The Burlingame Voice

1912 Historic Sidewalk

The city's sidewalk replacement project to fix uneven panels has rolled around to my neighborhood.  There must be 100+ panels in Burlingame Park that will get replaced.  My house (seen here) actually predates my sidewalk by a couple of years.  We were once like H'borough ("No sidewalks here"), but my block got sidewalks in 1912.  I know because they imprinted the year in the concrete and it's still there.

This is a "they don't make them like they used to" post.  The 1912 panel is not marked for replacement, but the newer one right next to is marked.  I hope the historic panel is safe and will be watching the jackhammer.  At least the contractor (R & S Contruction) is imprinting "2023" on the new sections so we can track how well they hold up.  I'm betting it won't be 111 years.

Update:  Nov 6th.  An intrepid Voice reader has one-upped my sidewalk by a year.  This imprint on Cortez at Broadway is one of a number of 1911s along Drake and Cortez.  My 1912 pane survived the sidewalk upgrade project!

Supervisor Jackie...Again?

I know well the exact sentiment of working a job I love but having to deal with the need to be on the East Coast 10, 15 times a year.  2500 miles out, 2500 miles back, rinse and repeat.  SFO-JFK..gag me with a plastic United Airlines spoon.  U.S. Reps must do that 30+ times a year-- or more.  So the Mark Simon bombshell column in today's DJ struck me differently than most people.  Here's the nub from the column:

Sources close to former U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier confirm she is on the brink of entering the race for San Mateo County Supervisor in District 1.

That would be our district where the Papan-Beach catfight has barely started.

Close associates of Speier, who agreed to speak about her plans if they remained unidentified, said she has decided she will enter the race. This comes less than three scant years after she announced she was leaving Congress, opting out of certain reelection to an eighth term representing the bulk of San Mateo County in Congress.

Speier has been urged to run by longtime friends and allies, who have become alarmed by the seemingly leftward direction of the Board of Supervisors and a loss of civility and decorum among the supervisors, particularly Supervisor David Canepa, according to sources.

How left is too left has to be the question of the year?  If you were paying attention at the time, this bit from Simon's column was not news, but it bears repeating

In the same ICE debate (that is linked above), Canepa also sharply criticized ABC-7 investigative reporter Stephanie Sierra, who had conducted interviews with Canepa in which he seemed under-informed on the issue. Sierra is Speier’s daughter.

The drive down to Redwood City takes about as long as clearing TSA at SFO.  Let's see wait one minute to see if Mark Simon's sources are pseudo-authorized, but the political theater demands a ticket.

Update: Sept. 21   Rather than start a new post or just put this in the comments, I'll add it here.  It's important.  Speier has joined the race and effectively ended the race since Papan and Beach have dropped out.  Mark Simon at the DJ has a column today noting this about Supe collegiality:

Speier clearly was referencing a board debate in April over county cooperation with ICE and an outburst by Supervisor David Canepa in which he attacked Supervisor Ray Mueller as racist. She declined to single out a board member. “We don’t move forward if we start pointing fingers. I worry that’s diminishing,” Speier said.

Speier also said if Mueller were to reintroduce his amendment to the ICE ordinance, which prompted the Canepa comments and which was defeated 4-1, she would support it, and seek to add additional amendments allowing the county to cooperate further with ICE.

And, asked if she thought the board was shifting too far to the left, Speier said, “If I’m basing it on that one decision, I’d say yes. When you’re more left than San Francisco, you’re too left. I think we’ve just got to use a little more common sense.”

Bingo.  I wish I had heard that from either Beach or Papan.  I did not.  If I missed it let me know.  I would rather not wait a year for movement on this, but at least there is hope. 

State home insurance slipping down the slope

While the retreat by home insurance companies in California hasn't been top of mind for Bgamers, I watch it also as a Tahoe homeowner where it is very much top of mind.  The retreat is real--the public statements from insurance companies match my anecdotal evidence from Tahoe.  The local retreat might start in Hillsborough since the fire danger is greatest there.  With the Legislative session ending tomorrow for the year, the ball is back in Insurance Commissioner Richard Lara's court.  He has to navigate the insurance industry and the "consumer watchdog" industry.  Good luck with that.  The Merc has more details:

“I have always been clear, legislation is one of many options that we have been pursuing,” Lara said. “We also are moving forward with a package of regulatory solutions that will streamline the department’s rate review process, opening it equitably to public input — not just the entrenched interests that have benefited materially from the status quo. We will continue moving forward. Together, we can create a sustainable and resilient insurance market to protect Californians, our communities and our environment.”

