Incorporated in 1959, the city of Half Moon Bay is managed from this City Hall building, located at Kelly Avenue and…More Main Street in the heart of downtown. The modest building houses the city management, finance, public works, and planning departments. The side of the building features two brightly painted murals.</p> <p>The Recreation Division is located close by 535 Kelly Avenue, which also houses the City Council chambers, a meeting space for city commissions, and the Ted Adcock Senior/Community Center.</p>

Interim Police Chief Lee Violett leads the Half Moon Bay Police Department. Core services include: public safety,…More crime reduction, and disaster preparedness.</p> <p>Police sergeants oversee a cadre of police officers and reserve officers. Officers are responsible for street patrols, crime reduction, monitoring public safety and responding to residents' requests for help. A community services officer is in charge of parking, monitoring and removing abandoned vehicles, and property and evidence. The department also houses investigative and juvenile units, and participates in San Mateo County task forces for narcotics, vehicle theft and gangs.</p> <p>Administrative staff takes care of data processing, records, and evidence.</p> <p>The department involves the community through its Law Enforcement Explorer program and Police Athletic League. Opportunities are also available for volunteers to help with data entry, report filing and supporting department responsibilities during fairs and festivals.</p> <p>Case logs in PDF format can be viewed at its website, along with the 2009 Annual Report.</p>

Coastside Parents' Nursery School is an unusual hybrid of a public state-run school and a private co-op preschool.…More Open since 1959, its co-op status  encourages parents to be directly involved in the course of shaping their child's education. The state provides funds for low income children to enroll.</p> <p>Located in a quiet residential area, the school is run out of a converted house. There is a generous outdoor play area with a slide, swings, picnic tables, and benches. The indoor area has spaces for artmaking and play areas as well.</p> <p>Although the school has only one faculty member, Victoria Fuller, parents volunteer during the week in 3-hour shifts. Parents who volunteer three hours per week qualify for reduced tuition fees. Instruction is in English and Spanish.</p> <p> </p>

The Richard J Elkus Ranch Environmental Education and Conference Center provides a unique hands-on learning…More experience for youth within the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Students who visit the 125 acre ranch learn about environmental science, California history, animal care, nutrition, and agriculture in a rural setting.</p> <p>Elkus Ranch is committed to providing a rich ranch experience for all children by offering a myriad of educationally diverse programs, including programs designed for students with special needs. Our Dean Trail leads visually impaired children with the help of a guide rope to explore the natural habitat surrounding the ranch. Our sensory garden contains a variety of plants that can be experienced through their scent, taste, and texture. Our enabling garden has raised beds that can be tended without kneeling or bending. All of our ranch facilities are wheelchair accessible. Our programs are aligned with the California Science Content Standards and provide opportunities to learn about the production of food and fiber, the interrelationships of plants and animals in their natural habitats and the importance of environmental stewardship. Schools interested in scheduling field trips can contact us directly. We offer a limited amount of scholarships to low income schools, please contact us for more information or to see if your school qualifies.</p> <p>While the ranch is not open to the public, we do offer family oriented public events throughout the year. Our most popular annual events are Sheep to Shawl, Summer and Winter day camps for children 6-11, and Spring and Fall Pre-School Days. We also have opportunities for community service projects and volunteers.</p> <p>The Conference Center at Elkus Ranch is a 4,400 square foot educational and day conference facility. The facility is available to rent for day conferences, off-site meetings, workshops and trainings. Local overnight facilities are also available. Also available for rental: a commercial kitchen, board room, and ranch house.  Please contact us for current rates and availability.</p>

Located next door to the Police Department, the Ted Adcock Community Senior Center serves many purposes in Half Moon…More Bay.</p> <p>The Community Senior Center houses the offices of the city's Recreation Department, the City Council chamber, and meeting rooms for city committees and commissions. The six meeting rooms can be rented by the public for temporary use as well.</p> <p>Residents can also enroll in a number of classes for personal enrichment through the Recreation Department. Classes include jewelry making, watercolor painting, music, meditation and sewing. Many of these classes meet at the Community Senior Center. More unusual classes exist as well, such as the Basics of Selling on Ebay and Dog Training. Residents can apply to teach their own class.</p> <p>Exercise classes are also available. Jazzercise and dance classes are held at the Community Senior Center, and the Recreation Department offers classes in basketball, soccer, kayaking, tai chi, yoga, flag football, tennis and ice hockey.</p> <p>A limited number of scholarships are awarded to those who cannot afford to pay for class registration fees. However scholarships cannot be applied toward class supplies.</p> <p>The Senior Coastsiders organization is also based at the Community Senior Center.</p>

Back in the 1920s, Richard Holtz's grandfather immigrated to the United States from Italy and worked in the fields to…More support himself. Years later, he started his own farm in Half Moon Bay at Tunitas Creek, growing peas, beans, lettuce and artichokes. Eventually he decided to stop farming so he could concentrate efforts at a larger farm in another part of Half Moon Bay.</p> <p>In 1998, Holtz jumped at the opportunity to purchase some land at the original Tunitas Creek location, and Tunitas Creek Family Farm was reopened the next year. Housed on an eight-acre lot, the farm is a true family operation, with most of the work being done by Holtz and his mother.</p> <p>Operating year-round, the farm produces pumpkins (of all types), gourds and squash in the fall and peas and beans in the spring. The family also raises goats.</p> <p>When the farm is open to the public in September and October, the land is transformed into an autumnal feast with a pumpkin patch, hayrides, harvest dolls, a witch and other seasonal characters.</p>

Hatch Elementary School is a public school offering a variety of unique and innovative ways for children to learn.…More Colorful murals, a large playfield and a vibrant community garden contribute to the lively atmosphere on campus.</p> <p>Students have the choice of attending the English Immersion or Spanish Immersion program. Students enrolled in the Spanish Immersion program attend classes taught in both English and Spanish, and learn from peers whose first language is different from theirs.</p> <p>The Health, Environment, Agriculture and Learning Program gives students the opportunity to learn science, environmental issues and health in nontraditional ways -- by working in the school's on-site community garden and selling the produce at the local farmer's market.</p> <p>All students benefit from weekly music classes and are introduced to a variety of musical instruments and styles.</p> <p>The school's Parent Teacher Organization produces a monthly newsletter to increase communication with the larger community. The student Garden Club has hosted a booth at the Coastside Farmers Market, and their produce was featured at Sam's Chowder House. Local businesses have also donated building materials to the Garden Club. <br /><br />The school's Community Liaison, Josefina Infazon, can be reached at  712-7162 or <a href="mailto:InfanzonJ@cabrillo.k12.ca.us">InfanzonJ@cabrillo.k12.ca.us</a>.</p>