Alameda briefs: USS Hornet to feature Memorial Day flyover, speaker

A local high school senior will sing the national anthem at the event that will also include a wreath laying and military book sale.

ALAMEDA

A Memorial Day ceremony aboard Alameda’s USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum will be held from 11 a.m. to noon May 27.

The museum will also hold a book sale of used military history books. The event is free for U.S. military veterans and active-duty personnel with identification. The USS Hornet’s featured speaker for the day will be Michael Baker, M.D., a retired rear admiral in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps.

Dr. Baker recently retired from a 40-year career in general, vascular and trauma surgery. He also had a parallel career in the military with a spectrum of experiences that included qualifying in a warfare specialty, combat deployment with the U.S. Marines and strategic planning for major conflicts and humanitarian emergencies.

He served 30 years in the uniform of his country and retired with the rank of rear admiral and has numerous kudos, including three Legion of Merit Awards and a Combat Action Ribbon.

Baker teaches history, political science, and military affairs for the Osher LifeLong Learning (OLLI) Programs at UC Berkeley, Dominican University, Cal State University East Bay and Cal State Channel Islands and is on the Board of Trustees of the newly combined Commonwealth Club World Affairs.

He has published more than 90 articles in peer-reviewed journals and is on the clinical faculty of several medical schools. For online details, visit bit.ly/3wBOMLq.

— USS Hornet

Bette Center photo exhibit on display now through May 25

During the weekend of the full moon in February, 48 photographers were loosed upon this island for 48 hours, each assigned to document their assigned 1/48th of Alameda. The results of that weekend are now on display in the Frank Bette Center’s annual “Alameda On Camera” photo exhibit on display now through May 25.

The exhibit is dense with visual and emotional content providing visitors with images that are fondly familiar and provocatively peculiar. A disparate bunch, some of the participants had resumes and websites as photographers while others worked at all manner of blue-, white- and plaid-collar jobs. Some had been up-scaling their equipment and skills for decades while some were youths lit with a new fever for photography.

Picturesque Alameda provides countless opportunities for the visually hungry to feast. The city is steeped in history and has an eye focused on a progressive future, but the images shown here are timeless in that they all rely on universal elements of design, organization, color, value, focus and texture to share with the viewer a unique visual experience enjoyed during “Alameda On Camera.” For more information, visit bit.ly/3JjDkaa online.

— Karen Braun Malpas

Input sought on Americans with Disabilities Act compliance

The city of Alameda is requesting public comment on the draft of its comprehensive Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Self Evaluation & Transition Plan. The federal ADA prohibits local governments from discriminating against people with disabilities and requires a self-evaluation and plan for transitioning to ADA compliance.

The city’s draft ADA plan describes how policies, programs and facilities were evaluated; presents the findings of that evaluation; documents public input and engagement in setting priorities; and provides a phased approach to addressing identified accessibility barriers.

Input from members of the public is an important component in developing the ADA plan and the city’s ongoing efforts to ensure accessibility. To download and review the draft ADA plan and provide your comments by Friday, please visit alamedaca.gov/ADA online. If you would like the draft plan in an alternative format or an accommodation is required to provide input, contact Erin Smith, Alameda’s public works director, at ADA@alamedaca.gov or 510-747-7930.

“Alameda is committed to being an accessible city and strives to provide equal opportunities and a seamless experience for all its residents,” Smith said. “This draft Transition Plan benchmarks where we are at now and provides a roadmap for how to prioritize resources towards improving accessibility.”

After the public input period, the draft ADA plan will be presented June 5 at the Commission on Persons with Disabilities and then at the City Council for consideration and adoption this summer.

— city of Alameda

Kiwanis Club volunteers at recent Alameda Bike Festival

The city of Alameda, the Alameda Recreation and Parks Department and the Alameda Unified School District sponsored the Alameda Bike Festival on April 27 at Love Elementary School.

Other service organizations joined in the activities, including the Kiwanis Club of Alameda (KCA), which gave away more than 100 bike helmets, fitting them to each child and explaining their safe use to parents. Free classes (with preregistration) gave instruction in family cycling, kids riding to school and urban cycling for adults and teens.

Various groups offered free bike repairs, free bike bells, helmet decorations, face painting and a simulated traffic situation with signage and lanes for cyclists to practice in a safe environment. It was a beautiful sunny day in Alameda, perfect for those gathered to enjoy the festivities.

— KCA

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