Month: October 2006

  • Invite for a Ride ends in Arrest

    Man arrested for trying to pick up girls (Daily Journal)

    A man attempting to give young girls a ride in his Mercedes was arrested by Burlingame police when a passing motorist noticed the suspicious circumstances. At approximately 7:40 a.m., two girls were walking to school on the 200 block of Primrose Road. A man, identified as Burlingame resident James Richard Evans, 50, was standing nearby and asked the girls if they wanted to go for a ride, according to police. He tried to sweeten the deal by offering that he had a Mercedes. The girls were frightened and began to run from the man, according to police. A passing motorist saw the two girls running with terrified looks on their faces? as the man followed them. The driver made a U-turn and pulled up to the girls who had just entered the St. Catherine de Sienna school parking lot. The driver asked the girls if they needed help and borrowed a cell phone from one of the girls to call police, according to police. The driver followed the man as he walked toward Lorton Avenue and flagged down two police officers in the area. Evans was arrested after he tried to run away, according to police.

    – Written by Fiona

  • It’s not glamourous. It’s neccessary. An editorial appearing in the SM Times, 9/29/06

    No one wants their taxes to increase. However, in Burlingame, we have had issues with flooding and standing water for decades because our infrastructure has deteriorated. There is a solution, and the "big fix" will only cost the average taxpayer approximately 36 cents per day. That seems a small price to pay for a great deal of benefit.

    Measure H, which is on the ballot in November, is designed to repair and replace our failing storm drainage system and at the same time address some of the safety issues that surround many of our public buildings.

    Just as you would need to replace your inefficient, can't-get-the-parts-for it-anymore, just-about-to-blow, leaky clunker of a furnace before you install the backyard swimming pool, Burlingame needs to prioritize the community's needs versus its wants in order to protect itself from future disasters.

    Let's face it, fixing the storm drains isn't glamorous. It's necessary. Even those in Burlingame who have never experienced flooding should support "the big fix."

    Imagine if Burlingame chose to ignore these repairs. Our town would gain the reputation as a city that neglected its duties, allowing the town to flood resulting in damage to property, as well as increasing health and safety concerns and decreasing property values.
    For example, what if you found yourself in a situation such as a medical emergency, but due to flooding on El Camino Real, Laguna, Grove or Rollins, emergency vehicles could not reach you?

    But for an average of $11 per month, you can receive the help you need and rest easier.

    I will be supporting Measure H because I know that pennies a day will improve the quality of life in Burlingame for at least another generation. I hope you will, too. Please vote YES on Measure H and send your donations to The Committee to Fix Our Flooding, P.O. Box 1692, Burlingame, CA 94011-1692. For more info, log on to:www.protectburlingame.org.

    Russ Cohen

    – Written by russ

  • What Makes a Great School Board Member?

    What makes a school board effective? Learn what qualities to look for in a successful school board member.
    By Lisa Rosenthal, GreatSchools.net Staff

    Signs of an Effective School Board Member
    Here are signs of a school board member focused on moving the school district forward and educating all students to meet high standards:

    • Great school board members have a clear vision for the district.
      They set the vision and goals, and measure the success of the district and superintendent against the goals.
    • Great school board members communicate their actions to the community.
      Through public discourse and written reports, great school board members keep the public informed of the district's progress and challenges.
    • Great school board members work as a team.
      They collaborate well with others and are respectful of the other board members and superintendent.
    • Great school board members adopt a fiscally sound district budget.
      They pay attention to finances and regularly monitor the fiscal health of the district.

    Signs of an Ineffective School Board Member
    If you notice any of the following signs, it's time to find some new candidates to run for your local board:

    • The school board member continually focuses on one issue or talks aimlessly at meetings.
    • The school board member doesn't conduct him or herself in a respectful, collaborative manner in public.
    • The school board member comes to meetings unprepared.
    • The school board member rubber stamps? all the superintendent's proposals without asking hard questions.
    • The school board member micromanages rather than focusing attention on district-wide policies.
    • The school board member uses his position on the school board as an opportunity to put forth a political agenda with little relevance to student achievement.

