Sunrise spills golden light over Riverside in this breathtaking view from Mt. Rubidoux. (Rob Reul/Claudia Rodriguez)
Wednesday Gazette: April 30, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Wednesday!
Today is my first day mostly back to regular work after being out for the last two weeks supporting my wife through her second major battle with breast cancer. As I return, I've got a few quick notes:
On Monday afternoon we received word that the test results from Lindy's surgeries found no invasive cancer; she's in the clear! Thank you all for the support and to Amy and Ken for stepping up in my absence.
On Saturday, April 19 we reached a new milestone of 10,000 subscribers! For the first two years of The Gazette's life I battled to surpass 350 subscribers and to now be reaching nearly 5% of Riverside's adults every morning is a genuine honor. Stay tuned as early this summer I plan to invite you to celebrate this milestone with us properly!
We're taking another major next step as a newsroom: we are expanding to daily newsletters effective May 1; that's tomorrow! As a former delivery boy, I have such strong memories of Riversiders walking out to grab the newspaper every morning as soon as I threw it in their driveway and I'm excited to rebuild that daily relationship with your email inboxes.
We've still got so much work to do, including hiring a dedicated City Hall reporter, on our way to becoming the newsroom Riverside deserves and we won't stop until we're consistently delivering on all our promises – and as I type those words I'm realizing "nope" we're not going to stop even then. Our city deserves what we're all building here together. Thank you all for your readership, thank you to the 473 paid members investing in this effort, and thank you to Lindy for being an absolute champion in every possible way.
Riverside Runners to Compete in Sendai Half Marathon
Local athletes continue city's historic international relationship with Japan.
Tiffany Cheek, arms folded, in last year's half marathon. (Courtesy of Sendai International Half Marathon)
Two Riverside runners will compete in the Sendai International Half Marathon in Japan on May 11, continuing a 67-year sister city relationship. Tiffany Cheek and Joshua Estrada were selected to represent Riverside in the event.
Driving the news: The runners will arrive in Sendai on May 8 for cultural activities before joining approximately 8,000 international participants in the race.
Sendai invites runners from its seven sister cities, including Riverside, to participate annually.
Why it matters: The event strengthens the longstanding relationship between Riverside and Sendai, one of the oldest sister city partnerships in the world.
The Sendai-Riverside Sister City Committee plans to reciprocate next year for the 70th anniversary by inviting Sendai runners to a local race.
The details: Sendai provides significant support for the athletes, covering hotel and meal expenses.
Runners are only responsible for their airfare.
What's next: A fundraiser titled "A Midsummer Night's Dream" will be held on May 1 at the Riverside Community Theatre to support this year's participants.
The event starts at 6 p.m. with food and prizes, followed by a 7:30 p.m. showtime.
May ArtsWalk Celebrates Asian American Pacific Islander Month with Inlandia and RCAA Events
Highlight: The Tropicaleiza and Salt dance studios flashmob got pretty wild last year. It’s probably reason enough to get out of the house.
How many ArtsWalk venues can you find in this pic? (Ken Crawford)
ArtsWalk is back—don’t forget to show Main Street some love. While institutional exhibits and performances take center stage, it’s the vendors lining Main Street that keep Riverside’s ArtsWalk thriving. Swing by for an evening of local art, live performances, and community—from small paintings and handcrafted jewelry to bookstore finds at Downtowne Bookstore or Urge Palette. The night features a 13th annual flashmob by Tropicaleiza Dance + Drum Co. & Salt Dance Studios, free admission at RAM with a special exhibit preview, AAPI Month celebrations at the Main Library, and so much more. The sun sets late, the weather looks great—why not treat yourself?
Letter to the Editor: Catholic Education Deserved Better Than This
The Diocese of San Bernardino didn’t just lose a school. It lost credibility. A longtime Catholic educator calls for truth, transparency and accountability.
The closure of Saint Francis de Sales School isn’t just another sad story in Catholic education — it’s a glaring symptom of a diocese that has lost its way. As someone who served 21 years in the Diocese of San Bernardino — including a decade as principal of Notre Dame High School — I’ve seen firsthand what happens when a Church no longer supports its schools, its educators or its students.
Saint Francis didn’t close because of changing demographics or unavoidable challenges. Like so many closures before it, this one was the direct result of systemic dysfunction, administrative silence and a diocese that has abandoned its commitment to Catholic education.
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