Getting To Be that Time of Year!

It looks sunny out, but don't be fooled. We are now well into the flu season and if you haven't yet gotten your flu shot, County Public Health is highly recommending that everyone receive an influenza vaccination this year. For the latest flu information, visit the County's H1N1 (Swine) and Seasonal Flu website or call the County Flu Hotline at (650) 573-3927.

When it comes to fraud prevention, there's no specific time of year for one to get informed. On Monday, November 9th at 9:30am, the Brisbane Police Department will be hosting a Senior Citizen Fraud Prevention Seminar at the Sunrise Room. Part of the Police Department's Community Outreach Program, this informational meeting will cover: identity theft, lottery and telephone scams, and e-mail fraud and "phishing". Join members of the Brisbane Police Department and learn how you can keep yourself or a loved one from being the next fraud victim.

Also on Monday, November 9th, the City Council will be presented with a new master plan for Sierra Point, as part of the updated Sierra Point Design Guidelines. As described in the Design Guidelines, the potential for this site to be home to recreation, educational and cultural programs is significant, not to mention the perfect setting for a park or plaza that the community can spend time relaxing at and even enjoying a bite to eat. It takes just a quick glance at our City's logo to see all the natural assets available in Brisbane - the Bay, the Mountain...and it's all visible and able to be taken in from Sierra Point. Come and be a part of this exciting process to activate Sierra Point as a part of the City, where enormous gains in Brisbane's character could potentially be had by residents and businesses alike.

Every year, the Brisbane Chamber of Commerce, with sponsorships from Brisbane businesses, hosts the Mayor's State of the City speech. The event took place last Tuesday at the Radisson Hotel in Brisbane, with Mayor Sepi Richardson giving an overview of the accomplishments we've celebrated, and how our values have allowed the City to remain in a good financial standing despite the current financial landscape. If you would like to see pictures from the event, as well as view the Mayor's PowerPoint presentation, the Chamber has uploaded both here on their website. The event was also recorded and will be televised this weekend on Ch. 27, Saturday, 10/31, from 10am - 10:45am and then again Sunday, Nov. 1, from 6pm - 6:45pm.

Lipman Fundraiser at Melissa's

Melissa's Taqueria is participating in a fundraiser this Sunday & Monday, Oct. 25th & 26th for Lipman Middle School. 20% of your order (tax excluded) will be donated to the school, so go out and enjoy some delicious Mexican food while supporting LMS and the community!

Work that Won't Go Unnoticed

Sandwich board signs have popped up along one side of San Bruno Avenue. They have been placed there to inform residents and passers-by not to park their cars in that section of San Bruno Ave. from 10/26 to 10/30 (Monday-Friday), between the hours of 8:00am - 5:00pm, as sidewalk repair work will be taking place during that time.

That work entails a sidewalk tripping hazard repair project, where 22 locations are scheduled to be repaired. In every case, the tripping hazard is tree roots which have resulted in considerably raised sections of the sidewalk...as seen in the photo below:

Wherever possible, the existing tree roots will be pruned and root barriers will be installed to prevent further damage to the sidewalk. Unfortunately, at eight locations it will be necessary to remove the tree due to the extensive damage that root pruning for sidewalk repair would create, and one additional tree is so unhealthy that it will also be removed. Within approximately one month of the sidewalk repair, the City will install a new tree of the same species at each location where a tree is to be removed. The new installations will include the use of engineered structural soil and deep watering tubes to promote healthy tree growth without future sidewalk heaving. When the work is complete, there will surely be a noticeable difference!

Please feel free to contact the Public Works Dept. at 508-2130 should you have any questions or concerns regarding the sidewalk tripping hazard repair project. We thank you for your patience as work convenes to ensure the safety of pedestrians and residents, as well as the healthiness of our urban forest.

