🍊 Sunday Gazette: March 30, 2025

Sunday Gazette: March 30, 2025

Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday!

Eid Mubarak to all our neighbors celebrating Eid al-Fitr today. May this special day bring joy and blessings to you and your families throughout the coming year.

FOOD

Eat This, Riverside: Exotic Citrus from UCR’s Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection

Seth takes a tasting tour of UCR’s incredible collection of citrus varieties and shares some ways to sample them yourself on campus and at the upcoming Third Annual Citrus Festival at the California Citrus State Historic Park

A few weeks ago, Seth was lucky enough to wangle an invitation to one of these rarefied Riverside experiences. He joined a group of citrus growers, citrus lovers, and citrus researchers for a tour of the UCR Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection. Managed by Dr. Tracy Kahn since 1995, the collection houses over 1,000 citrus varieties, from commercial staples to rare, unexpected flavors. Dr. Kahn has dedicated her work to preserving citrus diversity, managing access to the groves, and supporting both industry and scientific research. As Seth wandered through the vibrant trees, tasting everything from tangy-sweet mandarins to citrus with wild, resinous undertones, it was clear that this living archive is about more than just fruit—it’s about preserving history.

Read or Share Seth’s Full Journey Through Riverside’s Citrus Collection...

HISTORY

The Nanking Bell: A Mission Inn Treasure from China's Imperial Past

A 2,800-pound imperial relic's journey from Qing Dynasty ruins to Riverside's iconic hotel in 1913.

DeWitt and Allis Hutchings set sail from New York in June 1911 for a prolonged tour of Europe. A month later, Frank and Marion Miller joined Frank's daughter and son-in-law on their venture to explore the Continent. Miller was looking for treasures to fill his expanding Glenwood Mission Inn. After the Millers returned to Riverside, the Hutchings continued their world tour, extending their travels to Greece, India, China, and Japan. The world-traveling couple returned to June in March 1912, having been away from Riverside for ten months. Following the lead of Frank Miller, they brought back a vast collection of treasures, including 120 bells for the growing bell collection. 

A year later, on March 26, 1913, the most significant and largest find from the Hutchings' trip arrived in Riverside. While spending a week in China, they discovered a magnificent bell in the ruins of a temple in Nanking, China. DeWitt and Allis proceeded to negotiate for the bell and bring it to Riverside.

Read or share the full story...

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NEIGHBOR OF THE WEEK

Neighbor of the Week: Robin Lissner

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

Robin is incredibly proud of her work with Foster Army Animal Rescue and Thrift Store in Riverside. Helping to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome animals has been deeply rewarding, and witnessing their transformations inspires her every day. The Thrift Store not only funds their mission but also brings the community together in support of rescue efforts.

For Robin, Riverside is a place where compassion and community meet. The generosity of its people makes this work possible, and she’s grateful to be part of a city that cares so deeply for animals and those in need.

Get to know Robin...

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CREATIVE PROMPTS

Full Auditory Alchemist

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

This week, we're diving into the auditory realm, specifically, that persistent melody that refuses to leave your brain: the earworm. You know the one – that song, jingle, or snippet of music that loops endlessly in your mind, driving you slightly mad.

Across cultures, this phenomenon has many names. In German, it's an "Ohrwurm," literally "earworm." In Tagalog, it's called an "LSS" (Last Song Syndrome). In Spanish, "canción pegadiza" or "sticky song". Regardless of the label, the experience is universal: a musical fragment lodged in our consciousness, playing on repeat.

Read or share the complete story...

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This Week in Riverside

Sunday, March 30

• Riverside Sunrise Rotary at Zacatecas Mexican Cafe
• Volunteer Interest Hour at Riverside Meals on Wheels, Inc
• Goeske Spring Festival at Janet Goeske Center
• Celebrate Riverside County Arts and Culture Month at Participating Locations throughout Riverside County (Free- $35.00)
• Spring Animal Kids Camp - Session One at Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center ($240)
• Softball vs. CSUN at Amy S. Harrison Field

Monday, March 31

• Celebrate Riverside County Arts and Culture Month at Participating Locations throughout Riverside County (Free - $35)
• Monday Carillon Recitals at UCR Bell Tower
• Spring Animal Kids Camp - Session Two at Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center ($240)
• Ward 1 Community Conversation Office Hours at Riverside City Hall

Tuesday, April 1

• Volunteer Interest Hour at Riverside Meals on Wheels, Inc
• Lunchtime Jazz at RCCD Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties
• Inland Empire Chorus Rehearsal at Temple Beth El Synagogue
• Tuesday Karaoke at The Hideaway

Wednesday, April 2

• Certified Farmers Market at 10th & Lemon Streets
• Stretch & Dance Class at Janet Goeske Senior Center
• Governmental Processes Committee at Riverside City Hall
• Transportation Board at Riverside City Hall

Thursday, April 3

• Board of Ethics at Riverside City Hall
• Riverside 2050 Neighborhood Land Use Workshop at Renck Community Center at Hunt Park
• Native Pollinators & Plants- Museum of Riverside (Artswalk) at Downtown Riverside
• Free Admisssion First Thursday of every month during ArtsWalk at Riverside Art Museum
• Jason Joshua & The Beholders at Riverside Municipal Auditorium- Garden Room ($22)

Friday, April 4

• 26th Annual Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Breakfast at Marriott Riverside at the Convention Center
• Riverside Sunrise Rotary at Zacatecas Mexican Cafe
• Courthouse, Murals and Heroes Walking Tour at Mission Inn Foundation ($23.18)
• Little Women at The Wallace Theatre at California Baptist University ($9- $14)
• Nights with the Museum - "Climate Action in the City!" at Riverside Main Library Community Room
• Riverside Public Library | 2025 Riverside Reads Book Discussion at Arlington Library
• Spring Musical: Fiddler on the Roof at Woodcrest Christian School ($12- $15)
• World Premier Melodrama by Westmont Village Masquers Theatre Club at Westmont Village

Saturday, April 5

• Downtown Certified Farmers Market at Main Street at 5th
• 3rd Annual Citrus Festival at California Citrus State Historic Park
• 4th Annual Downtown Riverside Tweed Ride begins at Riverside Historic Courthouse
• Alzheimer's & Dementia Support Group at Discovery Commons Raincross
• Barking Bunco - Rolling the Dice for Rescue Animals at Packinghouse Brewing Company ($30)
• In/VISIBLE, Un/HEARD: Riverside’s Civil Rights Stories at Multiple Sites
• Riverside Arts Council's Mayor's Ball for the Arts at Barbara & Art Culver Center for the Arts ($100)
• Riverside International Film Festival 2025- 23rd Edition at The Box Theater
• UCR Men's Soccer vs Alumni at UCR Soccer Stadium

Save The Date

• April 12: Braver Angels Red/Blue Workshop at Joyce Johnson Community Center at Nichols Park

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