Local briefs

Right now, there are controls on noisy construction, barking dogs, loud parties, chickens and livestock and squeeling tires. The city is considering adding other sources of unwanted noise to the list and is organizing a workshop to determine what those sources could be.

The workshop is 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 24 at the Belmont Senior and Community Center.

Lantos plans town hall meeting on Social Security

U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos, D-San Mateo, will hold a town hall meeting on social security to outline what the Bush administration proposal could mean to the average American.

"As a professional economist, Lantos is especially concerned about how this administration is budgeting for the future," said Lantos spokeswoman Lynne Weil.

Privatizing social security could be dangerous for many people since private investment accounts could lead to risky investments, Weil said. There are more than 94,000 people in the 12th congressional district who currently receive social security benefits, Weil said.

The town hall meeting is scheduled for April 2 and will take place 10 a.m., Burlingame City Hall, 501 Primrose Road, Burlingame.

San Francisco named Top 10 U.S. cities for walking

San Francisco has put its best foot when it comes to walking, according to a recent American Podiatric Medical Association survey that rated the top 10 walking cities the United States. San Francisco ranked second in the 2005 Best Walking Cities survey, which evaluated 200 of the largest incorporated U.S. cities. Arlington, Virginia was No. 1.

in three categories considered by the association as conducive for walking: healthy lifestyles, modes of transportation to and from work, and involvement in fitness and sports activities. Arlington Virginia was No. 1.

Some 9 percent of San Francisco residents walk to work and two percent ride their bikes, according to the survey. About 32 percent of San Franciscans walk for exercise, reported the association.

"Walking is one of the best exercises for your feet," said APMA President Dr. Lloyd Smith in a statement. "The 'Best Walking City Competition' encourages Americans living in cities to get out and walk in an effort to keep their feet and bodies fit."

Applauded for its walking sensibility by APMA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recognized San Francisco in 2003 for having the fourth highest rate of pedestrian fatalities in a major U.S. city.

By December 2004, San Francisco police had recorded 13 pedestrian deaths in the city for that year, six of them hit-and-run. According to the city's public health department, more than 800 pedestrians were killed or injured in 2003.