The free, all-day event at White Park on May 30 features more than 120 vendors, live entertainment and a former board member taking the stage for the first time.
Dressed for the occasion, Ian Weight of Museum of Riverside poses in front of the Heritage House, decked out in patriotic bunting and a "250" anniversary flag for the ice cream social. (Hap Myers) Have a photo that captures the spirit of Riverside? Share it with us and help celebrate the beauty of our community!
Tuesday Gazette: May 19, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Tuesday! Today is Celebrate Your Elected Officials Day, a moment to acknowledge the people who show up for the work of local governance. Not every vote goes the way you'd like. Not every decision lands perfectly. But city council members, school board trustees, water board directors, and the rest of the elected roster do take on something most of us don't: public accountability for decisions that affect real neighbors. If there's someone in local office who's done right by your community lately, today's a decent excuse to say so.
See you tomorrow!
P.S. Got old photos of Riverside gathering dust? We'd love to see them. If you have a favorite snapshot of the city and the story behind it, send it our way!
Six Months In, the Public Comment Debate Is Still About Whether Speaking Changes Anything
Councilmembers say the October rules update keeps meetings moving. Critics say it manages dissent rather than addresses it.
A speaker addresses the City Council during public comment as a timer counts down above the dais. (File photo/Raincross Gazette)
Six months after Riverside tightened its meeting rules, residents and officials still disagree on what public comment is actually for.
Why it matters: If you've spoken at City Council — or tried to — the rules governing your three minutes have changed, and critics say the real issue isn't time limits, it's whether anyone's listening.
The backstory: In October, Council unanimously updated its Rules of Procedure, giving the mayor unilateral authority to cut speaker time from three to two minutes when agendas run long. A six-month review period was added after resident pushback.
Driving the news: Mayor Lock Dawson has used the new authority once — on April 7, capping the general public comment period at 45 minutes. The two-minute limit was triggered once before that, on Oct. 14, when 76 speakers were present.
What they're saying: The divide breaks down predictably.
Ward 1 Councilmember Philip Falcone: "Our city council meetings are not community forums. They are business meetings held in public."
Former Board of Ethics chair Keith Nelson: "Don't change public comment. Change the way you govern, so there's less public comment."
Between the lines: The real friction isn't procedural — it's whether residents believe speaking changes anything. Former resident Elizabeth Ayala put it plainly: "Responsive to who? Interested in what vision for Riverside?"
What's next: The six-month review period is now complete. No council action on further changes has been announced.
Stonewall Lives: Riverside's Inland Empire Pride Returns for Its Fourth Annual Festival
The free, all-day event at White Park on May 30 features more than 120 vendors, live entertainment and a former board member taking the stage for the first time.
A rainbow-striped inflatable heart installation on the lawn at White Park welcomes attendees to a previous Riverside's Inland Empire Pride festival. (Riverside LGBTQ+ Pride Inc)
Four years after launching with 50 people, Riverside's Inland Empire Pride Festival returns Saturday expecting more than 5,000 attendees.
Why it matters: The free festival transforms White Park into a celebration for Riverside's LGBTQ+ community — and this year's "Stonewall Lives" theme arrives amid what organizers call intensifying national attacks on LGBTQ+ rights.
Driving the news: This year's lineup includes 120+ vendors, a Youth Zone, workshops, ASL interpretation, and performances from rapper HYM and pop singer Troy Kristoffer — a former Riverside Pride board member performing at the festival for the first time.
What they're saying: "In a time where our community keeps getting attacked especially our trans siblings, we're creating a safe space where we can all be celebrated," said president David Giron.
The big picture: The festival is free because of local sponsorships — with Truevolution as presenting sponsor — and community donations. Giron said the choice of White Park, Riverside's first public park, was deliberate.
"It's telling the community that LGBTQ+ folks are here and a part of Riverside history," he said.
What's next: Saturday, May 30, noon–9 p.m. at White Park, 3936 Chestnut St., Downtown. Free admission; RSVP at riversideprideie.org.
Deaf Commission Rejects Proposal for City Deaf and Disability Office, Citing Scope and Timing
The Commission of the Deaf voted unanimously against forwarding a letter to the City Council requesting a new Office of Deaf and Disability Support.
Riverside's Commission of the Deaf voted unanimously against sending City Council a letter urging the creation of an Office of Deaf and Disability Support, saying the proposal was premature, too broad, and came too late in the budget cycle.
Why it matters: The vote delays any formal push for a new city office aimed at serving deaf and disabled residents — at least for this fiscal year.
Driving the news: Commissioners reviewed a memo at their May 13 meeting asking them to endorse the office for the 2026–27 budget year, stemming from an April 8 letter submitted jointly with the Commission on Disabilities.
Yes, but: Commissioners said they saw merit in parts of the proposal — just not the process.
Commissioner Mike Anderson said the letter represented "an individual approach" rather than the broader deaf community, and that many concerns had already been raised directly with the city manager.
The backstory: The proposal also ran into a practical wall — Commissioner Rene Goldman noted it arrived too late in the budget cycle to be actionable for the coming fiscal year, and suggested prioritizing a separate deaf cultural center concept first.
What's next: The commission meets May 20 with a city committee to discuss renaming itself from "Commission of the Deaf" to "Deaf Commission." Commissioners say they want a more deliberate process before revisiting the office proposal.
RCC's annual Health and Wellness Fair drew over 700 students to Terracina Drive on May 12, offering yoga therapy, pet therapy, free vaccines, and access to 50–80 care providers in a single event.
La Sierra University awarded a record $1.1 million in scholarships to nearly 350 students during its annual Endowed Scholarships and Awards Ceremony on April 30, with funds drawn from 147 donor-based and institutional scholarship funds.
RCC's LHSS Club launched a "Resource Gram" initiative, partnering with Umoja, Rainbow Engagement Center, La Casa, and other campus programs to distribute information cards connecting students — especially LGBTQ, undocumented, and students of color — with academic, wellness, and community support services.
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