Dedicated to Empowering and Informing the Burlingame Community

  • Clutching pearls over License Plate Readers

    At least ten Peninsula cities and the Sheriff’s department have installed Flock license plate readers, including ours. The recent report in the Daily Post that several federal agencies were able to access Mountain View’s plate data has that city council and Woodside’s council “unnerved”. It makes for a good headline, but when you read the actual piece, it appears that ATF, GSA and two Air Force bases were able to access photos due to a configuration error by Mountain View.

    I don’t know about GSA or the USAF, but if ATF was looking for a particular plate I for one would like them to have that ability. The Mountain View PD and, I’m sure others, told their council they would have strict privacy protocols in place to prevent access, but what privacy does a vehicle have on public streets? Reading the pearl clutching headlines brought back vivid memories of our own B’game incident that used LPRs to find an attempted kidnapping suspect who tried to grab a woman a couple blocks from my house. You can remind yourself here, but the snippet from November 2024 noted

    The victim screamed for help as another vehicle passed which startled the suspect, causing him to flee the scene. A nearby witness heard the commotion and observed the suspect’s vehicle speeding away. This witness was able to provide a partial license plate number. Further investigation utilizing local Automated License Plate Reader cameras yielded photographs of the suspect vehicle and a complete license plate.

    The suspect was arrested in Belmont four hours later. Last week in San Jose

    A man who recently tried to rob a San Jose bank by handing the teller a handwritten note demanding money was arrested within an hour, authorities said. Police said victims and witnesses provided officers with descriptions of a suspect and potential vehicle, and within about seven minutes of the initial call, officers in the SJPD Real Time Intelligence Center found the car and were getting updates through the city’s system of surveillance cameras.

    I’m often disappointed at how slowly the Wheels of Justice turn after an arrest. Some cases that look open-and-shut take years. Let’s not gum up the Wheels on our streets at the arrest phase. If a city wants to tighten access security by outside agencies, just get the configuration right.

    Posted by:

    Joe

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  • SFO Repaving Reprieve

    The news that SFO will be shutting down runways 1Left and 1Right should give us, the poor neighbors to the airport, some summer reprieve from take-off back blast noise. 1L and 1R are the short ones that go out towards the East Bay and contribute most of the noise that washes over B’game during inversion layers. The Comicle notes

    Ten percent of all flights at San Francisco International Airport could face delays amid a massive runway rehabilitation project that begins next month and could last into November.

    Crews are set to close Runway 1 Right on March 30 to repave the asphalt and realign nearby taxiways, shifting all takeoffs and landings to runways 28 Left and 28 Right. Runway 1 Left, which borders the construction zone, would be converted into a temporary taxiway to ease bottlenecks before planes depart.

    SFO’s director of project management, Claudia Luquin, described the $200 million repaving and excavation work as “fast-paced,” and “highly sensitive” during a recent airport commission meeting. Overall, she said, it will help keep the airport in a state of good repair and improve safety.

    We discussed the sinking runways and sea walls needed to counter “sea level rise” back in December 2023 here along with proposed legislation about the noise that has gone…..nowhere since. But at least we get “emergency townhall meetings” about ICE and glossy mailers about “affordability”.

    Posted by:

    Joe

    1 comment on SFO Repaving Reprieve

  • Coyote Point: A B’gamer returns

    The Chronicle’s local sightseeing tour guide/reporter, Peter Hartlaub, who grew up in B’game journeyed back to our little burg for a piece on Coyote Point. He has some fun little quips that we can enjoy here or you can click through for the whole article. It sounds like he grew up in Lyon-Hoag.

    Coyote Point’s geography is similar to other Bay Area parks, a 670-acre shoreline promontory with a tree-covered hill, laid out a lot like Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline in San Leandro and the East Bay’s Albany Bulb. But the overall vibes are one of a kind, with the airplanes, massive picnic areas, tide pools, a colorful playground, a hidden zoo, oh, and bursts of audible gunfire.

    It’s also a lesson for me: How the Bay Area things we grew up with that once felt routine, seem wild and mystical when you return with perspective. I was raised in Burlingame six blocks from Coyote Point, and thought this strange and versatile park was the norm. Biking through the entire thing for the first time in decades, I’m struck by how close I once lived to an open space unicorn.

    From (Caltrain) I bike slowly east through a town I barely recognize, retracing most of my old 1980s Chronicle paper route and passing my childhood home — bought by my parents for $35,000 in 1970 — now mostly unrecognizable after a recent modern makeover.

    After recapping the landfill in the 1880s that connected the island to the shoreline and the Pacific City fiasco, he mentions another long-gone landmark that we all miss as he bikes up the hill

    I power up the first hill and sadly find no sign of the Castaway, a tiki-themed fancy restaurant with airport views, where we gathered for graduations and Mother’s Day. (It was bulldozed in 2007.)

    As I’m leaving, I marvel at how much better this went than I feared. So much of my middle-class childhood on the Peninsula — every movie theater, drive-in, record store and favorite sandwich spot — has been swallowed by Silicon Valley. But this park is both preserved and objectively better than when I visited as a kid.

    I bike back through my old neighborhood slowly, wishing I had a few more Chronicles to deliver. Nostalgia is a powerful drug. Especially when it’s a half-century later and a special place still has some magic left.

    Let’s see if we can keep as much of “the magic” as possible. It’s very tough to do, but as some city council woman said more than once, “You’ll miss it when it’s gone”.

    Posted by:

    Joe

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  • Single Family housing: Still popular with the kids

    During an on-line interview with San Jose mayor Matt Mahan as part of his run for governor, GFC‘s David Crane passed along an interesting anecdotal statistic from the class he teaches at Stanford. The context was a discussion of in-fill development and “green-fill development” or building on bare land further outside the suburbs. Mahan walked the fine line of sounding like he saw a need for both.

    But the interesting factoid that Crane provided was that he asked his Stanford class if they had a goal of owning their own home. 100% of hands went up. It sounds like the “you will own nothing and be happy” concept that originated from a 2016 essay by Danish politician Ida Auken that was published by the World Economic Forum doesn’t hold water with Stanfordites when it comes to their biggest future purchase.

    But wait. There’s more. The real kicker was when Crane asked the class how many of them wanted detached single family residential homes. 85% of the class raised their hands. No stack and pack for them. Developers take note. The YIMBY’s might have 15% of the market mindshare, but the next generation of buyers looks a lot like the last four generations.

    Posted by:

    Joe

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  • High-Cost Rail- Part 166: Another half billion gone

    The drumbeat of bad news on the high-cost rail fiasco just keeps getting louder to the point where the Legislature may shift into opaque mode going forward. From ABC 10 yesterday:

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s High-Speed Rail Board of Directors approved a settlement costing more than half a billion dollars, a move that comes as lawmakers debate how transparent the long-delayed and over-budget project should be.

    During a January meeting, the High-Speed Rail Authority’s board of directors approved more than $500 million to settle a dispute with a company contracted to design portions of the project. The settlement was approved as a change order, meaning it involved changes within an original contract, and the amount was decided during a closed session meeting.

    “Negotiate and finalize an appropriate settlement change order with DFJB up to an amount of $537.3 million,” said Adam Brezine, chief counsel for the High Speed Rail Authority.

    I can’t help but think that number is probably right around what we are short to do the Broadway grade separation. Hundreds of millions flying out the door due to incompetence. And the going forward solution?

    Citing those delays and concerns, (Assemblywoman Lori) Wilson introduced Assembly Bill 1608, which would provide additional tools for the Office of the Inspector General to conduct audits of the high-speed rail project.

    However, the bill includes language that would prohibit the inspector general from making a report public if it determines the report would, in part, “reveal weaknesses that could be exploited by individuals.”

    Wilson says she is open to amendments or clarifications, and that “weaknesses” is a standard audit term. Audits exist to find weaknesses and there are plenty to choose from on high-cost rail. Let’s air the dirty laundry so we can stop bleeding. That’s a change order I can live with.

