The Burlingame Voice

Bgame is for the birds

A friend turned me onto an app that has brought a lot of enjoyment lately.  Cornell Lab's Merlin uses your phone's microphone to record bird calls and references their database to identify the bird.  Thus far, in my very bird-friendly yard it has identified:

Dark-eyed Junco        Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Oak Titmouse            Nuttall's Woodpecker

Bewick's Wren            Lesser Goldfinch

Canadian Goose         House Finch

Steller's Jay               Bushtit

American Crow

I haven't bothered to record the Mourning Doves that have been around for several years and mating seasons or the random Seagull that flies by.  And while you are looking up in the sky, another app to enjoy is Flightradar24.  It maps the aircraft in the area, and you can click on any of them and see the flight number, origin, time en route, altitude, etc.  All of the airliners that fly south over Bgame and make a U-turn in the South Bay to land on 28 L & R show up nicely.

Netflix comes to B'game: BALCO

B'gamers who have been here for twenty years or more will remember Burlingame was the center of the doping scandal that rocked many professional sports back in 2003.  After getting its start in Millbrae and then San Carlos, BALCO moved to 1520 Gilbreth Rd.-- about a block from the It's It shop across the freeway.  The company principal, Victor Conte, and personal trainer/distributor Greg Anderson were fixtures around town.  They especially loved breakfast at Alana's.  Now Netflix has revived interest in the story with a just-released documentary film "Untold: Hall of Shame".

The film's good guy is Jeff Novitzky, the IRS agent who led the investigation into BALCO.  He grew up in B'game, graduated from Mills High School and played sports at Skyline.  His Wikipedia page is a fun read and he comes across as a tenacious investigator in the film.  This USA Today article describes the on-going social media fight between Novitsky and Conte.

If you watch closely, you will see images of the Gilbreth office building and the Burlingame police report that got things rolling.  All in all, it's a fun trip down a local memory lane.

Mills Canyon: Almost ready for affordable housing? ECR?

With the winter storm damage to Mills Canyon being repaired per this DJ article, perhaps it's time to look at that open space's suitability for satisfying some of our RHNA housing requirements.

The winding trails of Mills Canyon in Burlingame took a hit from harsh winter storms with the popular lower route washed out from tree failures, but work is almost done to complete a reroute.

City Arborist Rich Holtz said the city is aiming to have the trail completed and opened sometime in the coming weeks. Damage from the January storms caused a landslide on the lower portion of the Ed Taylor Loop Trail.  In March, the city contracted a company to develop a trail reroute, which costs around $65,000, for about 600 feet of damaged trail.

We already know that claiming the area is a "wildlife sanctuary" like Woodside tried will not work.  The Sacramento nags won't have it, so maybe it's time.  Six or seven stories would seem to fit nicely and give the top floors a bit of a view!

Just Kidding---I just couldn't wait until next April Fool's Day for this.  But what is not funny is the steady incursion of EssEff-level problems into our little burg.  This Tuesday, 9pm photo of a newly erected tent on El Camino at the B'way bus stop is the latest example.  I've heard of vagrants camping out at the Bayfront and along the Caltrain tracks in the trees, but right on ECR?  Maybe it's time to collect TOT.

The Voice: It was 20 years ago today......

Another year has flown by here at the Burlingame Voice blog.  That makes twenty years on-line after we transitioned from the printed, hand-delivered editions you can see on the table in the photo.  Thanks to Mark "at the Mic" Lucchesi's podcast about the Voice highlighted here, if you want to invest the time, you can hear all about the history and perspective that has evolved over the twenty years.  Here's the YouTube entry.

Anniversaries are a chance to reflect.  Our regular readers and commenters make the cathartic exercise of posting regularly worthwhile.  I get a charge out of running into someone I don't know, introducing myself and having them say, "Oh, I read the Voice".  The reaction isn't always the way the song goes:

They've been going in and out of style
But they're guaranteed to raise a smile

But that's OK too.  As we noted in the podcast, even Russ and I don't always agree on every local issue.  District city council elections come right to mind.  In any case,

It's wonderful to be here
It's certainly a thrill
You're such a lovely audience
We'd like to take you home with us
We'd love to take you home

Here is a photo of the podcast session and one of my newest license plate.  If you see me out and about, give a honk or a wave!

SFO: Quiet electric taxis coming

B'game is so close to SFO airport that almost everything that happens there affects us--for better and for worse.  We love the cheap cab fare or Lyft cost to get there.  But the runway backblast can interrupt sleep so much that it's bad for our health.  Some residents can smell the fumes.  Now, next up are electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) taxis ferrying passengers to and fro per the SF Comicle

United Airlines is partnering with an electric aircraft company with plans to introduce an all-electric air taxi service from San Francisco International for commuters coming to and from the airport starting in 2026.

The Florida-based company, Eve Air Mobility, announced Wednesday that both companies will be working with local and state officials as well as infrastructure, energy and technology providers to ensure the appropriate infrastructure is in place to introduce electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft flights.

“Our shared goal is to provide residents and visitors to the San Francisco Bay Area with efficient and cost-competitive transportation in one of the most densely populated urban areas in the U.S.,” said Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve Air Mobility. “The Bay Area is perfect for eVTOL flights given its size, traffic, focus on sustainability, innovation and commitment to add other options for mobility.”

On the bright side, a piece in the Wall Street Journal described another eVTOL company that had trouble getting any attention at the Paris Air Show because the craft was so quiet that it blended into show hubbub.  That model is a two-seater, so only one passenger per flight.  The Eve taxi rendering looks a little bigger.  I will love to see how that pencils out for United and Eve.  I just hope they don't expect to take B'game parking spaces to recharge!

Calling Canepa on the Carpet

Daily Journal columnist Mark Simon was on the scene at a campaign event for Supe-wannabe Emily Beach when U.S. Rep Anna Eshoo finally stepped up to take current Supe David Canepa to task for his personal attack on fellow Supe Ray Mueller.  Simon notes

In the first comments of their kind by any San Mateo County elected official, U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo has sharply criticized the Board of Supervisors, in particular, Supervisor David Canepa, for the harsh and personal rhetoric that colored a debate six weeks ago over a proposal to end county cooperation with federal immigration authorities. 

“It is really shameful,” Eshoo said, adding that the board suffered “a total meltdown” characterized by “ad hominem attacks” and “name-calling.  No citizen of San Mateo County should find that acceptable,” Eshoo said. “It was disgusting, and it was painful, and that has never happened before.”  Contacted later, Eshoo confirmed she was referring specifically to remarks by Canepa, who launched a personal attack on Supervisor Ray Mueller. He had proposed an amendment allowing county cooperation with ICE in instances of persons convicted of serious and violent felonies.

Good for Eshoo, as far as she went.  She also criticized the other three Supes for sitting it out.  Canepa's comments like

“Where you (meaning Mueller) live in Menlo Park, it’s the Latino communities, it’s all these other communities, that make your kale salad. When it comes to the white linen tablecloths where you eat, they’re preparing your food, or picking your produce.

“You come up here and you use your privilege and you use it for an amendment that never should have happened,” Canepa continued. “I’m disappointed in you as a person, I’ve lost respect for you. … You’re dividing the Latino community. ... You’ve misled people, you’ve lied to people. … I’m disappointed in you. I am disturbed by you that you would use communities by dividing them.”

What a steaming pile of BS Canepa is spouting.  The real issue, which no one wants to talk about, is whether the Sheriff's department should be working with ICE to deport convicted rapists and child molesters who are in the country illegally.  Does Canepa--and the other three head-in-the-sand Supes--think the Latino community supports rape and child molestation?  No way.  Who exactly are they representing?  There's definitely a racist in this spat but it's not Ray Mueller. 

Memorial Day Parade 2023

The chilly marine layer we have been shivering through for the last week cleared just in time for the Hillsborough Memorial Day parade to be a bright, sunny affair.  I love the small town feel of this short little parade populated by kids' activity clubs, a few vets and antique cars along with fire trucks and convertibles with politicians sitting on the back decks.  We had all of the electeds at the state and federal level, except for DiFi...including the other Diane (misspelled Papen on the sign), Kevin Mullin and Josh Becker; plus all five H'borough council members.

But the highlights were the San Mateo High and B'game High marching bands.  San Mateo looked noticeably sharper in the marching category, but B'game held its own and played more songs along the route--always a plus regardless of how much you like the drummers' street beats.

I noticed many neighbors had made the effort to put out their American flags and one can only hope all of us will take some time to remember those who gave all.  I don't think of it as "Happy Memorial Day" but rather reflective Memorial Day7.  Here is a fully equipped US Marine Corps jeep that spurs reflection and the B'game band.

