A String of Current Brisbane Happenings

A lot’s been happening in town. In order to help make you aware of all these Brisbane happenings, we thought we’d try finding the creative connectors between the items. Here goes nothing...

Tunnel Ave. Bridge is nearing completion, with the switchover to the new, seismically-sound bridge scheduled to take place in the evening of Sept. 4^th, the Tuesday after the Labor Day Holiday. Please continue to use caution when driving across or nearing Tunnel Ave. Bridge, as a lane closure at the Bayshore/Tunnel intersection will be needed to allow for paving during the daytime hours of Sept. 4^th between 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Any questions please call project manager Karen Kinser at 508-2133, or Construction Management contact James Wilcenski at (650) 619-6112.

Above is a computer-generated sneak peek of a newly improved Tunnel Ave. Bridge…which nearly 5,000 cars will be traversing, most of them heading to or from their workplaces, and back to their…

Homes are now being built at 1 San Bruno Ave. Six one-bedroom units, ranging in size from 817 to 945 sq. ft. in floor area, will be located on the second floor, with 9 two-story units occupying the second and third floors. Four of the two-story units will have one bedroom, and range from 899 to 936 sq. ft. in area. The remaining 5 two-story units will have two bedrooms, and range from 1,162 to 1,226 sq. ft.

Because of lower utility and maintenance costs, the residential units are expected to be more affordable than those in other buildings. Of the 15 residential units, one unit will be constructed so as to be fully accessible for persons with disabilities. The sales prices for two units will be restricted in perpetuity so as to maintain their affordability for a low-income household and a moderate-income household (as set by the California Department of Housing and Community Development for San Mateo County). The deadline to apply for these units is Sept. 22^nd. Call First Home, Inc. at (888) 572-1222 x110 for further information or visit their website. They’re expected to fill up quickly, thanks in large part to the City’s great…

Weather in Brisbane has been nothing short of sunny and gorgeous this past week. But with hi’s ranging from the low to mid-80s, anyone would welcome a nice breeze by propping open their windows and/or doors. Just as a friendly reminder, remember to shut and lock all your windows and doors before heading out of your house, or car. Because, you wouldn’t want anything to get lost, or worse yet, go…

Missing!! The bronze raccoon statue from Costanos Canyon, has been reported stolen. Sculpted by the late artist, Spero Arargyros, the statue was installed in 1987 as a memorial to Byron Jensen, a long-time civic leader and artist who died in 1986. The Brisbane residents who privately collected funds to put up the small statue wanted to honor Mrs. Jensen, who founded the Brisbane Girl Scouts in the 1930s and contributed widely to the efforts in saving San Bruno Mtn. and its canyons from development. But the statue had a dual purpose, in that it was also a means for young people to have a piece of local art to call their own.

The Brisbane Police Department is offering a reward of up to a $500.00 for the arrest and prosecution of the person(s) responsible for taking, what had become, a Brisbane monument. If you have any tips or information that can help restore this raccoon to its original habitat, please contact Det. Dennis Weber at 508-2185.

What Dreams May Come

The American Dream…an understanding deeply instilled in our minds that anyone, through determination and hard work, is able to achieve prosperity, or an improved life in comparison to the generation before. But what is the American Dream today? And, perhaps more importantly, are we doing that which is within our means to help those less fortunate take part in it?

Many Americans today liken the American Dream with home ownership. However, with the cost of land in the Bay Area having skyrocketed in the past few decades, and spaces to build upon few and far between, the American Dream has become more of a distant reality for more and more families wishing to purchase their own home. But thanks to a partnership with Peninsula Habitat for Humanity, dedicated to providing local hard-working, low-income families the opportunity to break the cycle through an affordable homeownership program, seven homes have been completed in the community, one of which happens to be the 100th Habitat home in all of San Mateo County.

To celebrate the completion of the 100th Habitat home being built in San Mateo County, Peninsula Habitat for Humanity will be hosting a dedication ceremony and rally to thank the City and community of Brisbane as well as its many sponsors and partners who helped make the project possible. Other Habitat families from around the Bay (who have invested a tremendous effort into their dreams with 500 hours of “sweat equity”), will also be coming to help celebrate this milestone…and you can be assured that they all know what it takes to succeed in obtaining their American Dream.

When: Saturday, September 8, 2007 @ 10:00 AM
Where: 15 Glen Park Way, Brisbane, CA
Master of Ceremonies: Spencer Christian, Co-host of “The View From the Bay” and weather forecaster for San Francisco’s ABC7 News at 6 and previously with "Good Morning America"

Parking and shuttle service provided by Brisbane City Hall –

50 Park Place, Brisbane, CA

Also, click here for info on San Mateo County’s 3rd Annual Disaster Preparedness Day, taking place Saturday, September 29th. Survival DO’s and DON’Ts – is your family, ready?

Brisbane's New Wheels

Innovative ideas spring forth when creative minds share a common goal. Here’s an example for you of an idea being moved into action.

Three months ago, Brisbane resident John Quilter was reading the Wall Street Journal when he came across an article highlighting Dutch bicycles. For families with two or more children, it was a solution for errands to be done around the city by bike. But for John, who has volunteered with litter clean-up in Brisbane for the past 20 years, the Bakfiet ‘Cargobike’ was just the ticket for snagging litter while pedaling around town. Soon after this idea was brought to the attention of staff, who shared in the idea of this being a creative solution to tackle litter in town, a grant from the state’s Division of Recycling was secured. With this new “machine,” John has ridden all around town, separating the debris he picks up into buckets that can quickly be emptied into trash and recycling receptacles. Kudos to you, John, for your willingness and being a model for all of us to follow!

If you also would like to help out your community by using the Cargobike to pick up litter (and at the same time get in a good workout!), then please call Russ Carmick at 508-2143.

And the Beat Goes On...

Folks flooded into the Community Park last week to take in a nearly 3 hour concert put on by Big Bang Beat. It was an evening of non-stop dancing and singing as the 12-person band entertained the community with a huge repertoire built on the greatest dance and party hits of every era...from 60s frat rock, to 70s disco and funk, and 80s pop. It wasn't long before people were getting up from their picnic blankets and lawn chairs to hit the dance floor. Two conga lines were even formed...on 2 separate occasions. We'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking for this fun-filled evening, where it looks like it will be remembered by the community for a long time to come.



The fiesta continues tonight, starting at 5:45 PM, with Latin Safari. Grab a towel, and perhaps a friend and some eats, and make a night of it!

Click here for the rest of the Concert Series lineup, taking place every Friday night through Sept. 7th.

Vandalism at Crocker Park Trail

For those of you who have walked the full loop of the Crocker Park Trail, you probably noticed the flashing crosswalk lights where the trail intersects with South Hill Dr. But did you know that these were solar-powered crosswalk lights? Well apparently, one person did. When the Public Works crew was driving through town conducting a weekend maintenance check, they noticed that the crosswalk lights had stopped blinking. Upon further inspection, the crew noticed that the internal wiring, which connected the solar panels to the push-button, had been cut. The Public Works crew replaced the wiring, but just a week later, it was found that someone had taken several of the small solar panels that power the crosswalk lights. A police report has since been filed. If you happen to see any suspicious activity, along the trail or anywhere else in town, please help put a stop to reoccurring vandalism in the community and make the call to Police Dispatch at 467-1212.