Sunday Gazette: October 4, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday! Picture 1875: a developer named Sayward dreams up a road so grand he wants it to run from the Temescal Mountains clear to San Bernardino. It doesn't happen — but what gets built instead becomes, in one old historian's words, "the pride and glory of Riverside."
It was named at the suggestion of one woman, wife of the man who drew up the plans. And here's the twist: the tree it's named for barely grew there. Too costly, too thirsty — it only went in at the cross streets, where irrigation ditches ran. The real center-median tree was something else entirely.
This street is one of the longest in Riverside, crossed by streets named for U.S. presidents in order, and it now reaches out of the city entirely into a neighbor to the west.
What street are we talking about, and what's actually planted on it?
Guesses to newsroom@raincrossgazette.com — and send your own Riverside lore while you're at it.
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HISTORY
The Missing Link in Riverside Baseball History
A Hall of Famer makes his professional debut in Riverside.
The beginning of October brings the time for the playoffs for Major League Baseball. By the end of the month, the World Series will be over, a new champion crowned, and baseball fans will have a good number of months before spring training. However, this year baseball fans have a treat to keep them into baseball in the months ahead. You can read all about baseball in Riverside thanks to the Riverside Historical Society (RHS). The latest occasional publication from RHS debuts on Sunday, October 4, at the 2026 Local History Book Fair and Talk. A History of Baseball in Riverside is an 838-page tome that will keep you entertained for hours. After consuming the wealth of information, you will know everything about baseball in the history of Riverside. From when Frank Miller of Mission Inn fame played the game in Riverside to today, our city has a rich baseball past. You'll learn about just about everything. As with any historical study, new facts always come to light. As one fellow historian once told me, “If you wait until you find everything, you will never publish.”
Just 24 hours after the RHS book went to press, Ruth McCormick, local history librarian extraordinaire at the Riverside Main Library, asked Claudia Rodriguez, the main RHS coordinator and driving force behind the baseball book, if she knew that a certain famous Hall of Famer started his professional career at Evans Park in Riverside. Claudia, knowing I planned to write an article to help introduce our new book, told me about this missing link.
The story begins with the old Brooklyn Dodgers, who ran a rookie camp at Evans Park in Riverside in 1953. Twenty-two rookie pitchers and catchers arrived first to begin their training. Then on Sunday, March 22, an additional twenty-five “flyhawks” (infielders and outfielders) reported. These forty-seven eager rookies were set to prove themselves to the Brooklyn Dodgers. One of them was a nineteen-year-old infielder named George Anderson.
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COMMUNITY
Riverside Poly Grad Finishes 13th in Age Group at World Triathlon Championships
Aidan Christopher, 18, completed the Olympic-distance race in Pontevedra, Spain, in just over three hours.
Riverside Polytechnic High School graduate Aidan Christopher finished 13th in his age group at the 2026 World Triathlon Championship Finals in Pontevedra, Spain, on Saturday, Sept. 26.
Christopher, 18, raced in the 18 to 19 open age group category of the Standard Distance race and crossed the finish line in 3 hours, 6 minutes and 18 seconds. He graduated from Poly this year and competed against amateur athletes from around the world.
The Standard Distance race, also known as the Olympic distance, combines a 1.5-kilometer (0.93-mile) swim, a 40-kilometer (24.8-mile) bike ride and a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) run, for a total of 51.5 kilometers, or about 32 miles.
About 5,400 athletes from 100 countries took part in the championships, according to a Facebook post from the Spanish Triathlon Federation. Team USA sent 45 athletes to the elite, elite para, under-23 and junior world title races, along with more than 600 amateur athletes in the age group events. Christopher competed as part of the age group team.
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CREATIVE PROMPTS
Ahead of Myself
A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns.
This week’s nudge is arriving early. Yes, that spatial arrangement made possible when you show up before the appointed time. Sometimes we arrive at our destination ahead of schedule because traffic has performed a rare disappearing act, or we want to be the first ones through the door. Some are simply built that way, arriving with minutes to spare and then wonder where to put them.
I always planned to arrive thirty minutes early for job interviews so I could stroll in ten minutes before my timeslot. That margin leaves room to find the right building/dept/office combo, figuring out parking rules, and maybe another scan of my resume. Being early sends signals I’m generally happy to transmit: this matters to me, I respect your time.
Of course, those signals depend on the occasion. Early to an interview can look prepared. Early to a dinner party can look like someone who needs a hobby. There’s a small performance involved in being available without making ourselves somebody else’s pet project. Sitting quietly can require more acting ability than we get credit for.
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Noteworthy
UCR Chancellor Jack Hu tests his spice tolerance in "Hot Scots," a Hot Ones–style interview named for mascot Scotty the Highlander, fielding hot-take questions from a UCR student between bites of fiery wings.
