Sunday Gazette: September 21, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday! Tomorrow is California Car Free Day! Riverside makes it easy to join in with plenty of ways to go car free. Even better, the Riverside Transit Agency is offering free rides on all local, CommuterLink and GoMicro buses. Whether you’re headed to work, school, or just exploring the city, it’s the perfect day to give your car a rest and enjoy a cleaner, greener Riverside.
See you tomorrow!
HISTORY
Buena Vista Bridge Endures as Gateway to Riverside’s Past
Built in 1907 and rebuilt in 1932, the Buena Vista Bridge connected travelers to Mt. Rubidoux and remains a city landmark nearly a century later.
Good View, or in Spanish Buena Vista, is the name of a short segment of road that curves around the northern edge of Mt. Rubidoux, connecting Seventh Street (now Mission Inn Avenue) to Mission Boulevard across the Santa Ana River in Jurupa Valley. No one seems to know why this segment was named Buena Vista Avenue (sometimes referred to as Drive). Was it for the good view of Mt. Rubidoux on one side and Little Rubidoux on the other? Or was it the view as travelers crossed the Santa Ana River and entered Riverside? Buena Vista begins at the end of Seventh Street, near today’s Afron Way (Rose Way on early maps), and extends to the river.
As Frank Miller, part of the Huntington Park Association, developed Mt. Rubidoux, he hired Hiram Chittenden of the Army Corps of Engineers to design a road up and down the mountain for tourists. As travelers left the Mission Inn and drove up Seventh Street, they had to connect to the road, Huntington Drive, that was being built. They did this via an incline at the end of Seventh Street, which bent to the left and crossed over Buena Vista Avenue. The bridge over the road was designed by Arthur Benton, architect of the Mission Inn. His original plans called for only the roadway, but he revised them to include a pedestrian walkway on one side.
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NEIGHBOR OF THE WEEK
Neighbor of the Week: Eliel Quiles
Each week, we will introduce a new neighbor. This is not a who's who list. These are regular Riversiders doing exceptional things.
Eliel, a longtime Riverside resident, is the owner of Knitters Hideout in Brockton Plaza. His shop has become more than just a place to buy yarn, it’s a welcoming space where anyone can drop in during the day to knit, crochet or simply connect. On Tuesday evenings, he also hosts Knit Nite from 5 to 8, creating an important “third space” for people of all ages to gather.
The shop feels a lot like a moai, a circle of community and support, similar to those celebrated in the Blue Zones Project Riverside. Eliel himself describes his role simply: “I’m just a small business owner trying to bring a sense of community and be part of what makes Riverside special.” Easygoing, fun, and deeply welcoming, Eliel has built a gem of a neighborhood spot that brings people together through creativity and care.
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CREATIVE PROMPTS
Cursor Curative
A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns.
For this week’s creative nudge, we’re swapping the tactile for the technological and fixating our gaze on something many of us face every day with a mix of dread and hope: the blinking cursor.
For anyone who has ever stared at a blank screen, that tiny pulsing line is a metronome of pressure, a relentless reminder of what you are not doing—building a to-do list, coding a cool new app, or creating that next best seller. I know the feeling well.
What about the frustration of losing that blinking cursor as a placeholder the moment I finally think of something worth writing down? Yes, I still sit and think of words (sometimes) to write in this age of generative AI tools. Writers like me see it as the silent judge of our digital lives, a tiny, demanding spotlight.
