Bay Area

Parks to Preview Tax Extension Proposal

Measure A is an important funding resource for Marin County’s parks, open spaces and farms. It generates an average of $14 million per year and has resulted in a total of $91.2 million in funds (as of the most current audited budget from fiscal year 2019-20) for parks, open spaces, and farmland preservation across Marin County.

Published

4 years ago

December 26, 2021

Oakland Post

Baltimore Canyon Open Space Preserve is one of the many properties and facilities that have benefitted from the funding generated by Parks Measure A.

Courtesy of Marin County

In July 2021, the Marin County Board of Supervisors directed Marin County Parks to work toward renewing the quarter-cent countywide sales tax known as Measure A. The Supervisors received an update during their Dec. 14 meeting about election preparations and recent uses of the tax revenue. Measure A, which sunsets after nine years, is due to expire March 31, 2022

“Our presentation to the Board is another public engagement opportunity and will help us understand whether the proposed draft changes to the expenditure plan are consistent with community priorities,” said Parks Director Max Korten. “Everyone is welcome to weigh in. This is the time for us to turn to our residents, our visitors, and our Board for guidance on what’s wanted and what’s needed.”

After gathering more input, Parks staff will seek a recommendation on an updated proposal from the Parks and Open Space Commission in January 2022 and then return to the Supervisors for an initial hearing. Placing a new measure on the ballot would require the Board passing a resolution; that could happen in February.

Those investments have allowed the county and local governments to increase fire fuel reduction, address deferred maintenance in parks, increase ranger-led events and outings, support working lands, protect and restore natural habitat, and improve trails.

“It has helped us reach our goals of taking care of our parks and preserves and making improvements to them,” Korten said, “but it has also opened more opportunities in areas such as equity-focused programs. Measure A has allowed us to reduce or eliminate park fees, provide park passes to lower-income residents, and fund programs designed to attract park visitors who might not otherwise have the chance to visit.”

Earlier this year, Parks conducted an online public survey to collect opinions about how funds should be spent, including Measure A revenue. The responses indicated a high level of support for the core services funded by the measure and guided the proposed changes to the draft expenditure plan that will be presented to the Board on Dec. 14. A 2019 community survey and a poll conducted by the Marin Open Space Trust in June 2021 indicated broad support for local parks and open space as well.

Learn more about Parks and Measure A at www.marincountyparks.org.

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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

1 week 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.