Community

Every week, Oakland North will publish a photo submitted by one of our readers. This week’s photo is by Patrice Soehnlein.

Some meat-free Oaklanders will be eating veggie “meat” on Thursday, others will focus on traditionally vegetarian side dishes, and others are just looking forward to sitting down with friends and family, no matter what’s on the table. “A rainbow on the table” is how Breakroom customer Tiana Trutma describes her Thanksgiving meal.

The incident isn’t something that is new in Gutierrez’s generation or in Oakland. The Mentoring Center, a non-profit organization located in Oakland’s Preservation Parkway, focuses on community change through working with previously incarcerated youth. The organization looks to end cycles of disrespect, starting with teaching others to respect themselves.

   Oakland North is continuing with our feature. Every week, Oakland Animal Services will spotlight an “Animal of the Week” that’s up for adoption at their facility. This week it’s a dog named Antonio. Antonio is a gentle, 2-year-old Husky dog who would love to find a family of his own. He is sweet and loving and enjoys being petted. The Husky breed is often a challenge as they tend to be independent and inclined to roam, so Antonio would do best in…

Cherilynn Abaye, who purchased four tickets to the Katt Williams comedy show at the Oakland Oracle Arena last Friday night, says she was excited to see him perform. But after a string of bizarre events onstage that included Williams confronting a heckler in the crowd, Williams taking his own clothes off and Williams trying to fight at least three audience members, the act ended after just 10 minutes, leaving Abaye furious.

Discrimination and violence showed no boundaries at Friday’s Transgender Day of Remembrance at the Oakland Peace Center. Mexico, Brazil and India. Maryland, Florida and Louisiana. Turkey and Canada. All these are states and countries—their names read aloud in melancholy succession at the event–in which transgendered women were murdered this year.

Whether you are packing a bag and heading out of town, or preparing a Turducken and 15 kinds of pie for the annual onslaught of relatives, or are going to make yourself a turkey sandwich, turn on the football game and call it a day, here are Oakland North’s favorite stories about the Thanksgiving season, plus some information about what’s going on locally this year. Thanksgiving 2012: What’s open, what’s closed and what to do over the holiday weekend. Oakland’s…

The Oakland North staff has put together a list of places that are open on Thanksgiving Day and during the holiday weekend. Use this to find locations offering community meals, restaurants that will be open on Thanksgiving, local grocery stores for those last-minute purchases and activities to entertain family and friends.

Inside the gym of the Rainbow Recreation Center, on 58th Avenue in East Oakland, the lights dim and a PowerPoint begins. Thirteen people are in attendance—another six will filter in during the presentation—for AC Transit’s presentation about the stations for its $174 million Bus Rapid Transit project, which will run from downtown San Leandro to downtown Oakland beginning in 2016. It’s another round in a series of neighborhood meetings this month, in which the rapid transit planners are inviting East…