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This Week in Riverside
Sunday, September 21
- Cars & Coffee at The Historic Riverside Auto Center
- Prayers and Public Information Meeting at Riverside Baha'i Center
- Rise Against Hunger packing event at Magnolia Presbyterian church
- Plant Pop Up Shop at UCR Botanic Gardens
- National Hobbit Day | Film & Wreath Craft at Marcy Library
- English Country Dance at First United Methodist Church of Riverside
Monday, September 22
- Assistance League Thrift Shop Accepting Donations at Assistance League Riverside Thrift Shop
- Keep Riverside Clean & Beautiful Business Closet at Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce
- Clean Campus Competition Art Contest at Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce
- Housing and Homelessness Committee at Riverside City Hall
- Men's Soccer vs. Loyola Marymount at UCR Soccer Stadium
- RCTC Programs and Projects at County Admin Center 4080 Lemon St. 1st
- Volunteer Interest Hour at Riverside Meals on Wheels, Inc
Tuesday, September 23
- Family Storytime at Riverside Public Library | Marcy Branch
- Women's Volleyball vs. UC Davis at Johnson Family Practice Center
- Inland Empire Chorus Rehearsal at Temple Beth El Synagogue
- Tuesday Karaoke at The Hideaway
Wednesday, September 24
- Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
- Stretch & Dance Class at Janet Goeske Senior Center
- Bordwell Park Advisory Committee at Stratton Community Center
- Community Police Review Commission at Riverside City Hall
- Museum of Riverside Board at Riverside City Hall
- Labor of Love: Our Power is Our People at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
- Free Reading Assistance Program at My Learning Studio
- Riverside Mission Belles at Victoria Presbyterian Church
- Beginning Square Dance Lessons w/Line Dancing at Cowtown Square Dance Center ($5- $7)
- Riverside Open Mic Music Series at Back to the Grind
Thursday, September 25
- Johnny Appleseed Film and Activity at Marcy Library
- Architectural Walking Tour of Downtown Riverside at Mission Inn Foundation & Visitor Center ($21.20)
- Downtown Riverside Haunted Tours Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Tour Starts In front of Eliza Tibbets Statue ($39.19)
- Women's Soccer vs. Cal State Fullerton at UCR Soccer Stadium
- Trevor Hall at Fox Performing Arts Center
Friday, September 26
- Concert Under the Stars at Private Residence ($200)
- Men's Soccer vs. CBU at UCR Soccer Stadium
- Infest at Riverside Municipal Auditorium- Garden Room
- The Messer Chups, Mad Marge and Thee Toe Tags at The Hideaway Cafe & Lounge
Saturday, September 27
- Mt. Rubidoux Walking Tour at Mt. Rubidoux Trailhead ($21.20)
- Hispanic Heritage Month | Ojo de Dios at Marcy Library
- Tragic Endings, Ghostly Meal, & Tour at A Historic (haunted) Victorian mansion in Riverside ($75.00)
- Icons in Transformation at Immanuel Lutheran Church
- Don Hertzfeldt's Animation Mixtape at Culver Center of the Arts
- Natalia ARAZI at Temple Beth El Riverside ($30- $35)
- Psychobilly legends The Quakes at The Hideaway Cafe & Lounge ($23.18)
- Show Closing at Riverside Community Arts Association Gallery
- Riverside Electric Light Parade Monthly Ride Experience at 4050 Main Street
- Riverside Oktoberfest 2025 at Killer Queens Social House
- UC San Diego Cross Country at UC Riverside Invitational at UCR
- UC San Diego Men's Water Polo vs Biola at UCR
- University of San Francisco Cross Country vs UC Riverside Invitational at UCR
Save the Date
- October 4: Tombstone Cinema: Hocus Pocus 2 at Evergreen Memorial Historic Cemetery ($15)
- October 5: Local History Book Fair and Silent Auction at Riverside City Hall
- October 6: Moon Festival at Heritage House
- October 15: Fifty & Better Health Fair at Janet Goeske Center
- October 18: Pink on Parade Breast Cancer Awareness Walk at Ryan Bonaminio Park ($22.20 - $32.80)
- October 18: The Riverside Citrus Classic Bike Rideat Riverside Plaza ($15- $80)
- October 25: Aquamotion Aquathon at Shamel Park Pool
- October 25: Friends of the Mission Inn Present: Nosferatu - a Silent Movie at The Mission Inn ($30- $35)
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