A Worthy Recap

This proved quite the eventful week in Brisbane, so just in case you missed Monday's Council Meeting, or Tuesday night's Candidates Forum, we wanted to provide you with the highlights here.

State Assemblymember Jerry Hill was at City Hall on Monday to present the community with an Environmental Leadership award. Mayor Sepi Richardson is shown accepting the award, and there's a close-up of it to the left, but let's take a further look as to why Brisbane was given this award. Here's an excerpt:

"The City of Brisbane is hereby recognized and commended for its committment to environmentally-sound practices including implementing a solar thermal system at the community aquatic facility; commissioning a wind study and evaluating solar power alternatives for the Baylands project; upgrading many of its water and sewer facilities with high-efficiency pumps; reducing automobile traffic by enhancing its infrastructure to encourage bicycle and pedestrian use; and being the first and, to date, the only city in San Mateo County to adopt a Green Building Ordinance."

The following night, Brisbane residents filed into the Community Meeting Room at City Hall to hear the five candidates for City Council tell about their vision for Brisbane and engage in a lively forum, co-hosted by the League of Women Voters and the Brisbane Chamber of Commerce. Check out the photos below, shot by Brisbane resident and Chamber Director of Marketing and Sales, Alison Wilson.

League representatives sort through the public's questions for the candidates.

Richard Borghello, President of Sunset Scavenger Company and also head of the Chamber's Board of Directors, welcomes the community to the Forum.

The candidates, ready to start the Forum with their 3-minute introductions.

It was handshakes all around at the conclusion of the Forum.

Don't forget to cast your votes for your next Brisbane City Council on November 3rd!

The winter rains will be here before we know it, and the City has some programs to get the community ready for the El Niño conditions that are being anticipated for this year. One of those is the Adopt-A-Drain program, an on-going program which has more than fifty volunteers helping to maintain catch basins around town. Their efforts greatly minimize the threat of flooding in town and pollutant discharges to the Bay. With there being over 400 catch basins in the city, there is room for you to help! If you would like to sign up to adopt a drain, please contact Matthew Fabry at 415-508-2134 or mfabry@ci.brisbane.ca.us. Oh, and did we mention the free rake you'll receive when you do so? So sign up for the Adopt-A-Drain program today - the City greatly appreciates your efforts to prevent flooding and protect stormwater quality!

Happy participants of the City's Adopt-A-Drain program.

Stay tuned for more environmentally-progressive things the City will soon be implementing!

Coming Face-to-Face

In spite of the communication innovations that come with being a socially connected world, there is a richness and depth that occurs when people come face-to-face with one another (and which cannot be substituted, no matter how active you are on facebook!)

This coming Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 7:00-9:00pm, the Brisbane Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters of North and Central San Mateo County will be sponsoring a City Council Candidate Forum, where the community will be given the opportunity to come face-to-face to dialogue with the five candidates running for three open City Council seats. The November 3rd election will determine which three of the five candidates will serve Brisbane for a four-year term.

Candidates are listed alphabetically, not in the order they will appear on the ballot:

• Michael G. Barnes, Incumbent


• W. Clarke Conway, Incumbent


• Clifford R. Lentz, Planning Commissioner


• Emile Manara, Retired Special Agent, D.E.A.


• Mayor A. Sepi Richardson, School Business Consultant and Incumbent

Click here to read their individual candidates statements.

Take advantage of this unique opportunity to come face-to-face with the those that have the potential to be your city's decision-makers. The event will be held at City Hall in the Community Meeting Room, located at 50 Park Place in Brisbane.

Also taking place in the new Community Meeting Room will be the first City Council meeting since the end of July. This occurs the day before Candidates' Night, on Monday the 21st. For a look at what's on the agenda, please click here. The meeting will begin at 7:30pm.

If circumstances prevent you from joining in-person, do not fret. The two events will also be televised on Channel 27. And if you don't have Comcast, log on here to view a live stream. (Watch for replays of the City Council Candidate Forum between Sept. 22nd and the Nov. 3rd election).

Don't forget, this Saturday marks the City's annual Lagoon Clean-Up Day, which coincides with the worldwide Coastal Clean-Up Day - the largest volunteer event on the planet. Let's show them how it's done: bring your family and friends to Fisherman's Park next to the Lagoon at 9:00am on Saturday to help remove garbage and debris from the shoreline around the Lagoon. Plan to wear work clothes, and bring gloves and sunscreen to assist with the work day, which will conclude at 12 noon with a barbecue. We appreciate your willingness, and your dedicated volunteerism - because there's no telling what can happen when we join efforts, and come face-to-face!

Grubz at City Hall

Join us tomorrow, Wednesday Sept. 16th for a closing reception of Grubz - the uniquely designed, hand-sewn stuffed animals made from socks donated by friends and Brisbane residents to their designer, 11 yr. old Avi Hoen. At the reception, Grubz will be sold and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Avi’s favorite animal charity.

