– Saturday, September 7 is the final Saturday –

Beginning Saturday, September 14, the Piedmont Avenue Branch Library at 80 Echo Avenue will no longer be open on weekends. Changing from a Tuesday through Saturday schedule to a Monday through Friday schedule will maximize use by the adjacent school. The same schedule change is occurring at three other branch libraries – Brookfield, Eastmont and Golden Gate. Interim Library Director Gerry Garzon promised to assess the public reaction to the new schedule in six to nine months.

Piedmont Avenue Branch Library hours beginning September 14:

Mondays  12:30 pm – 8 pm

Tuesdays through Thursdays  10 am – 5:30 pm

Fridays   noon – 5:30 pm

Closed Saturday and Sunday

Hours Until September 14:

Branch Phone (510) 597-5011

On March 2, 2004, 77.2% of Oakland voters voted in favor of Measure Q for the purpose of “maintaining and expanding neighborhood branch library services, days and hours…”  In 2009 branch library services were reduced from six to five days per week.  This month four libraries eliminate weekend access.  Oakland property owners will continue to pay the Measure Q library parcel tax through June 30, 2024.

The National Eye Institute (NEI) found a 66% increase in diagnosed myopia in patients aged 12 to 54.  (Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is a common type of refractive error where close objects appear clearly, but distant objects appear blurry.)  The NEI study compared myopia rates in 1999 – 2004 compared with 1971-2.  A new Myopia Control Clinic will open on September 8 at UC Berkeley’s School of Optometry is a response to the phenomenon.  The clinic’s director, Dr. Maria Liu attributes part of the increase to overuse of games and texting on handheld electronics at an early age when children’s eyes are still developing.  Liu noted, “The problem with smartphones and iPads is that kids often hold them closer to their eyes than they would a book, and they can become absorbed for hours at a time.”

According to the NEI report, severe myopia is twice as prevalent among those aged 10 – 39 compared with those over 60 who grew up before computers and handheld electronics existed.  Berkeley’s Myopia Control Clnic recommends ten-minute breaks from every hour of work at a conventional computer screen and encouraging children to spend time outdoors focusing on distant sights.

Coinciding with preparations to open the new myopia clinic, UC Berkeley hosted the International Myopia conference from August 18 – 22, “Reshaping Myopia Control”.  Myopia specialists from around the world presented research related to the NEI findings, treatment and prevention.

Read more in The Daily Cal.

The Bay Bridge reopened to the public Monday night at 10:15 pm, well ahead of the announced 5 am opening on Tuesday morning.  The afternoon ceremony of speeches and chain-cutting concluded with a caravan of antique cars and SUV’s carrying dignitaries across the bridge, escorted by columns of motorcycle police prior to 6 pm.

It was four more hours before the public began crossing the bridge.  Removal of the opening ceremony facilities and a final inspection assured that all major construction necessary to realign Interstate 80 with the new Bay Bridge was complete and the new bridge was ready for full service to the public.  Completion of the $6.2 billion eastern span means a change of focus from construction to the demolition of the original span.

Following the Labor Day holiday, the City Council will hold its first September meeting on Tuesday.  In closed session they will meeting with labor negotiators and also confer with legal counsel concerning anticipated initiation of litigation.

The public session will begin at 7:30pm with two items on the agenda: recruitment of a City Administrator and resolutions to be presented at the annual League of California Cities meeting.  The public is welcome to attend in the Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue.