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LCLS Ground Breaking: A Users Guide

The LCLS Ground Breaking this Friday promises to be the event of the year at SLAC.

The event will take place this Friday, October 20, from 10 a.m. in the parking lot of the Collider Hall (Building 750) beneath a canopy erected especially for the occasion.

There are two ways to get to the celebration. The weather promises to be beautiful on Friday, so you may prefer to walk. To walk to the site, pass through Gate 17 and take an immediate left to follow the north leg of the PEP Ring Road, which will be closed to traffic. Follow the same route in reverse after the ceremony.

For those who prefer to take a shuttle, buses will run from Parking Lot C, opposite the Guest House, starting at 9:30 a.m. These shuttles will pass along the south leg of the PEP Ring Road. After the groundbreaking the same buses will provide transportation back to Parking Lot C.

The ceremony will lead off with a ceremonial ground breaking by dignitaries including Stanford Provost John Etchemendy; Under Secretary of Science Raymond Orbach; Congress-persons Anna Eshoo, Zoe Lofgren, and Mike Honda. This will be followed by LCLS Project Director John Galayda aboard an excavator, who will remove the first load of dirt from the site of the Near Experimental Hall. The VIPs will then deliver their remarks in honor of the occasion.

In addition to speeches by visiting dignitaries, you will be treated to a new 3D animation of the LCLS, displayed on large plasma screens, along with music and refreshments. The Stanford Marching Band will then wrap up the festivities with a first-ever performance at SLAC.

Parking Lot C and the Visitors' Parking Lot will be closed on Friday morning to accommodate the shuttle buses and VIP parking. This will put a strain on available parking spaces on Friday. We apologize for this inconvenience, and ask you to park instead along the sides of the Loop Road.

Please do not use your own cars to get to the groundbreaking. There is a complex organization in place to allow the buses, VIP limousines and pedestrians easy access to the site. There is no provision for private car parking at the venue, and private cars will only cause major difficulties.

Be sure to arrive by 10:15 a.m., before the start of the event, to take advantage of the coffee and food available and to see the pre-event multimedia entertainment. The LCLS ground breaking marks the start of an exciting era at SLAC, and this is your chance to share in the celebration!

—Brad Plummer
    SLAC Today, October 18, 2006