November’s City Council election in Burlingame will pit two well-known incumbents against a newcomer, Ricardo Ortiz, with two seats at stake.Ortiz, 48, faces first-term Councilman Jerry Deal and second-term Councilwoman Terry Nagel, who’s also mayor. The Colombian-born Ortiz hopes to bring “common sense” back to the council, saying he decided to run after watching three months of debates over whether to save Tom, an old eucalyptus tree that was damaging the sidewalk. Read More

When the new Burlingame Safeway opens in October, it will mark the end of a long and contentious chapter in the city’s history. The Howard Avenue supermarket served as a rallying point for residents frustrated with local government and even helped remove one incumbent from office in 2003. The more than decadelong approval process for the renovated store helped change local politics, and even altered the way Safeway does business, according to those involved in the fight. Read More

Burlingame has lost in the quarterfinals of the Central Coast Section Division III girls’ volleyball playoffs each of the past three years and one would think this result could become disheartening. But after earning a No. 2-seed in last year’s playoffs, their highest seeding in the three years, the Panthers are motivated to get over that hurdle. “It’s been tough, but I think the girls are really resilient,” Burlingame coach Steve Erle said. Read More

Burlingame Mayor Terry Nagel welcomed Chinese business leaders to the city this week. The delegation is in town to learn about potential opportunities in the area. Nagel and Councilman Michael Brownrigg met with the group during a dinner Sunday that was hosted by the Cross Culture Exchange of San Francisco, which also organized the trip. Read More