Business
Najari Smith, Josue Hernandez, and Roshni “Tay” McGee have opened a worker-owned cooperative in Richmond called Rich City Rides. The bike repair shop opened in 2015, but the organization responsible for community rides and outdoor activities, has been around for five years. The goal is to have a space where people can come in and buy a bike, get a bike fixed, or learn more about bike repairs. The three put on free Friday bike repair workshops, weekly community rides,…
The underground parking is cool and dark, even on the sunniest day. Bulbs let off pale white light, and green exit signs emit a neon glow. Three electric chargers are located near the building entrance, surrounded by six electric cars. By the time Cesar Zepeda leaves his office in downtown Oakland, his white Ford Focus Electric is fully charged. The ring-shaped LED indicator of the charge port shines brightly. The screen reads “thank you” when he pulls the plug out…
At some local Richmond businesses, interactions with customers can become deeply personal.
Two men wearing red knit caps sit inside a sleek, winged vehicle as it bobs on the ocean’s surface. They’re seated one behind the other, and their features appear slightly magnified inside twin glass domes that enclose each cockpit. A third man wearing a mask and snorkel circles the vehicle, then gives a thumbs-up to its pilot, Graham Hawkes. Hawkes engages two propellers and directs the vessel, which looks more like a bulbous airplane than any kind of watercraft, into…
Jazmine Wilson describes herself as a “hairstylist, but as a braider first.” Customers often sit in her chair for four or more hours. She has spent years perfecting her craft and sees it as something that brings women in the community together. To hear more about the art of braiding, check out Jazmine’s story on Tracks/Borders episode of our Tales of Two Cities podcast, in collaboration with Oakland North.
Opponents – and even supporters – of Tom Butt say Richmond’s mayor is guilty of what one critic described as a “flagrant abuse of power” and a council member called “highly inappropriate” actions. Emails between the mayor and residents indicate that many in the community were alarmed when the mayor used his regular “e-forum” to doxx political adversaries, sharing their home addresses and accusing them of violating Richmond’s rent control ordinance.
Los Moles and beer garden, a new restaurant in Contra Costa County, serves unique homestyle Mexican foods for the local. True to its name, the restaurant specializes in eight types of moles made of natural organic ingredients.