The San Francisco Peninsula Real Estate Blog

According to this article in the Daily Journal (my favorite local newspaper) it could happen.

Trader Joes moving to the Mall?

According to the article, the location in question is the old Tower/Good Guys building that’s adjacent to the mall and right next to Barnes and Noble.  If this happens, this will be a home-run for Trader Joes.  Great location, big building, and plenty of parking.   The latter two seem to be an ongoing challenge for many TJ stores, especially the one in San Carlos.

Should be interesting.  Love Trader Joes!

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We’ve had it ingrained in our heads for years that we’re supposed to dial 9-1-1 from a land-line phone when we have an emergency situation.  That system generally works flawlessly, even when there’s a natural disaster.

But what happens when all you have is a cell phone?   When you dial 9-1-1 from a cell phone, the call is routed to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) dispatch center in Vallejo, which is a long way from anywhere on the Peninsula.  Depending on their workload at the time you call, you may end up on hold for a significant amount of time before you speak to anyone.  And if you’re lucky enough to reach a dispatcher, there’s no guarantee that they can route you to the proper local emergency bureau.

One of the smartest things you can do for yourself is to program your local police dispatch number into cell phone under the name “EMERGENCY.”    When you dial this number, it’s virtually the same as calling 911 from a land-line phone, and even if you’re not in the same city at that moment they can still transfer you to the right place immediately.   Here are the direct dial emergency numbers for some San Mateo County communities:

Belmont:  650-595-7400

Burlingame:  650-692-0310

Foster City:  650-573-3333

Redwood City:  650-369-3331

San Bruno:  650-877-8989

San Carlos:  650-802-4321

San Mateo:  650-522-7700

San Mateo County Sheriff:  650-363-4911

Take a moment right now and program the appropriate number(s) above into your cell phone.  You never know when you might need it.   I used mine only yesterday!!!

Curling up in front of a warm, crackling fireplace is a favorite thing to do for many people, especially for those homeowners who are lucky enough to still have a wood-burning fireplace in their homes.  Now that the weather is starting to get cooler at night, you’ll see more plumes of smoke coming from those chimneys.

But starting this past Wednesday, burning real wood in your fireplace could be a costly mistake if you do so on a designated “Spare the Air Day” in the Bay Area.   Inspectors from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District will be looking for violators and possibly writing citations.   And the fines won’t be cheap, either.  According to the San Jose Mercury News, fines could range from the hundreds of dollars to as high as thousands of dollars.

So how do you know if it’s a “Spare the Air Day”?    You can click on the above link to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, or I have included their Air Quality banner on the right side of the blog.   So enjoy your fireplace, but be sure you have a green light to burn!

After a long hiatus that was forced by some technical issues, the SFP blog is back, and will be better than ever.   Look forward to real estate news, and neighborhood info for communities from Belmont northward.   As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions!!