🗞️ Riverside News- December 10, 2025

Wednesday Gazette: December 10, 2025

Hello Riverside, and Happy Wednesday! When I was five years old—the same week I started kindergarten—my dad enrolled me in Toastmasters, a public speaking training group usually for adults, not kindergarteners. But my dad had been a member for a few years and believed the ability to communicate confidently and clearly would be foundational to any success I'd have as an adult.

My job in the group was simple: read the local section of the Press-Enterprise every morning, figure out what mattered, and give a 2-3 minute update about what was happening in Riverside.

I didn't realize it at the time, but many of the people sitting in that room were the ones making the news I was "reporting." School board members. Business leaders. People shaping our city. And there I was, this little kid, telling them what the news said they did.

Years later, as a freshman at Riverside City College, I took a job delivering newspapers. I'd wake up at 2 AM and hit my route up and down Washington Avenue. Every paper had to be delivered by 5:30 AM.

People knew exactly when I'd be coming down their street. They were waiting. They wanted their local news.

When Riverside lost reliable local coverage over the last 20 years, we suffered for it. This work matters because it's about people, because it's for people.

That's why I started The Raincross Gazette in January 2021—I wanted to give Riverside back what we'd lost.

Here's how you can help:

• If you're reading for free: Can you become a paid member starting at $5/month?
• If you're already a paid member: Can you upgrade your membership or switch to annual? Either move makes a real difference.

Your support builds the newsroom Riverside deserves.

If you're not ready for a monthly commitment, you can also make a one-time contribution.

BUSINESS

Riverside to Launch Rewards App Shopping at 500 Local Businesses

Council approves $50,000 pilot program offering points-based incentives; city projects millions in local spending if program continues.

Riverside will pay you to shop at mom-and-pop stores starting this holiday season through a new mobile app.

Why it matters: Download the Open Rewards app, link your card, and earn 10% back on launch day (5% after) at 500 local businesses — redeemable only at other participating shops.

What's new: Council approved $50,000 Tuesday for a one-year pilot that requires nothing from businesses — no new equipment, training, or checkout changes.

By the numbers:

• $2.4 million in projected local spending over 5 years
• 500 businesses eligible (dining, retail, wellness, fitness)
• 10% rewards on launch day through December 2026

Who qualifies: Independent brick-and-mortar businesses with fewer than 50 employees. No chains, franchises, cannabis shops, or tobacco-only stores.

The backstory: Orange invested $40,000 and generated $784,000 in local spending within a year using the same platform.

Yes, but: Ward 1 resident Jason Hunter questioned how the city's $50,000 will be held by the private vendor and whether consumer data protections meet California privacy laws. Staff didn't address these concerns at the meeting.

What's next: The app launches before the holidays. Staff will report back on results during the pilot year.

Read and share the full story... (2 min. read)

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NATURALLY RIVERSIDE

Mythical Mistletoes

From Norse mythology to modern doorways, the parasitic plant's journey through history reveals surprising science, ancient legends, and ecological importance hidden beneath its reputation for stolen kisses.

Among the Holiday Season's iconic plants, none are more modest than a sprig of mistletoe. Strategically attached in a doorway, mistletoe lurks in the shadows compared to the brightly lit decorations of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Eve. Nonetheless, it reliably makes its way into tens of millions of homes around the world.

Despite that popularity, mistletoe doesn't belong to any individual holiday. It belongs to an entire season. Mistletoe gives permission for a stolen kiss as early as the office holiday party in late November all the way to the wee hours of January 1st revelry.

How has it come to pass that such an unassuming plant has such cultural power?

Read and share the full story...

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What's Happening in Riverside

Today

• Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
• Stretch & Dance Class at Janet Goeske Senior Center
• Community Police Review Commission at Riverside City Hall
• Finance Committee at Riverside City Hall
• Riverside Mission Belles at Victoria Presbyterian Church
• Riverside Open Mic Music Series at Back to the Grind
• Memphis May Fire: The SHAPESHIFTER TOUR LEG 2 at Riverside Municipal Auditorium

Tomorrow

• Airport Commission at Riverside City Hall
• Polar Express | Holiday Movie, Cocoa, and Craft at Marcy Library
• Family Cookout 5 at Back to the Grind

Save The Date 

• December 13: Olivewood Memorial Park Historical Cemetery Tour at Olivewood Memorial Park ($20)
• December 13: Walk to the Peace Tower and Friendship Bridge on the 100th Anniversary at Mount Rubidoux
• December 13: Wreaths Across America at Evergreen Memorial Historic Cemetery
• December 14: Victorian Christmas Open House at Heritage House
• December 16: Passing on a Wealth of Wisdom - Family Legacy Workshop at Virtual
• December 20: Woodcrest Market Collective at Woodcrest Public Library
• December 24: Christmas Eve Celebration at First Congregational Church of Riverside

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