That little armored creature rolling around under your rocks is older than the dinosaurs, tastier than you'd think, and better for your soil than you knew.
State investigators will look into whether council members broke fair housing law when they turned down $20.1 million for the University Terrace Project.
Neighbor of the Week Debbie Hodson gets a belated birthday from regulars at Arts Bar & Grill's Taco Tuesday — making up for the milestone they missed when copper pipe theft and flooding shuttered the "5 star dive bar" for weeks. (Amy López)
Wednesday Gazette: May 13, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Wednesday! Today is World Cocktail Day, and we're turning it into a two-part question for the community.
First: where do you get your favorite cocktail or mocktail in the city? Whether it's a well-known spot or a hidden gem that deserves more love, we want to hear it. Reply to this email with your recommendation and tell us what you're ordering.
Second: behind every great drink is usually a great person. If you know a bartender, mixologist, or server in Riverside who goes above and beyond, nominate them for Neighbor of the Week.
Ward 2, 4 and 6 Candidates Weigh in on City Manager Tenure, Futrell Reversal
Candidates from three contested council races respond to questions about city manager retention — and Mike Futrell's decision to stay.
The Raincross Gazette hosted candidate forums for Riverside City Council Wards 2, 4, and 6, bringing together candidates and community members for an open exchange ahead of the election. (Bob Sirotnik/Raincross Gazette)
The Raincross Gazette hosted candidate forums for Wards 2, 4 and 6 last month, asking all candidates questions about leadership and Riverside's city manager.
Note: Ward 2's forum happened on April 23 — before city manager Mike Futrell announced on April 25 that he reversed his decision to take the city manager role in Pasadena — and the question asked, along with candidate answers, reflected that.
The question Bernstein initially asked Ward 2 candidates:
Riverside has had five permanent city managers since 2005, with an average tenure of four years, or roughly half the national average and slightly less than the state average… Does Riverside have trouble keeping city managers? If so, why? Or does Riverside provide such great opportunities for its city managers to produce and get things done that other cities want to snap them up? What are you looking for in the next city manager and how important is it that he or she sticks around for more than four years?
Following Futrell's April 25 announcement, an updated version of the question was asked at the subsequent Ward 4 forum on April 29 and Ward 6 forum on April 30:
Until last weekend, Mr. Futrell would have been the third consecutive Riverside city manager to leave for the same position in another city. So where does this lead Riverside? First of all, do you believe that you support Mr. Futrell's decision to [maintain] his job here? And second, what do you look for as a city manager?
Civil Rights Agency is Investigating Riverside Over Rejected Permanent Supportive Housing Project
State investigators will look into whether council members broke fair housing law when they turned down $20.1 million for the University Terrace Project.
California's Civil Rights Department is investigating whether Riverside broke anti-discrimination law when the city council voted in January to turn away funding to convert the Quality Inn at 1590 University Ave. into permanent supportive housing. (File photo/Raincross Gazette)
California civil rights investigators have opened a probe into whether Riverside City Council members violated fair housing law when they rejected $29.6 million to convert a motel into homeless housing.
Why it matters: The investigation could put Riverside's state "Prohousing Designation" — and the funding tied to it — at risk. State officials have already warned that the city is failing to meet affordable housing targets for its lowest-income residents.
Driving the news: California's Civil Rights Department (CRD) launched the probe May 8 following a joint complaint from the ACLU Foundation of Southern California, the Inland Equity Community Land Trust, and the Inland Empire Tenants Union.
The complaint targets remarks made by Councilmembers Chuck Conder, Phillip Falcone, Sean Mill, and Steven Robillard during and after the Jan. 13 vote.
What they're saying: Advocates say council members relied on stereotypes — not evidence — when rejecting the proposal.
Conder allegedly called the project a "warehouse of the homeless" and an "incubator of crime." Mill said Housing First "is a failure" and opposed housing people without mandating treatment.
The backstory: The rejected project would have converted the Quality Inn at 1590 University Ave. into 114 studio apartments of permanent supportive housing — stable housing paired with on-site services for low-income and unhoused residents. The Riverside Housing Development Corporation brought the proposal forward.
What's next: The CRD will review evidence before deciding whether further action is warranted. The California Department of Housing and Community Development has indicated the Homekey+ funding may remain available through May 30 if the council reverses its vote. A city spokesperson declined to comment.
The Humble Pill Bug: More Than Just a Backyard Curiosity
That little armored creature rolling around under your rocks is older than the dinosaurs, tastier than you'd think, and better for your soil than you knew.
You give it a poke, and this little creature curls up into a well-defended ball.
I first encountered them as "roly-poly bugs" soon after my arrival to California. But these little guys have a lot of different names: Pill bugs, roly poly bugs, sow bugs, common woodlice, isopods etc. The scientific name of Riverside's species, Armadillidium vulgare (the common little armadillo), is longer than they are!
Despite their common names, these guys are not formally "bugs" nor are they "lice." "Bugs" and "Lice" are formally subsets of insects. Insects and sow bugs are very distantly related members of the large group of animals with exoskeletons and jointed legs, the Arthropoda. Pill bugs group within the crustaceans, which includes lobsters, crabs, and shrimp. Like other crustaceans, they breathe through gills, hence even though they are terrestrial, they only survive in moist habitats. Unlike other crustaceans, pill bugs lay their eggs into a specialized body part called a "marsupium" within which the eggs hatch and the resulting baby roly polys are nourished. Eventually the young depart mom and make their way on their own.
The Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce is hosting a free "Doing Business With the City" workshop on May 19 (10–11 a.m., 3985 University Ave.) covering City purchasing, vendor opportunities, and how to connect directly with City staff.
La Sierra University is remembering alumna and 12-year trustee Verla Kwiram, a champion for women and the marginalized who helped co-found the Association of Adventist Forums, who died April 4 at 85.
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