Election Fireworks

Why are you getting so many mailers about some candidates in the June 3 election? There's a lot at stake in three contests. I'm backing the candidates with the most experience. You can learn more about them by clicking on their names:

County Controller - Juan Raigoza

Judge of the Superior Court Office No. 4 - Susan L. Greenberg

Judge of the Superior Court Office No. 6 - Stephanie Garratt

There's a good reason why people are backing Juan Raigoza, including Current County Controller Bob Adler, former Controller Tom Huening and County Treasurer-Tax Collector Sandie Arnott. This endorsement by the Daily News sums it up well.

The overwhelming support of judges and district attorneys for the other two candidates is extremely impressive. These two women have tons of experience and will step easily into these jobs. Read the Daily Journal's endorsement of Garratt and its endorsement of Greenberg.

 By the way, if you have an absentee ballot, it's too late to mail it in. You can drop it off on Election Day at any City Hall in San Mateo County up until closing time. You can also take it to any polling place in the county until 8 p.m. on Election Day, or to the Registration and Elections Division at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo or 555 County Center, 1st Floor, in Redwood City on or before Election Day. Click here for more voting info from the League of Women Voters.

Burlingame's Family Feud

Timely Topics

The Citizens Environmental Council - Burlingame invites you to six programs about current environmental issues. All programs will take place from 7 to 8:45 p.m. in the Lane Room in the Burlingame Public Library at 480 Primrose Road, Burlingame. Admission is free.

Wednesday, June 18 - How We Can Solve California's Water Crisis. Newsha Ajami, director of urban water policy at Stanford University's Water in the West program, will explain how California's complex and often controversial water system is managed and how it needs to change in order to save money and energy and be less vulnerable to droughts. New technology means wastewater will soon be thought of an as asset that generates clean water, energy and useful products.

Monday, July 14 - "Plastic Paradise" Film with Beth Terry. Filmmaker Angela Sun shows the enormous five gyres of plastic waste floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and sheds light on ways to curb our voracious consumption of plastic. A discussion will follow led by Beth Terry, author of Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too. Watch the movie trailer.

Wednesday, August 6 - "Dive" Film with Dana Frasz. Curious about the amount of food sent straight to landfills, filmmaker Jeremy Seifert and his friends track the colossal problem of food waste in the U.S. in this documentary. After the film showing, Dana Frasz of Food Shift will explain how her nonprofit is addressing the food waste problem. Watch the movie trailer.

Wednesday, September 3 - The Pros and Cons of Gray Water and Rainwater. Tom Bressan of The Urban Farmer Store will explain why gray water and rainwater systems are growing in popularity and which will work best for your needs. A rainwater barrel valued at $120 will be raffled off. Burlingame Mayor Michael Brownrigg will lead a Q&A session after Tom's talk. Co-sponsored by the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency.

Wednesday, October 1 - The Grassroots Crusade for Food Reform in California. There is a growing movement to change food and farming so it will deliver health and resilience rather than cheap calories and degraded communities. As president of Roots of Change, former chairman of Slow Food USA and the strategic adviser to the California Food Policy Council, Michael Dimock is at the forefront of that movement. He will share his perspectives on what is next and how every Californian has a stake and a role in the next phase of the food revolution.

Wednesday, November 5 - "Gasland" Film. When filmmaker John Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country journey to find out if fracking is safe. Along the way, he uncovers a trail of secrets, lies and contamination, including water faucets that catch fire. Watch the movie trailer.

Quick Takes

The Burlingame Chamber of Commerce has an attractive new website designed by local graphic artist Don Donoughe ... The Planning Commission has approved a pilates and barre studio in the former Broadway Pharmacy space on Broadway ... The City Council plans to hold a Broadway Summit in September to discuss the street's needs and goals with property owners, merchants and residents ... The Peninsula Art Museum is offering summer art classes for kids. For info, contact joan.sieber@sbcglobal.net.

The City of Burlingame has signed a settlement agreement with Sunrise Assisted Living that sets deadlines and terms for completion of the long-stalled project on Trousdale Drive ... Sign up for the CoolCalifornia Challenge to help earn free money for sustainable projects in Burlingame. No charge to participate ... San Mateo has opened the John Lee Memorial Dog Park at 2111 Kehoe Ave. in San Mateo. Former Mayor Lee's favorite saying was, "Go and be the person your dog thinks you are." 

To learn about summer reading clubs for adults and kids and many other summer activities, see the Burlingame Public Library's News and Events page and sign up for the library's free newsletter ... Interested in helping our city address housing issues? Attend the next Housing Element meetings on June 23 and July 7 ... Burlingame has been an official Tree City for 36 years - the fifth longest in the state. Help one of our city's baby trees grow tall by joining the Adopt-a-Tree program  ... Come to the county's free Disaster Preparedness Day on June 7 before 11 a.m. and get free admission to the San Mateo County Fair.