> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.raincrossgazette.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 🗞️ Riverside News- October 19, 2025 - URL: https://www.raincrossgazette.com/riverside-news-october-19-2025/ - Published: 2025-10-19T12:00:49.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-09T02:17:29.000Z - Description: Swedish builder's legacy, scientist neighbor honored... - Author: Gazette Staff - Tags: Newsletter ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/b3/b2/b3b29e3b-298e-485f-86ca-3034c21e3784/content/images/2025/10/IMG_5364-2.jpg) "A piece of -- a ray of -- light coming down through the late twilight sky as I drove home on the 60 freeway about a week ago." (Michael J. Elderman) Have a photo that captures the spirit of Riverside? [Share it with us](https://goldstandardca.notion.site/13eef165d2ee80fa91c3de069cc9ec29?ref=raincrossgazette.com) and help celebrate the beauty of our community! **Sunday Gazette: October 19, 2025** **Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday!** We know Sunday evenings can bring that familiar flutter of nerves about the week ahead. Whether it's taking a mindful walk, setting a positive intention for your week, or simply spending time with loved ones, there are gentle ways to ease into Monday. Why not take a peaceful stroll through your favorite Riverside spot this evening? Snap a photo of where you go to unwind – whether it's a cozy corner of your home, a bench at Fairmount Park, or that perfect sunset view from Mount Rubidoux – and tell us what makes it special. Send your photos and stories to [newsroom@raincrossgazette.com](mailto:newsroom@raincrossgazette.com). We're all in this together! 🧡 Thank you to the Subscribers who became paid supporters this week: Charlotte Waggoner and Emily Warmann. [Your ongoing financial support](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/#/portal/account/plans) is vital to our success in serving Riverside with the news it deserves! --- #### [HISTORY](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/tag/history/) ## From Swedish Immigrant to Mount Rubidoux Master Builder: The Gunnar Kjellberg Story How a 17-year-old zanjero became the foreman who shaped Riverside's most iconic landmark and built the infrastructure that still serves the city today. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/b3/b2/b3b29e3b-298e-485f-86ca-3034c21e3784/content/images/2025/10/6-Kjellburg--Gunnar---Home-1.jpg)](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/from-swedish-immigrant-to-mount-rubidoux-master-builder-the-gunnar-kjellberg-story) Gunnar and Francisca Kjellberg in front of their home at 4411 Rubidoux Ave. (Courtesy of Jensen-Alvarado Ranch and Museum) In 1877, at the young age of 17, Gunnar immigrated from Sweden to the United States, settling in Galesburg, Illinois, where a Swedish enclave was already established. In Galesburg, he became acquainted with a group of people who planned to move to Riverside, California. Among them were S. H. Ferris and the Johnson brothers, O.T. and A. T., all of whom became prominent in early Riverside history. Arriving in Riverside in 1885 by the private train car of Ferris and Johnson, he took a job as a zanjero or ditch tender. He soon rose to the position of a superintendent on the irrigation systems of the Riverside Water Co. In 1887, Kjellberg oversaw the project that brought water from the artesian wells in the San Bernardino basin to the city of Riverside. The Hotel Rubidoux Association carried this out. This association obtained a portion of the mountain and the surrounding area in exchange for this work. The plan was to subdivide lots below the mountain and construct an elaborate tourist hotel rivaling the Del Coronado in the area above Pepper (now Redwood) between Ninth and 11th streets. [Read and share the complete story...](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/from-swedish-immigrant-to-mount-rubidoux-master-builder-the-gunnar-kjellberg-story) --- Advertisement ([Become an advertiser](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/advertise/)) [![Advertisement](https://ad.broadstreetads.com/zone_static/169513/image/0?seed=20251019)](https://ad.broadstreetads.com/zone%5Fstatic/169513/click/0?seed=20251019&ref=raincrossgazette.com) --- #### [NEIGHBOR OF THE WEEK](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/tag/neighbor-of-the-week/) ## Neighbor of the Week: Dr. Arturo Gómez-Pompa Each week, we will introduce a new neighbor. This is not a who's who list. These are regular Riversiders doing exceptional things. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/b3/b2/b3b29e3b-298e-485f-86ca-3034c21e3784/content/images/2025/10/RG-Feat-Image-Template-70.jpg)](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/neighbor-of-the-week-dr-arturo-gomez-pompa) Dr. Arturo Gómez-Pompa, Tyler Prize Laureate and UC Riverside Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Botany (Courtesy of [Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement](https://www.tylerprize.org/?ref=raincrossgazette.com)) As part of our special weekly tradition, we recognize Riverside residents who help make our city stronger, kinder and more connected. This week, we honor Dr. Arturo Gómez-Pompa as our Neighbor of the Week, celebrating an extraordinary life of scientific achievement, environmental stewardship, and community building. Dr. Gómez-Pompa, who passed away on September 17, 2025, at age 