Bright ice plant blossoms soaking up the sun—just like this weekend’s forecast! (Bob Sirotnik)
Sunday Gazette: April 6, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday!
Last December, I sat in a holiday brunch hosted by three prominent women leaders in Riverside. Nearly 100 of our city’s most engaged citizens had gathered—some in sparkles, others in sweaters—but all united by a shared passion: to restore Riverside’s ballet to its historic place of significance. As the conversation turned toward bringing The Nutcracker back downtown, something lit up inside me. All the passion I already had for building the Gazette suddenly felt like kindling someone had just poured gasoline on and lit.
I couldn’t stop thinking, We can solve this.
If we can build a meaningful community around civic content of all types… if we can draw more Riversiders away from the algorithm and toward one another… then Riverside really could support a thriving ballet. And a roller derby league. And an underground metal scene. And the most dynamic arts colony in Southern California. We could sustain every nonprofit, inspire local entrepreneurs, and give international students real reasons to stay.
That brunch stayed with me, especially a story from a former theater director who remembered when the local press wrote previews and attended opening nights—creating a virtuous cycle that lifted local arts. That conversation stuck with me like a splinter.
This week, I finally pulled it.
We published a review of RCC’s production of RENT, and to most readers, it’s just another story in our growing archive. But to me, it’s a milestone. A signal that our capacity is expanding—and our vision for this city is still very much alive.
Local journalism isn’t just about reporting what happened. It’s about fueling what could be.
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Thank you to the Subscribers who became paid supporters this week: Sally Lauruhn, Nathan Mustafa, Patricia Robertson, Angel Sanchez, and Dave Stolte. Your ongoing financial support is vital to our success in serving Riverside with the news it deserves!
Flabob Airport: 100 Years of Aviation History Takes Flight in Riverside
From a cow pasture with barbed wire to a historic airfield preserving aviation's golden age, Flabob Airport celebrates its centennial as a cornerstone of Riverside's rich flying heritage.
Postcard of Roman Warren on horse in front of hangar at Riverside Airport. (Author’s Collection)
Riverside has a rich aviation history. From DeWitt and Allis Hutchings and their Flyers’ Wall to the Air Force at March Base, countless stories can be recounted. Several small airfields emerged in Riverside and subsequently disappeared over time. But there is one that is celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year – Flabob Airport.
In 1925, the City of Riverside created the Riverside Commission on Aeronautics and leased a field from Pliny Evans. The field was cleared of brush by the Riverside Junior Lions and made ready for planes. Roman Warren was hired to manage the field.
Each week, we will introduce a new neighbor. This is not a who's who list. These are regular Riversiders doing exceptional things.
Lorene Sisquoc, a dedicated steward of Native history and culture, stands among the rich artifacts of the Sherman Indian Museum, preserving and sharing Indigenous stories for future generations. (Brenda Flowers)
Born at Parkview Hospital in 1960, Lorene's roots in Riverside run deep. She grew up on the campus of Sherman Indian High School, where her grandmother taught, later returning in 1982 to begin a 43-year career dedicated to preserving and sharing Native American culture and traditions.
Starting as a dormitory attendant, Lorene's passion for cultural preservation led her to the Sherman Indian Museum, eventually becoming the school's Cultural Traditions Leader in 2000. She was a part of developing cultural programming, managing the museum, and establishing both a Culture Center and Language Center for students.
Beyond Sherman, Lorene co-founded Mother Earth Clan Cultural Programs in 1985 with Cindy Alvitre to provide accurate Native American history education throughout Southern California. Recently, she served as a consultant and producer for the documentary Pá'Čapa: A Mt. Rubidoux Story. A mother of three adult children, grandmother to nine grandchildren, and great-grandmother to one, Lorene is retiring May 9th from Sherman and will continue with Mother Earth Clan and Nex'wetem: Southern California Indian Basket Weavers, continuing her lifelong mission of preserving Native traditions.
Pickleball’s Popularity in Riverside Soars, Bringing Generations Together
Local league's decade of persistence pays off with new courts, as players find friendship, fitness and fun in America's fastest-growing sport.
Pickleball in full swing at Riverside’s packed courts. (Anthony Solorzano)
The courts were jam-packed. Retirees rally against kids–relatively speaking. Each court has paddles set to the side, a sign that means, “We got next,” to the Riverside Pickleball sports league.
Not even Sunday’s light drizzle kept players from smacking the ball with their paddles. The fastest-growing sport in the US has swept across the country, and Riverside Pickleball has created a space for an eclectic range of people to come together twice a week to battle on the court.
A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns.
(Unsplash/AbsolutVision)
This week, we're shifting our focus to a tangible, textured, and often overlooked medium: the newspaper. Perhaps it's ironic to have a newspaper prompt for a newspaper that is strictly digital, but let’s give the printed paper its due. Not only does it provide yesterday’s headlines first thing the next day, but it also provides extra money and rotator cuff injuries to newspaper carriers.
Once a daily staple, now a nostalgic relic for some, the newspaper holds a unique multisensory appeal for creative types. The rustle of its pages, the inky scent, and the visual limitations of text and images – no hyperlinks or zooming here - all combine to create an experience that's both familiar and, increasingly, novel.
