From today's Examiner – and another example of great things happening in Burlingame:

"With criminal investigation shows dominating television stations, Peninsula residents will be able to get a real-life look into a successful investigation that happened on their own soil. The Burlingame Historical Society recently announced that it will host a lecture entitled "Murder at the Monument," the inside story of how Burlingame police solved a homicide at a Burlingame train station. The story will be told by Burlingame Police Chief Jack Van Etten and retired detective and police commander John Parkin.

"It's kind of like an episode of 'CSI: Burlingame,'" Van Etten said in a written statement, referring to the popular "Crime Scene Investigation" TV show. "As the lead detective in the case back in '86, it was my responsibility to make all the puzzle pieces fit together." In March 1986, Caltrain ticket agent George Grant was found by his wife dead and lying in a pool of his own blood inside the train station after he failed to come home after his normal work shift.

Russ Cohen, president of the Historical Society, said the idea to tell the story came when he was talking to the police chief about past crimes. Van Etten mentioned that he still had his notes from the 1986 murder case. While refusing to go into details, Cohen said the case had enough twists and turns to make for an entertaining night. "That's really what was interesting to me — not the murder itself, but how it was solved," Cohen said. "There's murder and sex — it'll make for a good story." Not coincidentally, the tale will be told on Oct. 29, just two days before Halloween. "I think it will get everybody in the Halloween spirit," Cohen said. "We'll tell everyone a little ghost story."

The event will be the latest in a series of attempts by the Historical Society to present the city's history in an accessible and entertaining manner. The society recently discussed the history of the Crosby N. Gray Funeral Home with a public tour of the mortuary, including the casket and embalming rooms. On-site tours and lectures of Kohl Mansion and Burlingame High School have also been organized. Cohen said the Historical Society's meetings have been well attended recently, and he expected "Murder at the Monument" will be no exception. "We're trying to make history fun," Cohen said. "I don't believe that history has to be dull."

The presentation will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Burlingame Train Station, at the intersection of Burlingame Avenue and California Drive."

History is never dull at The Burlingame Historical Society!

– Written by Fiona