City offices and the Library will be closed on Thursday, November 26, and Friday, November 27. There will be no curbside pickup services or reference services at the Library on these days. We wish you a healthy and safe Thanksgiving.

Due to the increased incidence of COVID-19 in many states including California, the California Department of Public Health has issued a travel advisory asking Californians to stay home and avoid non-essential travel. The travel advisory also recommends that persons arriving in California from other states or countries self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival. Read the full travel advisory here.

You may have noticed new hydration stations - the public water fountains for filling up water bottles - in some of Burlingame's parks. The Parks and Recreation Department has already installed eight of them, with plans for more! Hydration stations encourage people to reuse their water bottles - making a big impact in reducing waste. Most single use plastic bottles are quickly tossed away and add to our growing plastic waste problem. Also, our water in Burlingame comes from Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite, one of the cleanest water sources in the country. To contrast, most bottled water is filled with tap water in southern California. Look for a water station in one of our parks and commit to ditching single use water bottles as your next small action with a big impact!

If you have a small action with a big impact – either at home, business, or school – please tell us about it. We would love to highlight it in the eNews. Send your Small Action Big Impact story to smichael@burlingame.org.

The Burlingame Parks and Recreation Department is happy to see the community enjoying Skyline Park, the City's newest park addition to the Burlingame Parks system. While dogs are allowed off-leash, it is not a dog park. As a reminder, park rules are attached below. If you have any questions, please contact the Parks Division at 650-558-7330.

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, please remember that any fat, oil, and grease poured down your drain will cool and can clog your pipes. Here are tips on how to properly dispose of leftover cooking oil:

The City of Burlingame is pursuing the design and development of a town square/community open space in Downtown Burlingame. A town square has been a community goal for many years, originating with the concept for a "signature open space" in the Downtown Specific Plan. This project presents a rare opportunity to create a focal point for the area, providing a public gathering space in an inviting environment.

The proposed location for the town square is on “Parking Lot E,” located between Park Road and Lorton Avenue, adjacent to the former Burlingame Post Office at 220 Park Road (see the map below). The town square would be developed in coordination with the proposal for an adaptive re-use development involving the former post office. The post office development would offer new parking to offset the loss of parking spaces currently in Lot E.

We’d like to hear from the community! Here are a few ways to share your thoughts:

Other questions? Contact City of Burlingame staff at townsquare@burlingame.org.

Sustainable San Mateo County (SSMC) is now accepting nominations for its 2021 awards program, which honors those who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to sustainable practices. Applications must be received by December 6. SSMC will celebrate the 2021 awardees at its 22nd annual Awards Celebration in 2021.

Sustainability Award nominations may be made in five categories: individuals, nonprofits, businesses, educational institutions, and government agencies. In addition, SSMC is accepting nominations for its 19th annual Green Building Award, which it co-sponsors with the San Mateo Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Application forms and criteria for the awards are available on SSMC’s website. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, visit https://sustainablesanmateo.org, or email advocate@sustainablesanmateo.org.

Caltrain and SamTrans will operate on modified schedules tomorrow, November 26, and Friday, November 27, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Click here for details.

BART is accelerating its expansion of the number of stations where Clipper is the only fare product available for purchase. BART has been eliminating the sales of paper tickets since August 2019. One or more stations will be converted each week throughout 2020. The Millbrae Station will begin transition next week.

Click this link for a schedule of upcoming stations to be transitioned, and a table showing station conversion completion dates. 

Thursdays, 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Please continue to follow these important tips for shopping the Fresh Market:

For more information, visit burlingamechamber.org.

via Zoom, Meeting ID: 854 3143 6212, Passcode: 94010

Please mark your calendars for the next virtual community meeting via Zoom. If you missed the first meeting, this is a great way to get involved! In this second meeting we'll go into more detail about the options for the town square and have some fun engagement exercises such as a visual preference survey.

For the past five years, A Runner's Mind (ARM) has held its Gobble Wobble race on Thanksgiving morning. The most special part of the day has always been the Kids’ Dash in honor of ARM's dear friend, Lakas Shimizu.

In the words of his parents Celine and Dan Shimizu:

ARM will not be able to host the Kids' Dash this year due to COVID-19. Instead, ARM, in partnership with the Town of Hillsborough, is inviting the community to honor Lakas’ passion for helping others by bringing canned goods to A Runner’s Mind Burlingame (1111 Howard Ave.) from now until Friday, December 4 to benefit Samaritan House.

Every child who participates will receive a wristband honoring Lakas and an ARM headband. In addition, families can earn $2 in ARM bucks for every can donated (up to a maximum of $20 to be used at ARM). A Runner’s Mind will donate $1 for every can collected to the Lakas Shimizu Philanthropy Fund. ARM is grateful to be able to share in Lakas' legacy, and will be thinking of him this weekend and during all the Gobble Wobbles to come.

BHS and SMHS Winter Choir Concert, Thursday, December 3 at 7:00 p.m.

This year, the Burlingame High School (BHS) and San Mateo High School (SMHS) Joint Choir Winter Concert and the BHS Band Winter Concert will be virtual. Tickets are free to the public. However, donations are appreciated to help both schools meet their annual fundraising goals.  

Via Zoom. Register here.

Now is the perfect time to plant and enhance the beauty and health of your garden! Attend this free online webinar, which will discuss fall and winter gardening practices to support your garden and manage pests in a way that does not harm our waterways. All San Mateo County residents who take a short 3-minute survey after the webinar will be entered into a raffle to win a $100 gift card of your choice from either Hassett Ace Hardware, Home Depot, or Lyngso.

Via Zoom. Register here.

What if the streets in our communities could protect pedestrians and cyclists, help increase resilience against the effects of climate change, and beautify our neighborhoods? If this sounds like something you’re interested in learning more about, attend this Open House. You will: