"As egg prices soar, sales are booming for this Bay Area alternative" (SF Chronicle) reported by Mario Cortez
Egg shelves at Bay Area grocery stores tell the bleak story of bird flu, which has depleted supply and pushed California egg prices to $9.22 a dozen in February, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
But one shelf over, vegan egg replacement companies like Eat Just see a story of possibility.
CEO and founder Josh Tetrick said sales have increased fivefold for his company’s Just Egg products compared to the early months of 2024, before the current spike in avian flu. These days, Tetrick said friends and employees often send him photos of Just Egg sitting in its yellow carton next to empty eggs shelves.
“It’s a unique moment in time for a young company like ours to step up and provide a reliable product,” said Tetrick, whose Alameda company was founded in 2011 and introduced its egg product in 2021.
"Pow.Bio Unveils State-of-the-Art Facility in Alameda, Expanding Biomanufacturing Capabilities to Support Demand for Continuous Fermentation" (press release)
Pow.Bio, a leader in innovative biomanufacturing solutions, is pleased to announce the opening of its new cutting-edge facility in Alameda, California
"How a growing East Bay company looks to reshape how biotech makes things" (San Francisco Business Times) reported by Ron Leuty
Biology manufacturing is complex, but the brewery-like fed-batch technique of caring for and feeding organisms has remained virtually unchanged for 75 years, [co-founder and CEO Shannon Hall] said. Industrial biology can supply a little more sugar to the batch, but cells peter out quickly.
Smaller, more-compact systems are rich with data and, when coupled with artificial intelligence-enabled systems, can lead to more efficient manufacturing, Hall said.
"What we introduce is constant in the flow of fresh cells and constant product out," Halls said. "As cells get old and die, we have new, fresh cells," so instead of a two- to six-day manufacturing process, the product comes out continuously over 30 days. That lowers costs, she said.
"City Council Approves Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Pacific Fusion" (Alameda Post) reported by Karin K. Jensen
On February 18, City Council approved a 24-month Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Pacific Fusion for the potential development of a research and development facility in the Enterprise District of Alameda Point. Pacific Fusion aims to create abundant, affordable, clean energy through a high-gain pulsed magnetic fusion system. With facilities already in Livermore and Fremont, it wants to construct a headquarters with an estimated billion-dollar investment that will create 250 permanent jobs.
[...]
The proposal to approve an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Pacific Fusion for the potential development of a 12- to 18-acre property at Alameda Point for a Research and Development Facility passed 4-1. Councilmember Daysog voted against it.
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Councilmember Tony Daysog continues to pursue his goal of nothing for Alameda Point — no businesses, no amenities, no revenues.
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Twenty-something years ago, my parents, sister, and I were waiting in the hot and humid air of Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was a more open era than today, and we had all successfully received visas to join my mom as she went to present at an international conference. For an outing day, her conference on educational technology joined together with another conference on laser optics, and so we were with a motley bunch of scientists and family members standing in a never-ending line outside Peter the Great's copy of the Palace of Versailles. The heat and the wait eventually gave my sister a migraine. By chance, a fellow from the other conference and his wife had some prescription migraine medicine that they shared. He happened to be the director of the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Lab, and from my vague memory, he and my dad passed the rest of the long wait chatting about the NIF's fitful progress. Two decades later, they did finally achieve humans' first successful fusion ignition.
Besides just recounting memories for my own benefit, the reason for this story is to convey my layperson's understanding of the most probable risk in fusion research: It's not physical danger — rather, the most probable risk is that a government or a company may spend billions of dollars over multiple decades. That sounds like a perfect sort of organization for the City of Alameda to welcome to Alameda Point!
Besides just recounting memories for my own benefit, the reason for this story is to convey my layperson's understanding of the most probable risk in fusion research: It's not physical danger — rather, the most probable risk is that a government or a company may spend billions of dollars over multiple decades. That sounds like a perfect sort of organization for the City of Alameda to welcome to Alameda Point!
