November '25

November Calendar

Trying something new this time. I always include a selection of events in the paper form of the zine, but somehow hadn't been including them on the website... which just doesn't make sense. So here we are! I will eventually start making this cleaner and more interactive, but here's some links for now:

• Community Resilience Assembly (4PM at Bushrod Park): Building a united front against ICE and other threats to community safety, with an orientation towards building communal relationships and building skills.
• Women of Color Open Mic (7:30PM at La Peña): Featuring WOC artists; all welcome.
• Grand Opening Party!!! (12PM-10PM at Good Times Oakland): New wine/beer/cider spot on Telegraph. Nice people, go support their new space!
• Bay Area Aerial Exhibition (6PM at Local Economy): Featuring history podcast host from East Bay Yesterday. Cool third space!
• Pho for the People (10AM at Monster Pho): A little far from Bushrod Park, but check this out: pho, beats, rap, toy drive. Very awesome mix by great people who really care about community – should be good.
• Thanksgiving Meal (10:30AM at College Ave Presbyterian Church): All welcome! In case you need a place.

Community Resources: Food food food!

Crazy, cruel times we’re living in when the basic right to not be hungry is being held back by the federal government. Even still, I’ve been encouraged to see so many people organize to make sure our neighbors don’t go hungry, many of whom have been doing the work far before this dark chapter. I’ve heard of a couple different food distributions and grocery share programs happening, so I'm compiling them here in case it’s helpful to anyone.

A few highlights nearby:

• Self-Help Hunger Program Distribution: Driver Plaza (Adeline x 61st) on Tuesday afternoons
• Friday Night Meal: College Ave Presbyterian Church, 6-7PM
• Mandela Food Coop CSA Box: $1.50 / box if on SNAP. Pickup Wednesdays at Re-up on College

PSA: LET THE ATHLETIC FIELDS REST!

Our incredible Bushrod Rec Center director, George Henderson, hosted a community meeting in late October to talk about how we can make the park better. That whole thing was a cute story for another time, but the one big takeaway was this: the grass needs time to rest in the winter, which means that the Bushrod Athletic Fields (Racine side) are going to be closed for a few months.

For those who have been around for awhile, this shouldn’t come as a surprise at all; the fields are closed every winter for the same reason. A lot of parks in San Francisco do the same thing, and kids, dogs, athletes, and other park-goers would find new places to hang out for a few months. In the past few years here, we’ve had people defy the closure by cutting bolts or holes in the fence... which is honestly not good for anyone (replacing those things is expensive, which takes away from the park’s already slim budget for recreational activities and maintenance).

Here are a couple good reasons to give the fields a break this winter...

• The fields get easily damaged when wet. Heavy activity (from dogs, people, etc running around) basically reduces the fields to a muddy mess.
• It’s good for the park’s natural ecosystem! There are a bunch of migrating birds that come this way during the winter months that use the park to roost. Their grazing and fertilization also makes the grass healthier.
• It gives us better athletic fields. Having a rest period gives the little league volunteers more time to prepare the fields for the spring, and rewards their excellent work during the on-season. These are important fields that used to host the A’s, and they still support thousands of people every year – let’s treat them with care!

So, from one neighbor to another: let’s give the fields a break until March! In the meantime, explore another local park like Dover, Hardy/Frog, or even just the other (non-athletic) side of Bushrod Park.

BUSHROD GARDEN APPS ARE OPEN!

...at least that’s the word on the block!, but there is no website or email address for our specific park that I know of (maybe that should change?). Email CommunityGardens@oaklandca.gov or maybe George at ghenderson@oaklandca.gov.