🍊 Sunday Gazette: March 16, 2025

Sunday Gazette: March 16, 2025

Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday.

Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday! Today is National Freedom of Information Day. If you're looking for a thematically appropriate movie recommendation, try "The Post" (2017), where Spielberg, Streep, and Hanks bring to life the battle to publish the Pentagon Papers. These classified documents revealed government decision-making during the Vietnam War.

HISTORY

Sumi Harada: A Remarkable Woman from Riverside's Past

From internment camp survivor to beloved community leader, Sumi Harada's story is one of resilience, kindness, and lasting impact on Riverside.

There is a house on Lemon Street in Riverside with a Riverside City Landmark (#23), a California State Historical Landmark (#1060), and a National Historic Landmark. The house was the home of the Harada family. Sumi Harada, a remarkable woman, was the family member who resided in the home the longest and an amazing woman to feature during Women's History Month.

Jukichi and Ken Harada and their young son, Masa Atsu, settled in Riverside in 1905, to find work and raise their family. Within a few years, the Haradas managed several rooming houses and operated the Washington Restaurant. By 1912 Jukichi and Ken had five children, four of whom were born in Riverside. After their son, Tadao died of diphtheria at the age of five, the family sought a less crowded residence. 

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NEIGHBOR OF THE WEEK

Neighbor of the Week: Debbie Newton

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

Debbie moved from Inglewood to Corona in 1968 and later settled in Riverside to attend Riverside City College and California State University, San Bernardino. She spent 38 years as an educator with Riverside Unified School District and, after retiring, returned to help update the district’s third-grade curriculum on Riverside history. Through this project, she collaborated with the Riverside Historical Society and local historians Steve Lech and Glenn Wenzel, whose support was invaluable.

Her work on the curriculum deepened her connection to local history, leading her to join the Riverside Historical Society’s board as its representative on the Riverside County Historical Commission. She is also an active member of several historical organizations. Most recently, she was part of the committee that secured the Booker T. Washington/Frank Miller tablet on Mt. Rubidoux, helping to preserve and share Riverside’s rich history.

Get to know Debbie...

CREATIVE PROMPTS

Candy is Dandy

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

This week marks our return to the material world with a focus on something tangible for your mandible: a piece of hard candy. Yes, those little, brightly colored, often individually wrapped treats are a staple in every grandmother's purse. These candies aren't just for sucking on during a long car ride or keeping hunger at bay between meals. They're also a surprisingly versatile tool for creative exploration. Their textures, flavors, and even the sounds they make can spark a range of artistic and sensory experiences.

Speaking of sensory experiences, I recently pranked myself at my favorite downtown Riverside coffee shop, Back to the Grind. They have this decorative wide-mouthed bowl on the bar top filled with these glass pieces shaped like wrapped candies. It's always amusing to see people, myself included, instinctively reach for one before realizing they're not edible. It's a testament to the power of a simple candy to grab our attention and trigger our senses. 

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This Week in Riverside

Sunday, March 16

• Victoria Wood Neighborhood Yard Sale at Victoria Woods
• Cars & Coffee at The Historic Riverside Auto Center
• Women In Wellness Collective at Community Yoga Center
• EmpowerHer at The W at Worthington's
• International Women's Day Brunch at Ay Mi Pa
• Meet the Author Thomas Fuller at Riverside Woman's Club ($10)
• Annie Jr at The Box ($18- $20)
• Celebrate Riverside County Arts and Culture Month at Participating Locations throughout Riverside County (Free- $35)
• The Official Lucky's St Patrick's Day Bar Crawl at Lake Alice Trading Co.
• Paint n Sip Party- Frankie's Bride at Route 30 Brewing Downtown

Monday, March 17

• Commission on Aging at Riverside City Hall
• Park and Recreation Commission at Riverside City Hall
• Riverside Official St. Patrick's Day Bar Crawl at Killer Queens Social House

Tuesday, March 18

• 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
• Sunrise on the Reaping Sunrise Release Party at Cellar Door Bookstore
• Tuesday Karaoke at The Hideaway
• CHICAGO at Fox Performing Arts Center

Wednesday, March 19

• Certified Farmers Market at 10th & Lemon Streets
• Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
• Stretch & Dance Class at Janet Goeske Senior Center
• Cultural Heritage Board at Riverside City Hall
• Safety, Wellness, and Youth Committee at Riverside City Hall
• Women's History Month | Through Her Eyes at the Marcy Library at Riverside Public Library | Marcy Branch
• Paint n Sip Party- Poison Apple at Retro on Main
• Spring Hummingbird- Paint and Sip at The Old Spaghetti Factory

Thursday, March 20

• Commission on Disabilities at Riverside City Hall
• Economic Development Committee at Riverside City Hall

Friday, March 21

• Riverside Sunrise Rotary at Zacatecas Mexican Cafe
• Teen Challenge Ladies' Guild Yard Sale at Benedict Castle
• Savvy Chic Kids Consignment Early Bird Shopping at Mission Grove Shopping Center - Former KMart ($Free- $16)
• Baseball vs. Cal State Fullerton at Riverside Sports Complex
• Lost Highway at Culver Center of the Arts
• Noche de Cumbia in Riverside! at The Hideaway Cafe & Lounge

Saturday, March 22

• ParkRun at Ryan Bonaminio Park
• Downtown Certified Farmers Market at Main Street at 5th
• Cars and Coffee at Harvest Church at Harvest Church
• Yoga at Euryale Brewing Company
• The Inland Empire Strikes Back 2025 at North Park
• IE Immigration Summit at UCR
• Riverside Free Clinic Banquet at Riverside ConventionCenter ($40- $100)
• "The Science of Scent" - Bath Bomb Workshop at Heritage House ($10)
• Psychobilly/ Garage night at The Hideaway Cafe & Lounge
• Red Not Chili Peppers at Riverside Municipal Auditorium ($15)
• System of a Down Tribute at The Concert Lounge - Romano's Mission Grove
• Viva Mexico! ConMariachi Los Camperos at Fox Performing Arts Center ($39- $79)

Save The Date

• March 28: Goeske Spring Festival at Janet Goeske Center
• March 30: Monopoly Challenge Riverside Edition at ProAbition at ProAbition ($30- $100) 
• April 4: World Premier Melodrama by Westmont Village Masquers Theatre Club at Westmont Village
• April 5: Alzheimer's & Dementia Support Group at Discovery Commons Raincross
• April 5: 4th Annual Downtown Riverside Tweed Ride begins at Riverside Historic Courthouse
• April 5: In/VISIBLE, Un/HEARD: Riverside’s Civil Rights Stories at Multiple Sites

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🏆 Nominate a remarkable Riversider as Neighbor of the Week.