"Cal Cities, disability rights groups, and others team up for Brown Act bill" press release from League of California Cities
A broad coalition of local government and disability rights organizations — including Cal Cities — are sponsoring a measure that would make some public meetings more accessible. SB 239 (Arreguín) would modernize the Brown Act, the state’s open meeting law, by removing the in-person requirement for some local advisory bodies.
These groups frequently weigh on issues impacting seniors, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and homeless youth. However, many struggle to make a quorum or have trouble recruiting and retaining members.
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This blog has previously written about the need for further refinement to California's Brown Act for remote participation in local public meetings.
"‘Too damn hard to build’: Assemblymember Buffy Wicks’ push for speedier construction" (Cal Matters) reported by Ben Christopher
A California legislator wants to solve the state’s housing crisis, juice its economy, fight climate change and save the Democratic Party with one “excruciatingly non-sexy” idea.
Oakland Democratic Assemblymember Buffy Wicks sees the slow, occasionally redundant, often litigious process of getting construction projects okayed by federal, state and local governments as a chief roadblock to fixing California’s most pressing problems, from housing to water to public transportation to climate change.
Last year, Wicks helmed a select committee on “permitting reform” — a catch-all term for speeding up government review at all stages of a project’s development, not just its literal permits. The committee went on a state-hopping fact-finding mission, taking testimony from experts, builders and advocates on why it takes so long to build apartment buildings, wind farms, water storage and public transit, to name a few notoriously slow and desperately needed project types.
Today, Wicks released a final report based on the committee’s findings. The summary, per Wicks, is that “it is too damn hard to build anything in California.”
"Measles Immunizations in AUSD" from Alameda Unified School District newsletter for families [with my own emphasis added]
As the number of measles cases rises in Texas and New Mexico, families in other states are becoming concerned about the disease’s further spread.
All students are required to complete the state-mandated vaccination schedule for public schools, including the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) immunization. You can review the required vaccinations, as well as a list of free immunization sites in Alameda County, here.
As such, our vaccination rates are very high. Across AUSD, fully 97.55% of our students have completed their entire vaccination schedule, and 99.99% of our students have the required measles immunization. (Students may be missing vaccinations for several reasons, including medical conditions or having recently arrived in this country.)
We recommend that families talk to their children’s doctor if they have concerns about measles or other contagious diseases or visit the following websites.
California Department of Public Health: "Measles"
California Department of Public Health: "Shots for School"
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We're probably fortunate here in California there was that measles outbreak in Disneyland that prompted the passage of state legislation in 2015 that "removed personal belief as a reason for an exemption from the vaccination requirements for entry to private or public elementary or secondary schools in California, as well as day care centers." Good to have successfully gone through that political battle in advance of COVID.
"After lengthy holdup, Alameda County child care providers are cleared to get $166 million in tax funds" (The Oaklandside) reported by Ashley McBride
Five years after Alameda County voters approved the Measure C sales tax for early childhood education and health care, child care providers across the county are expecting the first influx of cash — bolstering a section of the care economy that was decimated by the pandemic.
Preschools and child care centers are slated to receive nearly $166 million from Alameda County after the Board of Supervisors tentatively approved a batch of emergency stabilization funding from Measure C. Once the county legal counsel approves it, the money will be distributed.
It’s the last step in a legal battle that has prevented the money from being allocated, though the county has collected nearly $500 million for the measure since July 2021. Measure C is a 20-year, half-cent sales tax that is expected to raise around $150 million per year. While it was approved by 65% of voters, a lawsuit by the Alameda County Taxpayers’ Association froze the funds until last April, when the state Supreme Court upheld the measure.
"Alameda wins nomination in international “March Madness” style contest with 15 other cities" press release from Strong Towns non-profit
Alameda will go head to head with 15 other North American cities in the 10th Annual Strongest Town Contest, and voting begins on Monday, March 3. In this bracket-style voting tournament, Alameda will compete for the “Strongest Town” title by shining a national spotlight on the work it’s doing to become a stronger, more resilient city.
Congratulations to Alameda resident Maria Piper who led a successful application to nominate Alameda for this event.
The next round of voting starts on their website on March 10.