City reviews downtown redevelopment and $4M road repair contract, Museum of Riverside explores Victorian medical quackery and Meliia’s GoFundMe update.
City Council does not meet this week. Other meetings will review the proposed Riverside Alive downtown redevelopment project's environmental impact report and consider a $4 million annual road repair contract to address 4,000 backlogged locations from water line work.
Heritage House reopens Sept. 5 with Quackery & Cures in the Victorian Age, featuring 19th-century medicines, historical exhibits and hands-on activities that reveal the blurred line between cures and quackery.
City reviews downtown redevelopment and $4M road repair contract, Museum of Riverside explores Victorian medical quackery and Meliia’s GoFundMe update.
É Arenas commands the Farmhouse stage in signature fringe, delivering an electric performance to a packed house on August 15th. (Ken Crawford) Have a photo that captures the spirit of Riverside? Share it with us and help celebrate the beauty of our community!
Monday Gazette: August 25, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Monday! After last week’s scorcher, we’re easing back into the low to mid 90s this week and, wait for it, some high 80s next week. Feels like fall is just peeking around the corner.
Have a wonderful Monday, Riverside!
🧡
Meliia’s GoFundMe Update: So far, $1,600 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.
City Council does not meet this week. Other meetings will review the proposed Riverside Alive downtown redevelopment project's environmental impact report and consider a $4 million annual road repair contract to address 4,000 backlogged locations from water line work.
Welcome to our weekly digest on public meetings and agenda items worth your attention in the coming week. This guide is part of our mission to provide everyday Riversiders like you with the information to speak up on the issues you care about.
The Museum of Riverside Board meets on Wednesday, August 27, at 3 p.m. (agenda) for regular business.
Community Police Review Commission
The Community Police Review Commission meets on Wednesday, August 27, at 5:30 p.m. (agenda) to continue review of a 2022 officer-involved death case and discuss multiple police department "public employee personnel matters" in closed session.
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission meets on Thursday, August 28, at 9 a.m. (agenda) reviewing the City's recommendation to approve an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Riverside Alive project that would allow future mixed-use redevelopment of the downtown Convention Center area with up to 168 residential units and 376 hotel rooms; if approved the EIR will advance to City Council for final certification.
Cure-alls and Consumption: Museum of Riverside Explores Victorian Medical Quackery
Heritage House reopens Sept. 5 with Quackery & Cures in the Victorian Age, featuring 19th-century medicines, historical exhibits and hands-on activities that reveal the blurred line between cures and quackery.
Medicines in the Heritage House bathroom. (Collection of the Museum of Riverside)
The Museum of Riverside's Heritage House is set to reopen on Sept. 5, 2025, featuring a new exhibition, "Quackery & Cures in the Victorian Age," exploring 19th-century medical practices and their impact on local history.
Driving the news: The exhibition highlights the blurred line between cures and quackery during a period of scientific and industrial progress, showcasing the struggles faced by Riversiders like Catharine Bettner, the original owner of Heritage House.
Displays include amber bottles, 19th-century medicine, photographs, medical textbooks, and bloodletting lancets.
Why it matters: The exhibition offers insight into the risks Victorian-era patients took in seeking relief from incurable ailments, often resulting in side effects, addiction, and even death.
What's next: A series of events will complement the exhibition, including:
The bottom line: The Museum of Riverside's new exhibition provides a unique look into the medical practices of the Victorian era, connecting local history to broader societal changes of the time.
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.
Council approves $200M Northside soccer stadium talks, Riverside Light Parade group adopts park for cleanups and National Senior Citizens Day celebrates our elders.
