Gale Schultes’ Flowering Peppermint Peach Tree is putting on a show in her garden this spring. (Gale Schulte)
Sunday Gazette: April 27, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday!
Every time we publish this newsletter, it’s a small act of love for this city. The Raincross Gazette is built by a tiny but dedicated team of three, led by someone who believes wholeheartedly that Riverside deserves a newsroom focused solely on its people, neighborhoods, and future.
This weekend, as the city comes alive with events that bring us together—neighborhood cleanups, local performances, and cultural festivals—we’re reminded of how special it is to live in a place that feels like a big small town. The support, encouragement, and care we’ve seen lately, both for our team and for one another, confirms what we’ve always believed: Riverside shows up.
Thank you for believing in this work. We’re building something meaningful here, together.
See you tomorrow!
Amy LĂłpez
🧡
Thank you to the Subscribers who became paid supporters this week: Mary Hughes, Antonio C. Rodriguez, Rhanda Ridlon, Tim Roche and Allison Yrungaray. Your ongoing financial support is vital to our success in serving Riverside with the news it deserves!
Each week, we will introduce a new neighbor. This is not a who's who list. These are regular Riversiders doing exceptional things.
Alec Briggs shares songs and smiles at Sunrise at Canyon Crest—this week’s Neighbor of the Week. (Brenda Flowers)
Alec is a proud Riversider known for his joyful spirit, strong work ethic, and dedication to community. Alec has made a lasting impact through his volunteer work, particularly at Sunrise Assisted Living Center, where he’s spent the past three years singing for residents on every major holiday. For many, Alec’s performances are the only visits they receive all year, turning each occasion into a heartwarming family gathering.
A lifelong Riversider, Alec is deeply engaged in the city’s cultural life, frequently visiting landmarks like the Mission Inn, the Cheech, the March Field Air Museum and local parks and museums. He graduated from Martin Luther King High School, where he sang in the men's choir for four years, volunteered in the attendance office, and supported fellow students as a classroom aide. Through Riverside Unified’s Project TEAM, Alec gained work experience across various local businesses and is now seeking a job in hospitality. He’s great with people, takes direction well, and thrives as part of a team—bringing his signature enthusiasm wherever he goes.
La Sierra University art installation turns macaroni boxes into powerful statement on food insecurity.
Some of the over 16,000 cardboard spoons that make up Article 24. (Ken Crawford)
In the golden hour glow of the atrium at La Sierra University's Zapara School of Business, more than 16,000 cardboard spoons hang suspended from a net, each one cut from a thin, mac-and-cheese-style box. Each spoon represents a child facing food insecurity in our community.
This installation, by Rebecca Waring-Crane, titled "Article 24," a reference to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child's assertion that all children should have access to adequate healthy food, has transformed the business school's atrium during the university's recent homecoming weekend.
A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns.
(Titus Pardee)
This week’s creative nudge into a new direction uses something that hums — metaphorically, I hope — in the background of our lives: the electric outlet (or electrical outlet — both terms are commonly used). This is the gateway through which our devices come to life, powering our work, our entertainment, and our connections to, well, just about everything these days.
Think about the sheer potential contained within those simple slots. They are a direct link to a vast network of power generation and distribution, a silent promise of energy on demand. Power when you want power, and you didn’t have to build or maintain any of it yourself! The outlet is a study in minimalist design, yet it underpins the complexity of our technological society.
