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Copyright 2007 Terry Nagel - All Rights Reserved
March 13, 2008
Dear Friend:
The daffodils are blooming, the sun is shining longer and something is growing in Burlingame: a new downtown plan!
You’re invited to help create our city’s future vision for the area bounded by Oak Grove and Peninsula Avenues, El Camino and California Drive. Please come to the community workshop this Saturday, March 15, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Lane Room at the main Burlingame Public Library, 480 Primrose Road. After reviewing options and alternatives developed last fall during previous workshops, you’ll be asked to weigh in on issues such as parking, streetscape, architecture, housing density and infrastructure. If you have an opinion, now’s the time to speak up!
To keep informed about progress with the downtown plan, visit the e-news sign-up page on the city’s Web site and check the box for “Downtown Specific Plan Updates.” You can opt to receive news about other city projects and events via the city’s e-newsletter, “Safeway Working Group Updates” and other news blasts. By the way, the Safeway Working Group meetings are open to the public. There’s a Safeway meeting today (March 13) from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Recreation Center, 850 Burlingame Ave.
Tonight (March 13) there’s also an opportunity to meet the author of a new book called “Burlingame Centennial, 1908-2008” at Books Inc. on Burlingame Avenue. The book-signing event featuring the author, Joanne Garrison, and Jean Silveira, who helped produce the book, will begin at 7 p.m. Copies of this beautiful hardbound book cost $70, including tax. Proceeds benefit the historical museum planned in the Burlingame Avenue train station by the Burlingame Historical Society. You can also purchase a copy, by cash or check, at the Burlingame Public Library or the Recreation Center or contact Joanne at MSJGarrison@aol.com or Jean at JLSilveira@comcast.net.
My husband, Jim, and I have been attending Community Emergency Response Team training and were impressed with the final drill they gave our class of 16 last Saturday: We had to organize “Incident Command Teams,” put out a fire, rescue a trapped victim and triage injured people during a simulated disaster. The victims looked very realistic with fake blood, bruises and blisters. It certainly got our adrenaline going!
I urge everyone to take this extremely helpful free training, which is available through our Central County Fire Department. It will transform you from feeling helpless to being helpful during a catastrophe. You also receive a backpack filled with gear. The next CERT class for Burlingame and Hillsborough residents will be offered on Wednesday evenings from May 21 through June 18 with the final drill on Saturday, June 21. If you miss a class, you can make it up in another city. You can sign up at the Burlingame Recreation Center at(650) 558-7300
The CERT trainers hammer home one point: You should be prepared to be on your own for three to seven days following a disaster. The reality is that emergency responders will be dealing with the most critical problems. In addition to assembling basic emergency supplies and a gallon of water per person per day, the best thing you can do is get to know your neighbors and find out who has special skills and equipment, such as medical training or a ham radio, that will be useful when the Big One hits.
The Poppy Drive Neighborhood Network invites you to learn how you can organize your neighborhood on Tuesday, April 1, at 7 p.m. in the Lane Room at the main Burlingame Public Library. We’ll give you a template for creating a neighborhood directory and will share the flyers we’ve created with monthly emergency preparedness tips. We’ll tell you about the city’s free training opportunities and emergency communication systems. You can do as much or as little as you wish. We’ve had a lot of fun getting acquainted with one another and hope your neighborhood will share that same spirit of community.
Why don’t the Bay Area’s 26 transit agencies pay more attention to riders’ concerns? Most of them are run by people who came up through the engineering and operations ranks and would rather spend money on new equipment than on customer service. That’s one of the things I learned at the recent Transit Camp Bay Area. You can read my full report here.
I learned some surprising news at a recent program featuring Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe and Superior Court Judge Mark Forcum: Crime is way down in San Mateo County! In fact, our county has a lower crime rate than any other urban county in the state, except for Marin County (which barely beat us). The reason is that San Mateo County has excellent intervention programs and a stellar probation department (headed by Burlingame resident Loren Buddress). Asked what people can do to help keep crime down, the two speakers recommended connecting with youths before they get sidetracked into bad habits and encouraging all citizens to be involved in their communities.
