🗞️ Riverside News- March 29, 2026

Sunday Gazette: March 22, 2026

Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday! Today is National Neighbor Day, a good reminder that the people who make this city a little warmer are often right next door. If someone in your neighborhood has been showing up for others — keeping a block tidy, checking on an elderly resident, organizing something small that brings people together — today is a great day to tell us about them. Nominate them for Neighbor of the Week.

See you tomorrow!

Advertisement (Become an advertiser)

COMMUNITY

A Seat at the Movies, A Glimpse of Fatherhood

A series by Anthony Solorzano exploring Riverside through the eyes of a transplant, as the memory of a hometown slowly fades.

I didn't expect to see my future in a movie theater bathroom line at the AMC in the Tyler Mall – but life has a funny way of revealing itself. A friend shared with me an idea that blew his mind: your future has already been revealed to you. A few weeks ago, I got a glimpse of what fatherhood will look like.

When I first moved to Riverside, the first location I looked for was a movie theater. I was ecstatic to find there was one less than 10 minutes away from my home. Since moving to the city of innovation, I've made the cinema my second home.

It was the first place I was able to get to without the help of Maps. If work was finished early, you bet your butt a ticket was already reserved for a movie at the end of the shift. Anytime my wife and I have some free time, the movies are always the number one option brought up.

Read and share the complete story...

Advertisement (Become an advertiser)

NEIGHBOR OF THE WEEK

Neighbor of the Week: Martha Burns

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

Every spring, the corner of DeAnza Avenue and Nelson Street in Midtown near the Plaza bursts into bloom. Martha Burns has spent years cultivating a poppy-filled yard that has become a neighborhood landmark — and a sign that she is exactly where she belongs. Martha first came to Riverside in 1990 to begin graduate studies in philosophy at UC Riverside, settling into the city's rhythms with long walks up to the big "C" and the scent of orange groves along the way. "It was like walking through delicious perfume," she recalls. After the birth of her son in 1992, she and her husband moved into family student housing off of Blaine, putting down roots that have held ever since. She went on to earn her PhD in 2000, taught in various area schools, and today works for Riverside University Health Systems, Behavioral Health, in Peer Support Services, Education & Training.

Get to know Martha...

Advertisement (Become an advertiser)

CREATIVE PROMPTS

Point Taken

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

This week, we’re dialing the voltage way down on our creative nudge and turning our attention to something far less shocking but no less able to make their impact felt: the thumbtack.

It’s not exactly the star of the supply closet. If the thumbtack was a co-worker, it would be the one that’s been around a while and can tell you the way things used to be, even when you don’t ask. At home, you probably don’t remember buying them, but there they are, rolling around with spare keys, rubber bands, and a grip of Allen wrenches you can’t seem to part with. However, when needed, they do exactly one thing very well. Not unlike some people I’ve worked with.

Say what you will about the limited benefits of thumbtacks. In my thinking, it may be one of the few office supplies that passes the “name test” with perfect clarity. Thumb. Tack. The instructions are right there. Press with your thumb. It tacks things. No user manual required.

Read and share the complete prompt...

This Week in Riverside

Sunday, March 29

• Prayers and Public Information Meeting at Riverside Baha'i Center
• New Romantics Book Club at Marcy Library
• Sunday Experiment After Dark at Downtown Experiment

Monday, March 30

• Volunteer Interest Hour at Riverside Meals on Wheels
• Goeske Bingo at Janet Goeske Center ($20- $100)
• Monday Carillon Recitals at UCR Bell Tower

Tuesday, March 31

• Karaoke Tuesday Competition at The Hideaway

Wednesday, April 1

• Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
• Governmental Processes Committee at Riverside City Hall
• Reading Assistance Program at My Learning Studio
• History on the Rocks - Round Two! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation ($71.21)
• Riverside Mission Belles at Victoria Presbyterian Church
• Riverside Open Mic Music Series at Back to the Grind

Thursday, April 2

• Lunchtime Jazz Concert Series at Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties
• Board of Ethics at Riverside City Hall
• FREE ADMISSION - First Thursday of every month during Riverside ArtsWalk at Riverside Art Museum
• Hays Press-Enterprise Lecture at University Theatre
• History on the Rocks! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation ($71.21)
• Lincoln Park Community Group at Lincoln Park Community Center

Friday, April 3

• Certified Farmers Market at Farm House Collective
• Evergreen Cemetery Tour at Evergreen Cemetery ($21.20)
• Orange Terrace Library | Chess Club at Orange Terrace Library
• Friday Nightlife at Downtown Experiment
• Trio Los Panchos at Fox Performing Arts Center

Saturday, April 4

• Cars and Coffee at Harvest Church at Harvest Church
• Intro to Food Preservation: Safety, Equipment, and Methods at Land Use Learning Center
• Orange Terrace Library | BrainSTEM: Ball Run Challenge! at Orange Terrace Library
• Eastside Library at Lincoln Park | Chess Club at Eastside Library at Lincoln Park
• Fred Hammond at Fox Performing Arts Center
• Johnny Ruiz & the Escapers at Farm House Collective
• Mt. Rubidoux Walking Tour at Mt. Rubidoux Trailhead, a short walk from Ryan Bonaminio Park. ($21.20)

Save the Date

• April 5: Easter Celebration at First Congregational Church of Riverside
• April 11: Olivewood Cemetery Tour at Olivewood Cemetery ($21.20)
• April 12: The Expeditions of Juan Bautista de Anza through Riverside County at Riverside Medical Clinic Basement Meeting Room
• April 17: Frozen: The Broadway Musical at Woodcrest Christian School Royals Pavilion ($15- $20)
• April 18: Fant-A-She’s at Riverside Municipal Auditorium ($37- $97)
• May 17: Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social at Riverside's Heritage House

🗓️ See More Events     📝 Submit Your Event

📸 Submit a photo to be featured in our newsletters and social media accounts.

🏆 Nominate a remarkable Riversider as Neighbor of the Week.