June 1, 2010
Dear Friend:
Now that summer has officially begun, here’s hoping you’ll have time catch up on reading and reconnect with your family. Here’s an update on what’s going on in Burlingame.
Burlingame Shakes It Up
You’re invited to hear earthquake expert Tom Brocher of the U.S. Geological Survey talk about “The Next Big One in Burlingame” at the quarterly meeting of the Neighborhood Network this Saturday, July 10.
The meeting will take place from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the Lane Community Room in the main Burlingame Public Library at 480 Primrose Road. Coffee and refreshments will be served. Admission is free
Tom will explain the damage that is likely to occur in our city, pinpoint the most vulnerable areas and suggest steps you can take to get prepared. He’ll detail where the major faults are located and show a computer simulation of the damage that occurred in 1906. He will also compare and contrast the damage between the 1906 earthquake and the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989.
All block captains and Burlingame residents interested in emergency preparedness are welcome to attend the quarterly block captain meetings of the Neighborhood Network, whose mission to inform, connect and prepare citizens for emergencies. Volunteers are currently organizing the city, block by block, into Neighborhood Networks in which neighbors get to know one another, inventory their skills and equipment, get trained and establish ways to communicate.
For more information, visit www.theneighborhoodnetwork.org.
Nonprofits in Need
Local nonprofits have been severely impacted by the economic downturn. If you have items to donate, check first on the Community Wish List for San Mateo County at www.communitywishlist.org to see if a local nonprofit can use your discarded goods.
More than 80 local organizations are listed on this site, which was created and is maintained by Burlingame volunteers. If you’re interested in volunteering, it’s a good place to learn more about the mission and activities of these groups.
Burlingame Pet Parade Update
This year’s Burlingame Pet Parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 25, will feature two new categories: a Best Pet Trick Contest and a Most Unusual Pet category. We encourage all local schools, nursery schools, community groups and Scout troops to participate. It’s lots of fun – and free.
Thanks to the generosity of Pet Food Express, which plans to open a store in Burlingame in August, we will have big prizes to award to the winner of the Best Pet Trick Contest and to the Grand Prize winner.
If you’re interested in helping to plan this year’s parade, please email me at terry@terrynagel.com.
For more information, visit www.burlingamepetparade.com.
Summer Events
Looking for something fun to do this summer? Check out Music in Washington Park from 1 to 3 p.m. on July 11, 18 and 25, as well as the many fun children’s and adult activities offered by the Burlingame Parks & Recreation Department. Visit www.burlingame.org/rec for details.
The Burlingame Public Library offers a wide range of activities, including Family Fun Nights, craft programs, and classes on cupcake decorating and wine making, at http://www.burlingame.org/Index.aspx?page=32.
And talking of the library, this Sunday, July 11th, the Burlingame Library Foundation will hold a one-day Summer Reading sale of 'pre-read books'! The sale will start at 1pm until 5pm outside the main library at 480 Primrose Road. All proceeds support the Burlingame Library programs. Get your summer reading pleasure and support your library!
And don’t forget the Burlingame Artzfest from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on August 7 and 8 in downtown Burlingame.
High Speed Rail News
This week our City Council joined four others in expressing extreme frustration with the high speed rail project. In its haste to meet federal deadlines in order to qualify for federal stimulus dollars, we believe the California High Speed Rail Authority is rushing the process.
The business plan and financing plan for the project have huge flaws, as corroborated by the state Legislative Analyst’s Office and the state Auditor’s Office. An independent analysis of the ridership projections provided by U.C. Berkeley’s Institute of Transportation Studies – at the state legislature’s request – found significant problems with the data that was used to justify the project and its proposed pathway along the Caltrain corridor.
To learn more about the questions surrounding the project, read the Peninsula Cities Consortium’s press release:
http://www.peninsularail.com/main/Call_for_Common_Sense/page63.htm
Make no mistake: I support high speed rail. But I want it done right – and the current project has a huge credibility problem. I agree with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, who said in a recent opinion piece, “The High Speed Rail Authority has to hit the reset button, improve its reputation and assuage Peninsula residents, who have every reason to fear that this project will be a nightmare.”
Add Your 2 Cents
Here are the City of Burlingame’s comments on the high speed rail Alternatives Analysis, in which we explain our preferred alignment for the project:
http://www.burlingame.org/modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=6352
Our city overwhelmingly supports the underground option as the least disruptive to our city. There’s still time to submit your comments on the Alternatives Analysis for how the project will be built in Burlingame – above ground or below grade. Although there is no official deadline for comments, the sooner you submit your letter, the better.
You can view the official Alternative Analysis here:
http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/images/chsr/20100408092523_SF-SJ%20Preliminary%20Alternatives%20Analysis%20Report.pdf
Related documents, including an Executive Summary, are here:
http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/library.asp?p=8243
Please read the AA report carefully and submit your comments by one of these methods:
By mail to:
Robert Doty, California High-Speed Rail Authority
925 L Street, Suite 1425
Sacramento, CA 95814Attn: San Francisco to San Jose Section Preliminary Alternatives Analysis Report Comments
By email, with the subject line “San Francisco to San Jose Section Preliminary Alternatives Analysis Report Comments to:comments@hsr.ca.gov
By FAX to (916) 322-0827
Please send a copy to council@burlingame.org.
Learn More
For an in-depth look at what high speed rail could mean for Burlingame, please attend a presentation on Wednesday, July 14, at 7 p.m. in the Lane Community Room at the main Burlingame Public Library, 480 Primrose Road. Admission is free.
Presented by the Community Coalition on High Speed Rail, this even features eminent domain attorney Andrew J. Turner speaking on eminent domain laws in California, and Gary A. Patton discussing the Coalition’s efforts to make sure high speed rail is done “right.”
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See you around town!