A group dedicated to the preservation of one of Brisbane's largest and richest natural resources, San Bruno Mountain, will be celebrating their 40th year doing just that. San Bruno Mountain Watch Conservancy will be having a party and fundraising event this Sunday, Oct. 25th, at the 23 Club, located at 23 Visitacion Ave. Expect a baked ziti dinner, no host bar, dancing, and music by The Luna Tunes. For more information, click here.

At last month’s 61st Annual Training Conference for the California Association of Harbor Masters and Port Captains, Brisbane’s own Ted Warburton was presented with one of three Distinguished Service Awards for 2009. Though not formally serving on the Association's Legislative Committee this year, Ted was an instrumental player on the Committee, personally meeting with our legislative representatives to brief them on the ill-conceived efforts to eliminate the Department of Boating & Waterways as a stand-alone department. The DBW actively works to stop invasive aquatic species, decrease water pollution and promote access to the State’s waterways and safe boating. Thank you, Ted, for all the letters you wrote to the members of the State Budget Committee and the Senate Natural Resources Committee, not to mention the trips you took to Sacramento to give testimony on behalf of Harbor Masters and Port Captains state-wide. Your efforts do not go unnoticed…Thank you and Well Done!

So Much to See, and Read!

The Brisbane Women's Club is sponsoring a production of Hamlet this weekend, presented by Shakespeare of San Francisco. Everyone is welcome, and there is NO ADMISSION FEE...so come on by Mission Blue Center this Sunday, Oct. 18th, from 2:00pm - 4:00pm for what's to be an excellent show!

As promised, we wanted to let you know where you can your hands on a slice of Brisbane history. The books can be found for sale at the following locations within Brisbane:
· 7 Mile House, 2800 Bayshore Blvd.
· Brisbane Hardware & Supply, 1 Vistacion Ave. (currently sold out, but another order's on its way)
· Midtown Market, 249 Visitacion Ave.
· Madhouse Coffee, 400 Visitacion Ave.

They are also being sold here:

· Daly City Public Library, 40 Wembley Dr., Daly City, CA
· South City Car Wash, 988 El Camino Real, South San Francisco, CA
· Walgreens, 399 El Camino Real, South San Francisco, CA

Support Brisbane businesses and get a copy of this stunning collection of vintage photographs...some of which you'll find date back to the early 1900s when Brisbane's first residents settled on the hillside.

The City Council will be meeting this coming Monday 10/19 to discuss several matters, which can be read in-depth here. One of the items involves the Council approving an Outreach Plan by the High Speed Rail Authority. The Outreach Plan provides numerous opportunities for pubilc review and comment on the proposed project as it moves forward through the process. For more information about the project, please click here.

Thank You to the 80+ community members who attended Fire Service Day last week at Station 81. It was a great turn-out, with residents leaving on Saturday armed with important fire safety information, plenty of photographs taken in the antique fire engine...and...there was still popcorn to spare!

Exciting Goings-On in Town!

This Saturday, 10/10, marks the 3rd Annual Fire Service Day, which is intended to be an "open house" of Station 81 with the community and anyone who's ever wanted to get a behind-the-scenes look at firefighting operations. The event runs from 10:00am - 2:00pm where station tours will be given, along with firefighter and fire extringuisher demonstrations, specialized equipment display (get your photo taken in Brisbane's antique fire engine!), and plenty of activities for kids and adults. Oh, and there will be refreshments served, too! Take a look at pictures from last year's Fire Service Day and behold what a fun day it could turn out to be:

So remember to come out to Station 81 on Saturday, 10/10 @10am!

You may have recently spotted a red, white and blue helicopter, similar-looking to the one pictured to the left, hovering close to transmission lines in town. This helicopter (a Bell 407, tail # N110AL) is actually is used by PG&E to wash the insulators on our electric transmission lines. Using high pressure water, specialized crews are cleaning the insulators of dirt, salt, and bird contamination. This type of procedure greatly increases the reliability of our electric transmission system, with the crews using clean, de-ionized water. This allows them the ability to wash the lines (70kV to 500kV) when they're still being energized and for electric services to continue without any disruptions.

