live without access or pay a substantial sum to gain it.