The Burlingame Voice

Invest in Some College Advice

At last week's BHS presentation by Stanford's Denise Clark Pope, she stressed getting students into the college that was the "right fit" for each student. Pope was critical of college consultants who she claimed "packaged" candidtes, but that advice seems to conflict with some investment advice from Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine.

An admissions consultant can offer personalized tips to get your child into college.
By Thomas M. Anderson - August 2007

Worried about getting junior into college or graduate school? For $1,000, an admissions consultant can help your child narrow down thousands of options to a dozen or more schools that could be the right fit. That's why Janet Stein of Maple Grove, Minn., hired a consultant to help her son, Michael, in his college search. "When a 17-year-old listens to his mother, he hears the Charlie Brown music," Stein says. "I knew I had to get someone who was not emotionally involved to help him focus."
Valerie Broughton, an admissions consultant in Minneapolis, identified schools that complemented Michael's academic and social interests, set deadlines for applications, and coached him on essays and interviews. Michael was admitted to four of the five schools he applied to, including the one he plans to attend in September, Drake University, a private college in Des Moines. It was a school that Stein would not have considered if Broughton hadn't mentioned it. Plus, Broughton helped Michael find enough scholarship money to make Drake as affordable as an in-state school, Stein says. Broughton charges $2,750 for the total package but will work for an hourly rate of $200.

You'll typically pay more than $1,000 to get the full range of services from an admissions consultant. But the most valuable service is narrowing the list of schools to those likely to admit your student, give financial aid and offer the best educational programs for your child's interests. A grand will buy such a list from a qualified consultant, says Mark Sklarow, executive director of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.

The association requires its members to visit at least 50 college campuses before they can be certified. For a member directory, visit www.educationalconsulting.org.

http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/2007/08/1000advice.html

- Written by JC

The Joys of a Leisurely Weekend Stroll in Burlingame

Trashy mess (Letter in Daily News)

Dear Editor: It is with great concern and disgust that I write to inform you of a serious trash problem in Burlingame around the Caltrain station. This trash has accumulated over the past six months, most recently including a shopping cart filled to the top with additional trash. Last weekend as I walked from Burlingame High School with my dog enjoying a leisurely weekend stroll, I noticed a syringe/hypodermic needle on the ground close to the doughnut shop on the corner.

I take the train to work during the week and for the past two days, I see the Burlingame High School students waiting for the trains to pass to cross the tracks for school while standing by a shopping cart full of trash and what appears to be a used needle.

What will it take for the city to do something about this? Sally Borg, Millbrae

- Written by Fiona

Cost of Running a Campaign

Campaign war chests increase - Two Burlingame candidates have raised more than $30K (by By Mark Abramson, Daily News)

The latest campaign finance figures indicate that Burlingame City Council candidates are continuing to raise big bucks in a five-way race for two seats. Political-newcomer Peter Comaroto, 40, continues to lead the candidates with $32,975 in contributions to his campaign coffers. The most recent disclosure statements filed this week show that he raised $1,900 from July 1 to Sept. 22. All of the contributions from that period are from individuals. The parks and recreation commissioner's expenses included $6,500 for a campaign manager and $1,900 for postcard art. "I actually backed off of the fundraising a bit ... I don't want to have a balance left over," Comaroto said. "I will have a final total that I need to raise in a week or so. "The most effective way for me to campaign is to talk to people," he said. "Mailers are important. The signs and the Web site are complimentary."

Mayor Terry Nagel, 58, who is seeking her second four-year term, raised more than $8,111 during the same period. She has raised a total of $12,606 for her campaign. All of the contributors to her campaign during the latest period were individuals who are predominantly Burlingame residents. Her biggest expense was $3,646 for signs and campaign literature. Nagel championed campaign contribution caps that took effect earlier this year. Candidates are now permitted to accept a maximum of $500 from individuals and $1,000 from businesses and organizations. "Maybe that is playing a role in the election," she said. Nagel said candidates should spend time rather than money talking to people and spreading their messages. "I think the most effective way is not only to talk to people, but to listen," she said.