90, transformed UC Riverside into a West Coast center for tropical plant science during his more than two decades as University Professor and Distinguished Professor of Botany. Born in Mexico City in 1934, he was among the first voices to sound the alarm about rainforest destruction worldwide. After earning his doctorate at UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico), he brought his expertise to UCR, where he became not just a researcher but an institution-builder. He founded the UC Institute for Mexico and the United States (UC MEXUS), creating lasting bridges between California and Mexico that strengthened collaborative research and cultivated generations of graduate scholars. [Read and share the full tribute to Dr. Gómez-Pompa...](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/neighbor-of-the-week-dr-arturo-gomez-pompa) --- Advertisement ([Become an advertiser](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/advertise/)) [![Advertisement](https://ad.broadstreetads.com/zone_static/169515/image/0?seed=20251020)](https://ad.broadstreetads.com/zone%5Fstatic/169515/click/0?seed=20251020&ref=raincrossgazette.com) --- #### [CREATIVE PROMPTS](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/tag/creative-prompts/) ## Staple Gun A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns. [![woman holding gray and black staple](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1513785156060-cb7524dbd830?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDl8fHN0YXBsZXJ8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzYwNzIzNDU5fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000)](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/staple-gun) ([jose aljovin](https://unsplash.com/@josealjovin?ref=raincrossgazette.com)/[Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)) This week, we’re coming back to earth, specifically the demands and resources of our day jobs. Our hard work is supported by many people, and countless types of office supplies, but today our focus is staples. Sure, staples are a white-collar worker’s tool, a solution to a paperwork problem, but they are also a source of pure frustration. When you need a staple and don’t have one, irrational anger is one of my reactions. There are [few things more annoying than an empty stapler](https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/handheld-gaming-pcs/a-gamestop-store-has-reportedly-been-stapling-customer-receipts-to-switch-2-boxes-and-puncturing-holes-in-the-screens/?ref=raincrossgazette.com), especially when the supply closet is two floors down, and yet, it seems there might be enough half-empty boxes of staples to keep offices running for 900 more lifetimes. This curious paradox of abundance and absence is where our creative nudge begins. [Read and share this week's complete prompt...](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/staple-gun) --- Advertisement ([Become an advertiser](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/advertise/)) [ ![Advertisement](https://ad.broadstreetads.com/zone_static/169514/image/0?seed=20251019) ](https://ad.broadstreetads.com/zone%5Fstatic/169514/click/0?seed=20251019&ref=raincrossgazette.com) --- 📣 ****See something? Say something.** Your tips and ideas are what fuel The Raincross Gazette. If you know of something newsworthy happening in our city, please [share it with us](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/contact/). --- ## This Week in Riverside ### Sunday, October 19 - [48th Annual Mission Inn Run](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/48th-annual-mission-inn-run/15995968/2025-10-19T07) at Downtown Riverside ($54.98 - $97.68) - [Blue Zones Project Riverside - Mission Inn Run Cheer Squad](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/blue-zones-project-riverside-mission-inn-run-cheer-squad/16955305/2025-10-19T08) at Mission Inn - [**Free Christian Art Exhibit: Icons in Transformation**](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/free-christian-art-exhibit-icons-in-transformation/16086518/2025-10-19T13) at Immanuel Lutheran Church - [Women's Soccer vs. Cal State Bakersfield](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/womens-soccer-vs-cal-state-bakersfield/16168271/2025-10-19T19) at UCR Soccer Stadium - [English Country Dance](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/english-country-dance/16643078/2025-10-19T15) at First United Methodist Church of Riverside - [RCC Wind Ensemble Concert](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/rcc-wind-ensemble-concert/17079875/2025-10-19T16) at Riverside City College - [Los Dareyes De La Sierra](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/los-dareyes-de-la-sierra/17033308/2025-10-19T19) at Fox Performing Arts Center ($57.64) ### Monday, October 20 - [Volunteer Interest Hour](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/volunteer-interest-hour/14995048/2025-10-20T09) at Riverside Meals on Wheels, Inc - [Monday Carillon Recitals](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/monday-carillon-recitals/17079871/2025-10-20T12) at UCR Bell Tower - [Jazz Ensembles Concert](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/jazz-ensembles-concert/17079876/2025-10-20T19) at Riverside City College ### Tuesday, October 21 - [City Council](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/city-council/17125784/2025-10-21T13) at Riverside City Hall - [Community Response Workshop: