Hillcrest, La Sierra and Norte Vista are now in our Back to School collection, meet Neighbor of the Week Katie Wider. Plus, Anthony Solorzano’s series continues and this week’s creative prompt is “New Paint Job.”
Hillcrest, La Sierra and Norte Vista are now in our Back to School collection, meet Neighbor of the Week Katie Wider. Plus, Anthony Solorzano’s series continues and this week’s creative prompt is “New Paint Job.”
Golden hour illuminates the sky above Orangecrest as dramatic clouds catch the sunset's warm glow, creating a stunning backdrop over this Riverside neighborhood home. (Brandon Gronlund) Have a photo that captures the spirit of Riverside? Share it with us and help celebrate the beauty of our community!
Sunday Gazette: August 31, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday! School is back, and the Gazette is cheering on every student, educator, parent and caregiver in Riverside. We want to apologize – on Friday we didn’t include every Riverside school and color. We are proud to support all our schools, students, and teams, and Hillcrest, La Sierra, and Norte Vista high schools are now all available to purchase!
To celebrate the new school year and show your Riverside pride, our 2025 Back to School Collection features signature tees in fresh colorways and youth sizes.We're offering pre-order pricing of $5 off every shirt through Sunday, September 14, with bundle-and-save options:
2-3 shirts: 15% off
4-5 shirts: 20% off
6+ shirts: 25% off
Mix & match 3+ shirts across adult/youth sizes for special pricing, plus buy 5, get the 6th 50% off
Use code EARLYBIRD at checkout for an extra 10% off on top of other discounts through Monday at midnight. Grab your bundle, save, and start the year showing your Riverside pride!
Thank you to the Subscribers who became paid supporters this week: Ms. Tracy A. Fitzsimmons, Nick Jacobs, Shirley Lewis, Walter Mueller and Jonathan Steele. Your ongoing financial support is vital to our success in serving Riverside with the news it deserves!
Each week, we will introduce a new neighbor. This is not a who's who list. These are regular Riversiders doing exceptional things.
Katie smiles warmly at the base of Mt. Rubidoux, the iconic landmark she's climbed over 1,600 times and helped preserve through decades of volunteer service with Friends of Mt. Rubidoux. (Brenda Flowers)
Katie has called Riverside home since 1971 and has spent more than five decades volunteering across the community. Her first volunteer work began with art activities for disabled adults at the Swiss Inn, and later expanded to the Riverside City & County Literacy Program, where her efforts helped both adults and children overcome illiteracy and other learning challenges. In 1995, her dedication was recognized with a JCPenney Golden Rule Award supporting the Literacy Program.
Katie’s volunteer work also includes long-term commitments to the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center and Friends of Mt. Rubidoux. At MSRPAC, she has supported countless fundraisers, helped launch the Spay/Neuter Clinic, participated in weekly and monthly animal wellness programs, and served on the board during the building of the new Pet Adoption Center. At Friends of Mt. Rubidoux, she has been a longtime board member, newsletter editor, and creator of an educational coloring book for children. Her contributions have helped preserve, restore, and celebrate Mt. Rubidoux Park for generations of visitors.
Beyond her extensive volunteering, Katie is deeply connected to Riverside’s history, culture, and community spirit. From walking Mt. Rubidoux over 1,600 times to supporting local businesses, she embodies the city’s values of service, stewardship, and engagement. Whether through animal welfare, education, or historic preservation, Katie’s decades of dedication make her a true cornerstone of Riverside.
Van Buren Boulevard, Where Traffic and Sleepiness Thrive
A series by Anthony Solorzano exploring Riverside through the eyes of a transplant, as the memory of a hometown slowly fades.
(Anthony Solorzano)
⚠️ WARNING: THE FOLLOWING COLUMN WILL BE FULL OF HYPERBOLE
Six months into life in Riverside, the community has been nothing but kind to me and my family. Neighbors watch out for us, readers cheer me on, and fellow writers point me toward great restaurants. No regrets. But if I had to nitpick, there is one place in Riverside that feels like pure evil in road form. A stretch of asphalt where traffic and sleepiness collide, where drivers fight boredom and the sleepy demon before they ever reach the freeway. Yes, I am talking about Van Buren Boulevard.
I prefer to see flaws as a marker of time’s inexorable passage. I like finding places where time and the elements have taken their toll, where the once-smooth facade is now cracking and revealing layers beneath. That’s where the real good stories come from. Ask any beloved childhood toy and it will tell you the same.
Can you imagine a quiet story etched into every flake and curl of peeling paint? Think of an old sign with faded letters and edges where the paint curls away like dried leaves – it tells a tale of a bygone era, of a business that may no longer exist, of countless Riverside summers endured. These worn-out places, where the paint peels and fades, possess a unique kind of beauty; a form of accidental abstract art; a testament to the constant transformation of our environment.
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.
Back to School Collection debuts, Planning Commission advances Riverside Alive, former Miss Riverside fights fentanyl crisis and meet Archie, adoptable pet of the week.
Council subcommittee urges trust in Inspector General formation, international art exhibition opens at Immanuel Lutheran and Meliia’s Disneyland fundraiser grows.