Incumbent Russ Cohen, 48, raised $8,052 this period to bring his total to $9,080. His contributions include $1,000 from the Plumbers and Steamfitters Union Local 467 and $500 from Putnam Toyota in Burlingame. The plumbers union also gave $1,000 to Gene Condon's campaign. "I like to prove that I am fiscally responsible," Cohen said. "I don't believe that in a town like Burlingame you have to spend what has been spent in the past."

Although candidate Jerry Deal, 58, did not submit his disclosure forms, he said he has raised $12,000 this period, which would put him at $30,947. "I think the most effective way (to campaign) is a mailing campaign," Deal said. He said most of his donations have come from private individuals.

Condon, 47, who is a former Burlingame Traffic, Safety and Parking commissioner, raised $8,060 this period for a total of $17,789 in contributions. Most of his contributors are individuals, but he has received $1,000 from a Putnam auto dealership. He said his biggest expense was postage for his mailers. "This campaign my costs are way down," Condon said. "We are doing better than we planned."

- Written by Fiona

1800 People + 300 Pets Come to Broadway!

Pets strut stuff in downtown Burlingame (by Aaron in San Mateo Times)

ALL HAIL "Claw-opatra," read a sign that hung from a wire cage adorned with four gold-colored handles protruding from each corner. Four handlers carried Mia, a black cat, up Broadway Avenue in the fourth annual Burlingame Pet Parade on Saturday. "I was kind of into the whole Egyptian theme and thought it would be neat," said Anastasia Campos, who came up with the idea. She and her friends Emily Grandcola, Madison O'Nan and Christine Williams, all 13, and students at Burlingame Intermediate School, were finalists for best-dressed group.

An estimated 1,200 spectators showed up to view the nearly 600 parade participants and their 300 pets, more than last year, Brian Probst of the Peninsula Humane Society said. Parade participants showed off their unique pets: costumed dogs, caged cats and rabbits, turtles, mice, a lizard named Spencer and a Missouri fox-trotting horse.

The parade, led by a miniature train, began at Chula Vista and Broadway avenues and made its way up Broadway, circled around Capuchino Avenue to Paloma Avenue and moved back down Broadway, stopping briefly at the judge's booth.

A group of Burlingame Intermediate School students took this year's grand prize for their pirate-themed float, "Pets of the Caribbean." Kevin Allan, Danielle Laurin, Stephanie Lee, Vivian Lee (no relation to Stephanie) and Robin Ngai, all 13, and Lulu Li, 12, said it took them three weeks to build the float. Their 8-foot-long brown pirate ship was made with
two-by-twos and thin plywood sheeting. Draped in fishnets, decorated with skeleton skulls and fitted with two steaming cannons, the ship carried two mice in the crow's nest, two rabbits named Stevie and Claudia on the main deck, a hermit crab and a dog named Rosie. "I think (we won) because we had the most decoration," Laurin said. She borrowed many of the ship's props from her grandmother and from her own house. Li said her father, a chemist, loaned the group the dry ice for the steaming cannons. "We decided to build a bigger float," Allan said. "Last year was a luau theme, which didn't work out so well." The group of eighth-graders said they had no idea what they will do next year.

Entertainment at this year's parade included marching music provided by the Los Trancos Woods Community Band, the San Mateo Elks Concert Band and Mr. Buddy, a clown who made free balloon animals for children.

The Burlingame Pet Parade was started in 2004 by residents wanting to create an event that would bring the community together, Burlingame Mayor Terry Nagel said. This year's procession was sponsored by the Peninsula Humane Society, Wells Fargo Bank and the Broadway Merchants' Association, among others.

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This is one heckuva fun-filled community event for people and pets of all ages. See photos on the Pet Parade website.

- Written by Fiona

Candidates Debate - What would you Ask the Candidates?

CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FORUM

The League of Women Voters and the City of Burlingame are co-sponsoring a Council Candidate Forum on Wednesday, October 17, at 7 pm at City Hall, and the City is soliciting questions from the community that you would like to ask the Council Candidates.