    Posted by:

    Joe

    3 comments on High-Cost Rail- Part 166: Another half billion gone

  • Dine Burlingame: Best Values

    B’game isn’t known as a high-end Peninsula dining town a la Palo Alto or, lately, Menlo Park as noted here. But we are apparently a mecca for “value dining” as determined by Opentable. The list is loaded with Italian restaurants as determined thusly:

    Looking for the best value restaurants in Peninsula? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants.

    The latest listing has B’game winning three of the ten spots on the Peninsula. Two are well-known, long-time stalwarts in town: Cafe Figaro and Rocca–both on the “value” commercial street- Broadway. The third one is new (at least to me) and also on B’way at Paloma. Nepalese restaurant:

    Himali Bistro is a culinary delight that blends the vibrant spices and traditional cooking techniques of Nepali and Indian cuisine to transport your taste buds on a flavorful journey inspired by the majestic Himalayan region. At this modern restaurant, each dish is crafted with care and expertise to evoke the essence of the mountains, offering a fusion of unique flavors that pay homage to the diverse culinary heritage of the region.

    The newest entrant to the B’way dining scene is also on the “value” end of the spectrum. Patty’s Diner is going for the ’50s vibe and has a $9.50 smashburger that you can upgrade to Wagyu for an additional 4 bucks. I’ll be in soon to check out the Philly Cheesesteak using ribeye for $16.

    The last new entrant hasn’t opened yet, but that didn’t stop the SF Comicle from running a full-page “review” in the Sunday edition! Taking over the Flights space (or Left at Albuquerque or Nathan’s depending on how far back in time you want to go) is Amado. The Comicle calls it an “elegant new Mexican restaurant) here. Sounds good. Our scene doesn’t get much love from Comicle reviewers, so Amado must have something going for it.

    Posted by:

    Joe

    1 comment on Dine Burlingame: Best Values

  • SFO: Palo Alto doing our job for us

    The Palo Alto Daily Post continues to lead the way in local news coverage of the harder-hitting variety. Today’s edition was no exception with their headline “City fights expansion of airport“. At first, I thought the San Carlos airport was seeking some expansion approvals, but no–Paly is going after SFO! Apparently SFO wants to add a new terminal and up to 13 new gates and thinks they have done a proper EIR. News to me. Have we heard any of this from the city of B’game? Any e-newsletters from Papan? Is Becker “creating change” in our dealings with SF? Nada. Paly has lawyered up via a January 23rd letter to the SF Supes. Their hot button is final approach noise, but we are sympatico about the general noise issue. Is there a Go Fund Me page that our city council can contribute to?

    Click on the SFO Airport Voice category on the right frame here. You will see that SFO is a crappy neighbor and like most crappy neighbors, just doesn’t care. “We bring a lot of money to SF and the Bay Area economy so you suburban plebes can just deal with the runway noise and loss of sleep”. 13 more gates? Too bad. 3 am engine testing? Gotta do it to keep the money flowing. I hope the Concerned Residents of Palo Alto keep the pressure up. Somebody has to.

    Posted by:

    Joe

    4 comments on SFO: Palo Alto doing our job for us

  • BPD: A busy January for arrests

    I had not visited the on-line B’game arrest website in some time, but a week ago I noticed January was shaping up to be a crime-ridden month. I waited through yesterday to assemble the monthly total which worked out as there were three arrests yesterday. The 2025 annual totals are here and tally to 1,240 including traffic violations. Not including traffic stuff, our January 2026 total was 83 composed of mostly single charge arrests, but a few double and triple charges. Here is the breakdown from BPD’s site:

