Sunday Gazette: April 26, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday! This past week marked National Park Week, and with most spring breaks now in the rearview mirror, we're hoping some of you spent time out among the trees, trails, and wide open skies of one of the country's 63 national parks. If you did, we'd love to see it. Send your favorite photo and the story behind it to newsroom@raincrossgazette.com and we'll feature it in an upcoming newsletter and on social media.
See you tomorrow!
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GOVERNMENT
Mike Futrell to Remain as City Manager
Futrell cites Riverside's economic momentum and June 2 Measure Z campaign as reasons to continue; Pasadena confirms withdrawal.
Mike Futrell has reversed course, withdrawing from his Pasadena appointment to remain Riverside's city manager.
Why it matters: Riverside avoids a leadership transition mid-stream on Measure Z, housing policy, and a $4B+ economic development push — all now staying under the same hand that started them.
Driving the news: Futrell announced the decision Saturday in a public letter, citing the city's "significant momentum" and the need to navigate the June 2 Measure Z renewal vote.
- He had been set to start as Pasadena's city manager May 13 following his April 15 appointment there.
By the numbers: During Futrell's tenure since 2023, the city credits more than $4 billion in new investment, 100% police staffing for the first time in two decades, and a 35% drop in crime.
What's next: Four neighborhood informational meetings on Measure Z are scheduled through May ahead of the June 2 vote. Pasadena confirmed Interim City Manager Matthew Hawkesworth will continue in that role.
What they're saying: "I am pleased he has decided to stay in Riverside to continue the years-long, successful work he has done," Ward 1 Councilmember Philip Falcone said.
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NEIGHBOR OF THE WEEK
Neighbor of the Week: Natalie Nicole Peralta
Neighbor of the Week is a series profiling the hidden heroes of Riverside, doing incredible works of service throughout our different neighborhoods.
Natalie Nicole Peralta has only lived in Riverside for about a year, but in that time the city left a mark on her — and she left one on it. A former Phoenix Scholar at Norco College, Natalie recently transferred to UC Irvine to pursue her bachelor's degree in art. The Phoenix Scholars Program works to improve educational outcomes for current and former foster youth by increasing access to college and supporting students through the process. It was through the program that Natalie connected with fellow artist Gabriel, and the two soon discovered a shared ambition: to become muralists. Natalie has since completed several murals in the Riverside area, including two indoor pieces for Kindful Restoration, a nonprofit serving justice-impacted residents. This week, she and Gabriel finished a mural together at Immanuel Lutheran School.
Natalie's roots in the foster system have shaped both her life and her art. She has navigated much of adulthood on her own, raising her four-year-old daughter Jalynn while pursuing her education and building a career as an artist. She describes art as the through-line of it all — her way of healing, communicating, and pushing forward. Her involvement in Riverside's art scene has run deep: she has attended figure drawing sessions at Urge Palette, participated in workshops at Division 9 Gallery, and is currently a exhibiting artist in the Riverside Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties' "Body of Freedom" exhibition. She has also been active in organizations serving foster youth, including serving as a Youth Voice Board Member at Building Resilience Together.
As she prepares to move to Orange County and begin the next chapter of her education, Natalie says Riverside will stay with her. The city's community and art scene, she says, built her as an artist — and she plans to stay connected to both.
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2026 ELECTION
Raincross Gazette Hosts First-Ever Candidate Forum for Ward Seat
Four Ward 2 hopefuls square off on homelessness, housing and public safety.
Four candidates for City Council Ward 2 debated homelessness, housing, economic development and more at the Raincross Gazette's first-ever candidate forum on Thursday evening.
Nonprofit director and Budget Commissioner Aram Ayra, entrepreneur and Planning Commissioner Christen Montero, Western Municipal Water District Director Gracie Torres and financial and IT consultant Mike Vahl are running for the seat soon to be vacated by Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes, who is running for state Assembly.
Ward 2 covers neighborhoods including Eastside, Canyon Crest, Mission Grove, Sycamore Canyon and the University District.
The forum was moderated by former Press Enterprise columnist and longtime Riversider Dan Bernstein, who introduced discussion questions on both citywide issues as well as Ward 2-specific questions.
"The hope is that [after the forum] you have a better idea of who you want to represent you in Ward 2," Bernstein said.
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CREATIVE PROMPTS
Off Kilter Filter
A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns.
This week’s creative nudge comes from the kitchen drawer, the drying rack, or that cabinet where pots and pans hide between performances: the strainer. I cook a lot; I have a few metal ones, a large plastic one for Sunday pasta dinner, and a fourth one I’m not entirely sure what kind of food to use it on.
A strainer does some of the least glamorous but most important work in a kitchen. It separates, catches, rinses, skims, and clarifies. It helps us finish sauces, rinse produce, pull fat from what we cook without sacrificing flavor, and rescue dinner from becoming a soggy disappointment. Sometimes what we leave out is exactly what lets the rest shine.
