Bay Area

Small Richmond Tree Crew Tackles Mighty Feat Amid Storms

Rashad Osborn and his crew recently responded to the 900 block of 32nd Street on a report of two plum trees uprooted by the recent storms. Osborn, a Richmond native who now serves his fellow citizens as a groundskeeper and gardener for the City of Richmond, is part of a small but mighty three-member crew tasked with clearing hazards in cases of trees downed by unrelenting winter storms.

Published

3 years ago

April 3, 2023

Oakland Post

Richmond’s tree crew begins cutting down an uprooted plum tree on 32nd Street. Photo by Mike Kinney.

Rashad Osborn and his crew recently responded to the 900 block of 32nd Street on a report of two plum trees uprooted by the recent storms.

Osborn, a Richmond native who now serves his fellow citizens as a groundskeeper and gardener for the City of Richmond, is part of a small but mighty three-member crew tasked with clearing hazards in cases of trees downed by unrelenting winter storms.

City of Richmond Maintenance leader Gregory Everett said that as of March 24 the City of Richmond Park and Landscape Division Tree Crew has cleared 37 fallen trees or branches out of 62 that were identified as needing to be addressed amid the ongoing storms.

Everett noted his department is responsible for some 60,000 trees in the city.

“We have worked days and weeks in a row without much rest because of the dangers these uprooted or downed trees present to the community and property along the streets and sidewalks,” Osborn said.

Once cut down, the Richmond tree crew feeds the limbs of an uprooted plum tree into a woodchipper. Photo by Mike Kinney

On 32nd Street, the crew chain-sawed the plum trees and placed them into a large woodchipper, where they will no longer be a hazard on the sidewalk or street.

Osborn says the trio are committed to ensuring residents can move about the city safely.

“We will make sure that all these trees are cleared and make the streets and sidewalks safe for everyone,” he said.

To report a hazard related to a city-planted tree on city property, call (510) 231-3075.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

4 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.