United Against Hate Week](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/community-response-workshop-united-against-hate-week/17125607/2025-10-21T18) at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern - [Riverside County Board of Supervisors Meeting](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/riverside-county-board-of-supervisors-meeting/15774373/2025-10-21T09) at County Administrative Center - [Tuesday Karaoke](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/tuesday-karaoke/12771587/2025-10-21T19) at The Hideaway - [Downtown's Decline: The Golden Age of Riverside Punk Rock](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/downtowns-decline-the-golden-age-of-riverside-punk-rock/17079784/2025-10-21T18) at The Barn - [Two-Piece, Chain Gang and More](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/twopiece-chain-gang-and-more/17081460/2025-10-21T18) at The Raincross District - [The Witcher in Concert](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/the-witcher-in-concert/16074996/2025-10-21T19) at Fox Performing Arts Center ### Wednesday, October 22 - [Stretch & Dance Class](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/stretch-dance-class/16576923/2025-10-22T09) at Janet Goeske Senior Center - [Bordwell Park Advisory Committee](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/bordwell-park-advisory-committee/16552261/2025-10-22T11) at Stratton Community Center - [Community Police Review Commission](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/community-police-review-commission/14948769/2025-10-22T17) at Riverside City Hall - [Inland Empire Archives Fair 2025](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/inland-empire-archives-fair-2025/16329842/2025-10-22T10) at Rivera Library - [Latin Heritage Soccer Game](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/latin-heritage-soccer-game/17079787/2025-10-22T19) at UCR Soccer Stadium - [Men's Soccer vs. Cal Poly](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/mens-soccer-vs-cal-poly/16168272/2025-10-22T19) at UCR Soccer Stadium - [Riverside College and Career Fair](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/riverside-college-and-career-fair/16629063/2025-10-22T16) at Galleria At Tyler - [Riverside East Rotary Club](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/riverside-east-rotary-club/13565436/2025-10-22T07) at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern - [Riverside Mission Belles](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/riverside-mission-belles/16691431/2025-10-22T09) at Victoria Presbyterian Church - [Riverside Open Mic Music Series](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/riverside-open-mic-music-series/15529475/2025-10-22T17) at Back to the Grind ### Thursday, October 23 - [Economic Development Committee](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/economic-development-committee/17125600/2025-10-23T15) at Riverside City Hall - [Planning Commission](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/planning-commission/17125599/2025-10-23T09) at Riverside City Hall - [Guitar Ensembles Concert](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/guitar-ensembles-concert/17079877/2025-10-23T19) at Riverside City College - [**History on the Rocks! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation**](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/history-on-the-rocks-presented-by-the-mission-inn-foundation/17085742/2025-10-23T17) at The Mission Inn Foundation ($49.87) - [Downtown Riverside Haunted Tours Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/downtown-riverside-haunted-tours-presented-by-the-mission-inn-foundation/16582146/2025-10-23T19) at Tour Starts In front of Eliza Tibbets Statue ($39.19) - [Riverside Ghost Tour - SBC](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/riverside-ghost-tour-sbc/16028188/2025-10-23T18) at ($35) - [UC Riverside Highlanders Women's Volleyball vs. Cal Poly Mustangs](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/uc-riverside-highlanders-womens-volleyball-vs-cal-poly-mustangs/16745789/2025-10-23T18) at UC Riverside Student Recreation Center - [Women's Volleyball vs. Cal Poly](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/womens-volleyball-vs-cal-poly/16329843/2025-10-23T18) at SRC Arena ### Friday, October 24 - [Mt. Rubidoux Walking Tour](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/mt-rubidoux-walking-tour/16462134/2025-10-24T07) at Mt. Rubidoux Trailhead, a short walk from Ryan Bonaminio Park. ($21) - [All That Creeps and Crawls at Heritage House](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/all-that-creeps-and-crawls-at-heritage-house/16968138/2025-10-24T18) at Heritage House - [Blippi: Join the Band](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/blippi-join-the-band/16074999/2025-10-24T17) at Fox Performing Arts Center - [Candy Rush Trunk N Treat](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/candy-rush-trunk-n-treat/16943343/2025-10-24T18) at Sandals Church Palm Ave - [Horror Island Downtown Riverside Bar Crawl](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/horror-island-downtown-riverside-bar-crawl/17081465/2025-10-24T19) at ProAbition - [Insane Clown Posse](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/insane-clown-posse/16869925/2025-10-24T18) at Riverside Municipal Auditorium - [Murder Mystery Co. Dinner Theater Show at The Old Spaghetti