Burlingame News

Any kid who’s ever wondered what makes fog float over the coast, how currents form in the Bay or why water goes down the drain the way it does will appreciate the new hands-on exhibit at Coyote Point Museum for Environmental Education.

San Mateo County is launching an online Web site as a one-stop resource for creating the "cleanest and greenest community in the nation," according to the Board of Supervisors Environmental Quality Committee.

The new Green Portal is an ambitious state-of-the-art method to provide the community with updates on what the county is doing to be more green and provide ideas on how individuals can lower their carbon footprint,” said committee chair Rich Gordon.

Photo Credit: S.3

San Mateo County's two congresswomen were in the middle of the action this past week as Democratic leaders grappled with the Bush administration over the execution of the government's financial recovery plan, and looked ahead to pursuing aggressive new energy policies once President-elect Barack Obama takes office in January.

From Half Moon Bay to South San Francisco, the economic downturn is lending a new face to hunger and homelessness in San Mateo County — and making it harder for shelters and food pantries to cope with overwhelming demand going into the holiday season.

Despite an increasingly uncertain economy, thousands of homebuyers around San Francisco Bay kept snatching up foreclosed homes last month, dragging down the median home price by 41 percent from a year ago, a real estate tracking firm said Thursday.

The dramatic, near free-fall in the Bay Area’s median sale price in recent months stems mainly from the shift toward more sales occurring in lower-cost inland markets,” John Walsh, MDA DataQuick’s president, said in a statement. “At the same time, the role of foreclosures continued to grow across the region, adding more downward pressure to the median.”

Foreclosure sales dominate market, pushing the median sales price down

The seesaw effect of rising home sales and falling prices continued in the Bay Area housing market last month as foreclosure sales keep dominating the real estate market.

Yesterday marked the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the Jockey Club Satellite Wagering Facility and Sports Bar.

The parolee accused of attacking a Burlingame grocery store manager with a fork taped to his middle finger and a bottle of Drano will stand trial for assault in April but maintains he is not guilty by reason of insanity.

A New Jersey senator stymied by the state’s investments in bankrupt firm Lehman Brothers Holdings is using San Mateo County’s groundbreaking lawsuit against its executives to call for similar accountability for those financially crippled in that state.

Steak lovers, sharpen your knives. Espetus Churrascaria, South B Street's newest restaurant, is having its grand opening at 6 p.m. Friday.

Several business owners on the street said the Brazilian steak house could be a big step in the evolution of B Street between Fifth and Ninth avenues.

My dreams came true," Klein, 40, said of his 8,000-square-foot restaurant, which boasts a huge dining room with a separate bar and lounge area.

Ed Jew, the former San Francisco supervisor who resigned from office in January after state and federal prosecutors charged him with corruption, pleaded guilty Tuesday in state court to felony perjury for lying about living in the district he represented.

Even though the College of San Mateo football team won’t be playing in its Bulldog Bowl on Saturday, some members of the coaching staff and school’s administration will still be there to watch Coast Conference champion Monterey Peninsula (10-0) and Golden Valley champion Shasta (8-2) do battle. They still want to put on a first-rate show.

Marie C. Baca/Daily Journal Harout Salatian, of Mario's Shoe Repair on San Mateo's 25th Avenue, repairs a shoe for a customer.

The financial sector may be in shambles, but the owner of Mario’s Shoe Repair is far more concerned about the state of a certain brown pump.

Made in China, of course,” said Harout Salatian, inspecting the heel. “What do you expect when you pay twenty dollars for a pair of shoes? Of course it’s going to need repair.”

Photo Credit: eschipul

San Mateo County is joining other counties and cities statewide asking that Proposition 8, the controversial measure banning same-sex marriage, be overturned as unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court.

The Board of Supervisors decided in closed session Tuesday to join the city and county of San Francisco, Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties and the city of Los Angeles in their petitions to the California Supreme Court.

Potential candidates for a rare open seat on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors anxiously waiting to hear whether the board will appoint a replacement for outgoing Supervisor Jerry Hill or hold a special election will have to wait a little longer.

Photo Credit: JAF88

Desperate for space to accommodate future students, the city's elementary school district is seeking alternatives to avoid overcrowding.

One way is to bring in temporary or permanent classroom spaces in any of the schools within the district.

The other is to buy the former Hoover School at 2220 Summit Dr.

San Mateo County's only cemetery with an ocean view may be sold in the not-too-distant future amid uncertain economic times, staff members at Skylawn Memorial Park were told in a surprise announcement earlier this month.

Skylawn has been the crown jewel of the Lifemark Group, a Hayward-based collection of cemeteries, funeral homes and mausoleums around the Bay Area, ever since Lifemark was acquired by Texas-based Capital Southwest Corp. in 1969.

Imagine Shakespeare’s classic A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but with bellbottoms, psychedelic colors and peace signs. This weekend, the Burlingame High School drama department will make this hippie dream a reality.

Beginning Thursday, the drama department will perform a “Summer of Love” interpretation of A Midsummer’s Night Dream, complete with 1960s costumes and sets. The script, however, retains the Shakespearean language. The juxtaposition of olde English and hippie attire makes the play a unique experience for audiences as well as actors.

The beginning of crab season Saturday was as bad — or worse — than fishermen expected.

Fishermen were returning to harbor with an average of one to three crabs per pot Saturday. In normal seasons, fishermen haul in approximately 15 crabs per pot. The haul confirms what everyone was already fearing — that in a common occurrence, crab did not settle in the area this year, said Duncan MacLean, president of the Half Moon Bay Fishermen’s Marketing Association.

Photo Credit: daveparker01

It's that time of year: Family events are soon approaching and the spirit of lending a helping hand overcomes.

There are a number of organizations in the county — large and small — that could use donations and volunteers this holiday season. Additionally, local groups are gathering food, gifts, toys, gift cards in more for a variety of causes. Whether you are looking to give time or donation this list will offer a wide range of ideas for this holiday season.

Photo Credit: sterlingpr