Ken Crawford is channeling his energy into Sixty Miles East, a Riverside arts platform inspired by the RAM exhibition, while continuing to contribute to the Gazette and celebrating being back home after the house fire.
Morning fog drifts through autumn foliage at Hidden Valley Nature Center in Riverside.(Chuck Hall) Have a photo that captures the spirit of Riverside? Share it with us and help celebrate the beauty of our community!
Friday Gazette: December 19, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Friday! It's the last weekend before Christmas, and the energy in our city is something special. If you're still checking off your shopping list, remember our local businesses are ready to help.
This weekend is also a perfect time to slow down and soak in the season. Take a walk through your neighborhood to see the lights, grab a coffee at your favorite local spot, or just enjoy being home with the people you love.
However you're spending these next few days, we hope they're full of warmth and good moments.
See you Sunday!
P.S. Justin noticed we're just $970.89 short of hitting our advertising revenue target. So if you're a part of a local organization or business with money still left in your 2025 advertising budget, send Justin an email – he would be more than happy to send you a $100 invoice on Monday! 😉
Parkview Legacy Foundation's First Grants Invest $1.2 Million in Regional Collaboration
Foundation created from hospital sale awards 13 nonprofits, including three grants supporting organizations that coordinate multi-agency efforts.
Participants at the Inland Empire Community Collaborative's "Voices for Change" event at The Cheech Marin Center in November. The IE Children's Cabinet convenes stakeholders across both counties for policy and advocacy work supporting children from birth to age 24. (Photo courtesy of Inland Empire Community Collaborative)
A Riverside-born foundation awarded its first-ever grants to 13 nonprofits — including three backing regional coalitions that coordinate dozens of agencies.
Why it matters: The Parkview Legacy Foundation is funding coordination work other funders typically skip, addressing the Inland Empire's philanthropic gap of just $25 per capita compared to LA County's $245.
What's new: The foundation distributed grants from $50,000 to $125,000 after receiving requests totaling $3.6 million — three times what it could award.
What makes this different: Three grants support "backbone" coordination for multi-agency coalitions like the IE Children's Cabinet, which unites 180+ stakeholders across health, education and social services.
Why that matters: "A lot of funders fund direct projects but don't understand what it takes to coordinate multiple organizations," said Susan Gómez, CEO of grant recipient Inland Empire Community Collaborative.
By the numbers:
$1.2 million awarded in inaugural grants
13 nonprofits funded
109 organizations in one coalition alone
Be smart: The foundation emerged from Parkview Community Hospital's 2019 sale and spent five years researching community needs before launching grants in August.
What's next: Applications for smaller Special Needs Fund grants are accepted monthly at parkviewlegacy.org. The foundation will follow up with all applicants about partnership opportunities.
Photographer's Guide to Riverside's Best Holiday Light Displays
From synchronized shows to blue-hour viewing tips, Bob Sirotnik reveals where to find the magic.
(Bob Sirotnik)
Every December, as the sun sets and the sky turns deep blue, thousands of holiday lights flicker to life across Riverside, transforming neighborhoods into winter wonderlands. For Bob Sirotnik, The Raincross Gazette's volunteer community photographer, capturing these displays reveals the joy they bring to the community.
"It's never just about the quantity of lights; it's about variety and composition," Sirotnik said. "A homeowner can string a million bulbs, but it could be just a bright mess. I look for layers of light—background splashes mixed with sharp foreground details."
This year, Sirotnik has captured some of the city's most spectacular displays, from the Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn to hidden residential gems. His advice for families planning their own tours? Start early and consider walking rather than driving to catch all the details.
Ken Crawford is channeling his energy into Sixty Miles East, a Riverside arts platform inspired by the RAM exhibition, while continuing to contribute to the Gazette and celebrating being back home after the house fire.
Zach Cordner, left, and Ken Crawford are launching Sixty Miles East, a Riverside arts and culture platform inspired by their successful Riverside Art Museum exhibition documenting the city's 1990s punk, ska and hardcore scenes. (Courtesy of Raymond Alva Photo-RAP)
You may have noticed Ken Crawford hasn't been in your inbox as much the last couple of months. As his role at the Gazette transitions, he's channeling his energy into something he's deeply passionate about. The Sixty Miles East exhibition at Riverside Art Museum—documenting the city's 1990s punk, ska and hardcore scenes—has been successful beyond expectation, revealing an appetite for telling Riverside's arts story from an insider perspective. Now Ken and Zach Cordner are launching Sixty Miles East as a full arts and culture platform. What will it look like? They're still figuring that out, but events are already being sponsored and a website is coming soon. Read Ken's personal update about the new venture and the good news about his family being back home for the holidays after the fire.
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.
Pistachio is ready to find his home for the holidays. He's the perfect pup for someone who is looking for a buddy to join them on opportunities to explore, but will also enjoy watching the holiday classics with shareable snacks for a night in. Pistachio knows how to turn on the charm when meeting new people — he'll greet friends (to him, all people are friends) with a tail wag and a flash of his big, brown eyes. Honestly — we think he's pretty irresistible and hope you will too. Stop by to meet him today — you might just (eh, you probably will) fall in love at first sight.
Come meet Pistachio 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.
Noteworthy
A UCR Center for Community Solutions report identifies clusters of tax-defaulted properties across Riverside and San Bernardino counties—including Lake Elsinore (18% delinquency rate) and Lake Arrowhead (15%)—as potential land banking opportunities for affordable housing despite infrastructure and environmental challenges.
RCC and computer information systems professor Mark Lehr were honored with the 2025 ICPC North America Excellence in Service Award on November 15, recognizing their extraordinary contributions to competitive programming education and the International Collegiate Programming Contest community.
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