This Week in Riverside
Sunday, October 4
- Blessing of the Animals at All Saints' Episcopal Church
- Riverside Historical Society Local History Book Fair at Villegas Community Center
- Storytime in the Gardens at UCR Botanic Gardens
- Gardening for Butterflies at UCR Botanic Gardens
- Learn Origami at UCR Botanic Gardens
- Pop-up Shop, plants & branded merchandise at UCR Botanic Gardens
- Prayers and Public Information Meeting at Riverside Baha'i Center
- BofA Museums On Us offers FREE admission Oct 3 & 4, Riverside Art Museum at Riverside Art Museum
- Panel Discussion with Dr. Tracy Fisher & Curators Dr. Shannon Vittoria & Dr. Shipu Wang at Riverside Art Museum
- IE Zine Fest '26 at The Cheech Center for Chicano Art & Culture
- First Sundays: Riverside's First Labor Force at Main Street and Mission Inn Avenue
- FREE YOGA - The Evolution of Ashtanga with Kristin Varner at Community Yoga Center
- Insane Clown Posse at Riverside Municipal Auditorium
- Las Alucines - Tu Nuevo Estilo de Vida US Tour at Fox Performing Arts Center
- Seussical Jr and Seussical Kids at The Box Theater ($15- $22)
Monday, October 5
- Volunteer Interest Hour at Riverside Meals on Wheels
- Goeske Bingo at Janet Goeske Center ($20- $100)
- RUHS Vaccine Mobile Clinic at Digital Library
- Adult Ballet Class at Riverside Ballet Arts LLC
- Arch Enemy & The Black Dahlia Murder - Wrath Across North America 2026 at Riverside Municipal Auditorium
- FREE YOGA - Moody Mondays with Cherie Amour at Community Yoga Center
- Monday Carillon Recitals at UCR Bell Tower
Tuesday, October 6
- Volunteer Orientation at UCR Botanic Gardens
- ScotSurplus Sale at ScotSurplus Store
- 2nd Annual Cutest Pets Contest at Marcy Library
- FREE YOGA - Mandala Yoga with Alejandro at Community Yoga Center
- Veterans Resource Center Open House at Veterans Resource Center, Costo Hall 125 - Veterans Resource Center
- NOWS 2026 National Night Out: Tacos, Tunes & Teamwork for Safety at Eden Lutheran Church Parking Lot
- 2026 National Night Out at Orange Terrace Community Center
- Karaoke Tuesday Competition at The Hideaway
Wednesday, October 7
- Fifty & Better Health Fair at Janet Goeske Center
- Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
- Adult Ballet Class at Riverside Ballet Arts LLC
- FREE Reading Assistance Program (RAP) at My Learning Studio
- FREE YOGA - Seated Yoga with Kristin Varner at All Saints Episcopal Church
- History on the Rocks - Round Two! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation ($71.21)
- Men's Soccer vs UC San Diego at UCR Soccer Stadium
- Military & Veterans Alumni and Student Welcome Mixer at The Barn
- PEP: Mastering Mending with REPEAT, Reuse at Farm House Collective ($5)
- Riverside Jams at Carbon Nation Brewery
- Riverside Mission Belles at Victoria Presbyterian Church ($25)
Thursday, October 8
- History on the Rocks! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation ($71.21)
- Fey - Forever 17 Tour at Riverside Municipal Auditorium
- Killer Queen - A Tribute to Queen at Fox Performing Arts Center
- The Second California Gold Rush: There's Gold Growing in Them 'Thar Hills at Orange Terrace Community Center
- Twin Shadow at Farm House Collective
Friday, October 9
- Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
- Women's Volleyball vs. CSUN at SRC Arena
- Youth Archery (7-16 year olds) at Student Recreation Center (SRC), Glen Mor Fields
- Clue at California Baptist University's Wallace Theatre ($12- $15)
- DYING FETUS & SANGUISUGABOGG at Riverside Municipal Auditorium
- Rocky Horror Picture Show Spooktacular Tour with Nell Campbell at Fox Performing Arts Center
Saturday, October 10
- Riverside Citrus Classic at 3535 Riverside Plaza Dr.
- Donuts & Dragsters at Target Store Riverside-Arlington
- Ghouls for Drools at Foster Army Animal Rescue
- Magnolia Marketplace at Magnolia Church
- Fall Reception at UCR ARTS
- FREE YOGA - The Art of Vinyasa with Catherine Murray at Community Yoga Center
- FREE YOGA - Yin Yoga with Kristin Varner at Community Yoga Center
- Low-Cost Vaccination Clinic at Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center's Spay-Neuter Clinic ($10- $28)
- The Riverside Citrus Classic Bike Ride at Riverside Plaza ($15- $80)
- Women's Soccer vs. UC San Diego at UCR Soccer Stadium
- Women's Volleyball vs. Cal State Bakersfield at SRC Arena
- Galloween a Comedy Paint and Sip at BACK TO THE GRIND
- EZ Band at Riverside Municipal Auditorium
Save the Date
- Oct 11: FREE YOGA - The Evolution of Ashtanga with Kristin Varner at Community Yoga Center
- Oct 12: FREE YOGA - Moody Mondays with Cherie Amour at Community Yoga Center
- Oct 14: FREE YOGA - Seated Yoga with Kristin Varner at All Saints Episcopal Church
- Oct 16: Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
- Oct 17: FREE YOGA - The Art of Vinyasa with Catherine Murray at Community Yoga Center
- Oct 17: FREE YOGA - Yin Yoga with Kristin Varner at Community Yoga Center
- Oct 17: Spooky Music Organ Concert at First Congregational Church of Riverside ($30)
- Oct 22: Experience RUSD, Riverside Unified State of the District at Riverside Municipal Airport
- Oct 24: Vintage Car and Warbird Show at Riverside Airport - Commemorative Air Force Hanger and Museum
- Oct 25: A Glorious Celebration of America at 250 at Calvary Presbyterian Church ($15- $25)
- Nov 5: Les Miserables at Woodcrest Christian School ($15- $20)
- Nov 14: Riverside Veterans Parade - Downtown Riverside/Market St.
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