Don’t look now, but San Mateo County seems to be heading for a major change. And, if it happens, it won’t be pretty. Plans are afoot to encourage and promote a high-speed rail line along the Caltrain route all the way through the Peninsula. It would be part of a grandiose effort to link Los Angeles and San Francisco with such a system. For some reason, many local authorities (but not all) are touting this as some sort of transit salvation. But for whom? Certainly not the pleasant suburban towns that make up the county. If the rail dreamers have their way _ and, fortunately, they have been stymied so far by both the governor and the horrendous price tag _ communities like Menlo Park, Atherton, Redwood City, San Mateo, Burlingame and San Bruno will undergo a facelift that only The Joker would find weirdly appealing. That’s because high-speed rail requires free and unfettered rein. In other words, no grade-level traffic crossings. What would be required would be massive grade separations which would change the ambience of the affected villages dramatically. Burlingame, for example, would need no fewer than six grade separation projects as things stand now. Any chance of retaining its boutique atmosophere would fly right out the quaint window as The Great Wall of San Mateo County became a reality. Just check out what has occurred on the Caltrain corridor in Belmont and San Carlos for examples. And, we haven’t even mentioned the possibility of lines of electrical power poles and what those would look like. So far, there has been only minimal opposition to the high-speed rail concept. Expect a lot more in coming months and years when the stakes and impacts become more stark and really hit home.

Say what you will about the many and varied amenities along the Peninsula, but the area does not lack places to satisfy the palate. From San Bruno Mountain south to the Palo Alto border, San Mateo County has more than its share of terrific places to dine. It’s been like that for a very long time. In fact, some of the best eating establishments have actually come and gone. Too bad. But let’s recount just a few of those long-gone venues from a previous era. How about these memorable spots: The Shadows in San Mateo; Uncle Tom’s Cabin in San Bruno; Ed’s Chuck Wagon in Belmont; Stickney’s Hick’ry House in Redwood City; The Doll House in San Carlos (if memory serves as to the precise city _ someone, please, correct me); Bob’s on Broadway in Burlingame; Santini’s in San Mateo, later in Belmont (Oh, that spaghetti sauce was to die for, by the way); Blimp’s in San Mateo (for fabulous hotdogs); and, of course, Kibby’s in San Mateo and King’s in Millbrae and Redwood City, for traditional drive-in fare right out of “American Graffiti.” Ah, those drive-ins. The motorized gastronomic culture may have been relatively fleeting in the suburbs, but it left a lasting imprint on those of us who spent time taking advantage of its various and sundry blessings. We’ll leave a cholesterol discussion for another time, another place.

Trustees in the San Bruno Park Elementary School District _ along with taxpayers and others connected with that educational entity _ must be wondering about the accounting system there. Debts keep popping up with surprising regularity. First, Trustee Christopher Kiely was found to be in excess of $10,000 in arrears on charges accumulated in his health insurance account, funded, in part, by the district. Another board member, William Henderson, made that matter public last month. Then, this week, lo and behold, it was belatedly discovered that Henderson himself had a similar bill due, this one close to $8,000. He paid his tab immediately. Kiely waited for several weeks and has just begun to reimburse the district on a set schedule, according to superintendent David Hutt. On top of all this, there is an election next month. Kiely is seeking to keep his seat. Whether the revelation of his indebtedness _ and his slow response to the bill _ will affect his re-election chances is difficult to gauge. Henderson’s post is not on the ballot this time.