Send your questions to [email protected]. Your questions will be given to the League of Women Voters representative who will moderate this event. The moderator decides which questions will be asked of the candidates.

All candidates at the forum will have an equal opportunity to respond to each question.

- Written by Fiona

Burlingame High Students - Council Candidates Debate

It is now confirmed that there will be a third candidate's debate ... a debate where a panel of Burlingame High students will be questioning our candidates.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 23rd
TIME: 7:00 PM
WHERE: Burlingame High School Alumni Room (former library)
MODERATOR: John Ward

This is not only a valuable experience for our students but also for us!

- Written by Fiona

Burlingame Pet Parade this Saturday

Pet parade promises fun (by Anna Rendall, Daily Journal)

Photo by Mark Hundley - Scores of participants will flock to the streets of Burlingame this weekend to participate in the city's annual pet parade.

Last year, a family of straw-hat wearing Hawaii-Five O-ers took home the grand prize at the Burlingame Pet Parade. Their dog wore a lei and Hawaiian print shirt, too, of course. But Carley, a black lab, had quite some competition, including a devil, ballerina, jester, racecar driver, motorcycle rider and pirates. Although the family won for their creative outfits and float even the wagon they toted an inflatable palm tree in wore a grass skirt the grand prize can go to any participant for any category, and this Saturday at the annual Burlingame Pet Parade, the judges will, again, have some tough calls to make. It can be anything at all,? said Burlingame Mayor Terry Nagel, one of the many volunteers behind the pet parade.

This year, the parade will include participants, their pets and a horse who has been in the Rose Bowl three times, all led by a miniature train to the sounds of the Los Trancos Woods Community Marching Band. However, Broadway will host more than a parade this Saturday. The Peninsula Humane Society will show its mobile adoption van and spay and neuter unit. Clowns will make balloon animals before and after the parade, and students from Art Attack art studios will draw sketches of pets. The San Mateo Elks Concert Band will perform. And after riding in the parade, engineer Rudy Horak will give children rides on his miniature train, and at 12:15 p.m. he will give kids a ride on the Storytime Express? to Blue Skies on Broadway, where Mr. Buddy the Clown, accompanied by Mayor Terry Nagel and Police Chief Jack Van Etten, will read animal stories to children at 12:30 p.m. All for free. Everything is free, free, free,? said Nagel, who added the parade and activities are volunteer-funded and run. This is a very for the people by the people type' of gathering,? said Nagel.

Last year, more than 1,000 people watched 450 participants march in the parade. Out of the 450, six prizes were awarded. For the Begovich family, winning last years' grand prize was a shock. It was a big surprise,? said Daniel, now 8, one of the three brothers who took home the prize last year. Hs older brother Joseph, 10, said he had fun making their float. They were thrilled,? said Mariann Begovich, their mother, who said her sons' grand prize ribbon currently hangs in their bedroom, mounted in a picture frame with a newspaper clipping of the event and a photo of them at the parade. Because some children can't have pets, stuffed animals are allowed in the parade and competition. In fact, a prize in the past went to a couple of girls with stuffed animals in their wagon, said Nagel. This Saturday, a new award will be given out to celebrate Burlingame's 100th birthday: Best Costume with Centennial Theme.? This year's parade will also welcome the addition of a new judge and the end of the pre-registration requirement.

In addition to pets, participants march with their homemade floats, which can sit atop a wagon, bicycle, or kiddie car. Everything in the parade must be foot-driven except for the train. Wheelchairs and strollers are allowed, according to the parade's Web site. No cars will be in the parade. One of our rules is that there are no politicians riding in cars,? said Nagel, who added that commercial booths were banned in addition to political participation. The whole reason we started the parade was to make friends and have fun,? Nagel said.

