Acting Deputy Director Jay Keasling and former Lab Director Steve Chu will speak at the East Bay Green Corridor Partnership annual summit meeting on Friday, June 26, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The public is invited to attend the free gathering, which takes place in the Oakland Metropolitan Museum’s Moore Theater (near Lake Merritt BART station). Registration is required. The East Bay Green Corridor was established in 1997 to support emerging green and sustainable industries and alternative energy research in the area. Corridor members include the cities of Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, Albany, Alameda, San Leandro and Richmond, UC Berkeley, Berkeley Lab, and the Peralta and Contra Costa community college districts. More>
Due to the continuing demolition of the Bevatron (Bldg. 51), the main parking lot in front of the building will close next Wednesday, taking away 51 spots. At the same time, the upper area of the lot will be made available, providing 22 spaces. Also, the removal of numerous trailers in the Pit parking lot in early June has opened up 58 spaces. The Z lot, above the cafeteria and across from the new Guest House, is scheduled to reopen in early August, providing 48 spots, including 11 along Lawrence Road.
To accommodate work on the Seismic Phase 1 project in Building 50 and the User Support Building, numerous trucks will be entering and exiting the Lab throughout July, from an average of five round trips per day early in the month to about 20 trips per day near the end of the month.
The raised island on Smoot Road, adjacent to the traffic circle at Chu and Alvarez Roads, is being replaced with a level, painted island. This replacement will improve truck access to the Building 51 Demolition Project. Work to replace this island should be completed by next week. Temporary lane closures may occur during weekend and evening hours. Drivers are requested to use caution when traveling through this area and follow flagger instructions.
[Popular Mechanics] Cooking up new elements is an arduous process — years of wrangling over exactly what was really in that messy aftermath of atomic collisions that resulted in milliseconds of success. Last week the official tally reached 112 when the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, the guardians of the table, after 13 years of discussion, welcomed element 112 into the fold. Among our top 10 list of the geekiest do-it-yourself elements that researchers have created so far are Californium and Seaborgium, discovered by Berkeley Lab chemist Glenn Seaborg (pictured). More>
Safety: Red Wing Shoemobile Onsite Tomorrow The Red Wing Work Shoe vendor will be onsite Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The shoemobile will be located on Lawrence Road near Strawberry Gate. Employees may be required to wear safety shoes to protect from potential hazards. Those working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, or objects piercing the sole, may be authorized to purchase safety shoes. More>
The pension and health benefits that UC offers retirees and their beneficiaries play a critical role in the University’s recruitment and retention efforts and in recognition of employee contributions. As UC pension and retiree health benefit costs continue to substantially increase, sustaining these retirement benefits is increasingly difficult. To help develop a comprehensive, long-term approach to post-employment benefits, UC President Yudof has established a task force to study and recommend funding, policy and benefits design alternatives. More>
To accommodate the badging of the numerous students and teachers visiting the Lab this summer, the Site Access Badge office will be closed tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For questions or concerns, contact Sam Houston (x4855 or x4551).
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