Sunday Gazette: April 5, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday! Whether you're catching the sunrise service at Mt. Rubidoux this morning, hiding eggs for the kids or grandkids, or simply enjoying a quiet Sunday, we hope your day is a good one. Whatever today looks like for you, we're glad you're here.
See you tomorrow!
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HISTORY
First Notes at Dawn
When Riverside held its first Easter Sunrise Pilgrimage in 1909, Gustav Hilverkus was there — cornet in hand, music echoing off the mountain.
When the first Riverside Sunrise Easter Pilgrimage was held on Mount Rubidoux on April 11, 1909, Gustav Hilverkus was among the main participants. In this simple ceremony, Gustav played on his cornet, accompanied by a portable organ and a violin. The Holy City, a Victorian ballad was written about 1892 by Stephen Adams. The words were by Frederick Weatherly and in three verses describe Jesus' Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, His Crucifixion outside Jerusalem on Good Friday and the eventual triumph into the spiritual New Jerusalem. The Riverside Enterprise reported, "He played The Holy City in tones of exquisite harmony, and the sweet notes of music were wafted away on the chill mountain air, echoing in the distance." For twelve of the first fourteen services, Hilverkus played this song on his cornet. In 1915, Marcella Craft sang The Holy City, and in 1919, the song was not part of the service. Then, from 1925 through 1929, Gustav Hilverkus was part of a brass quartet that played The Holy City. The Holy City became a fixture in almost every Easter Pilgrimage Service for as long as the Miller family was connected to the service.
In an interview in March of 1959, he showed the reporter a photograph in his personal collection taken at the first service in 1909. In this photo published in the newspaper, Hilverkus identified himself, Mr. and Mrs. Miller (Mrs. Miller would still have been Marion Clark at the time of the first service), Allis Miller (later that same year, Allis married DeWitt Hutchings), and DeWitt Hutchings.
Hilverkus was also part of the first Armistice Day Sunset Service held on Mount Rubidoux on November 11, 1919. For this service, he opened the program with a cornet solo of The Star-Spangled Banner. For the 1920 Armistice Day service, he played The Holy City on his cornet. In 1921, Hilverkus directed the Riverside Military Band as it played the Star-Spangled Banner while a chorus led the people in singing the words. The band also played the Garibaldi Hymn while the Italian flag was raised, as Italy was the honored nation that year.
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NEIGHBOR OF THE WEEK
Neighbor of the Week: Caitlyn Cohen
Neighbor of the Week is a series profiling the hidden heroes of Riverside, doing incredible works of service throughout our different neighborhoods.
Caitlyn Cohen has been serving on the board of a nonprofit, running a cognitive science research project, and leading her school's National Honor Society — all while finishing her senior year at John W. North High School. Caitlyn has been a board member and social media manager for Family Promise of Riverside (FPR) since 2022, when the organization was still in its early years. Founded in 2020, FPR supports unhoused families in the Riverside community through a rotational housing model, connecting them to shelter, case management, and a path toward long-term stability.
In her role at FPR, Caitlyn runs the organization's weekly "Wednesday Wishlists" social media posts and has spearheaded several campaigns, including an informative series last fall drawing attention to the potential impact of losing SNAP benefits. At North, she juggles an impressive slate of commitments: she serves as president of the National Honor Society, has captained the Mock Trial team (earning two county awards for witness roles), and is both an actor and club officer in the theater club. Last year, she took the lead role in North's production of The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland, written by Mike Eastman.
Beyond high school, Caitlyn is a researcher with a cognitive sciences lab at Cal State San Bernardino and will be presenting her work at a research conference in late April.
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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 reaching for something softer that finds its way into most of our places where we keep “extras” of things just in case: a disposable napkin. They are arranged in neat stacks, tucked alongside takeout containers or handed out in hopeful excess by considerate service employees. Those never-ending dispensers found everywhere make them seem like an inexhaustible resource. You need one, you take seven. You use maybe two. The rest migrate into glove compartments, kitchen drawers, coat pockets, waiting ready for a random spill or sneezing fit.
They’re symbols of convenience, sure. Each one is designed for a single, fleeting purpose. A quick wipe, a polite dab, and then…out of sight, out of mind.
But what if we interrupted that lifecycle? What if those extras became something else instead of banishment into oblivion. Temporary art. Ephemeral expression. Creativity with an expiration date and a guilt-free recycling bin ending.
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This Week in Riverside
Sunday, April 5
- Mt. Rubidoux Easter Sunrise Service at Mount Rubidoux
- Easter Celebration at First Congregational Church of Riverside
- Prayers and Public Information Meeting at Riverside Baha'i Center
- Oddly Manor Sunday Service Variety Show at The Raincross District ($12.51)
- Sunday Experiment After Dark at Downtown Experiment
Monday, April 6
- Volunteer Interest Hour at Riverside Meals on Wheels
- Financial Aid Awareness Week: Application Assistance at Welcome Center
- Goeske Bingo at Janet Goeske Center ($20- $100)
- Monday Carillon Recitals at UCR Bell Tower
Tuesday, April 7
- Orange Terrace Library | Lego Club at Orange Terrace Library
- ScotSurplus Public Sale at ScotSurplus, UCR Corporation Yard
- Karaoke Tuesday Competition at The Hideaway
- Humbe at Riverside Municipal Auditorium
Wednesday, April 8
- Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
- Stretch & Dance Class at Janet Goeske Senior Center
- Reading Assistance Program at My Learning Studio
- Slap Bracelets at Marcy Library
- Becoming Neighbors: A Community Conversation on Resettlement and Belonging at Cellar Door Bookstore
- 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 9
- Family Storytime at Lincoln Park
- History on the Rocks! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation ($71.21)
- Movie Bingo: Demon Slaying K-Pop Edition at Thompson Brewing Co. ($23.18)
Friday, April 10
- Certified Farmers Market at Farm House Collective
- Courthouse, Murals and Heroes Walking Tour at Mission Inn Foundation ($23.18)
Saturday, April 11
- 11th Annual Riverside Art Market at White Park
- Mt. Rubidoux Walking Tour at Mt. Rubidoux Trailhead, a short walk from Ryan Bonaminio Park. ($21.20)
- Permaculture Design Training and Certificate at Land Use Learning Center
- Olivewood Cemetery Tour at Olivewood Cemetery ($21.20)
- Led Zeppelin Tribute by Zeppelin Revisited at The Concert Lounge - Romano's Mission Grove ($20.23)
- Qual at Farm House Collective
- Ripperside Cinema Galore Presents: Prom Night at Back To The Grind ($12.51)
Save the Date
- 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: Blue Zones Project Riverside: Moai Launch Party at North Park
- April 18: Fant-A-She’s at Riverside Municipal Auditorium ($37- $97)
- April 23: Raincross Gazette: Ward 2 Community Forum at UCR Alumni & Visitors Center
- April 29: Raincross Gazette: Ward 4 Community Forum at Riverside Citrus State Park - Sunkist Center
- May 6: Senior Conference at Janet Goeske Center
- May 17: Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social at Riverside's Heritage House
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