Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday! Tomorrow’s the big day—our Toast to 10,000 Subscribers kicks off Monday, June 30 at 6:00 p.m. at Bar Ni Modo inside the Farmhouse Collective. Free drink tickets are all spoken for, but if you’d like to come out and celebrate with the Gazette team and fellow readers, please do—we’d love to see you there.
Thank you for believing in the work we’re doing to build a newsroom dedicated to hyperlocal Riverside news. Your support, readership and encouragement make this all possible—and we can’t wait to raise a glass together!
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Thank you to the Subscribers who became paid supporters this week: Michelle Gilleece, Louise D Moore and Tom Rowden. Your ongoing financial support is vital to our success in serving Riverside with the news it deserves!
Leaving Pomona for the Side — Transplant and the City
A series by Anthony Solorzano exploring Riverside through the eyes of a transplant, as the memory of a hometown slowly fades.
(Anthony Solorzano)
It took 34 years for me to finally leave the city I learned to love, defend and fight for. I was born, raised and tested by the surroundings of Pomona, but my family and I bought a house in Riverside. For the first time in my life, I will call a different city my home, and it makes me feel like a transplant.
We went from the 39th most populated city in California to the 12th, according to California demographics. Our new home is still a stranger to our sense of direction. My best friend is still a GPS, and I still need to find a dentist.
Museum of Riverside Breaks Ground on Long-Awaited Renovation
Officials celebrate launch of transformation project for historic 1912 building, with reopening planned for 2027.
Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson addresses audience at the Museum of Riverside groundbreaking ceremony. (Ken Crawford)
The Museum of Riverside has officially begun a major renovation project, transforming its 1912 post office building into a modern facility while preserving its landmark status. The groundbreaking ceremony, marked by a "drywall smashing" event, signals the start of a multi-year effort to modernize the institution.
Driving the news: Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson and city officials gathered to celebrate the project's launch, emphasizing its significance for future generations.
The renovation, funded by Measure Z and the city, aims to create accessible, community-centered spaces while maintaining the building's historic character.
Why it matters: The project represents Riverside's commitment to balancing preservation with progress, updating a beloved institution for the 21st century.
The museum has operated without its main facility for several years, continuing to serve the community through alternative programming.
By the numbers: The museum stewards over 200,000 artifacts and 2,000 linear feet of archives covering natural history, Indigenous resources, and regional history.
What's next: Construction is underway, with the museum expected to reopen in 2027.
Throwback Video Highlights Fairmount Park's Rich History
The 2013 footage showcases the historic park's amenities and attractions as the city gathers community feedback on future improvements.
The Bandshell is one of Fairmount Park’s most prominent architectural features. (Ken Crawford)
A 2013 video showcasing Fairmount Park’s history and attractions offers a nostalgic look at one of Riverside’s most treasured public spaces.
The video captures the park’s diverse amenities and historical significance, from Lake Evans and the golf course to the site where a carousel and roller coaster once operated. It highlights features that have drawn families and recreation enthusiasts to the 200-acre destination for more than a century.
This week, we're shifting our focus from something you can hold to something that can just hold your attention. Pay attention, because I’m talking about that distracting voice from the other room. Yes, that one half of a phone call that leaves you hanging, or the rumor that doesn’t quite get spread your way.
It's that muffled murmur, a fragmented phrase, a cadence heard but not understood – a conversation happening just beyond your clear comprehension. Our immediate impulse might be to strain, to lean in, to piece together the incomplete whispers, trying to make sense of what others are up to. This kind of sound can pull our attention away, but what if, instead of being a distraction, it became a unique, found moment for creative play?