While consumer advocates cheered the collapse of a “half-baked bailout” of insurance companies, no deal means no relief yet for consumers, especially those living in wildfire-prone regions who either can’t find an insurer or can’t afford escalating rates. Participation in the state-sponsored, last-resort FAIR plan, intended to provide temporary basic coverage in areas insurers deemed too risky for standard policies, has doubled.

Do you care to guess who is covering the liabilities stemming from FAIR claims?

Millbrae mayhem or County disdain?

“Information is power and I understand the emotion around it, I expected it, but I want people to understand housing the homeless is the responsibility of everyone,”

                    San Mateo County manager Mike Callagy

That is a quote from the Daily Journal's article titled Mayhem in Millbrae about the proposed purchase by the County of La Quinta Inn to convert it to a homeless project.  One has to wonder where these people in positions of authority come up with these look-down-their-noses ideas of what is and isn't someone else's responsibility.  The statement just oozes with disdain and a strong sniff of elitism.  "I understand, but...."

And then there are the financial consequences as laid out by the Millbrae city manager:

City Manager Tom Williams said the city is on track to receive around $540,000 in TOT from the La Quinta Inn in this year and taking on the inn’s potential residents will cost the city around $168,000 a year in services.

“The hotel market is becoming healthy and it’s a productive hotel,” Williams said Monday. “Every penny counts for this city. I am just worried we are taking three steps forward and four back.”

The county will reimburse the city for one year of TOT, and at the same time either supply it with a sheriff deputy and a mental health clinician, which the city said it needs, for 2 1/2 years or the cash equivalent, Callagy said Tuesday.

Permanent revenue losses and permanent additional costs, but short-term reimbursements.  What could go wrong?  This mindset seems to be pervasive at the County as more free money flows at every opportunity.  This letter writer to the DJ this week hit the nail on the head regarding the Jackie Speier plan to partially fund more welfare--50/50 with her foundation and County taxpayer monies:

Not to sound cold, but the new program announced by county officials doesn’t make sense. The pilot plan will give $300 a month to 200 families with children ages 0-3 who meet income requirements.

I see a couple of problems with this. First, a number of families who would qualify for this program are probably already on at least one form of assistance. Second, does this not further preach a lack of self accountability this country is sorely lacking? If you can’t afford to raise a child due to financial or time restraints, it should not be up to local taxpayers to fill the gap. Furthermore, as we’ve seen with the current welfare system over the last few generations, there will be plenty of people who will take advantage of assistance provided and use it as a lifestyle.

Joe Guttenbeil

Redwood City

I think he understates the number of programs that make up the free money flow.  They are everywhere at the federal, state and county level.  Food, health care, bus tickets, childcare, tuition, electricity, tax "credits" without paying any taxes--you name it there is a subsidy for it.  All the while more housing is shoved down our throats making it more expensive for everyone else to live here.  That's the real mayhem hidden behind the curtain.

"Western White House" goes up for sale

Every Friday the Wall Street Journal has a separate section about high-end real estate around the world.  As soon as I turned to page M2 and saw the photo I knew we were looking at the Western White House in H'borough.  It has just been listed at $38.9 million.  Here are some fun aspects about the house

Newspaper heir George R. Hearst never held public office. But around 1930, the oldest son of William Randolph Hearst commissioned architect Julia Morgan to convert his Hillsborough, Calif., home into a replica of the White House.

Morgan, who designed Hearst Castle in San Simeon, added columns, wings, Palladian windows and a circular driveway, according to the book “Julia Morgan, Architect.” The resulting structure contains replicas of the Oval Office, East Room and White House Rose Garden.

