One year after Riversideâs largest fire, part one of this two-part series looks at what happenedâand how the city is working to prevent it from happening again.
Luke LĂłpez, husband of Gazette team member Amy LĂłpez, snapped this pre-sunrise view on an early morning ride up Mt. Rubidouxâalways opting for dawn rides to make more time for family.
Sunday Gazette: June 15, 2025
Hello Riverside â Happy Sunday and Happy Fatherâs Day to all the dads out there! I lost my own dad nearly six years ago, so if today has a bit of a sting for you due to the loss or absence of a father figure, youâre not alone. At their best, fathers make the future brighter for those around them, and I encourage you to find a way to do that for someone today.
With so much civil and political tension present in Southern California since last Friday, this week has been a challenging one to be the publisher of a local newspaper. For those of you less familiar with The Gazetteâs capacity, we are an incredibly tiny team.
I monitor City Hall and provide most of our governmental reporting, but most of my time and energy is spent on building a sustainable financial future for this newsroom and working to grow our capacity through partnerships with local advertisers and inviting readers to become paid members.
Ken Crawford is our full-time community editor and the only reporter in town exclusively dedicated to covering Riverside. His focus, from small businesses to arts and sports, is on covering the people and events that make this city so special.
Amy LĂłpez is our part-time content manager who edits and publishes our work while also making offerings like our calendar, Neighbor of the Week features, and community contributor articles the best they can be.
Itâs a tiny team, and we have big ambitions â weâre just not yet at the spot where we can cover everything thatâs happening and matters in Riverside. If you feel like our coverage has in some way let you down this week, please know â I agree, and Iâm throwing everything Iâve got into building the newsroom you deserve. Iâm always open to feedback; simply reply to any of our newsletters. And if you believe weâve got what it takes to become the newsroom Riverside needs, please consider joining 485 Riversiders and become a paid member that helps fund our team.
See you tomorrow, Justin
P.S. On Friday, we published an Open Letter from Raincross Group, "To Our Federal Representatives." As a publication named The Raincross Gazette, I should have been much more clear that Raincraoss Group, while similarly named, is a distinct advocacy organization that has been working in Riverside since 1987, and the open letter was not written by me or anyone in our newsroom.
In full transparency, I have been a member of Raincross Group since January 2025, and I also abstained from voting on that letter.
Once it was submitted to our newsroom, I chose to publish it because for years I have known Raincross Group to be a thoughtful multi-partisan group of individuals working to "help Riverside remain a vibrant city spearheaded by effective leaders." I work hard to source and publish viewpoints from all sorts of political views from Riversiders sincerely advocating on behalf of our city.
Please forgive the confusion I created by being unclear about the authorship of the open letter. I will continue to make mistakes while building this newsroom and remain committed to taking responsibility and learning from them. Thank you for your understanding.
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Thank you to the Subscribers who became paid supporters this week: Yvette Find, Sandra Mackey, David Maxfield, Conrad Nordquist and Ronald E. Witte.. Your ongoing financial support is vital to our success in serving Riverside with the news it deserves!
From Desert Jewel to Hidden Gem: The Story of Riversideâs White Park Cactus Garden
Once hailed as a world-class botanical marvel, the White Park cactus garden has faded from viewâbut new plans aim to restore this historic Riverside treasure to its former glory.
Four Women Posing Among the Cactus in 1910. (Authorâs Collection)
Established in 1883, it was the first park in Riverside. Within the original mile square, it was initially called City Park. In 1899, City Park was renamed White Park in honor of Albert White, an early park commissioner who was instrumental in developing the park.
However, another name that needs to be included in the development of White Park is horticulturist Franz Hosp. In August 1888, the city hired Hosp to develop plans for the ornamentation of City Park at a cost of $2,500. By 1893, a reporter noted that the park's most unique feature was Hospâs miniature desert, which featured every variety of cactus known in California. The park contained more than 200 different varieties of cactus. He returned with cactus from excursions into the Colorado Desert and the desert near Twentynine Palms. One was a 12-foot-tall giant cactus (Cereus giganteus). As a landscape architect for the Santa Fe Railroad, Hosp traveled along the railroad's lines throughout the Southwest and brought specimens home.
Father's Day Edition: Justin Pardee & Ken Crawford
This week, weâre spotlighting two of the dads behind The Raincross Gazetteâcelebrating the father figures who lead with love, show up without fanfare, and shape lives in quiet, powerful ways. These arenât celebritiesâjust regular Riversiders doing the most important job there is.
On the left, Justin with his family, and on the right, Ken with his family. (Courtesy of Lindy Pardee and ShawnÄ Crawford)
Weâve tweaked our usual Q&A and handed the mic to two of our favorite local dadsâJustin, our founder and publisher, and Ken, our community reporterâto hear about fatherhood, family traditions, and what keeps them grounded. But first, hereâs a little of what their families have to say about them.
Justin is the engine that keeps his family movingâequal parts planner, handyman, and the heart of the party. Whether heâs organizing hangouts or diving into a house project, he brings energy, laughter and love into everything he does.
Ken was made for fatherhood. His steady presence, sense of humor and quiet strength set a powerful example for his sons. Thoughtful and kind, he shows up for his family in all the ways that matter.
This week, we're engaging with an easy-to-spot object that's deeply rooted in Riverside's identity: citrus skin. As the familiar, fragrant white blooms of spring begin to thin, reminding us that summer approaches, our city's citrus trees continue to offer a wealth of sensory experiences, even after their fruit has been eaten.
For me, citrus skin holds a particular allure. I'm fortunate to have several varieties of citrus in my yard, thanks in part to Riversideâs âTree Power Programâ started in 2001. Indirectly, perhaps that is why my urban foraging includes a wild citron tree thriving near the intersection of Alessandro Boulevard and Chicago Avenue (where it confusingly transforms into Arlington and Central, respectively). The skin of the citron makes it look like a large, rough lemon. Or rather, lemons could be said to be smooth, small citronâŚit depends on which direction you are driving!
Plan Ahead for a Season of Spectacle: Tickets for A CBU Christmas and 2025â26 Theatre Now Available
California Baptist University opens ticket sales earlier than ever for its popular performing arts lineup, encouraging Riverside families to secure seats now for a season of musicals, plays, and a beloved holiday tradition.
(Courtesy of California Baptist University)
Tickets are now on sale for A CBU Christmas and the 2025â26 theatre season. Due to popular demandâand two consecutive years of sold-out performancesâCalifornia Baptist University has made ticket offerings available earlier than ever before.
âWeâre thrilled to announce the upcoming season of the School of Performing Arts theatre performances and to welcome CBU friends, families, and our surrounding community to reserve their seats early,â said Dr. Joseph Bolin, dean of the Shelby and Ferne Collinsworth School of Performing Arts. âThis yearâs theatre season offers something fresh and exciting for every audience, and our 2025 production of A CBU Christmas promises to be our most spectacular yetâushering in the holiday season with joy, wonder, and unforgettable artistry.â
