John "Jack" Tortes Meyers was Riverside's own — a Cahuilla catcher who rose to become a bona fide major league star and never forgot where he came from.
Tall palms stand in rows along St. Lawrence Drive, looking toward Hermosa, on a cloudy morning. (Luke López) Have a photo that captures the spirit of Riverside? Share it with us and help celebrate the beauty of our community!
Wednesday Gazette: June 17, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Wednesday! We want to be straight with you: we've made some errors recently, and we're not taking that lightly. Getting the facts right is the whole job. We know that accuracy is the foundation of everything we do here, and when we miss, it matters. We're sorry.
We've also been wrestling with where corrections belong in the newsletter. We put them at the top. Readers said that was too much. We moved them to the bottom. Readers said that wasn't enough. Fair on both counts.
We don't have a perfect answer yet, and we'd rather ask than guess. Email me directly at amy@raincrossgazette.com and tell me what works for you.
Council Hires New City Attorney, Waives Public Notice Rule to Do so
The council filled a vacancy open since April 2025, but critics say it sacrificed transparency to do so.
The Riverside City Council takes up Agenda Item 7 — approval of an employment agreement for incoming City Attorney James Johnson — during its Tuesday afternoon session. (File photo/Raincross Gazette)
After more than a year without a permanent city attorney, the City Council has hired James Johnson, a public-sector lawyer with deep experience in housing and municipal law.
Why it matters: The hire ends a prolonged vacancy — and the council's decision to bypass standard public notice requirements to move faster drew sharp pushback from residents.
Driving the news: The council voted 5-2 Tuesday to approve Johnson's hire, with Councilmembers Phillip Falcone and Chuck Conder dissenting — Falcone over the salary and 12-month severance clause, Conder over the full contract.
By the numbers: Johnson will earn $372,624 annually under a three-year contract, starting July 17.
The backstory: The seat has been held by interim attorneys since the council dismissed Phaedra Norton in April 2025 — a termination that followed her harassment and Brown Act claims against two councilmembers and a separate open-meetings lawsuit.
Yes, but: The council unanimously waived the Sunshine Ordinance — which requires 12 days' public notice — to add the hire as a last-minute agenda item. Residents called it a transparency failure.
"This is backwards," resident Keith Nelson said, arguing the vote should have waited for a regular agenda.
What's next: Johnson's contract begins July 17. The council said the timing was driven by his existing obligations to his current employer, HACLA, where he served as general counsel.
John "Jack" Tortes Meyers was Riverside's own — a Cahuilla catcher who rose to become a bona fide major league star and never forgot where he came from.
World Series 1911 "Meyer's powerful hitting and his success behind the bat make him in the estimation of STATS Inc., one of the two top catchers of the Deadball Era (1901-1919)." — William A. Young (Photo credit The Chapman Deadball Collection)
On July 29, 1880, almost 146 years ago, Felicite Tortes, a Cahuilla basket maker from Spring Rancheria, and John Mayer, a German American Civil War veteran from Terre Haute, Indiana welcomed their second child, a boy, they named John "Jack" Tortes Mayer. They had one son, Marion, and would later have one more child, a girl, Christine, the youngest.
The birthplace of Jack is said to have been either the Cahuilla village below Mt. Rubidoux at Spring Rancheria or downtown Riverside at 7th Street, between Market and Main Streets in the family's home behind his father's saloon. In one interview, Jack reports the Cahuilla village as his birthplace and in another he reports it being in downtown Riverside. There is an affidavit of birth that lists a downtown Riverside location. However, there is no question that the Santa Rosa Mountain Cahuilla were the primary inhabitants of Spring Rancheria, a permanent village named after the perennial stream of Spring Brook located in the area.
Incorrect spellings in documenting Native people by non-Natives was a common occurrence. The Mayer last name became "Meyer" and finally "Meyers". For the remainder of this story, Jack will be referred to as Mr. Meyers as "Meyers" became the norm throughout his lifetime.
After the death of his father in 1887, Felicite Tortes took her children to live on the Santa Rosa Reservation for a time. She never remarried. They came back to Riverside when Mr. Meyers was 10 or 11 years old. He attended Sixth Street School, later known as Lincoln School, then attended Riverside High School, located at 14th Street and Brockton Avenue.
The Summer Fun Concerts in the Park series kicks off tonight at Fairmount Park, running six free Wednesday evenings from 6–9 p.m. through July 29, with Motown, Latin, salsa, '80s hits, R&B, and a July 1 drone show.
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