Not long ago, the 20th annual San Mateo County Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet was held at the San Mateo Elks Lodge. Once again, the level of interest was striking. The affair sold out, with more than 300 souls attending. This occurred in spite of deep and growing troubles in the economy and in the newspaper business in particular. That latter truth is worrisome because The Times has presented this event since 1989. Since then, the daily journalism business has suffered enormous setbacks. Cutbacks, consolidations and layoffs have become sadly commonplace. However, the Hall of Fame dinner, with the newspaper in the forefront along with the First National Bank of Northern California as sponsor, has continued to carry on. There appears to be a hunger for it. As it has in the past, the affair engendered more than its share of good will. In many ways, the banquet has become a kind of yearly reunion for many in the Peninsula’s athletic community. And that’s a healthy thing. Preserving local history is not to be sneezed at. Forgetting the past would be extremely lamentable. The San Mateo County History Museum, beneficiary of the dinner’s net proceeds for the last several years, now displays more than 200 Hall of Fame plaques at its glittering Redwood City digs on Broadway. Check ‘em out at your leisure. The Caltrain station is but a long block away so access is easy.