The parade route, which is available at burlingamepetparade.com, will begin at parking Lot Y between Laguna Avenue and Chula Vista Avenue and end back at the same parking lot less than a half-mile and about 30 minutes later, according to the Web site. Then the judges will choose the winners, including honorable mentions. We used to do big, fancy prizes, but now we have big, fancy ribbons,? said Nagel. The pet parade will be the fourth for Burlingame, after its conception in 2004 when, after witnessing a Fourth of July pet parade in Bend, Ore., Nagel brought the idea back to Burlingame and, with other dedicated volunteers, started what became Burlingame's annual pet parade. The first parade was very informal, a couple dozen people straggled down the street and boom, it was done,? said Nagel. Now, she said, it's a big event.

Other winners last year included motorcycle rider Rocky, a German Shepard from San Mateo for best-dressed pet, and Hollywood of Colma, a 3-foot-tall miniature pony with ribbons in his mane and gold manicured hooves complete with glitter tips for most interesting pet. Nagel said the parade has had a whole range? of pets, from geckos, rats, exotic birds and snakes. But the majority of the pets parading are pooches. I can't tell you how many dogs have pedicures,? said Nagel.

- Written by Fiona

Bullet Voting - A Smoking Gun?

Bullet voting decried (Letter in Daily News)

[Editor's note: The following letter addresses bullet voting. Bullet voters support a single candidate in a race with multiple seats open and vote only for that person. They then leave the other selections blank to boost their candidate's chances.]

Dear Editor: This election season, quite a few contentious races are shaping up throughout Peninsula jurisdictions and it has become distressing to hear whispers of bullet voting, a tactic akin to slash-and-burn, win-at-all-cost, ballot box stuffing.

Any candidate, campaign worker, or elector who advocates this policy demonstrates the clear lack of character and ethical standards to which we profess to hold our elected representatives. Bullet voting is a subversion of the free and open election process that has been defended and protected with the blood of countless citizens of the United States. Bullet voting is but another critical wound to the notion of "fair and square; may the best man win; equal opportunity for all." This November, don't be caught with a smoking gun at the ballot box. Pat Giorni, Burlingame

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Then can we vote twice for the same candidate?!! Or should we give our second vote to a candidate who doesn't deserve it?

- Written by Fiona

Schools - A Yes or No Answer on Year-Round Schedule

Year-round schedules favored by potential school leaders (by Heather in Daily Journal)

Year-round schools for all grades including high school was at least partially supported by candidates running for one of the two school districts representing Foster City students at a joint candidate forum last night.

Candidates running for seats on the San Mateo Union High and the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary school districts board of trustees met for a joint candidate forum held by the Foster City Education Committee last night. Construction and charter school talks topped the conversation with a majority of the questions addressing issues in the high school district. The biggest surprise was an OK to at least research a move to having all year-round school in both districts. Two seats are up for grabs with only one incumbent on the San Mateo Union High School District Board of Trustees Diane Vranes seeking re-election. Vranes, a teacher, faces Dave Pine, Burlingame Elementary School District board president; retired teacher and community activist Don Havis; and retired financial services consultant Stephen Rogers. Trustee Marcia Cohn-Lyle is not running for re-election, instead vying for a spot on the Foster City Council. Community volunteers and district moms Gina Kuo and Colleen Sullivan are challenging board President Mark Hudak for the two seats available on the San Mateo-Foster City School District Board of Trustees. Trustee Melodie Lew is not running again and is supporting Kuo. Candidates were asked to only give a yes or no answer when asked if they supported a year-round schedule. The overwhelming consensus was yes.

Many schools in the elementary district already have a year-round schedule, which advocates say increases retention and gives more opportunity for extra help during the year. Such a calendar change is said by supporters to possibly shrink the performance gap between students a challenge both districts face. Sullivan, Kuo and Hudak were all in favor of more year-round calendars if it made sense for the parents. Hudak went further to say if a majority of the schools were year round, than the district should be as well.

Officials in the high school district played around with the idea of switching to a year-round calendar but it faces different challenges such as sporting and activity schedules. It's challenges like those that made Pine, Rogers and Vranes give a qualified OK to the idea saying they'd be open to studying the calendar change. Havis was interested in seeing a change. For years, residents of Foster City have advocated for a high school within its borders. In recent years, the efforts turned to creating a charter high school on four vacant city-owned acres. Since the San Mateo Union High School District governs public high school education in Foster City, committee members wanted to know who would support the charter proposal that could be before the board this school year. The topic was generally supported by Pine, Rogers and Vranes if the school were to offer a new option for students in the district. Havis was against any charter option since it takes money away from the other schools without the same regulations and oversight.

All four high school district candidates were in favor of more oversight of the upcoming construction. A stronger relationship with the San Mateo County Community College District was also widely favored. Pine and Rogers added it would be an opportunity to offer a wider range of classes and potentially fill in the open periods many seniors now enjoy. Teacher retention, especially given the budget struggles for the large elementary district, was a concern for the committee. All three candidates acknowledged the district is not funded at the levels of neighboring districts and may never be able to offer the same salary level. The only way to retain teachers is pay the best we can and improving their lives in non-monetary ways. In easing and their quality of life we can increase their feeling of professionalism in their career,? said Sullivan. Hudak echoed those sentiments adding that having job opportunities meeting the interests of teachers could add to the teacher retention. Kuo also said revisiting the parcel tax when it runs out in 2010 could be an added source of revenue going forward.

The full discussion will be aired at 1 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Foster City TV Channel 27 today. It will be reshown again as the Nov. 6 election.

- Written by Fiona

A Centennial Lumberjack Theme

Dog gone it (by Michelle in Daily Journal)

My dog was going to be the belle of the ball or, at the very least, winner of the fourth annual Burlingame Pet Parade this weekend. There was very little doubt Riley would come home with a prize. He's cute (when he's not covered in dirt from new discoveries in the yard); he's smart (although his inability to come when called tend to make one think otherwise); and, his gigantic ears are nearly bigger than his furry head and perpetually stand at attention. What's not to love?

More importantly, though, Riley has an ace in his pocket (or is that around his collar) that every other Fluffy and Spot doesn't the editor of the Daily Journal on the judging panel and the newspaper in the list of sponsors. Certainly, I would never ask anybody to do me any favors but (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) I'm sure the fact Riley is already well-known in the office can't hurt. If his absolute adorableness isn't obvious during the parade, at least my editor, Jon Mays, can rely on institutional knowledge of his shining personality and stellar ability to show off a festive costume. Jon can be the Tim Donaghy of the pet beauty pageant world. Sure, he risks being unmasked as a fraud, throwing the outcome for his own benefit, but I will do my best to ensure all seems fair.

The first issue is a costume. It was suggested to me that a Western theme is always a winning combination; I remember something being said about how cowgirl outfits are always eye-catching. The problem is I don't know if I'm quite a fringe and cowboy hat kind of girl and I'm not sure if Riley is keen on the idea of tiny spurs attached to the back of each foot. This year, the judges announced they will award a special ribbon for Best Costume with a Centennial Theme.? Something tells me dressing up as Tom the Tree and outfitting the dog with a lumberjack ensemble complete with ax would not go over so well in Burlingame even if I do have one judged adequately bribed. Maybe I'll have to ditch the costume idea and hope for Most Interesting Pet. I'm not sure how one conveys an animal's level of interest but I've got a couple of days to figure it out. The dog admittedly has an unexplainable fascination with eating wood-based products and anything filled with pillows or foam, but I'm not certain that qualifies as interesting.

Of course, if he really had a skill that met the standard, I might have hauled him over to Redwood City instead. As part of that city's downtown celebration last weekend, organizers kicked off the first annual Your Pet's Got Talent? event. I declined to even enter the dog in that competition; even with a well-planted mole to skew the judging, I'm not positive he would have had a good showing. He can't howl I Love You like the dogs that pop up occasionally on late night television talk shows and he has yet to save anybody from a burning building or bring them a hot toddy if trapped in the snow.

Maybe dressing the dog up and dragging him around in a decorated wagon is the better idea, after all. Keeping him from chewing off the pint-size hat or jumping from the float will be a talent in itself.

- Written by Fiona