And you can be sure that these linemen have received excellent training for this type of work. Click here for a stunning picture of a PG&E lineman being trained how to be transported by helicopter to a transmission tower (it was one of SFGate's "2008 Best of Features").

The flu season is much more complex than previous years with the arrival of the H1N1 (swine) flu. It is therefore important for everyone to stay informed and take steps to help lessen the effects of the flu on our community. The San Mateo County Health System has a new Flu Website designed to provide easy access to timely and accurate information. Click here to see about updated information on vaccination availability and a full listing of vaccine clinics (click on Vaccines).

Every year, the Brisbane Lions Club along with Seton sponsors a Flu Clinic at the Senior Center (2 Visitacion Ave.) for Brisbane residents ($20 if you're not a resident). This year, the Flu Clinic will be taking place on October 17th from 9:30am - 12:30pm. The County is recommending that everyone over 6 mos. get vaccinated as soon as possible. For more information about the Flu Clinic, please contact Lions representative Bob Wilson at 415-467-3427. Thank you for your efforts and commitment to the health and well-being our community!

There Ain't Nothing Like a "Day in the Park"

Especially when it takes place in Brisbane, CA. Tomorrow, 10/3, marks the City's annual "Day in the Park" community festival, where there will be MUSICAL PERFORMANCES by three Brisbane bands: The Kathleen Enright Band, The Al Molina Quintet, and The Cole Tate Band (you may recognize them as having performed at Concerts in the Park). ACTIVITIES include carnival games, face painting, hay rides, bounce houses for kids, information booths, and an arts & crafts festival. And the FOOD...the Women's Club will have baked goods & ice cream, the Lion's Club - BBQ, Eagle's Club - Nachos, Boy Scouts - Popcorn, Mothers of Brisbane - Cotton Candy, and Citizens for a Brisbane High School - Corn on the Cob. You'll want to be sure you drop by between 10:00am - 5:00pm to partake in all the fun, food, and entertainment!

And what would be a Day in the Park without the Brisbane Derby to kick it all off? Beginning at 8:00am, join over 40 soapbox derby cars and their owners as they prepare to race down to the finish line on San Francisco St. Check out a couple photos from years past:

Get there early so you can be in a good spot to watch the contenders zip by!

Did you know that the Brisbane Derby has been a long-standing tradition in Brisbane? Once sponsored by the Brisbane Volunteer Fire Department, it's been enjoyed by many in the community...some of which may still remember when the soapbox derby cars looked more like this:

This photo was taken in 1940, with drivers sitting in their classically-appealing entries at Santa Clara and San Bruno Ave. (across the street from Brisbane Elementary School).

Would you like to see more historic prints of Brisbane like the one above? Well you will soon have your chance, as Arcadia Publishing has just published the newest in their Images of America series, simply titled, Brisbane. The book was co-authored by Dolores Gomez and Christy Thilmany, both former staff members of the Brisbane Library (for 27 and 31 years respectively). Thanks to them, a stunning collection of vintage photographs have been compiled and brought to life with their supportive narrative. The books are presently being shipped to CA and should be available at area retailers by the end of next week (or you can order online by clicking here). Stay tuned for updates as to where Brisbane will be available for you to purchase.

Lastly, the official ballot box made its way to City Hall this morning...so remember to vote, or register to vote if you haven't done so already! You can also pick up a Voter Registration Form in the lobby at City Hall (next to the Finance Counter). On it you can specify if you'd like to be a permanent absentee voter, where you will then automatically receive an absentee ballot for every election in which you are entitled to vote. Once you have that filled out, come down to City Hall anytime before or on the day of the election, November 3rd, and drop it in the ballot box (located outside the City Clerk's office). If you have any questions, please call 508-2113 or e-mail our City Clerk, Sheri Spediacci, at cityhall@ci.brisbane.ca.us. Thanks for making our democracy stronger by participating in elections!