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Crocker Park Trail Resurfacing Project Ribbon-Cutting Recap
Thank you for those who joined us on this beautiful day as we celebrated a significant milestone for our community - the newly-resurfaced Crocker Park Recreational Trail! This over 2-mile trail loop weaves around the heart of Crocker Park, and we’re proud of the fact that it’s now more accessible for a diverse range of users, including those who require wheeled assistance, and allows for greater connectivity between the Ridge and Central Brisbane.
The interest in Crocker Park Trail has existed ever since the unused Southern Pacific rail spur corridor was generously donated to the City back in 2007 by Foremost McKesson. At that time, the Iron Horse Preservation Society, a non-profit organization from Reno, Nevada, removed track materials for a new rail line in exchange for the materials. What remained was a trail with loose and uneven railroad ballast, presenting a challenge to users. Until now.
We thank everyone that was involved, especially those involved with the grant that made this new cherished commuter trail and outdoor recreational facility a reality: Public Works Director Randy Breault, Deputy Public Works Director Karen Kinser, Parks and Recreation Director Noreen Leek who spearheaded the Trail’s master plan effort, and those from the community that advocated for the project, including former Parks and Recreation Commissioner Renee Marmion, and Brisbane School District educator Michelle Chan. We also want to thank resident Paul Boucal, who put in countless hours of his time preserving the sensitive local environment and natural habitat found along the trail, which further connects us with the wildlife local to San Bruno Mountain.
Rewatch the Crocker Park Trail Resurfacing Project Ribbon Cutting livestream on the City's Facebook page. Watch the timelapse that staff took last week of the Trail, leading up to today's Ribbon-Cutting.
Anja Miller, First Woman Elected to the Brisbane City Council, Celebrates Her 90th Birthday
When Anja Miller and her husband Ray returned from a sabbatical in Finland in August 1973, a group of women politically active in Brisbane told Anja that there had been a successful recall election and that it was time for a woman to serve on the Council. They believed she was an appropriate candidate. Anja had a baccalaureate degree from the University of Helsinki in English, a career in television production, an MA in English as a second language, and a school-age daughter.
Not only did Anja get elected, but she got the most votes. In 3 months, she was elected to a 4-year term and was selected by her fellow Councilmembers as the first female mayor. She was recognized for bringing civility to the Council, negotiating the replacement of the Police Chief, and starting the process that brought a major federal grant to the City that financed the rebuilding of the entire street system. She also did a lot of networking with elected officials in the County and the State that facilitated the establishment of a County/State Park on San Bruno Mountain. She was the only Mayor in San Mateo County to endorse Jerry Brown for Governor. Consequently, when he was elected, she had easy access to the Governor and was able to personally lobby him for the essential State funds for the purchase of the land and the development of the Park.
Anja’s accomplishments went beyond Brisbane. The President of Finland conferred on her the Order of the Lion for her extensive work organizing Finnish American events in the Bay Area. She was chair of the local chapter of the Finlandia Foundation. For twelve years she served as a Trustee of the national Finlandia Foundation. And most importantly for her, she was chair of the Committee of the Finnish Expatriate Parliament that convinced the Finnish Parliament to allow Finns to have dual citizenship. Tens of thousands of Finns around the world benefited from that change in Finnish law.
Derby & Day in the Park Video Recap 2023
Take a look back and relive the 2023 Derby & Day in the Park on October 7th, hosted by Brisbane's Parks & Recreation Dept. To learn more about Derby and Day in the Park, visit brisbaneca.org/dip-derby. A big thank you to Parks & Recreation Commissioner Tom Seawell for taking the time out of your day to film and share your amazing footage, which was then edited by our Communications Team.
Pumpkin Patch at the Pool
Due to the power interruption on Saturday morning at the Community Pool and the surrounding area, the Underwater Pumpkin Patch unfortunately was not able to take place (those that arrived were glad to get goodie bags and see pumpkins for sale at cost). With there still being a pumpkin or two at the Pool, Brisbane Parks & Rec staff has decided to host a pumpkin patch at the Pool throughout October. A small pumpkin will be $5, and medium/large pumpkins will be $10.
Upcoming Playground Resurfacing at Community Park
As you may have seen at the Day in the Park, there are upcoming improvements coming to the Community Park playground. The Parks and Recreation Department received received Prop. 68 funding that allows for new poured-in-place rubber surfacing. In order to start this project, the Community Park playground needs to be closed. The closure will begin on Monday, November 6th. The resurfacing project should last approximately 2-3 weeks, weather-dependent. During this time, temporary fencing will be placed around the entire playground area.
