Burlingame recognizes 'extraordinary' citizens (by Mark at Daily News)

Burlingame is throwing a bash for some of its famous and "extraordinary" residents from the past and present.

The public reception from 2 to 4 p.m. today at the main library, 480 Primrose Road, is part of Burlingame's yearlong "Centennial Celebration" to commemorate the city's founding in 1908. Mayor Terry Nagel and Martha Rosman May, who served as the city's unofficial historical archivist for 35 years, identified a list of extraordinary residents through research. Nagel also asked residents to nominate people whom they considered worthy before she narrowed down the list and posted it on the city's Web site. Those efforts resulted in a six-page list that includes athletes, TV and big-screen stars, inventors, the wealthy and people in the fields of science and medicine. "I always have known that Burlingame is a special place, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out how many major achievements people from our city have made," Nagel said.

About 20 people who are on the list are coming to the reception or will be represented by someone at the event. The extraordinary people will be honored again June 6, 2008, the day the city celebrates its 100th birthday, Nagel said. Among the people on the list is former Major League Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, who also organized the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and is the head of the U.S. Olympic Committee. According to the list, he attended Burlingame High School for two years. Another person from the world of sports is Burlingame native Ben Eastman. The late track star won a silver medal in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles for the 400-meter run.

Representing the field of science, former astronaut James van Hoften, who logged 338 hours in space, made Nagel's list. He was born in Fresno, but he considers Burlingame his hometown, according to NASA's Web site. In addition to several space flights, he is also a veteran Navy fighter pilot who flew 60 combat missions in the Vietnam War. "I love the stories of people who have done something heroic," Nagel said. One hero the mayor tried to contact was Mel Moore, a Vietnam War Navy pilot who spent six years in the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" prisoner of war camp, where he met Arizona senator and presidential hopeful John McCain.

Jeannie Gilmore, 83, is among the people who are recognized on the heroes section of the list. Gilmore, along with 503 other passengers, had to evacuate the ship Prinsendam when it caught fire in 1980 while in the Gulf of Alaska. They survived 14 hours in a typhoon before being rescued by the Coast Guard. "I thought it was an unpleasant place to die, and I never really thought I was going to die," Gilmore said. "It's a wonderful story because nobody died." Gilmore, who has lived in Burlingame for 52 years, said she was too busy looking after her mother to worry about dying. She said she was surprised to make the list. "I was a little humbled to be on this list," said Gilmore, "because I didn't feel like I have done anything extraordinary."

There is one exciting BHS alumni slated to attend today who during his first year of soccer astounded us all with his skill and mastery on the field. It was incredible to watch!

– Written by Fiona