Sunday Gazette: June 28, 2026

Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday! For nearly two weeks, I've been telling you why I do this work. My 44th birthday is this Tuesday (the last time you'll hear from me about this membership drive), and I asked 44 of you to become paid supporters before I blow out the candles. We're close.

But today I don't want to talk about me. I want to talk about our neighbors who've said yes. Every Sunday we publish the names of the readers who became supporters that week, and you'll find this week's list right below this note. I hope you'll actually read it, because it's the most Riverside thing I can show you.

Look at who's on it. Former elected officials, leaders of local nonprofits, students and educators, executives who run some of the largest institutions in this city. And a whole lot of names I'm guessing you won't recognize, sitting right next to the ones you will.

Our system sends me an email every single time someone chooses to move from being a free subscriber to a paid supporter, and for the first several years of this newsroom's life, I knew every single person who chose to support it. Every name. They were friends, colleagues, neighbors, people who knew me and decided to take a chance on a guy with no journalism experience and a big idea. This week, I looked down the list and I know almost none of them.

I cannot tell you what a gift that is.

It means the Gazette no longer simply runs on the goodwill of people who know me. It's building momentum powered by the trust of people who know the work. Neighbors, yes, but strangers, mostly. Riversiders who have never met me, reading the Gazette every morning, deciding this is worth paying for so their neighbors can keep reading free. That is the makings of a newsroom that belongs to its city instead of to its founder, and that is honestly the real thing I've been aiming to build.

So, please, today: read the names below. I'd be honored to include your name in next Sunday's. There's still room before Tuesday. The Gazette stays free for all of Riverside, always. Supporters are just the neighbors who keep it that way.

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HISTORY

Riverside's Centennial: How a Young City Marked the Nation's 100th Birthday

On July 4, 1876, a town of 1,000 threw a celebration fit for the ages — carriages, concerts, toasts and all

Riverside was not even six years old when our country marked its Centennial celebration on July 4, 1876. Festivities, parades, speeches, fireworks, picnics, and other events across the United States proclaimed our freedom. Riverside and its citizens knew they had to join in and show that they were part of this joyous occasion. Having grown to a population of approximately 1,000 people, the town was ready to join in the patriotic celebrations.

An enthusiastic group of citizens met at the schoolhouse on Sixth Street on Wednesday, May 17, 1876, to plan the Centennial and the Fourth of July arrangements. Judge John W. North, one of the city's founders, was the meeting's chairman, and Walter Lyon served as secretary. North "stated in the meeting how important it was for our people to display our patriotism and celebrate in a becoming manner the Centennial anniversary of our country's independence." Committees were formed for arrangements, music, and finances. The names listed only gave the last name, but with other early accounts, many can be identified.

Read and share the complete story...

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NEIGHBOR OF THE WEEK

Neighbor of the Week: Andrew and Samantha Melendrez

Neighbor of the Week is a series profiling the hidden heroes of Riverside, doing incredible works of service throughout our different neighborhoods.

On a Saturday morning earlier this summer, Andrew and Samantha Melendrez were up early and on the job – climbing ladders and installing American flags on more than 100 light poles along the side streets of the Wood Streets, including Beechwood Place, Castle Reagh Place, and, new this year, Larchwood Place. When summer ends, they take the flags down and store them in the backyard shed until next year.

Andrew will be a sophomore at Poly High School in the fall. He plays soccer and runs cross country and track. Samantha will be a seventh grader at Woodcrest Christian. Together, they took over the effort from their father, Aurelio, and his friend, former Neighbor of the Week Dominic Luna, who continue to watch over them as they work.

Aurelio said it all simply: "They are doing this out of love for the city and community." And it appears to have taken root. The evening after this year's installation, Andrew told his dad that flag day has become one of his favorite days of the year.

In this 250th year of American independence, these two early-teen siblings are finding their own way to mark it – one light pole at a time.

Get to know Andrew and Samantha...

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SPORTS

The World Cup Is Here - Riverside's Soccer Future Is Next

Watch parties, colorful jerseys and conga lines are filling Riverside during the World Cup. The question is whether that passion carries over when the city's first pro soccer team takes the field.

A conga line breaks out, winding through the Farm House Collective in Riverside. Fans dance, throw their hands in the air, sing along to the music and, yes, enjoy a few drinks as the celebration weaves through a sea of green jerseys.

The viewing of Mexico's opening match against South Africa at the World Cup turned into more than just a soccer game. It turned into a carne asada, a barbecue with fans ready to kick off the tournament.

As the song underscoring the chain dance, "El Za Za Za," declares in its opening line: "Que comiense la fiesta!" Let the festivities begin. Soccer fever is moving through the United States as relentlessly as Lionel Messi charging at a back line, and Riverside is feeling it.