As always, the community is welcome to use the Tot Lot, located at 4 Solano St. When you visit, you can view updated signage which reminds the community that anyone can enter that playground. Along with the resurfacing work at the Community Park playground, the sand that's currently there will be removed as that has caused the deterioration of the poured-in-place rubber surfacing to occur more rapidly. However, sand can be found at the Tot Lot! For any questions about this project, please contact Nicole Houghton at nhoughton@brisbaneca.org.
PG&E Work Affecting Bicentennial Walkway Lights, 9pm-5am, Oct. 26-27
PG&E will be performing maintenance work to install new equipment on the Bicentennial Walkway near 210 Sierra Point Road. The estimated timeframe of this construction will be from Thursday, October 26 at 9pm - Friday, October 27th until 5am. Thank you for your patience. For outage and project questions, please call (650) 598-7325 or go to PG&E's Outage Center website. For general questions about PG&E service, please call their customer service center 1 (800) 743-5000.
Boys & Girls Youth Basketball Registration Now Open for 7th and 8th Graders
Teen Nights at the Sunrise Room Tonight at 5pm- Super Smash Bros Contest
Halloween Movie Night at Mission Blue Friday, October 20
Join us for a free movie night at Mission Blue with the family, featuring The Addams Family (1991). Complimentary popcorn will be served!
Lions Fun Run/Walk 5K Lions & Pumpkin Patch Saturday, October 21
Come to the Brisbane Lions' Annual Pumpkin Patch at Community Park. Pumpkins are free, and donations are greatly appreciated!
The Lions Fun Run is this Saturday, October 21st, at 10am. Walk, Run or Stay and socialize at the park! To pre-register, choose single or group ssign-up Each entrant receives a T-Shirt and Lunch; Meat Burger, Veggie Burger, or Hot Dog. All served with chips and a drink. Check-in and in-person registration at the Brisbane Community Park, starting at 9am. $25 for individual runners and $90 for groups of 4 runners. Come down and cheer on the runners as they get back to the park & have some lunch; all while supporting the Brisbane Lions Club Scholarships. Coming just for lunch? A $10 donation is appreciated for a Sandwich, Chips & Drink.
Heat and Sneaker Waves/High Surf this Week
Planning to visit the beaches this week to beat the heat? Please be aware that hazardous conditions are expected on Weds-Fri with rip currents, sneaker waves, and dangerous currents all likely. Stay safe, and never turn your back to the ocean!
Get Discounted Rain Barrels from San Mateo County by October 22
Capture stormwater this Winter. Use the rainwater all Summer. Order your discounted rain barrel(s) before supplies run out or the sale ends (on Sunday, October 22nd at midnight)! Take advantage of this opportunity to purchase up to two high-quality 50-gallon rain barrels for just $80 each. Place your order now to save money, prevent stormwater pollution, and help us catch every last drop of rainwater in San Mateo County!
North County Fire Authority Safety Tip - How to Use a Fire Extinguisher
If You're 45 or Older, Your Feedback is Needed on Brisbane's AARP Age-Friendly Community Survey!
Brisbane is now an Age-Friendly City! The City received this designation from AARP in June 2023. An AARP Age-Friendly community survey is out now for residents to provide additional feedback about how Brisbane can continue to be a great place to live for our older adults. Kudos to the Age-Friendly Task Force and all of their hard work this past year to get Brisbane to this point. If you're 45 or older, please fill out the Age-Friendly Community Survey. There are also hardcopy versions of the survey available at City Hall (50 Park Place, Brisbane); please turn in completed surveys to the Sunrise Room or City Hall. The survey will be open through the end of this year. For more information or how to get involved, contact Nicole Houghton at (415) 508-2144 or send her an email.
Brisbane Farmers' Market: Thursdays in the Park, 3-7pm
- Mountain Fresh
- Villanueva Fruits
- Old-Fashioned Kettle Corn
- California Bakeshop
- California's Crêpe
- Hummus Heaven
- James Healey Confections
- Medina Berry Farms
- Amelia's Mexipino Cuisine
- Pasta Rey Artisanal Foods
- Roadside Rotisserie
- The Daisy Refillery
Moonlight Madness: A Spooktacular Revue - Hosted by the Brisbane Chamber, 10/28
Join the Brisbane Chamber for a night of spine-tingling excitement at "Moonlight Madness: A Spooktacular Revue!" Chanteuse Madame Borghesi and her sizzling 3-piece jazz combo with musical direction by San Francisco’s one and only Ross Gualco will entertain with mischievous songs and stories. The revue will also feature mesmerizing performances by world-class circus and variety artists, including chilling juggling feats and jaw-dropping magic tricks. Brisbane's own Lafi Faletoese-Ma'u will also take center stage, belting out tunes that will take your breath away. They anticipate the show will sell out, so get your tickets now at brisbanechamber.org/cabaret or on Eventbrite. Doors open at 6:15pm, and the show will start at 7pm.
Parents Night Out, 10/28
Happening on the same evening as "Moonlight Madness"! How timely. Sign up here!
Howl-O-Ween Costume Party, 10/30
New location this year! Howl-O-Ween will be taking place under the Gazebo at the Community Park on Halloween Eve from 5:30pm-7pm. Get your pet costume-ready, as it's sure to be a fun time again for all.
Teen Dance at Mission Blue Center November 3
Lifeguard Certification Course in November
Winter Clean Up Weekend is Coming Up, Nov. 4-5
COVID Community Updates
The FDA approved a new COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna and Pfizer and recommends it for anyone 6 months and older, regardless of vaccination status, and is now available. The FDA notes that it is safe to receive the new COVID-19 vaccine with the flu & RSV vaccinations. The new COVID-19 vaccine is classified as a vaccine and not a booster because it's designed to target COVID-19 strains that are currently circulating, specifically omicron variant XBB.1.5, which drove a majority of infections in early 2023. This vaccine also protects against the newer variants such as EG.5 & BA.2.86.
Walgreens & CVS are offering appointments on their website or app, with select locations for walk-in appointments. You can also schedule your appointment on vaccines.gov.
Additional doses may be recommended for younger children and high-risk individuals based on their vaccination and infection history, but for most individuals, an annual COVID-19 shot is recommended. Those who recently had COVID-19 may choose to wait three months after testing negative to get the updated shot, according to the CDC, but that is not a requirement. Those who recently received the older bivalent booster should wait two months after their most recent dose.
Vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization and death. Vaccination also reduces your chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration. If you have not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past 2 months, get an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect yourself this fall and winter.
Masks are optional at all City facilities. City Hall's Public Walk-In Hours are M, Tu, Th: 9-4, W: 9-7, and F: 9-12. View our online services to get city business taken care of from the comfort of home.
San Mateo County and statewide data regarding cases, deaths, positivity, and hospitalizations:
Upcoming Public Meetings
Archived Meeting Videos
Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting Wednesday, October 11, 2023 - 6:30pm
Did You Know?
In last week's Blast, we talked about the parking lot right outside the Sierra Point Yacht Club as being the site of the City's Residential Assembly Point. This is the spot where, in the event of an ordered evacuation, residents should gather as it is where emergency personnel will be on-site to assist you and your loved ones. We wanted to add that in the event of a mandatory evacuation, there will be instructions provided by first responders as to where to go. Of course, these instructions will depend on where the incident is taking place.
For example, if there were a wildfire behind the residences on Tulare, North County Fire Authority (NCFA) would be establishing an Incident Command Post (ICP) nearby, directing Police where the fire is headed and which areas need to be evacuated. For wildfires only, North County Fire Authority has designated the Community Park as a Temporary Evacuation Point for those who would possibly be forced to evacuate on foot.
Note: a walkway at approximately 70 Tulare, leading down to Santa Clara St., is in the design phase, with construction expected to start in 2025. (Construction of the Alvarado to San Benito walkway will be starting next summer). Look for a more in-depth emergency preparedness article coming in the November STAR. In the meantime, please visit NCFA’s website, northcountyfire.org for a Wildfire Ready-Set-Go Guide and Know Your Zone where you can learn your property’s zone and information should there be a need to evacuate; you can also visit the City’s website at brisbaneca.org/knowyourzone.
Quote of the week
This concludes our update; we'll be sending out the next Blast on Wednesday, October 25th, in the afternoon. If this email was forwarded to you or you saw it on social media and would like to subscribe, sign up here. As always, please keep connected with us via our website and social media pages. Thanks for reading and staying engaged with us!