The house was originally built around 1878 for businessman William H. Howard, who later sold it to railroad scion Charles Frederick Crocker, according to the San Mateo County Historical Association. The original design was a four-story Swiss chalet with 36 rooms, according to the book “Here Today: San Francisco’s Architectural Heritage.” In the 1900s, a local contractor jacked up the house and moved it with horse-drawn rollers about a half mile across San Mateo Creek to its current location, the book said.

My local historical sources, which are quite good, tell me that the horse-drawn move was featured in Popular Mechanics magazine back in the day.

Shortly after its arrival, however, the chalet caught fire and two of its four stories were destroyed. Hearst acquired the property around 1927, according to the historical association. 

(The current owners did extensive renovations and) said they tried not to deviate from Morgan’s vision. An oval-shaped library has the same dimensions as the Oval Office, he said. They even sourced period-specific furniture, he said, but didn’t end up buying it because they decided not to move in.

I've left out a lot of the owners' information, but if you are a prospective buyer Alex Buljan of Compass has the listing!

San Mateo High: Averting violence

A reader posted this comment on three different SMUSHD posts all of which are lengthy so you would have to scroll and scroll and scroll to read it.  I'm reposting it here for easier reading and commenting.

Regarding the recent stabbing incident at San Mateo High School: I’d be interested to know if the students involved had any prior history or reports of violence and threats in their student records? The news reported there were knives and a gun on campus. This reminds me of the pregnant teacher who spoke at the board meeting last year, begging the Superintendent to remove violent students from her class. What are we waiting for? Are my kids going to be the next victims? The Administration needs to do a better job of protecting our students. What are we waiting for? Are my kids next?

I'm guessing no public disclosure of any students' records will happen, but the SMUSHD Board and/or Superintendent should certainly take that into account and issue some statement about their position--past and future.

P.S.  People can use the editor email link on the right frame to ask for something to get an original post.  No guarantees, but we will likely be agreeable.

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.

1874: Vin de Hillsborough

Every post can't be about the Doom Loops of EssEff and San Mateo County.  Well maybe they all could be, but let's not.  Instead, how about something historical and tipsy today?  This weekend I plucked a booklet called San Mateo,USA: The Golden Years at an estate sale in San Mateo.  It was published in 1975 by Donald P. Ringler and credits the San Mateo County Historical Society for a lot of the info and photos.  Sprinkled in with the pieces about town lot sales and the SF to SJ Railroad, subsequently purchased by Southern Pacific, was a tidbit close to my neighborhood, my heart...and my liver.

Out in the hills beyond the W.H. Clark property Gustave Mahe's Gold Wine hobby was sure to turn commercial any year.  In 1874 Wisnom had build the 34 x 150 foot wine house, and already Byrnes and Mahe were talking about a warehouse on the Byrnes' property across from the depot.

As shown below

Further on (in the present vicinity of Brewer Avenue in Hillsborough), nestled among the foothills of and protected from the strong winds is the vineyard of G. Mahe.  The vineyard consists of 60,000 vines, forty-five acres, of different ages and varieties, the oldest vines being seven years of age.....

Imagine 2 million square feet of vines just up Barriolet Ave "protected from the strong winds".  It is a special privilege to live in B'game, H'borough and San Mateo.  If you don't think so, you probably need counseling.

Water, water everywhere: Except in a bigger reservoir

We must save this missive from the County, the City of San Mateo, the Town of Hillsborough and the SFPUC for posterity.  The obvious question is how far into posterity will we get before this gem comes back to haunt us, our lawns, our gardens, our trees, etc.  The bolded text is my addition

Local agencies are working closely with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on monitoring the impacts of the storm on the San Mateo Creek and preparing for the incoming rains next week. On Friday and Saturday of this weekend, residents along the creek may notice increased flow as the SFPUC conducts controlled releases of the Crystal Springs Reservoir to prepare for the next series of storms. Flooding is not expected this weekend and we are tracking the incoming storm.

The SFPUC owns and operates the Crystal Springs Reservoir system on the Peninsula, which includes Lower Crystal Springs Dam on San Mateo Creek. This reservoir is a key source of drinking water for the San Francisco Peninsula and not a flood control facility. As part of SFPUC’s prudent reservoir operations, operators will need to conduct controlled releases of water out of Lower Crystal Springs Dam into San Mateo Creek to create space for expected rain inflow. These releases are planned with consideration of current rain and high tides to minimize impacts to San Mateo Creek. The goal of these releases is to reduce the potential for reservoir spillover during periods of extreme storms. 

Through the weekend of January 7, water levels in Crystal Springs Reservoir are not expected to reach the dam spillway. However, during the week of January 9, there is currently an approximately 25% chance that water may reach the dam’s spillway during one of the succeeding storm events. In such cases of extreme weather that is outside of our control, water flowing into the reservoir would flow out of the reservoir via the dam’s spillway, which would increase flows in San Mateo Creek. Visit SFPUC’s web page at www.sfpuc.org/PeninsulaReservoirWetWeather for more information and updates.

Remember back in June when we went to Stage 2 water restrictions?  Now the water is headed out to the Bay.  Recall also when Dr. Newsha Ajami, Director of Urban Water Policy, Stanford's Water in the West Program noted the state "has already built reservoirs where they work best" and that we should be transitioning to groundwater storage going forward?  Can't come one water year too soon, but is anyone actually working on it or are we just focused on "sea-level rise" and the parcel taxes needed to pay for the walls?

Update 1/16:  I seldom watch TV news but this came on right after the football game and I had been hoping to find a photo of the Hwy 92 sink hole.  Here it is

City Council: Another year, another rotation

The city council returned to chambers in City Hall Monday night for the first time in almost three years.  The occasion was the annual rotation of the mayor and vice mayor roles.  Thankfully, B'game stuck to established procedure unlike San Mateo and Millbrae this year.  Chaos ensued in both places.  Some things were different in chambers.  For one, the heat seemed like it needed some maintenance work from a master technician.  Each chair on the dais and in the staff area was equipped with a screen and two large screens have been installed on the sidewalls to accommodate hybrid live/Zoom meetings.  Zoomers' voices are now piped into the PA system giving a bit of an eerie feel to comments.  I may have to comment remotely sometime just to hear the effect!

The big event of the evening was Ann O'Brien Keighran's retirement after 17 years on the council and 7 years on the Planning Commission.  The DJ piece with some quotes is here. Plenty of regular locals turned out for the event as resolutions were read and plaques presented.  Diane Papan read her own resolution and Dave Pine's staff member, Linda Wolin, stood in for Pine.  Ann's council peers and some members of the public recounted some of the big events of her tenure; with the Safeway project bringing up many memories.  David Bowlby, a Safeway consultant back in the day, recounted meetings with Ann and my wife who were the Safeway sub-committee members. He also recalled meeting with the Citizens for a Better Burlingame.  Just hearing the CBB name mentioned reminded me of all those morning meetings to strategize and commiserate over the original monster Safeway design.  Historical Society president Jen Pfaff and my wife dug deep into the Society archives to construct a scrapbook for Ann that captured many of the early events in her 24-year service including the time that Joe Galligan tried to get her and dearly missed Stan Vistica replaced on Planning.  Ah, the Old Days.

Ann concluded her time on the dais with remarks that brought tears to her eyes near the end--even as she said she wouldn't let that happen.  I had a nice view sitting behind her parents, Denis and Katie O'Brien, as mom and daughter reached for tissues at the same time.

Following Ann's closing remarks, Ricardo Ortiz was sworn in by Diane Papan.  Michael Brownrigg was sworn in by Library Trustee Kris Cannon and her husband Jim while thanking long-time advisor Jeff Londer.  Finally, new councilman Peter Stevenson was sworn in by city manager Lisa Goldman.  Many locals showed up for this renewed annual event especially from Peter's new district 5 including local DJ and disaster preparedness expert Jeff Tateosian and commercial realtor Jim Sobel.  I chatted with Burlingame Neighborhood Network board members David Harris and Ann Hinckle, local realtor Erik Winkler and our local waste wizard Joe La Mariana of ReThink Waste.

As witnessed by the night's events and attendees, B'game still has a small-town feel.  I have no idea how long it will last given the notion that we must comply-or-else with Sacramento's demands for growth even as the state population shrinks.  But for one night it still felt small.  Here is the new dais set-up and Ann Keighran's appearance on the new big screen.  Happy retirement--she's gonna love it.