Friday Gazette: September 4, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Friday! Today is National Food Bank Day, and it lands right in Hunger Action Month. Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino is asking the Inland Empire to play its part this September, whether that's giving food, giving funds, giving time, or giving voice. Locally, food insecurity runs from 13.8% in Riverside County to 15.6% in San Bernardino County, so there's plenty of need close to home. You can donate or find ways to get involved directly through FARSB.
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HOUSING
Riverside Approves $1 Land Sale for Affordable Housing Project
The 10 income-restricted apartments will be part of a larger 64-unit mixed-use development near Mission Inn and University avenues.
Riverside sold a long-vacant Housing Authority lot for $1, clearing the way for 10 affordable apartments as part of a larger housing project.
Why it matters: The Mission Inn Avenue property sat unused for years. It's now becoming affordable housing within a 64-unit development that's been stalled since 2019.
Driving the news: The City Council, sitting as the Housing Authority Board, approved the sale and development agreement Tuesday after a public hearing drew no speakers.
- Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes recused herself over a campaign donation tied to the developer.
By the numbers: The city is writing down land valued at $245,860.76 to sell it for $1, counted as a local match for federal housing funds.
- The affordable portion costs about $5.7 million β roughly $570,000 per unit β a figure Councilmember Chuck Conder questioned at the meeting.
What they're saying: Councilmember Philip Falcone said the project disproves claims that Ward 1 lacks affordable housing, calling such claims "fake news."
What's next: The 10 affordable units β developed by Grapevine Development LLC at 2882 Mission Inn Ave. β must reach occupancy before the project's other 54 homes can, though both can be built at the same time. All 10 units stay affordable for 55 years.
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CITY HALL
City Council Approves $6 Million for Improvements at Martha McLean Anza Narrows Park
The $6 million in state grant funding will help bring a playground, restrooms and other amenities to the 40-acre riverside park.
Riverside's utilities board recommended lifting rooftop solar limits, closing an unused EV charging rate and updating three electric service rules.
Why it matters: If you're adding rooftop solar, the program can keep growing past its cap. EV rate customers already enrolled won't be affected, but new applicants lose the option, and ADU builders get clearer service rules.
What's new: The Board of Public Utilities voted unanimously Monday to recommend three changes for City Council to finalize.
- Lift the cap on the Self-Generation solar program, now at 72 megawatts β past its 64-megawatt limit.
- Close the Schedule EV rate to new customers; only 30 of 219 applicants ever completed installation.
- Revise rules on ADU electric service, master metering (closed to new accounts) and utility property access, including a 72-hour access notice standard.
Catch up quick: Net metering closed to new solar customers in 2022 after Riverside hit the state's 32-megawatt cap.
- Customers move to the newer self-generation program if they expand their system over 25%, replace it, or a new resident moves in.
Between the lines: Riverside Public Utilities said net metering created "a pretty large subsidy" other ratepayers covered β part of why the newer program exists.
- Board member Wohlgamuth asked if a newer meter adapter could revive Schedule EV; staff found no option on the market.
What's next: The recommendations head to City Council for final approval; no hearing date has been set yet.
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ARTS
Sight Unseen Returns to Riverside, Reframed for a New Generation
At the Inland Empire Civil Rights Institute, Douglas McCulloh's landmark exhibition on blind photographers reconsiders whose vision counts as sight.
Sight Unseen Reframed: International Photography by Blind Artists marked its return to Riverside at the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California on August 27, 2026. Originally curated by the late Douglas McCulloh in 2009 as Sight Unseen, the exhibition challenges the traditional views of modern art, believing that every artist - even those with no vision - can see.
McCulloh, an Inland Empire native, was a pioneering photographer in conceptual art, an art form that emphasizes mental construction - an idea that shaped his exploration of blind photography. Spreading awareness on the innovative works of blind photographers, McCulloh curated Sight Unseen in 2009, presenting pieces composed by, according to UCR ARTS, 12 of the most accomplished blind photographers in the world. His curation features the likes of Ralph Baker, Henry Butler, Kurt Weston, Evgen BavΔar and more, to help convey how those who are visually impaired "see."
Since its inception at the California Museum of Photography at UCR ARTS in 2009, the exhibition has traveled around the world. It has been presented at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC; Centro de la Imagen in Mexico City, Mexico; Flacon Art Complex in Moscow, Russia; Sejong Center in Seoul, South Korea; and Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Canada. The exhibition was recently reframed by Dawn Hassett and Timothy LeBlanc as Sight Unseen Reframed, adding new designs and accessibility features to the exhibition.
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Adoptable Pet of the Week
Meet Denny!
Meet this weekβs featured furry friend from the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center. Dedicated to eliminating pet homelessness, the center provides compassionate care and facilitates adoptions for animals in need of loving homes. Find your new companion and help support their mission of humane care and responsible pet ownership.
What's Happening in Riverside
Friday, September 4
- Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas CafΓ©
- Volunteer Interest Hour at Riverside Meals on Wheels
- FREE YOGA - The Evolution of Ashtanga with Kristin Varner at Community Yoga Center
- LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR by Neil Simon at Riverside Community Players ($20- $25)
- Sight Unseen Reframed Exhibition at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
Saturday, September 5
- Fertilizer happens: Gardening with Poultry at LandUse Learning Center
- Low-Cost Vaccination Clinic at Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center's Spay-Neuter Clinic ($10- $28)
- MLK NJROTC Cornhole Fundraiser Tournament at Martin Luther King High School ($100)
- BofA Museums On Us offers FREE admission Sep 5 & 6, Riverside Art Museum at Riverside Art Museum
- The Erections at Riverside Municipal Auditorium- Garden Room
- FREE YOGA - The Art of Vinyasa with Catherine Murray at Community Yoga Center
- FREE YOGA - Yin Yoga with Kristin Varner at Community Yoga Center
- Goeske Bingo at Janet Goeske Center ($20- $100)
- Salami Rose Joe Louis w/ Brandon at Farm House Collective
Sunday, September 6
- Volunteer Orientation at UCR Botanic Gardens
- Gardening for Butterflies at UCR Botanic Gardens
- Learn Origami at UCR Botanic Gardens
- Storytime in the Gardens at UCR Botanic Gardens
- Prayers and Public Information Meeting at Riverside Baha'i Center
- Men's Soccer vs UNLV at UCR Soccer Stadium
- Women's Soccer vs. North Dakota at UCR Soccer Stadium
- Sunday Experiment After Dark at Downtown Experiment
Save the Date
- Sep 7: FREE YOGA - Moody Mondays with Cherie Amour at Community Yoga Center
- Sep 7: FREE YOGA - The Evolution of Ashtanga with Kristin Varner at Community Yoga Center
- Sep 9: FREE Beginning Square Dance Lessons with Line Dancing at Cowtown Square Dance Center
- Sep 9: FREE YOGA - Seated Yoga with Kristin Varner at All Saints Episcopal Church
- Sep 11: Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas CafΓ©
- Sep 12: FREE YOGA - The Art of Vinyasa with Catherine Murray at Community Yoga Center
- Sep 12: FREE YOGA - Yin Yoga with Kristin Varner at Community Yoga Center
- Sep 13: Welcome Back Party! at First Congregational Church of Riverside
- Sep 18: Open Mic Night at Riverside Baha'i Center
- Sep 25: Moon Festival at Heritage House
- Oct 3: Aquamotion Aquathon at Shamel Pool
- Oct 7: Fifty & Better Health Fair at Janet Goeske Center
- Nov 14: Riverside Veterans Parade - Downtown Riverside/Market St.
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