    The entire article can be found at http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/ca/298/?page=1

    – Written by JC

  • Wanted – New Home for School District

    Burlingame school district searching for a home (Daily Journal)

    The Burlingame School District will discuss purchasing a new building for its district offices after efforts to purchase the former Hoover School site in the Burlingame hills fell through. The district has been looking for a new site for its main office because its space is too crammed for meetings and storage. The purchase of the former Hoover School could only be considered if the city of Burlingame was able to partner in the efforts. On Monday, the City Council decided in a closed session not to purchase or sublease a portion of the site for a recreation center space, said City Attorney Larry Anderson. Now the school district will consider other sites for its new home, said Marc Friedman, president of the Burlingame School District Board of Trustees. The six-acre, 21,000 square-foot site at 2220 Summit Drive has been used as the Shinnyo-En Temple in recent years is too expensive for the district without a partner. Superintendent Sonny Da Marto will present at least one new option at school board meeting Tuesday, Oct. 10

    – Written by Fiona

  • Opposition to Measure H

    Opposition emerges to flood measure (Daily Journal)

    A grassroots group of Burlingame residents is taking a stand against an upcoming $37 million bond measure for flood protection and public safety claiming the tax is unfair to new homeowners while supporters argue the tax is beneficial to the majority of the people. The group led by six-year resident Lorne Abramson admits the effort behind Measure H is good, but is against the financing methods behind the improvements. In particular, Abramson is concerned newer homeowners would pay more since their assessed value is higher. We're all well aware of the potential benefits and the problems, and what the cost of those benefits will be. … In any investment you need to look beyond the investment benefits, not just look at the glossy reports but get down to the nitty gritty and know fully what you're getting into,?Abramson said. The group is not anti-tax nor against flood infrastructure improvements. Rather it is concerned about variables such as higher interest rates as the bonds are issued over time, he said. The taxes not only change over the next 30 years but could be even higher than current published estimates,? he said.

    Longtime residents, however, argue everyone has had to pay their share when they were young new homeowners. It's a cycle of life. When you move into a town like Burlingame you're a free rider for all the wonderful amenities you didn't pay for. They were paid for by the very people you think are getting a free break,? said Charles Voltz, president of the Citizens for Better Burlingame. Residents who argue the tax rate is unfair are only looking at a snapshot in time rather than the long term picture, Voltz said. Looking at real estate prices over a 20-year period indicates everyone takes their turn at each end of the tax spectrum.

    On the other hand, Abramson argued his property taxes are in line with current market value. With that in mind, newer home owners are paying their dues, he said. No tax will be 100 percent equitable for everyone, said John Root, co-chair of the Measure H campaign. What the city is presenting, however, is the most equitable for a majority of the citizens, he said.

    The group against Measure H would like to see options other than property and parcel taxes considered. There are a number of other options including raising sales, utility or transit occupancy taxes but all have some kind of negative side effects, said City Attorney Larry Anderson. The sales and hotel tax can make buying items or staying in Burlingame less desirable. The increased utility tax is often confusing to residents since utilities aren't related to improving flood conditions.

    To pay for all the changes, the city estimates an average tax charge of $30.22 per $100,000 of the assessed value of the property with a minimum of $4.36 and a maximum of $47.85. This would cause the owner of a home with an assessed value of $300,000 to pay $90.66, the owner of a home with an assessed value of $700,000 $211.54 and the owner of a home with an assessed value of $1 million home $302.20 per year. The tax rate will be set annually during open session by the City Council, said Anderson.

    If the city were to do a flat parcel tax of $150 per year instead the city would only raise $17.6 million. The revenue would drop to $12 million if the city gave a senior exemption. The measure is on the ballot for the Nov. 7 election. It needs two-thirds to pass.

    For more information visit http://www.againstmeasureh.com or http://www.burlingamepublicsafety.org.

    Thank you to George Bagdon and those residents who attended the CBB's Coffee and Conversation last night at Il Piccolo to share their opinions for and against Measure H.

    – Written by Fiona

  • World’s Largest Pez Dispenser Unveiling

    This Saturday, the Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia will be unveiling the world's largest Pez dispenser. The ribbon cutting will be at 2:00 PM when Councilman Russ Cohen cuts the ribbon and dispenses the first Pez dispenser. The first Pez from the new dispenser with serial number #1 will be auctioned off to benefit the Burlingame Historical Society. Come and join us!

    – Written by nancyyar

  • Pocketbooks or People?

    Workshop sparks ideas – Symposium kicks off downtown specific plan process (Daily News)

    A roller coaster, a log flume, a robot zoo, a chocolate factory, a space museum, a go-cart center and a doughnut shop that connects to a police station through an underground tunnel are among the designs generated at a recent design charrette for Burlingame's Howard Avenue area. "That is for the policemen because they really like doughnuts a lot," said Simon Bartos, 8, who crafted a master plan for the city's downtown area with his friend Kevin Huo. "Kevin's mom really wanted a homework center, so they put one in there, too," said Mark Bartos, Simon's father and a member of the San Mateo chapter of the American Institute of Architects, which hosted Saturday's design workshop with the city of Burlingame.

