Burlingame’s creek option got the boot

The idea, if it was proven to be feasible, was to create a pleasant aquatic ambience there, something unique that would attract the public. It didn’t happen.

It turned out that there were negative factors involved in the ambitious plan. One big one involved potential business district flooding during heavy storms.

As Councilwoman Donna Colson put it rather succinctly in a recent email, Burlingame’s creeks (there are seven of them in total) “are not babbling brooks” during wet weather. Indeed, they are not. They have been turned into torrents in the past.

There was another vexing issue as well: The presence of an important debris catch basin within the culvert under the old parking lot made a creekside atmosphere impractical too.

Still, the blocklong town square does have a waterfall effect and an evening light feature that provides a quasi-aquatic impression for visitors. So a nod to that abandoned one-time notion has been created, albeit artificially. A ribbon-cutting to announce the parklike amenity’s welcome debut occurred last week.

But one thing was clear: Mother Nature’s winter wrath has a way of limiting certain civic aspirations.

During the grand opening event, it also was noted that a planned restaurant is expected to begin operations in the renovated remaining portion of the former post office building on Park Road in the fall.

FIVE TO BE HONORED JUNE 25: Five individuals will be inducted into the Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame on June 25. The event, begun in 1989, will be held at the San Mateo County History Museum in downtown Redwood City.

The 2026 inductees are:

• Teresa Abrahamsohn/Westmoor High School — She was a multisport athlete as a teen late in the 1970s in Daly City; after high school, she excelled on the soccer pitch in college and beyond.

• Davante Adams/Palo Alto High School — As a gifted prep football player, he went on to become a star wide receiver at Fresno State and, most recently, with the National Football League’s Los Angeles Rams.

• Stacy Bergstedt/Aragon High School and College of San Mateo — In the immediate decade after the implementation of  Title IX, she stood out in basketball and softball at both the high school and collegiate levels.

• Anthony Gordon/Terra Nova High School — Few Peninsula football quarterbacks have torn up passing records in such prolific fashion as he did, first while playing for his Pacifica high school and later in college.

• Ed Larios/Jefferson High School — After a memorable football career in high school and at San Francisco State, then a stint in the NFL, he transitioned to coaching; he has been mentoring teens through seven decades, beginning in 1969.

The June induction affair — which will include the unveiling of the new Tom Martinez Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame exhibit at the museum — will begin with a 5:30 p.m. reception. The ceremonies will commence at 6:30 p.m. Seating is limited.

Event tickets and more information are available by calling the museum at (650) 299-0104. All proceeds will benefit the county’s historical association.

A PERSONAL BOZO TYPO: There was an unfortunate bozo typo in last week’s screed that graced this tattered space. The San Mateo County Community College District’s potential capital improvement bond extension was listed with a “$848 billion” price tag. Wrong. The correct number is $848 million. A big difference. Still, with interest and fees tacked on, the total package, if it were to come to fruition via the ballot box at some point, would easily exceed $1 billion. Hey, where was artificial intelligence when I needed it?

LEMONADE FROM A LEMON: You have to admire the  marketing whiz kids who manipulate the X social media account for KNBR, the flagship AM radio station of the San Francisco Giants. Last week, after SF lost to San Diego, 7-1, they exulted that the defeat marked “a series win.” Why? Because the Giants won the prior two games vs. the Padres. Yep, it was lemonade out of an apparent lemon. Well done. Give these guys a raise.