Factory](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/murder-mystery-co-dinner-theater-show-at-the-old-spaghetti-factory/16580912/2025-10-24T19) at The Old Spaghetti Factory ($69) - [Noche de Cumbia @ The Hideaway Riverside!](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/noche-de-cumbia-the-hideaway-riverside/17018063/2025-10-24T21) at The Hideaway Cafe & Lounge - [Tragic Endings, Ghostly Meal, & Tour](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/tragic-endings-ghostly-meal-tour/16693489/2025-10-24T17) at A Historic (haunted) Victorian mansion in Riverside ($75) - [Tributes to IRON MAIDEN & TWISTED SISTER!](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/tributes-to-iron-maiden-twisted-sister/17018064/2025-10-24T21) at The Concert Lounge - Romano's Mission Grove - [**You're a Good Man Charlie Brown**](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/youre-a-good-man-charlie-brown/16894726/2025-10-24T19)at The Box Theater ($22- $25) ### Saturday, October 25 - [Aquamotion Aquathon](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/aquamotion-aquathon/16835922/2025-10-25T09) at Shamel Park Pool - [Men's Soccer vs Cal State Bakersfield](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/mens-soccer-vs-cal-state-bakersfield/16168273/2025-10-25T19) at UCR Soccer Stadium - [**Free Christian Art Exhibit: Icons in Transformation**](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/free-christian-art-exhibit-icons-in-transformation/16086560/2025-10-25T10) at Immanuel Lutheran Church - [Doors Open Riverside](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/doors-open-riverside/17125608/2025-10-25T13) at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern - [Paisley Jones with Legacy of Prince Band](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/paisley-jones-with-legacy-of-prince-band/17163977/2025-10-25T18) at Farm House Collective ($20- $60) - [The Black Jacket Symphony Presents AC/DC's 'Back in Black'](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/the-black-jacket-symphony-presents-acdcs-back-in-black/15377278/2025-10-25T19) at Fox Performing Arts Center ($35- $98) - [Boos in the Night](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/boos-in-the-night/17117214/2025-10-25T19) at First United Methodist Church of Riverside - [Friends of the Mission Inn Present: Nosferatu - a Silent Movie](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/friends-of-the-mission-inn-present-nosferatu-a-silent-movie/16686682/2025-10-25T12) at The Mission Inn ($30- $35) - [Kublai Khan TX](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/kublai-khan-tx/15744498/2025-10-25T17) at Riverside Municipal Auditorium ($61) - [Nosferatu - A Vampire Silent Movie](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/nosferatu-a-vampire-silent-movie/16643394/2025-10-25T12) at The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa - [**Olivewood Memorial Park Historical Cemetery Tour**](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/olivewood-memorial-park-historical-cemetery-tour/17114266/2025-10-25T10) at Olivewood Memorial Park ($20) - [Paws and Pumpkins Halloween Bash](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/paws-and-pumpkins-halloween-bash/17037815/2025-10-25T10) at Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center ($25) - [Riverside Electric Light Parade Monthly Ride Experience](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/riverside-electric-light-parade-monthly-ride-experience/15024026/2025-10-25T16) at 4050 Main Street - [Riverside Halloween Bar Crawl](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/riverside-halloween-bar-crawl/14849796/2025-10-25T16) at Killer Queens Social House - [Riverside Philharmonic Presents: Thrillers from Screen & Stage](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/riverside-philharmonic-presents-thrillers-from-screen-stage/17081471/2025-10-25T14) at Henry W. Coil Sr. and Alice Edna Coil School for the Arts - [Succulent Pumpkin Workshop](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/succulent-pumpkin-workshop/17079791/2025-10-25T10) at Botanic Gardens, Meeting Room - [Trunk-n-Treat](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/trunkntreat/17147933/2025-10-25T17) at Trinity Lutheran Church ### Save the Date - October 26: [Free Christian Art Exhibit: Icons in Transformation](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/free-christian-art-exhibit-icons-in-transformation/16086518/2025-10-26T13) at Immanuel Lutheran Church - November 15: [NORA's 44th Annual Dinner & Auction Gala](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/noras-44th-annual-dinner-auction-gala/16951555/2025-11-15T17) at Victoria Club ($175) - December 6: [Home and Story: Growing Up with the Museum](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/#/details/home-and-story-growing-up-with-the-museum/16978374/2025-12-06T14) at Riverside City College | Salvatore G. Rotella Digital Library and Learning Resource Center ($35- $50) 🗓️ [See More Events](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/calendar/)📝 [Submit Your Event](https://hub.cityspark.com/Event/Submission/Raincross?ref=raincrossgazette.com) 📸 [Submit a photo](http://raincrossgazette.com/submitphoto?ref=raincrossgazette.com) to be featured in our newsletters and social media accounts. 🏆 [Nominate a remarkable Riversider](https://rgnotw.paperform.co/?ref=raincrossgazette.com) as Neighbor of the Week.