    Approximately 200 people showed up for the event, including 63 architects, student architects and landscape designers, Vice Mayor Terry Nagel estimated. The all-day design symposium used public comment in the morning to spur four teams of professional architects from AIA to draw up sketches for what a sleepy section of downtown Burlingame could look like if revitalized.After an afternoon of sketching, the architects revealed their plans for the area between Howard and Burlingame avenues at an evening presentation. "Some of the ideas made me wonder, 'Why didn't we think of that?'" Nagel said. The architects' proposals shared an emphasis on pedestrian-friendly, attractive design features, Nagel said. Some suggested displaying public art, adding gateways to both ends of Howard Avenue, creating a "green ribbon" with pedestrian paths and exposing an underground creek. In one sketch, Burlingame's scattered parking lots were consolidated. In another, Hatch Lane was transformed into "a paved pedestrian walkway with cafe tables and flowers and the power lines underground, much like Maiden Lane," Nagel said.

    The architects volunteered their time, though the city funded the event by making a $15,000 donation to an AIA scholarship fund, and paying around $7,000 in expenses for food and supplies, said senior planner Maureen Brooks. "We hope we can use the information as a springboard for our upcoming downtown specific plan," Brooks said. The plans generated by the charrette will be compiled in an official city document for easy reference as the city moves forward with creating the new downtown plan in the coming year. Over the next three years, the city plans to examine and redesign the area from Oak Grove Avenue to Peninsula Avenue, between El Camino Real and California Drive.

    Burlingame resident Norma Berliner-Satz said she has seen many family-run stores and restaurants leave since she moved to the town in 1974 and hopes that city officials keep the residents' needs in mind when designing downtown. "Are they thinking about their pocketbooks or about the people who live here?" she asked. The charrette is "just the beginning of a long process that will incorporate many different kinds of feedback," said Nagel.

    – Written by Fiona

  • Burlingame more than Hotels

    City offers more than hotels (Examiner)

    BURLINGAME Downtown businesses hoping to lure in travelers from the area's many hotels east of the freeway are starting with the people guests rely on for information the hotel staff.The Burlingame Chamber of Commerce and local businesses are teaming up in November to bring hotel guest service personnel from at least five hotels to downtown, to bring them up to speed on the new services and restaurants available on the west side of the freeway. We want them to be able to say to their clients, yes, I know a great steak restaurant right across the freeway,'? Broadway merchant Ross Bruce said. Or, sure, I know exactly where you can get that hem repaired before tonight's event.'? Hotel employees such as doormen, bellmen and assorted front-of-house? workers arriving via downtown trolley Nov. 9 will be invited to sample food and learn about the services available on Broadway to keep business in town, chamber President David Lewin said.

    A similar effort with Burlingame Avenue merchants will start at the beginning of 2007, Lewin said, after some new businesses there have time to settle in. Lewin, who is also general manager of San Francisco International Airport Hyatt Regency, said some 90 invitations will go out to guest services employees at the Hyatt, Marriott, Doubletree, Sheraton Gateway and Embassy Suites Hotels in Burlingame and the Westin in Millbrae.

    The City Council recently approved a handful of retail options on the east side, designed to provide more services for hotel guests. Hyatt employees also already provide guests with information about downtown Burlingame restaurants and services, but many of the employees don't live in the city or have first-hand experience with the restaurants and shops. This is a chance for them to taste the food, be face-to-face with the people providing this service and keep business in Burlingame,? Lewin said. A year ago, the city relaxed its moratorium on restaurants in the Broadway shopping district at the request of several merchants and residents near the district. The ordinance, which previously decreed a 23-restaurant limit on Broadway, was amended to allow for five more, according to city planner Meg Monroe.

    – Written by Fiona

  • Elected officials should ask questions (SM Daily Journal 10-03-06

    By Mark Olbert

    I found Sue Lempert's opinion piece Who's to Blame?? in the Sept. 28 edition of the Daily Journal about the problems facing the San Mateo High School District an interesting read. A similar situation hit the San Carlos Elementary School District, where I am a trustee, a year after I was first elected back in November 2001.
    I agree with the points Ms. Lempert made. However, there's one in particular I think is worth discussing further, because it played a key role in both my district's and San Mateo's financial crisis: Insufficient questioning of staff reports and recommendations.

    For most people this probably sounds like a strange culprit. Aren't elected officials empowered by their communities to ask questions and hold public agencies accountable? That's one of the reasons we vest final? power in elected officials, rather than public agency executives.