And then there’s the part that gets discarded. A strainer reminds us that what gets filtered out isn’t automatically worthless. Anyone who has ever saved a mug of cloudy pasta water to help a sauce come together already knows the so-called waste can be the thing that makes the whole dish work.
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This Week in Riverside
Sunday, April 26
- Prayers and Public Information Meeting at Riverside Baha'i Center
- 78th Annual Riverside Flower Show and Garden Tour at Riverside Elks Lodge (free- $10)
- Riverside Children's Theater - Disney's Little Mermaid Junior at JW North High School ($15)
- Olive Country Charcuterie Bar at Olive Country Charcuterie Bar
- Deck of Cards Silent Auction - Your Pet's Photo in a Special Deck of Cards at Online for Mary S. Roberts pet Adoption Center ($10)
- Heart Centered Alignment: A Soundbath Experience at SALT STUDIOS : A DANCE STUDIO FOR ADULTS ($28.52)
- Into the Breeches! by George Brant at Riverside Community Players at Riverside Community Players ($20.00 - $22.24)
- The Juicy Story, Series Two - FREE Citrus Heritage Presentation at Citrus State Park - Sunkist Center
- VELZY Tribute Band (THE STROKES, ARCTIC MONKEYS & CAGE THE ELEPHANT) 04/25 at The Hideaway Cafe & Lounge ($12.51)
Monday, April 27
- Volunteer Interest Hour at Riverside Meals on Wheels
- Board of Public Utilities at Riverside City Hall
- Housing and Homelessness Committee at Riverside City Hall
- Goeske Bingo at Janet Goeske Center ($20- $100)
- Monday Carillon Recitals at UCR Bell Tower
- Sip with a Scientist at Bar Ni Modo
Tuesday, April 28
- Special Seminar: Avocado, Cherimoya, and Mango Flowering Basics at LandUse Learning Center
- MSRPAC's Monthly Community Cat Spay/Neuter Day at Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center's Spay-Neuter Clinic ($45)
- Karaoke Tuesday Competition at The Hideaway
Wednesday, April 29
- Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
- Stretch & Dance Class at Janet Goeske Senior Center
- Reading Assistance Program at My Learning Studio
- The Comedy Lobby at The Lobby ($9.85)
- History on the Rocks - Round Two! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation ($71.21)
- Out in the I.E. at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
- Riverside Mission Belles at Victoria Presbyterian Church
- Riverside Open Mic Music Series at BACK TO THE GRIND
- Raincross Gazette: Ward 4 Community Forum at Riverside Citrus State Park - Sunkist Center
Thursday, April 30
- Arlington Library| Propagation Station: Plant Swap at Arlington Library
- History on the Rocks! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation ($71.21)
- Raincross Gazette: Ward 6 Community Forum at Altura Credit Union (10725 Magnolia Ave.)
Friday, May 1
- Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
- The Fake Actors Guild: Bob's Burgers Table Read for PRIDE! B2tG at Back To The Grind ($12.51)
- La Santa Cecilia at Riverside Municipal Auditorium
- Las Alucines -Tu Nuevo Estilo de Vida US Tour at Fox Performing Arts Center
- OLPH Fiesta at OLPH Parish & School
- Painting Fairies Night, a Comedy Paint and Sip at Carbon Nation Brewing ($28.52)
- Riverside: An All-American City — A Celebration of America 250 at Mission Inn Foundation and Museum
- Riverside Off-Road & Jeep Nights at D'Elia's Grinders
- World Music Festival at University Theatre
Saturday, May 2
- Community Yard Sale at Downtown Riverside
- Milkweed sale and Monarch Celebration at LandUse Learning Center
- Riverside GPU & CAAP: Community Workshop at Riverside Salvation Army Corps
- 2026 Southern Divisions Convention at Fox Performing Arts Center
- Evergreen Cemetery Tour at Evergreen Memorial Park ($23.18)
- Riverside Cinco De Mayo Bar Crawl at Killer Queens Social House
- Sublime Tribute by Don't Push! at The Concert Lounge - Romano's Mission Grove ($20.23)
Save the Date
- May 3: "The Sound of Riverside" - The 2026 Riverside Arts Academy Gala at UCR University Theatre ($150- $325)
- May 6: Senior Conference at Janet Goeske Center
- May 13: Level Up Your Network: The Pick Group 2026 Membership Summit at Killer Queens Social House
- May 16: Vintage Home Tour “Age is a Work of Art” at Peter J Weber House ($30)
- May 17: Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social at Riverside's Heritage House
- June 1: REEF's 27th Annual Golf Tournament at Canyon Crest Country Club ($140- $175)
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