News Pix: Berkeley Half Marathon, Thanksgiving With Grace and a Feisty Park Ranger

Berkeley resident Anna Bretan and UC Berkeley student J.P. Slater were the winners of Berkeley's first Half Marathon held on Sunday, November 24. Bretan, who won the 2013 San Francisco Marathon, had an unofficial time of 1:17:19 at the inaugural event, while Slater won the men’s field with an unofficial time of 1:07:05. (Ira Serkes / Berkeleyside)

The Berkeley Half Marathon drew nearly 8,000 runners participating in one of three race distances and lots of spectators. More than $50,000 was raised for charities including Berkeley Public Schools Fund, Berkeley Partners for Parks and the Berkeley Food and Housing Project. (Doug Donaldson / Berkeleyside)

Betty Reid Soskin is drawing crowds to Richmond's Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park. During the federal shutdown, Soskin became the face for thousands of frustrated, furloughed workers, appearing in many news outlets across the country. Soskin is believed to be the oldest National Parks Service ranger. “I’m grateful that the park, for which I work, is getting this incredible publicity,” she said recently. (Nancy DeVille / Richmond Confidential)

First graders at the Mission Education Center are preparing to enjoy their first Thanksgiving meal ever. The San Francisco public school is for children new to the United States from Spanish speaking countries. Many have been separated from their parents for lengthy periods of time, and only recently reunited with them here in the U.S. They can attend MEC for one year before transitioning to other schools. See our story here.  (Katrina Schwartz / KQED)

One of the joys of Thanksgiving is gathering around a table with company. Throughout the year, food brings us together and draws out conversation. But for very-low-income neighbors living in single-room-occupancy (SRO) buildings without kitchens or communal dining areas, that’s not a regular experience. One San Francisco church, Grace Cathedral, has been working to change that with a program called Dinner with Grace. Volunteers cook and eat a communal meal with SRO residents as a way to build community. (Rachel Dornhelm / KQED)

Rob Holsen washes coins at San Francisco's Westin St. Francis hotel. It's a service that dates back to the 1930s, when the rich and famous frequented the hotel's popular Mural Room restaurant, which is now the hotel lobby. It was a time when women wore white gloves, and the hotel management wanted to keep them clean. (Rachael Marcus / KQED)