    Unfortunately, there are several factors that make it difficult for elected officials to exercise oversight. There is the natural desire not to ask questions that might make one look foolish or ignorant. More importantly, there is a strong bias to go along with staff to be a team player. For school districts in particular, the second factor is strongly reinforced by the California School Boards Association, which emphasizes the notion of a governance team? that includes both the school board and the superintendent (who is usually not an elected official).

    As a result, the perspective needed to ask tough questions, and thereby provide good oversight, can be difficult to maintain. Elected officials on oversight boards spend far more time interacting with staff than they ever do with the people who elect them. Once personal relationships are established with those executives, the natural human tendency to not annoy or hurt the feelings of the people we work with can come into play. When you add to this the desire to not look ignorant you have a recipe for problems.

    In my own district, shortly after I was first elected, two of my colleagues expressed relief that I, with my strong financial background, had joined the board because they approved budgets they didn't really understand for years. I'm sure that a desire not to put staffers with whom they'd established personal relationships on the spot, or reveal their ignorance of finance, were big parts of why they didn't ask the questions they worried they should have. Our community paid the price for that lack of questioning shortly afterwards, when it was discovered we had been running large deficits for some time.

    The point is simple: Elected officials have a job to do, and just like with any job, they must not sacrifice their responsibilities in the name of camaraderie or out of fear of looking ignorant.

    To use the team metaphor, elected officials need to remember they are the representatives of the team owners (i.e., the public). They are not themselves players. They need to do what's best for the franchise.

    We, as voters, can also improve oversight. Expert political consultants say that many of us pick candidates based on how we think we'd relate to the person in a social situation (the would I want to have the candidate over for a barbecue? test). I suspect one consequence of this approach is representatives who, because their nature makes them want to go along to get along,? have difficulty holding agency staffers accountable.

    When we choose representatives, we should think about how they will relate to the agency they oversee. Not all people are equally capable of keeping their duty (e.g., holding a public agency accountable) separate from their personal desires (e.g., having strong personal relationships with the people we work with). Not all people are equally willing to question things they don't understand. We can reduce our risk of experiencing nasty surprises by picking representatives who won't let their impulse to get along get in the way of maintaining accountability, and who aren't afraid to ask questions about subjects they don't understand.

    – Written by Jen

  • After the Charrette: What’s Next?

    We had a wonderful turnout at the charrette on Saturday, September 30! About 200 people participated during this all-day design workshop, which focused on Howard Avenue and its connections to Burlingame Avenue.

    Sixty-three architects, associate architects, student architects and landscape designers participated, along with about 20 city officials and dozens of members of the public. The architects divided into four groups and welcomed suggestions from others. As the day progressed, the chatter in the room died down and all you could hear were pencils scribbling, as the architects rushed to complete their designs.

    The ideas that the teams presented at the conclusion of the day were amazing! To cite just a few:

    –Turn Howard Avenue into a pedestrian-friendly arts district with gateways at both ends, lots of public art, a performing arts center and vibrant shops

    –Create a green "ribbon" of pedestrian paths midblock between El Camino and California Drive

    –Expose the underground stream and build a creekside pathway

    –Relocate Victorian houses in the area to a "Heritage Square" with the charm of Carmel

    You can learn more about their visions for the area by visiting Burlingame's Web site.

    What's next? Leaders of the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA San Mateo County) will collaborate with city representatives to create a written report that captures all of the ideas generated at the charrette and includes full-color pictures of all the designs. The architects plan to give a formal presentation of their recommendations at an upcoming City Council meeting.

    The city will refer to their ideas throughout the three-year process of creating a new Downtown Specific Plan for Burlingame, beginning in early 2007. The charrette was the kickoff for many months of seeking input from diverse groups throughout our community as we seek to translate our collective visions into a detailed plan for how we want our downtown to evolve.

    Many thanks to the hard-working architects from AIA who donated many hundreds of hours to help us see the possibilities for future development. I also want to thank City Planner Meg Monroe and Senior Planner Maureen Brooks for working very hard during the past six months on the charrette. AIA representatives have told us it was the best-organized charrette they had ever attended and that they were impressed and engaged by the many enthusiastic members of the community who participated.

    Terry Nagel

    – Written by Terry Nagel

The Burlingame Voice

Dedicated to Empowering and Informing the Burlingame Community

RECENT COMMENTS

RECENT POSTS

CATEGORIES

ABOUT THE VOICE

The Burlingame Voice is dedicated to informing and empowering the Burlingame community.  Our blog is a public forum for the discussion of issues that relate to Burlingame, California.  Opinions posted on the Burlingame Voice are those of the poster and commenter and not necessarily the opinion of the Editorial Board.  Comments are subject to the Terms of Use.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All content subject to Copyright 2003-2026