The latest traffic stop data reveals persistent disparities, with Black drivers stopped at more than double their population share. Commissioners called for further review, but formal discussion is still pending.
City Council does not meet this week. Board reviews of the City's Code of Ethics and Conduct and potential revisions to boards' and commissions’ structure and rules will be considered.
Last week on Memorial Day, a family walked among the flags at Riverside National Cemetery—each one a solemn tribute to a life lost in service. A quiet moment, heavy with remembrance. (Bob Sirotnik)
Sunday Gazette: June 1, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday! It’s that time of year when the days feel a little longer, the pace slows just a touch, and we all start looking for ways to make the most of it. Be on the lookout for June’s Raincross Rundown, where the Gazette team shares what we’re most excited about in the month ahead. In the meantime, you can browse past rundowns.
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Thank you to the Subscribers who became paid supporters this week: Gary Christmas, Mike Futrell, Mary-Layne Norby and Debbie Waltzer. Your ongoing financial support is vital to our success in serving Riverside with the news it deserves!
Tragedy on the Tracks: The 1905 Train Wreck That Shook Riverside
A devastating misread order led to a high-speed collision between two trains on the Salt Lake Route, killing two and injuring six. Over a century later, echoes of the crash still reverberate through Riverside’s rail history.
Photo of Salt Lake Bridge. (Author’s Collection)
On June 6, 1905, a tragic train crash occurred on the Salt Lake Route Railroad. Senator William A. Clark built the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad, also known as the Salt Lake Route. He wished to join the list of railroad barons and decided to construct his rail line from Los Angeles to the rich mineral areas of Utah. The first passenger train arrived in Riverside on March 12, 1904. The railroad entered Riverside over a newly constructed bridge across the Santa Ana River. When it was built in 1903, the bridge was the longest concrete bridge in the world. Over 120 years later, Union Pacific still runs numerous trains daily over this bridge and along the same line into Riverside and beyond. Soon after crossing the bridge at mile marker 52.3, trains round a curve near Streeter Street.
A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns.
Erin beams outside the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center, cradling a sweet pup ready for a new home. (Brenda Flowers)
June is National Foster a Pet Month, and for Riverside native Erin, fostering animals has become a way of life. Erin grew up in Riverside and got an early taste of community involvement through 4-H, Assisteens, and National Charity League. It didn’t take long for her to discover that volunteering with animals was her favorite way to give back.
Today, she works as a school counselor for Riverside Unified School District and continues to dedicate her time to animal rescue—primarily with the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center. Erin began volunteering with MSRPAC in 2009 and served on the board from 2021 to 2025. She enjoys walking dogs and helping out at events, but her true passion is fostering.
Over the past 15 years, Erin has fostered around 900 pets—mostly moms and their puppies, though she likes to mix things up with the occasional kitten. A few years ago, she remodeled her garage into a dedicated puppy nursery, complete with an easy-to-clean floor and temperature control to make the fostering process even smoother. These days, friends don’t ask if she has fosters—they ask what fosters she has. The need is so constant that she’s often dropping off one litter for adoption and picking up another on the same day.
Erin often hears people call Riverside a “small town,” and that rings especially true in the foster world. She’s been able to connect with fellow fosters and adopters from all walks of life. One of her favorite things is when a casual conversation leads to the realization that someone’s beloved pet was one of her fosters—sometimes from as far back as seven years ago. For Erin, that’s one of the best parts of the “Riverside effect.”
This week, we’re shifting our gaze from vibrant lines to subtle impressions, from deliberate strokes to residual traces: the footprint. From the fossilized evidence of life striding across mudflats to the telltale streaks of paint tracked from an outdoor art project onto your pristine living room rug, footprints are undeniable informants. They are silent witnesses, rich with data. They tell us not just that someone or something was there, but often how they were there, what they were doing, and even where they were headed.
Our title this week references a classic bit from Curly of the Three Stooges where he misstates, "I hear footprints," instead of "I hear footsteps." And while it’s a gag, it also offers a profound distinction for me. "Footsteps" are about the immediate sound, the superficial presence, the what of a fleeting moment. "Footprints," however, imply a deeper impression, a lasting mark — the why and how that lingers after the initial event.
