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The FOGHORN
ROTARY CLUB OF HALF MOON BAY
March 31 2022
Tyler Kasunich
Project Manager for the Mavericks West Trail “Living Shoreline” Project
Article by Mary Rogren
Photos by EJ Dieterle
Joe Brennan introduced our speaker, Tyler Kasunich, who serves as Project Manager for the Mavericks West Trail “Living Shoreline” Project for his employer GHD Engineering Company (and under Project Partners, the San Mateo County Harbor District and the California Coastal Commission.) Tyler hails currently from Watsonville and San Luis Obispo but has spent three days a week over the last year (staying in Joe’s bunk house) overseeing this critical $2.5M project for our Coastside.
Tyler noted that he studied Agriculture and Business Management at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo but decided to follow his two generations of Civil engineers in his family and started his career in his brother’s Geotech company in Watsonville. That job led him to his current employer, GHD, to work in GHP’s Coastal Division. (GHD is based in Australia and designs large infrastructure worldwide.)
The initial West Trail project was envisioned and funded in 2016 in order to prevent further trail erosion while emphasizing creating a “Living Shoreline” environment. GHD was chosen as the engineering design firm. The project includes construction of a nourished beach with an elevated sand dune area adjacent to and east of 300 feet of the trail. Buried beneath the surface of the shoreline and dune is a cobble berm and two rock fingers extending perpendicular from the trail.
Tyler started his presentation providing some history of the coastline, noting that with every building of a pier or wharf along the coast, the shoreline and resulting erosion patterns changed. Tyler recounted the building of the Spanishtown Pier in the 1840’s; James Denniston’s building of the 1st landing south of Miramar in 1859; and the building of Amesport Landing and Henry Cowell piers in the late 1800’s. In 1913, Petroni’s Pier was built in Princeton (known for its restaurant and rum running); and by 1960, the Army Corp built the first riprap breakwater to protect the Princeton fishing village. In 1967, the western arm of the breakwater was added to stop the northern swells from damaging the harbor, and in 1982, the second breakwater was built. All of these man-made additions served to change the coastline, adding to the erosion that has ultimately impacted the West Trail.
Specifically, the cobble rock that would support a natural sandy beach has disappeared given the changes in wave patterns and the establishment of wharves and the harbor. A key goal of the project is to restore the cobble rock as the underlying foundation for the West Trail with the creation of sand dunes that can be replenished naturally in the future.
Tyler explained the painstaking work of his crew and the construction team to create this new natural environment that is designed to withstand erosion impacts for the next 50 years. He explained that the cobble rock was brought from Sonoma beaches and that 12,000 cubic yards of sand was stockpiled at the Half Moon Bay Airport and returned to this project. Construction also included stormwater system improvements and the creation of a swale that provides fresh water to the Pillar Point Marsh to enhance that habitat.
Tyler’s management of the project was not without challenges, particularly with dealing with the Coastal Commission’s requirement that the West Trail could not be closed to foot traffic during the construction.
Tyler proudly reported that construction will be completed in the next two weeks (or before the end of April 2022.)
Thank you, Tyler, for being part of the Coastside community this past year and helping to make this important project happen!
Club Meeting - March 31, 2022
Once again (2 weeks in a row) we were back “live” in person at the library!
Pledge of Allegiance - Stacy Trevenon led us in the Pledge of Allegiance
Inspirational Thought - Sean Engmann offered a very appropriate Inspiration of the Day courtesy of Bill Belichick . . . “If you live in the past you die in the present.”
Guests - We were joined by special guests Marla Wong, Linda Craven and Sally Bensen.
Announcements
Rose noted that she and Warren attended the District Assembly this past weekend and were very inspired! Warren commented that he was particularly inspired about the membership discussion – that it’s not always about recruiting members per se, but providing an inspiring environment where members of the community ask and want to join . . .
On Thursday, Rose, Ginger and Joe delivered a check for $500 from the small donations fund to Abundant Grace for their drum project. Rose also promoted joining the Club’s team for Relay for Life and added that Renee Lewis will be hosting an event in early June to raise money for the cause.
Warren reported that he submitted the club report card to the District adding up 2,060 points. Our club should achieve a number of awards this year despite COVID (and particularly given community service.) Warren noted that he was inspired to join a RAG – Rotary Action Group on Climate Change. Joe jointed a RAG on Climate Change and Blood Donations. We encourage members to join these great groups (Ask Warrant and Joe for more details!)
Ginger noted that she is hosting a Bay World Travel event at Barterra Winery in the upcoming week and all are invited to hear the latest on wonderful trips available as we emerge from COVID. Also, Ginger has organized an April 10 matinee event for Rotarians to go the Coastal Rep Theater. See Ginger for more information.
Pres. Joe's Weekly 'States of the Union' Quiz - INDIANA
Indiana is the 19th State –called the “Hoosier State” (after a passenger train operated between Chicago and Indianapolis (suspended service after 2019.) Capital is Indianapolis and is the 38th state by area and 17th state in population. Eugene Debs who was strong in the railroad and the Hoosier train, ran 5 times for President of the United States, and won 6% of the vote in 1912. Stacy recalled living a year in Indiana in 1966-67 and shared a remembrance of a tree in her yard taken down by a tornado. Our speaker, Tyler, shared that Clint Eastwood’s film Gran Torino was filmed in Gary, Indiana.
Marble Game 
Heather Bodeman won the spin; but alas, a green marble was drawn.
PHOTO GALLERY
