Business

The Port of Oakland is about to start the construction of shore power connections at twelve of its berths, which will provide power from land to a vessel that is berthed or at the dock. Providing a land-based source of power is intended to reduce the amount of pollution from ships burning diesel fuel while they are in port.

Musically Minded Academy, a brand new school, community center and concert venue in Rockridge, opened its doors to students of every age this January. Singers, drummers, and classic pianists—and no matter what their experience level—can find a place at this progressive, nonprofit facility.

A nurses strike at Children’s Hospital Oakland seems inevitable after the last bargaining meeting with hospital administration was canceled yesterday. After nearly a year of negotiations, Children’s Hospital nurses still don’t have a contract.

During a contentious meeting Tuesday afternoon, the Oakland City Council’s Committee on Community and Economic Development debated whether or not to expand the boundaries where food trucks can do business throughout the city, as well as loosen some of the restrictions that govern where food trucks can park.

Oakland designer Zoe Hong is a 31-year-old emerging fashion talent in a region rarely recognized for its style. Hong is currently working on her third season, a 10-piece mini-collection for summer, and is planning a larger collection for Fall. She sells her creations at Etsy.com and Kreeya.com, as well as in three boutiques, including The Factory in San Francisco.

Beginning on Earth Day, April 22, Bay Area truck drivers will have a new place to buy locally-made biodiesel. Sirona Fuels, an Oakland-based energy company, has been selling diesel made from recycled cooking oil to retailers and distributors for the past two years. Now it has opened its doors to the public.

Nurses at Children’s Hospital in Oakland have approved a five-day strike amid contract negotiations with the hospital administration over pension and healthcare benefits.

One of the all-time favorites dishes at the old Jon’s Street Eats was the ahi tuna roll. Chef Jon Kosorek would lightly sear rare tuna encrusted with black sesame seeds, top it with Asian-inspired slaw and wasabi aioli, then layer it all into a grilled soft white roll. When Kosorek shuttered Jon’s Street Eats in February, moving onto an executive chef job in Calistoga, his customers lamented the loss.

Much to many Oakland’s residents’ chagrin, over the past few months the CVS superstore on Broadway and Pleasant Valley has been packing up its wares. This colossal neighborhood general store, which has been around since the 1960s, carries everything from motor oil to shoe racks to extensive gardening equipment. The shopping center’s master leaseholder, Safeway, notified CVS in 2009 that it would not renew its lease in order to make way for a shopping center redesign. The mega-drugstore was initially slated to close this June.