E-bike litter arrives promptly

The Spin e-bike rental program has kicked off in B'game and Millbrae and already I have seen several bikes left in random spots around town.  One was left right on a corner on Carmelita blocking the sidewalk.  Another was deserted in Heritage Park.  The Daily Journal noted aspects of the program that would mitigate e-bike littering:

Burlingame installed around 20 bike corrals around transit areas, downtown and major parks. City officials hope riders use the corrals to park bikes after use and has incentive alternatives if needed.  “We just hope that the corrals will be used,” (Burlingame Sustainability Program Manager Sigalle) Michael said. “We are trying to avoid bike litter and we are trying to incentivize it by using the corrals, luckily, the program is very adaptable and it’s easy to make adjustments on the app.”

Burlingame and Millbrae plan to slowly integrate the bikes inventory as the program begins and there will eventually be more than 200 bikes available between both cities.  Spin was awarded the contract by both cities because of its lower user fees and competitive pay to local employees. It will hire two local employees between both cities who will move the bikes to heavily used locations, charge them and fix any issues. It will be moved within two hours of it being reported as somewhere a resident doesn’t want.

The DJ article did not explain how to get the litter bikes removed.  The city e-newsletter may have included that information, but if it did I missed it.  So here is what I found elsewhere:

Feel free to reach out to us via these two methods:

1. Call us: 1-888-249-9698
2. Email us: [email protected]

Before contacting us, please have the below information readily available so we can relocate our vehicle in the fastest & most efficient way possible:

• Approximate address or crossroads to where our Operations Specialists can accurately find our vehicle.
  • Example: 123 Blueberry Lane, San Francisco, CA
  • Example: Off 1st St & Bran Muffin Rd, near the alley way

• If you can, feel free to include the vehicle’s unique 7-digit ID#  
  • Found on the handlebars -> underneath the QR code

We shall see if that two-hour turnaround time is met on a regular basis.  In the meantime, put Spin's number in your phone.  You will need it when people fail to park inside the white lines like these on Broadway.

New word for the week: Presentism

I came across a new-to-me word that captures a social phenomenon that is infecting a lot of interactions and policies in current society.  The word is "presentism".  The minute I read it; I instinctively knew what it meant.  But rather than do the homework to craft my own definition, I asked ChatGPT to do it for me.  I think the bot did a nice job of defining it:

Presentism refers to the practice of interpreting or judging historical events, people, or ideas through the lens of present-day values, beliefs, and perspectives. It involves applying contemporary moral, cultural, or social standards to evaluate the past, often disregarding the historical context and the complexities of the time being examined.

Presentism can be problematic because it overlooks the historical, cultural, and social conditions that shaped people's actions and decisions in the past. It assumes that current beliefs and values are universal or superior to those held in the past, which can lead to a distorted understanding of historical events and figures.

By imposing present-day perspectives on the past, presentism may lead to misinterpretations, unfair judgments, and a failure to grasp the complexities of different eras. It disregards the fact that societies and individuals change over time, and what may be considered unacceptable or morally wrong today may have been widely accepted or even considered morally right in the past.

Historians and scholars strive to avoid presentism by using primary sources, contextual analysis, and a thorough understanding of the historical period under study. They aim to understand events and people within their historical context, taking into account the prevailing beliefs, norms, and social conditions of the time.

Recognizing and avoiding presentism is important for developing a nuanced understanding of history, appreciating the diversity of human experiences across time, and avoiding the imposition of anachronistic judgments on historical figures or events. It allows for a more accurate and empathetic interpretation of the past, fostering a deeper appreciation for historical complexities and facilitating a more informed understanding of how societies and cultures evolve over time.

The bot warns of the flaws of presentism, and we see those flaws all over the state, across Northern California, and yes, in Burlingame.  Look no further than the mural in the main library--well, you can only see part of the mural because the original caption has been covered over by misguided presentists.  Now that we have a word for it, we can look for more examples and call them out for what they are.  Is "Berkeley" next?

Our own Kardashian: Who knew?

Here at the Voice we cover all things Burlingame--the good, the bad and sometimes the sad.  Yesterday's Daily Post front page article about the passing of a B'game woman who worked as a Kim Kardashian impersonator is in the sad category.  The Post writes:

San Mateo County authorities are extraditing a Florida woman who is accused of injecting silicone into the rear end of Kim Kardashian lookalike from Burlingame who died.  Christina Ashten Gourkani, 34, was a social media influencer and model who was best known for her work as a Kim Kardashian lookalike.

Vivian Gomez traveled to a Burlingame hotel and gave Gourkani "several injections" of what is believed to have been just silicone on April 19, according to DA Steve Wagstaffe.  The coroner's office is still investigating Gourkani's death, Wagstaffe said.  Shortly thereafter, Gourkani began having health issues, according to her family's GoFundMe, she died in the early hours of April 20 from a heart attack.

There are at least a few lessons in this sad tale.  Most of them should be obvious.