🍊 Sunday Gazette: April 13, 2025

Sunday Gazette: April 13, 2025

Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday!

Today marks the beginning of Holy Week for many in our community—a time of reflection, tradition, and connection with family and faith. Whether you're observing the season or simply soaking in the magic of spring, I hope you both find and create peace this week.

HOUSING

Planning Commission: Yes to Church-Nonprofit Partnership to House Aged-Out Foster Youth

Olive Crest and Crest Community Church to create 'home with purpose' on church property

The Planning Commission unanimously approved a project to create housing for foster youth and struggling families. The development, called Crest Cottages, is a partnership between Olive Crest and Crest Community Church on Mount Vernon Avenue.

Driving the news: The project will feature 11 dwelling units, a multipurpose room, and outdoor amenities on church property, with groundbreaking expected this summer.

• The development aims to provide housing stability and support services for young adults and families transitioning to independence.

Why it matters: The partnership addresses Riverside's housing crisis while fostering community engagement and support for vulnerable populations.

• Pastor John Dixon of Crest Community Church describes the housing crisis as fundamentally a "crisis of community" or a "poverty of relationships."

The details: The site will include 10 two-bedroom units, one three-bedroom staff unit, and a multipurpose building for community activities.

• Security features, modern bungalow-style design, and landscaping with native and edible plants are part of the plan.

What they're saying: Nicholas Adcock, president and CEO of the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce, told commissioners the project addresses crucial community needs.

• Neighbors, including long-time resident Noriko Shimoji Cuaron, have endorsed the project, believing it will benefit both vulnerable youth and the broader community.

Read or share the complete story...

FOOD

Eat This Riverside: Lunch at the new Tuesday Farmers Market at Riverside Community Hospital

There’s a new weekly community market in Riverside. Stop by on Tuesdays and you might catch Seth chowing down on pupusas and Thai desserts in the shadow of the Riverside Community Hospital parking complex.

Seth never misses a market—and Riverside’s newest might be his favorite yet. Whether he's nibbling pickled herring in Amsterdam or chasing porchetta in Italy, Seth always finds his way to the local market. So when a new Tuesday farmers market popped up outside Riverside Community Hospital, he was first in line. Focused more on lunch than groceries, the market features samosas made by a retired LA shopkeeper, Sonoran hot dogs, Thai desserts, fresh produce, and a mix of crafty vendors.

Read Seth’s full dispatch from the stalls...

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NEIGHBOR OF THE WEEK

Neighbor of the Week: Jesse "Monstera" Aleman

Each week, we will introduce a new neighbor. This is not a who's who list. These are regular Riversiders doing exceptional things.

After 25 years in concrete construction, Jesse discovered a new creative path rooted in nature. Blending his longtime love of music with a passion for plants, he became a DJ and plant artist, launching a portable plant shop called Succs 2 B You. His inventive style and plant-forward creativity earned him the 2024 Mayor's Ball for the Arts Wild Card award for his Plant Art Exhibit at the Riverside Art Museum.

Born and raised in Casa Blanca, Jesse credits his neighborhood as the foundation of his journey. The community was the first place that embraced his DJ aspirations and provided positive role models that shaped his path. Through his creative ventures in plants and art, Jesse has brought unique perspectives to Riverside's creative scene. Plants have become more than a business for him; they've been therapeutic, helping with anxiety. All who know him—or even just work near him—say he fills every space with contagious joy. Whether spinning records or arranging greenery, Jesse brings a playful, vibrant energy to Riverside while proudly representing where he came from.

Get to know Jesse...

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CREATIVE PROMPTS

Chalked Up

A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns.

This week, I’m reaching into the toolbox I’ve used for decades as a teacher for this week’s creative nudge: a piece of chalk. Sure, modern classrooms feature “smartboards” or dry erase markers, but like the newspaper, it’s competing with a lot of advanced technology, and still finding ways to be relevant. 

At home, we use a small kitchen chalkboard that keeps track of who is cooking, alongside a running list of supplies needed from the store. It’s a tactile and visual way to keep in touch households connected without starting another group chat to get annoyed with!

Read or share the complete story...

COMICS

Citrus Belle #12: Adventerous Astounding April

Part 12 of Mangaka Sebraé Harris' Citrus Bellé comic series.

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This Week in Riverside

Sunday, April 13

• Raincross Runway Show at The Raincross District
• Riverside Public Library | 2025 Riverside Reads Book Discussion at Orange Terrace Library

Monday, April 14

• 28th Annual Tiger Backers Golf Classic at Riverside City College
• Beginners Round Dance Class Two Step at Cowtown Square Dance Center (Free- $10)
• Monday Carillon Recitals at UCR Bell Tower

Tuesday, April 15

• Volunteer Interest Hour at Riverside Meals on Wheels, Inc
• Meet the Author-David Allen at Riverside Woman's Club ($10- $15)
• Riverside Public Library | 2025 Riverside Reads Book Discussion at Ssgt. Salvador J. Lara Casa Blanca Library
• Inland Empire Chorus Rehearsal at Temple Beth El Synagogue
• Tuesday Karaoke at The Hideaway

Wednesday, April 16

• Certified Farmers Market at 10th & Lemon Streets
• Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
• Stretch & Dance Class at Janet Goeske Senior Center
• Beach Blossoms- Paint and Sip at The Old Spaghetti Factory
• Paint n Sip Party!! Jarrito!! at Retro on Main
• Riverside Open Mic Music Series at Back to the Grind

Thursday, April 17

• Baseball vs. UC San Diego at Riverside Sports Complex
• Sacar la Voz: An Evening with UCR Undocumented Alumni Activists at Riverside Art Museum
• Spring Paint and Sip at Tacos al Fuego

Friday, April 18

• Riverside Sunrise Rotary at Zacatecas Mexican Cafe
• Good Friday Prayer Breakfast at The Grove Community Church ($50- $300)
• 2025 Antioch Church Passover Seder at Antioch Church
• A Midsummer Night's Dream at Riverside Community Players
• Artistic Expression of Original Research at Barn Theater
• Immortal Technique + Mc Lyfe at The Hideaway Cafe & Lounge
• Planet Funk - Old School & Freestyle Party - Garden Room @ RMA at Riverside Municipal Auditorium ($15- $20)
• Whet Your Whistle: An Auditory Aperitif of the Bohemian Busker & Band at Urge Palette Art Supplies / Pain Sugar Gallery

Saturday, April 19

• Downtown Certified Farmers Market at Main Street at 5th
• Victoria Avenue Forever Workday at Meet at Lewis Garden
• Arbor Day / Earth Day Clean-Ups at Arlington Park and Riverwalk Center
• Historic Churches of Downtown Riverside at Chinese Pavilion ($23.18)
• Easter Eggstravaganza at Magnolia Church
• UCR Men's Soccer vs Long Beach City at UCR Soccer Stadium
• Women's Soccer vs. Arizona Western at UCR Soccer Stadium
• All We Imagine as Light at Culver Center of the Arts
• The Beatles Tribute at The Concert Lounge - Romano's Mission Grove
• Cumbiatron - The Cumbia Rave at Riverside Municipal Auditorium ($20)
• MEK with Tick, and Coda Bleak at Packinghouse Brewing Co.

Save The Date

• May 15: CBU Family Business Center Morning Meetup at CBU - Copenbarger Room
• May 17: Blue Zones Project - Riverside Kickoff Festival at Riverside Airport

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