Sixty years after Lowell Elementary burned, Riverside prepares to open Ofelia Valdez Yeager Eastside Elementary, honoring decades of community advocacy while the arson remains a mystery and and Meliia’s Disneyland fund sees exciting progress.
Neighbors favor Trader Joe’s for vacant Rite Aid site near Woodcrest and this week’s games feature Lancer women’s soccer and CSDR’s home opener.
Sixty years after Lowell Elementary burned, Riverside prepares to open Ofelia Valdez Yeager Eastside Elementary, honoring decades of community advocacy while the arson remains a mystery and and Meliia’s Disneyland fund sees exciting progress.
Lowell Elementary School, pictured before it was destroyed in a fire 60 years ago. (Courtesy of Inlandia Institute)
Friday Gazette: September 5, 2025
From Sherman Indian School to the California School for the Deaf, Riverside has been home to evolving approaches to educational equity for more than a century.
This special edition of the Gazette marks 60 years since an unknown arsonist torched Lowell Elementary School in an attack that remains unsolved but transformed American education. The Molotov cocktail attack created a crisis that led Riverside to become the nation's first large district to voluntarily integrate, as community leaders and school administrators worked together to turn tragedy into progress.
Now, as Riverside breaks ground on its first new Eastside school since Lowell burned, the anniversary brings two enduring questions: Who lit the fire on September 7, 1965? And why did it take six decades to rebuild what was lost?
The answers reveal how a community chose to channel its energy into advocating for quality neighborhood schools rather than dwelling on an unsolved crime, and how that sustained effort is finally bearing fruit.
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Meliia’s GoFundMe Update: So far, $3,200 has been raised to help 9-year-old Meliia and her family visit Disneyland. Every contribution brings her closer to making this dream come true! You can still help here: Support Meliia’s Dream.
Sixty Years Later, Lowell School Arson Remains Unsolved as Eastside Gets First New School
Unsolved arson sparked integration that transformed American education; new school opens six decades later.
The early morning attack on Sept. 7, 1965, destroyed half the segregated school building and changed the course of American education. Theories exist, but evidence does not. The arsonist was never caught. The motive remains unknown.
As Riverside prepares for the Sept. 27 groundbreaking of the Ofelia Valdez-Yeager Eastside Elementary School, the first new Eastside school since Lowell burned, two mysteries bookend the anniversary: who started the fire on Sept. 7, 1965, and why did replacement take 60 years?
The early morning fire occurred the day after Labor Day, a week before school was to start, and three weeks after the Watts Uprising ended in Los Angeles, creating what Walter Parks, the Riverside Unified School District controller, described as “very, very tense times” in a recent Raincross Gazette interview. Lowell had been integrated by a boundary redraw in 1948, but the opening of Alcott Elementary and a controversial transfer policy were to all but eliminate white students from Lowell in 1965. The attack forced permanent closure of the school and emergency relocation of 264 students.
While Riverside Unified’s “Superintendent’s Council” had discussed integration options, no action followed. “There was talk about everything,” Parks said. “These experienced educators were trying to figure out how to improve performance at these schools.”
Community pressure, amplified by Watts and the arson at Lowell, forced action. The district had been considering more proactive approaches to desegregation, like busing. Ultimately, integration was not offered magnanimously but demanded by the community and implemented by administrators responding to emergency.
Community response was immediate and organized. Rather than simply protesting, parents established Freedom Schools in neighborhood parks and churches. Though lasting only a day, the alternative education system demonstrated community commitment to education and organizational capacity.
Meet this week’s featured furry friend from the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center. Dedicated to eliminating pet homelessness, the center provides compassionate care and facilitates adoptions for animals in need of loving homes. Find your new companion and help support their mission of humane care and responsible pet ownership.
My name is Hulk, and I am a highly adoptable couch potato with tiny legs of steel. I specialize in finding the best spots to nap and testing the air conditioning, from your bed to the comfy rug on the floor. I have a passion for toys and creating shockwaves straight to your heart. I am committed to finding a supportive and encouraging environment I can call home, offering love and plenty of drool to clean. I look forward to helping you reach your dreams of being my personal snack provider.
Come meet Hulk and all the adoptable pets at the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center in person. Stop by any day except Tuesdays, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., or learn more at petsadoption.org.
See something? Say something. Your tips and ideas are what fuel The Raincross Gazette. If you know of something newsworthy happening in our city, please share it with us.
Neighbors favor Trader Joe’s for vacant Rite Aid site near Woodcrest and this week’s games feature Lancer women’s soccer and CSDR’s home opener.
Riverside firm denied restraining order in shareholder dispute, September ArtsWalk brings a new mural and artist meet & greet, six quick pizza stops across town and the latest on Meliia’s Disneyland fund.
No City Council meeting this week. The Board of Ethics will review open meeting law complaints against four councilmembers. How digital tools from Rivy the chatbot to smarter operations are reshaping city government. Plus, an update on Meliia’s GoFundMe.