Artists, photographers and videographers are invited to submit entries for the “Visions of Burlingame” contest and exhibit, which will be held April 25 and 26. Each person may submit up to four entries at $10 per entry. The deadline for entry forms is April 11. Videos must be delivered by April 18 and art and photos are due April 25. For details, visit http://www2.burlingame.org/Entry Form.pdf
Volunteers are needed to help with the Wine and Hot Chocolate Walk on Burlingame Avenue on Friday, May 2, and the Burlingame Special Places Tour on Sunday, May 4. For more information, please contact Diane Condon Wirgler at dcondon@pacbell.net or Raziel Ungar at raziel@razielungar.com.
The biggest event of all will be the gala Centennial Ball on Burlingame’s actual 100th birthday, Friday, June 6. Don’t miss this extravagant event, complete with fireworks! Tickets are now on sale at the Recreation Center for $125 per person.
If you do business in Burlingame, make sure your business license is current. If it isn’t, you have until March 31 to pay the normal fee of $100 without any penalty. Go to http://www.burlingame.org/Index.aspx?page=1125 for more details and for a list of those businesses that are and are not required to have a business license.
Are you interested in serving on the San Mateo County Grand Jury? The superior court judge in charge of selecting citizens is seeking nominations. Please let me know no later than March 26 if you are interested.
Want to learn how county government works? San Mateo County is now accepting applications for the county’s Citizens Academy, which will meet on eight Tuesday evenings and two Saturdays during May and June with representatives from various departments, including the District Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office, the Health Department, Planning and Building, Public Works and Human Services. Among the highlights are tours of the men’s jail, Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and the San Mateo Medical Center. Light meals are served at each session. There is no charge. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 21. To apply, go to www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/citizensacademy or contact Marshall Wilson at mwilson@co.sanmateo.ca.us; (650) 363-4153.
Burlingame’s Green Ribbon Task Force will host a “Green Fair” as part of the Fresh Market on Sunday, May 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Lorton at Burlingame Avenue.
Astound your kids! After signing up for Facebook and inviting them to be your friend (that will really send them for a loop), visit Simpsonize Me at www.simpsonizeme.com and create a Matt Groening-style cartoon of yourself that you can email to them. Here I am!
March 15-16 – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Electronic recycling in Burlingame Municipal Parking Lot “O” on the 400 block of California. For more information go to www.unwaste.com or call 888-832-9839. Free.
March 16 – 2 p.m., Burlingame Public Library. “Twelfth Night,” presented by the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. Free.
March 21 – Deadline for San Mateo County Citizens Academy applications. Free. (See above)
March 26 – Deadline for indicating interest in serving on San Mateo County Grand Jury. (See above)
March 30 – 2 p.m., Burlingame Public Library. “Sex, Lies and Theater: Shakespeare in His Time,” with Stanford Professor Emeritus Dr. Ron Rebholz. Free.
April 1 – 7 p.m., Burlingame Public Library – “How to Start a Neighborhood Network,” presented by the Poppy Drive Neighborhood Network in cooperation with the City of Burlingame. Free.
April 5 – 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tire recycling at San Mateo Event Center, 2495 S. Delaware St., San Mateo. Free. You must go to www.flowstobay.org/resources/events.html to print out a voucher for recycling up to four passenger tires. For information, call 888-442-2666.
April 11 – Deadline for entry forms for Centennial “Visions of Burlingame” art/video/photo show. (See above)
April 26 – Burlingame Lagoon Cleanup. See www.burlingame.org for details
May 2 – Centennial Wine and Hot Chocolate Walk. (See above)
May 4 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Green Fair at Fresh Market on Lorton at Burlingame Avenue
May 4 – Centennial Burlingame Special Places Tour
June 6 – 6 p.m. to midnight, Hyatt Regency. Gala Centennial Ball and Fireworks