The event starts at 6:00pm and goes until 8:00pm so be sure to drop on by and show your support to this young artist and his latest creations! City Hall is located at 50 Park Place.

Oh, and Avi's baking a monster cake so come and enjoy some grub along with those Grubz!

Weekend Happenings That Won't be Affected by Weekday Resurfacings

There is a lot going on in the next couple weeks in and around Brisbane. Following then is a quick run-through of events (so you can best plan for your and your family's method of participation!)

1. The San Mateo Emergency Preparedness Expo is happening TOMORROW from 10am - 2pm at South San Francisco High School (400 B St., SSF). This is a FREE event for all who want to know how they can be prepared for the next major disaster. Food and giveaways, included!
   


2. Sunday, Sept. 13th marks the 6th Annual Sierra Point Prowl, a 5K/10K fun run sponsored by the Lions Club. If you haven't yet registered, there's still time. Just come to the Marina at 9am that morning to quickly do so. A BBQ lunch by the Lions is included with your sign-up!
   


3. If you'd like to take a nice stroll at the Marina, instead...Sunday will be the day you'll want to do that, as the British Car Meet will once again be taking place along the docks of the Brisbane Marina. The car meet has been gathering hundreds of classic and quirky British cars together in the Bay Area for the past three decades and we're fortunate they've chosen the Marina as the venue for their "smashing" event. It all starts Sunday morning at 8:30am and goes on until the afternoon. Come and enjoy the sights, as well as that tasty Lions Club BBQ!
   


4. Join your fellow Brisbane residents next Saturday, Sept. 19th for the annual Lagoon Clean-Up Day. Come to Fisherman's Park at 9am and leave with a commemorative t-shirt, lunch, and the knowledge that your volunteer efforts have helped the lagoon remain home to numerous wildlife and habitat species...not to mention, looking ever so pristine!
   
   
5. We've saved this fifth item for last, to drive home the message that tonight will be THE LAST Concert in the Park for the summer. LAVA will be here to perform different styles of Latin music such as Latin Jazz, Cha-Cha-Cha, Latin Rock, Latin Funk, and Salsa. Click here for a list of songs they cover, and to sample some of the music they play.

And not to conflict with any of these weekend events, we wanted to inform you of the resurfacing work that will be taking place Sept. 15-Sept. 18 on northbound Bayshore Blvd. directly following the 101 offramp. See the map below for the specific location:

The resurfacing work starts on Tuesday morning and concludes on Friday afternoon, 9am-4pm each of the days. If traveling through the construction area, please exercise caution and be aware of traffic control, construction equipment, and construction workers. If you have any questions, please contact the Public Works Department at 415-508-2130. Thank you in advance for your patience as we make the roads safer and more enjoyable for you to drive on. With that, enjoy the weekend!

Gearin' Up for the Latest in Brisbane

This year marks the 6th Annual Sierra Point Prowl, a 5K/10K fun run and BBQ hosted by the Brisbane Lions Club. The event takes place next Sunday, Sept. 13th at 10am, in conjuction with the British Car Meet, which starts at 8:30am. So come down and get some exercise, yummy BBQ (lunch is free when you sign up for the race-head to Madhouse or the Marina for registration forms), and check out the vintage and import cars that will be parked alongside the docks at the Marina. It's always a big hit, so be sure not to miss it! For more information, call the Brisbane Marina at (650) 583-6975.

You may recall mention of the Columbus Foods fire in South San Francisco that was blogged a few weeks ago. The ammonia leak that occurred last Friday, Aug. 28th, took place at a building belonging to that same company. Sixteen people were treated and released at the scene after being exposed to anhydrous ammonia, which is used as a refrigerant at the plant. Eight other people were taken to hospitals for observation. Due to the possible high toxicity associated with chemical substance exposure, the Brisbane Office of Emergency Services wants to make sure that you are informed about hazardous material spills and chemical leaks. Read more about this Tip of the Month for September here.

Also a reminder that the San Mateo Emergency Preparedness Expo is taking place next Saturday, Sept. 12th from 10am-2pm at South San Francisco High School.

The following week, get ready to roll up your sleeves and lend a hand at Lagoon Clean-Up. This is an annual event that helps keep the lagoon looking pristine...not to mention 'home' to numerous bird species and other wildlife habitats.

Join those committed to this effort on Saturday, Sept. 19th, which is also the date of Coastal Clean-Up Day, taking place worldwide (since its inception in 1985, CCD has grown to become the largest volunteer event on the planet!). Activities in Brisbane begin at 9:00am at Fisherman's Park and conclude at 12:00 noon. All Volunteers will be honored with a commemorative t-shirt, lunch, and our gratitude for a job well done. And with that, enjoy the long Labor Day weekend! Start it off by attending Concerts in the Park tonight - this being the second to last one of the year! From 6:00-9:00pm, we'll be grooving to none other than, Busta-Groove! Hope to see you there!