From jerseys representing countries across the tournament seen all around town to watch parties popping up around the city, the World Cup is physically making itself felt. This is the kind of vibe Riverside needs to continue once its professional team joins the United Soccer League.

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CREATIVE PROMPTS

Ruling Class

A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns.

This week, we move from holding our place to holding our beverages. Our creative nudge is an aluminum can. 

Or, if you are reading this outside of North America, the aluminium can. I admit I enjoy that extra “i” tucked into the British spelling. It feels fancy, like the word accessorized to impress at the party. 

As someone who spends plenty of time scouring the outdoors for found objects to make art, I come across aluminum cans regularly. Roadsides, desert trails, parking lots—cans are everywhere. They are among the most common objects (chip bags is still far and away #1) littered by people. I don’t find them interesting as raw material. 

A brand-new can is nothing special. But give that can a few months in the sun…

Let our semi-arid desert climate fade the colorful print, add a few dents, let a spider or three move in. Then I start paying attention. They are really only interesting once they’ve aged, shown some wear and tear. I hope the same can be said for me.

Read and share the complete prompt...

This Week in Riverside

Sunday, June 28

• UC Yoga Teacher Training Pre-Sale Pay in Full at University of California, Riverside
• Prayers and Public Information Meeting at Riverside Baha'i Center
• Local Riverside Designer's Retirement Sale Furniture, Décor, Fashion & More at Mission Grove Shopping Center - Former KMart
• Out In Print Zine Workshop at Civil Rights Institute Inland Southern California
• Summer Zine Workshop Series with Brookes Reeder at Riverside Art Museum
• Bingo at Temple Beth El Social Hall ($25)
• The Cottage by Sandy Rustin at Riverside Community Players ($20- $25)
• FREE ASHTANGA VINYASA YOGA at Community Yoga Center
• NO QUESTION COMEDY SHOW at The Hideaway Cafe & Lounge ($15)
• Salsa Dancing at The Cheech at Riverside Art Museum
• Sunday Experiment After Dark at Downtown Experiment

Monday, June 29

• Volunteer Interest Hour at Riverside Meals on Wheels
• Reading + Math = FUN at My Learning Studio ($57)
• Camp Highlander 2026 at Student Recreation Center (SRC)
• Goeske Bingo at Janet Goeske Center ($20.00 - $100.00)

Tuesday, June 30

• Illusions by Allen at SPC Jesus S. Duran Eastside Library at Lincoln Park
• Multiplication Madness (MM) at My Learning Studio ($57)
• Reading Comprehension Group at My Learning Studio ($57)
• Reading Foundational Skills (RFS) at My Learning Studio ($196)
• Summer Seed Exchange at the Marcy Library at Marcy Library
• Karaoke Tuesday Competition at The Hideaway

Wednesday, July 1

• Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
• RCCD/UCR Residential Scholars Information Session at Riverside City College
• Transportation Board at Riverside City Hall
• Writing Skills at My Learning Studio ($57)
• Writing Skills- 8th+ at My Learning Studio ($42)
• Riverside Off-Road & Jeep Nights at D'Elia's Grinders

Thursday, July 2

• Board of Ethics at Riverside City Hall
• FREE ADMISSION - First Thursday of every month during Riverside ArtsWalk at Riverside Art Museum
• Rooftop Screening of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, with Ripperside Cinema Galore at Riverside Art Museum
• UCR ARTS Celebrates America 250 at UCR ARTS

Friday, July 3

• Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
• Creative Arts at My Learning Studio ($57)
• Reading Assistance Program (RAP) at My Learning Studio ($57)
• 4th of July Weekend BBQ Specials at Canyon Crest Country Club
• Pacific Southwest Open 2026 at Riverside Convention Center ($125- $165)
• Painting Pets Night, a Comedy Paint and Sip at Carbon Nation Brewing ($28.52 - $55.20)
• EMO PROM - WARPED TOUR at The Hideaway Cafe & Lounge ($10- $15

Saturday, July 4

• Front Row Fireworks - Celebrating America 250 at Evergreen Memorial Historic Cemetery (free- $10)
• Fourth of July Water Fun and Fireworks at First United Methodist Church of Riverside (free - $5)

Save the Date

• July 5: FREE ASHTANGA VINYASA YOGA at Community Yoga Center
• July 5: Patriotic Tours at Riverside Heritage House
• July 10: Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
• July 11: The Stars and Pipes Forever at First United Methodist Church of Riverside
• July 13: River Camp with IE Kids Outdoors at Martha McLean Park ($235)
• July 20: Camp Riverside with IE Kids Outdoors at California State Citrus Heritage Park ($200)

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