🗞️ Riverside News- November 17, 2025

Monday Gazette: November 17, 2025

Hello Riverside, and Happy Monday! Thank you to everyone who responded to our call for holiday charity drives. We've heard from several organizations already, and we're excited to start compiling this year's guide. If you know of a toy drive, food bank initiative, coat collection, or any other charitable effort happening in our community this season, we still want to hear about it. Simply reply to this email or reach out to us at newsroom@raincrossgazette.com. We can't wait to share this resource with you and help connect neighbors with meaningful ways to give back this holiday season.

See you tomorrow!

GOVERNMENT

This Week in City Hall: November 17, 2025

City Council set to establish the Inspector General office after concerns about protecting its independence delayed approval, consider a $16.8 million animal services agreement, and establish a $7,511 cannabis testing laboratory permit fee.

Welcome to our weekly digest on public meetings and agenda items worth your attention in the coming week. This guide is part of our mission to provide everyday Riversiders like you with the information to speak up on the issues you care about.

City Council

City Council will meet in closed and open sessions on Tuesday, Nov. 18, in an afternoon session at at 3 p.m. and an evening session at 6:15 p.m. (agenda). The agenda includes:

• Conducting a public hearing before final approval of ordinances adopting California's mandatory 2025 building code updates with local amendments justified by Riverside's susceptibility to earthquakes, wildfires, and flooding.
• Establishing a $7,511 application fee for cannabis testing laboratory business permits that City staff describes as covering regulatory costs for site review, background checks, and safety compliance verification.
• Revisiting the establishment of the voter-approved Inspector General office following a 4-3 vote in October to delay approval over concerns about protecting the office's independence when retaining outside legal counsel.
• Approving a three-year animal services agreement with Riverside County for $16.8 million that includes significant shelter cost increases due to the City's high animal intake, while authorizing $865,000 for community programs aimed at reducing shelter admissions through spay/neuter clinics and adoption events.

Commission on Aging

The Commission on Aging meets on Monday, Nov. 17, at 4 p.m. (agenda) to review the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department's plan to create a Senior Strategic Plan that will guide programming decisions for Riverside's older residents.

Board of Public Utilities

The Board of Public Utilities meets on Monday, Nov. 17, at 6:30 p.m. (agenda) to consider approving $5.8 million in water main replacements, setting new energy efficiency targets, reviewing how low-income customers qualify for utility assistance, and updating Board policies.

Governmental Processes Committee

The Governmental Processes Committee (Councilmembers Falcone, Perry, and Conder) has a special meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 11 a.m. (agenda) to continue work that would create uniform operating standards for 16 advisory boards and commissions while facing opposition from four boards, consider recommendations from the Board of Ethicsto extend the ethics complaint filing deadlines and add digital conduct rules for elected and appointed officials, and review the City’s community engagement procedures that require public input on major city decisions including budgets and citywide plans.

Planning Commission

The Planning Commission meets on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 9 a.m. (agenda) to consider approval for a Galaxy Oil gas station on a vacant 1.35-acre industrial-zoned lot on Jurupa Avenue between Columbia Avenue and Dales Street that would operate continuously with camera monitoring but no permanent staff.

Economic Development Committee

The Economic Development Committee (Councilmembers Robillard, Cervantes, and Hemenway) meets on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 3 p.m. (agenda) to review City efforts to support local businesses through a rewards program for Small Business Saturday, workforce development strategies to connect education with employment needs, and streamlined processes for businesses renovating commercial spaces.

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GARDNER GAUGE

Ukrainian Refugee Meliia's Disneyland Dream Comes True Thanks to Riverside

Community support helps young lemonade entrepreneur and her family enjoy magical trip before moving to Orange County.

Much has happened for Ukrainian refugee Meliia Kondakova and her family. Many will remember her as the 9-year-old who opened a lemonade stand to raise money to go to Disneyland. Many Riversiders supported her by buying lemonade, the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce held a formal ribbon cutting to recognize her business and work ethic, and a GoFundMe page was started to help raise money for the Disneyland trip. The GoFundMe effort netted $5,135.

Thanks to everyone's efforts, Meliia, her mother Alina, father Tim, and grandmother Alla went to Disneyland Sunday, Nov. 2, through Tuesday the 4th. A stretch limousine picked them up at their home Sunday afternoon and delivered them to a hotel near Disneyland. They had connecting rooms, a step up from all four in the single Motel 6 room they shared when they first came to America. Monday morning, they went to Disneyland for the day. They were able to cover most of the park and rode many of the rides. Meliia was happy to see lots of Disney characters. She purchased several souvenirs for herself and her family, and more for some of her friends.

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SPORTS

Games of the Week: November 16-23

UCR @ CBU Basketball may be the best sports event in Riverside all year.

The Crosstown Showdown takes center stage this week as CBU hosts UC Riverside in Tuesday night's men's basketball clash. The Lancers come in riding a 2-0 start fueled by Preseason WAC Player of the Year Dominique Daniels Jr., who just earned WAC Player of the Week honors after averaging 19.5 points and 6.5 assists in victories over South Carolina-Upstate (87-75) and UC Irvine (69-61). Daniels Jr. dropped 23 points in the season opener and then dished out a career-high seven assists in Friday's road win at UCI. Now he gets to showcase that talent in the game that matters most to Riverside basketball fans - with bragging rights for the entire city on the line at the Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center.

While the Crosstown Showdown headlines the week, Riverside's football season reaches championship weekend with two local teams still alive in CIF-SS Division 9 semifinals. Ramona hosts Hesperia on Thursday night after the Bulldogs demolished Cerritos 48-22 in last Friday's quarterfinal, scoring 35 unanswered second-half points behind running back Lorenzo Sims and the explosive Rams offense. The Scorpions pulled off the upset of the round, knocking off fourth-seeded Norte Vista 21-7 to end the Braves' season. Meanwhile, Norte Vista's playoff dreams ended in that quarterfinal loss, and CSDR's historic three-year championship reign came to a close with a quarterfinal defeat to Faith Baptist in the 8-man Division 1 playoffs. On the soccer pitch, CBU's season concluded with heartbreak - a golden goal in extra time to San Jose State in the WAC tournament, ending the Lancers' quest for a conference title.

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What's Happening in Riverside

Today

• Board of Public Utilities at Riverside City Hall
• Clean Campus Competition at Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce
• Kind Moments Begin with You Giving Drive at RMC Charitable Foundation
• Monday Carillon Recitals at UCR Bell Tower

Tomorrow

• Rotary Club of Greater Riverside Chartering Celebration! at Zacatecas Cafe
• Pick Group: Professional Development Event with Sharon Morris at Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce
• Riverside County Board of Supervisors Meeting at County Administrative Center
• ScotSurplus Public Sale at ScotSurplus, UCR Corporation Yard
• World Ballet Company: Cinderella at Fox Performing Arts Center
• Tuesday Karaoke at The Hideaway

Save The Date 

• Nov 29: Holiday Marketplace at Arcade Coffee Roasters - Tasting Room
• Dec 6: Home and Story: Growing Up with the Museum at Riverside City College | Salvatore G. Rotella Digital Library and Learning Resource Center ($35- $50) 
• Dec 13: Olivewood Memorial Park Historical Cemetery Tour at Olivewood Memorial Park ($20) 
• Dec 13: Wreaths Across America at Evergreen Memorial Historic Cemetery

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🏆 Nominate a remarkable Riversider as Neighbor of the Week.