West End Library temporarily closing for renovations

The Island reports: the The West End Library will close for renovations at 5 p.m. March 13.

The retrofit include smechanical, plumbing, electrical, lighting, carpentry, flooring, painting, and roofing work. Work on one branch must be completed and ready for occupancy before construction begins on the other branch.

The West End Library, located at 788 Santa Clara Avenue (cross street 8th Street), is a Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) project building that first opened in 1936. Remodeling will retain the historic aspects to the greatest extent possible, according to the City's website.

"Materials being held at the West End Library for patrons will be moved to the main library, which is at 1550 Oak Street, and materials from that library should be returned at the main library or the library’s Bay Farm branch."

The renovations are expected to continue until the end of 2010.

The original 1935 plans are available online and the City is accepted bids for the improvement work.

Photo: Flickr user Alameda Free

Black History Month film at Longfellow

The Alameda Multicultural Community Center will screen "Two Black Nations of America" Friday, Feb. 19 at Longfellow Education Center.

In "The Two Nations of Black America," Frontline correspondent and Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. examines the widening gap between the upper and lower economic classes of black America while exploring just how we could simultaneously have the largest black middle class and largest black underclass in the history of the U.S. As black success continues on the upswing, could it be that the upper
black classes share as much or more in common with their white neighbors
and colleagues than their friends and family in the inner cities?

The film, part of the AMCCC's Black History Month program will be followed by a panel discussion.

Panelists include Rick Moss, African American Museum & Library at Oakland; Vickie Smith: Community Activist and lifelong Alameda resident; Henry Bens: AUSD educator & Pastor of Chosen Vessels Christian Church; Reginald James, Laney College student and Sayoko Watson, Educator, Family & Youth Advocate

The AMCCC will also host a slideshow and discussion on African American History
in Alameda on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at the Alameda Free Library (Main).

The film screening will be at the Longfellow Education Center's Multipurpose Room 500 Pacific Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501. Enter from either 5th Street or the Lincoln Avenue Parking lot. The center is served by AC Transit bus Line 63.

Tube closures

If you're a night owl trying to escape the island, you may have noticed the Tube was closed last night.


Photo: Panoramio.com

California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is closing the Posey Tube -- leaving Alameda -- Tuesday and Wednesday night also. Each night, the Tube closes at 9:30 p.m. and reopens the following morning at 4:30 a.m. The Posey Tube will be closed again at night the first week of January.

Next week, the Webster Tube -- entering Alameda -- will be closed Monday-Wednesday nights, 9:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. for "tube washing," according to the City of Alameda's website.

Questions or information about the Tube closures should be directed to Edward Coppin, Caltrans Acting Superintendent, Tunnels & Tubes, at (510) 286-0315.

West Alameda Police Blotter

MONDAY, Dec. 14
VEHICLE THEFT — Someone stole a silver 1979 Oldsmobile Sentry from the 1500 block of Sixth Street, police said. The victim, 84, told police that he noticed his car missing about 7:45 a.m. and that it was stolen sometime after 1 p.m. Sunday. Police also said someone entered an unlocked beige 2002 Volvo V70XC parked on the same block during the same time frame. While no items were stolen, the person who entered the Volvo left a cell phone on the passen1ger seat.

TUESDAY, Dec. 15
VEHICLE THEFT — A woman who lives in the 300 block of Westline Drive told police that her black 2005 Subaru Forester was stolen while she was on a skiing trip in Utah. While the theft happened sometime between 10 p.m. Dec. 9 and about 9:45 a.m. the next day, police learned about it Friday.

BURGLARY — Police are investigating a theft of laptops from Windriver Systems on Wind River Way, where a thief entered an equipment storage room to gain access to the computers. Loss was valued about $13,500.

West Alameda Police blotter compiled from Alameda Times Star.

Mythbusters: Does Obama have Jet Pride?

Mythbusters, the Discovery Channel popular science program that uses the scientific method to test rumors, movie scenes and internet stories has sparked an Alameda myth of its own.


President Obama with Mythbusters' stars Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman.

This above image with President Obama holding an Encinal Jets sweater sparked a Facebook debate on a number of alumni pages with the general perception that the image was photoshopped.

That myth is busted. It turns out the image is real.

The Mythbusters visited the White House as a part of the administrations new "Education to Innovate" initiative.

To test the theory, the West End Times tracked down the The Mythbusters Twitter feed post that read "The shirt that Jamie gave President Obama at the #STEM policy speech was from one of his local schools.."

This should be no surprise, considering the number of times the show has been filmed in Alameda, the past Encinal Mythbusters Fundraiser with the Mythbusters hosts and co-star Jamie Hyneman's marriage to Encinal High science teacher Eileen Walsh.

Obama even gave the two a shout out in his speech.

"I hope you guys left the explosives at home," Obama joked. They did.

The full video is below: