Tuesday Gazette: June 21, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Tuesday! Today is National Junk Food Day, so we're asking: where's your go-to spot when a craving hits and you know it's not exactly good for you? Or, if you're the type who sticks to a plan, what's your favorite place that's actually good for you and still feels like a treat? Hit reply and let us know, we might feature your pick in an upcoming edition.
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CITY HALL
Council Weighs Inspector General Candidates in Closed Session, Deliberations Continue Tuesday
No decision was made Monday as council members continue vetting candidates for the independent oversight role; deliberations resume Tuesday morning.
Riverside's search for its first inspector general enters final interviews, conducted entirely behind closed doors.
Why it matters: The new inspector general will investigate fraud, waste and misconduct in city government — but critics say closed-door interviews and council appointment power undermine the independence residents were promised.
Driving the news: The council interviewed candidates in a special closed session Monday and will resume deliberations in another closed session Tuesday morning.
- The council narrowed the applicant pool to finalists in June after an executive recruitment process.
The backstory: Council created the inspector general role as part of a broader push for city accountability, after resolving earlier concerns about the position's independence.
- Under the adopted framework, the inspector general reports to the City Council while operating independently on investigations.
Yes, but: Resident Keith Nelson told the council an appointee who answers to elected officials isn't independent oversight.
- "That is not independent oversight," Nelson said. "It's simply another layer of bureaucracy dressed up to look like accountability."
What's next: The council reconvenes in closed session Tuesday morning. Any appointment and each member's vote must be reported publicly afterward, as required under the Brown Act.
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CITY HALL
City Council Approves Overnight Parking Zone for Larkin Court, Pilot for Monroe Street
Yearlong pilot will test one-way traffic and diagonal parking on the Monroe Street frontage road.
Larkin Court will restrict overnight parking to permit holders, addressing years of overflow from a nearby apartment complex.
Why it matters: If you live on Larkin Court or park near the Lorraine Terrace Apartments, overnight parking rules just changed — non-permit vehicles now face a two-hour limit from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Driving the news: Council approved the new preferential parking zone Tuesday, responding to a petition from nine of Larkin Court's 12 households.
- Residents cited apartment overflow parking blocking driveways, interfering with trash pickup and generating late-night noise.
What's new: Larkin Court between Monroe Street and its eastern end becomes a two-hour zone overnight, with permit holders and guests exempted.
What's next: A separate 12-month pilot converts the Monroe Street frontage road to one-way traffic with new diagonal parking, adding five spaces.
- Staff expect the change to push overflow parking farther south onto that stretch.
- The work costs about $3,500, funded through the city's streets maintenance budget.
The backstory: The city approved a similar permit zone on nearby Ouida Drive in January, part of a pattern of overflow shifting block to block.
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SPONSORED
Riverside's Second Dispensary Opens on University Avenue
Embarc's University Avenue store opened July 13 under the city rule that caps dispensaries at one per council ward, spreading them across the city.
Riverside's second licensed cannabis dispensary is now open at 1601 University Ave., having opened Monday, July 13. Its location was shaped as much by the city as by the company's desire to serve new parts of the Riverside community while staying compliant with the city's plan for cannabis retail zoning: Riverside caps dispensaries at one per council ward, a rule meant to keep stores from clustering in any one neighborhood. Embarc opened Riverside's first store on Magnolia Avenue in March, and its second will serve a different ward on University Avenue.
The store runs daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. It moved into a space that most recently held a health-food restaurant; a former manager there connected the company to the property owner. A Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting and a grand-opening party follow later in the month.
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This Week in Riverside
Today
- The Art of Reading & Writing at My Learning Studio ($57)
- Reading Comprehension Group at My Learning Studio ($57)
- Study Skills- Test Taking at My Learning Studio ($57.00)
- Summer Seed Exchange at Marcy Library
- Karaoke Tuesday Competition at the Hideaway at The Hideaway
Tomorrow
- Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
- Stretch & Dance Class at Janet Goeske Senior Center
- Strawberry Tote Bags at Marcy Library
- Community Police Review Commission at Riverside City Hall
- County Planning Commission Meeting at 4080 Lemon St., 1st Floor
Save the Date
- July 23: Archiving IE Black History: Stories and Maps that Bring the Past to Life at Riverside Main Library (Community Room)
- July 24: FREE ASHTANGA VINYASA YOGA at Community Yoga Center
- July 24: Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
- July 27: Sip with a Scientist at Bar Ni Modo
- October 7: Fifty & Better Health Fair at Janet Goeske Center
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🏆 Nominate a remarkable Riversider as Neighbor of the Week.