    Violate Court Order Domestic Violence                            3

    Inflict Corporal Injury on Spouse/cohabitant/dating Relationship        1

    Bench Warrant Misdemeanor                                           7

    Petty Theft W/2 Or More Priors – Shoplifting       1

    Theft Of Personal Property – Shoplifting                          1

    Possess Unlawful Paraphernalia                                    7

    Possess/etc Burglary Tools                                               2

    Drive W/license Susp For Dui                                         11

    Drive W/license Suspended, Warrant                               6

    Outside Warrant Arrest Misdemeanor                               6

    Possess Controlled Substance                                        2

    Obstruct/resist Public/Peace Officer/EMT – Simple 4

    Battery On Peace Officer/Emergency Personnel/etc         2

    Forge/alter Vehicle Registration                                      2

    Solicit Lewd Act In Public                                                1

    Indecent Exposure                                                           1

    Drive W/o License                                                           1

    Dui Alcohol/0.08 Percent                                                  8

    Dui + .15 Or Refusal                                                          2

    Drive W/o License                                                            1

    Trespass: Refuse To Leave Property                                1

    Disorderly Conduct: alcohol                                              3

    Contempt Of Court: disobey Court Order                           1

    Carry Switchblade Knife On                                              1

    Give False ID to Police                                                      1

    Possess Narcotic Controlled Substance                              2

    Possess Controlled Substance Without Prescription    1

    Restricted Driver Operate Vehicle W/o Interlock Device     1

    Outside Warrant Arrest Felony                                           3

    Total                                                                               83

    Posted by:

    Joe

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  • Mahan: From San Jose to Sacramento?

    Even with Gov. “Kneepads” Newsom termed out of Sacramento and travelling the world to lay the groundwork for a presidential run, the race for governor has been a total yawn so far. Katie “Get out of my f*^%king shot” Porter is toast. As Randy Wong said today on the John Phillips Show (12-3pm 810am KSFO), “people either don’t know who Tom Steyer is or really don’t like him” regardless of how many expensive commercials he runs during Warriors games. The rest are pretty much ho-hum at best. The saddest is Tony Thurmond, state superindendent of public instruction, which would be the biggest example of the Peter Principle in history.

    But the news this morning that San Jose major Matt Mahan’s wife gave him to go ahead to jump into the race, as he relayed in an interview with Ashley Zavala of KCRA Sacramento, has invigorated the race to the June 2nd primary. Per the SF Standard:

    But Mahan does have some aces to play: He has won the ardor of some of California’s technology crowd, including Y Combinator leader Garry Tan and entrepreneur Jesse Tinsley. That cohort alone could provide the millions needed to propel him to Sacramento. He has also carved out a moderate, party-bucking lane on homelessness and criminal justice (e.g. a big Prop 36 supporter) that a large swath of voters might find appealing, as Democrats continue their soul-searching after the 2024 election. And in a political environment where bucking the status quo is in vogue, Mahan has been quick to criticize the state’s leadership, which could excite both disaffected voters and well-heeled donors.

    As mayor, Mahan has pushed for stricter rules on unsheltered homelessness, is an advocate for interim shelter sites, and often rails against state regulations he says stymie housing production. He is considered an ally to business interests, and, like San Francisco’s mayor, has largely stayed out of national political conversations. He has instead argued that his energy should be spent on combating local issues. His term in San Jose runs until 2028, after he handily won reelection in 2024.

    A reasonable person could ask, “why would you want the job?” when the next governor will inherit budget deficits as far as the eye can see–or passed it, if (when) the stock market hits its next speed bump. The emerging story is the public service unions and the health care unions with their “billionaire tax” vs. the “center-lane” candidate who can line up enough millions to level the advertising playing field. And if Mahan loses, he still has a job for two more years. Popcorn anyone?

    Posted by:

    Joe

    6 comments on Mahan: From San Jose to Sacramento?

  • A bit of the Bit of England

    In another Only-On-The Voice moment, my sleuthing has uncovered rare pieces of Burlingamia that merit being shared with the old timers in town. At the current site of Stella on the Avenew was a local pub called the Bit of England. Very English. Real English ales on tap (I seem to recall it had my favorite, John Courage, and Watney’s). It was far from upscale and that’s what we loved about it.

    It closed about 30 years ago (looking for fact checking help here, old timers. Sir Paul? Mark Lucchesi?) Our buddies Jeff and Barbara Moore were long time B’gamers who eventually decamped for Maui. Jeff had managed to procure the original Bit bar stools and used them with his Tiki Bars in B’game and on Maui. They slipped through his fingers during a move, but he has reacquired them. At his recently completed Tiki bar he and I enjoyed a tipple and a seat on the original Naugahyde Bit of England stools. Anyone with memories of the Bit, please weigh in here. I’ll be chatting with the Historical Society to get a photo or two to add to the Tiki bar.

    Posted by:

    Joe

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