I drove around town yesterday with my 10-year-old daughter Reeve, making deliveries from our RG Shop. 2024 is the second year we've done this, and it has the makings of a new tradition that brings me so much joy. For about three hours at sunset, we drove all the stretches of Riverside into and through different neighborhood nooks and crannies where Gazette readers live; it's a magical way to experience this city during the holidays.
Before we jump into today's edition, three quick updates:
Today is your last chance to order from us if you want to gift something from our new Happy Side merch collection, inspired by Glenn's article about Riverside's 1974 marketing campaign. I'll be making the final deliveries tomorrow morning.
Our newsroom is taking a break for the holidays. While we're off, we have prepared new content and newsletters for you, but we will not return to regular reporting work until Monday, January 6.
Big news for our year-end campaign to hire a dedicated City Hall reporter: a generous couple has offered a $2,000 matching gift for all contributions made through Christmas! So far, we have raised $2,543, 6% of our $40,000 goal. If RG readers contribute another $2,000 by Wednesday, we will hit 15% of our target with a whole week left before the end of 2024! Every dollar counts, and with this matching gift, every dollar packs even more punch!
re: The Raincross Gazette statement on journalistic neutrality
If you pay attention to national news, you have likely read about the recent controversies around the wealthy owners of legacy newsrooms. I read an article this week because the headline "Journalism Requires Owners Committed to the Cause" jumped out at me. This quote resonated:
"It’s easy to be a good owner of a good news outlet when times are normal. It’s when times are hard... that it becomes essential for the owner to be in the game first and foremost for the mission of journalism itself. Those are moments of contention and conflict and risk, and like a don’s consigliere, a news publication in conflict with malicious power needs an owner with the stomach for war."
I don't believe Riverside has any malicious leadership, but decisions are made every day in City Hall that have a tremendous impact on our daily lives as Riversiders. You deserve to know what City Hall is working on, and City Hall should know that we are watching them.
I've been surprised how often I've been accused of bias since launching The Gazette four years ago next month, and we're not even publishing a quarter of the civic content I wish we were!
A core tenant of journalism is that good reporting is supposed to be "neutral," and as I drove all across town today, I decided to accept this:
I'm not neutral. I'm on the side of Riversiders.
I hate that most of the cities to the west of us think we live in some hellscape because the only time Riverside is in "the news" is for some kind of crime.
I hate it when Riverside shows up in social media trends that stereotype us negatively, and I hate it even more when I see Riversiders participate in those trends.
I love the Dodgers, but I hate it when I'm out and about in town and see someone with an LA hat because Riverside hasn't sat in its proper place of honor among other cities.
I'm doing the work of building this newsroom because I love this city with all my heart.
Riverside has given me everything I have. I owe this city this work.
I know I have been asking you for money five newsletters in a row, and I'm not sorry. What we're building is essential.
What we know about our city determines what we believe about it, and what we believe about our city determines its future.
My children have ancestors buried in the historic Evergreen Cemetery at the base of Mt. Rubidoux. I hope generations of their descendants will live and thrive in Riverside because of the future you and I are building for them.
So I'm not sorry to keep asking you for money.
If you help me get this newsroom thing right, it will help us get the rest of this city right!
Here's how you can help us stand tall and hire our next reporter to serve as your eyes and ears at City Hall:
PS. Tomorrow's newsletter features a special contribution from a reader that I could not be more honored to share with you. I can't wait for you to read it!
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Thank you to the Subscribers who became paid supporters this week: Vince Allen, Jane Carney, Erin Christmas, Lynn Coffman, Carol Crampton, Doris Duncker, Kathleen Dunn, Nancy Lueth Ettelt Dunham, Lecia Elzig, Rich Erickson, Marek Kasprzyk, Donna Kennedy, Sue Lennan, Mary A Liette, Linda G. Scott, Lina Smith, Roberta Spieler, Mary Anne Stoever, Erin Pfeiffer Swinfard, Marc Van Dam, Yvonne and Jeff Weinstein, Peggy Yenya, Andrew Peake, Pat Colabucci. Your ongoing financial support is vital to our success in serving Riverside with the news it deserves!
Citrus Park Tours Are Back in Time for Christmas Break
The scenic and educational stroll through citrus history is a perfect cool weather outing in town.
A volunteer docent explains the history of Riverside's citrus industry to visitors amid the park's heritage orange groves on a sunny winter morning at California Citrus State Historic Park. (Courtesy California Citrus State Historic Park)
Riversiders know that December and January offer some of the best weather opportunities for outdoor activity. Crisp mornings and cool sunny days are ideal for enjoying the natural spaces from which we derive so much pride. One thing my family has made a Christmas Break tradition is the walking tour at the Citrus Park on Van Buren.
The California Citrus State Historic Park offers an opportunity to experience the city's rich history and deep connection to the citrus industry. These guided tours take you through the groves, where you'll learn the story of Riverside through the lens of the citrus industry.
Each week, we will introduce a new neighbor. This is not a who's who list. These are regular Riversiders doing exceptional things.
Michael strikes a playful pose with his camera, documenting Riverside's architecture and culture. (Brenda Flowers)
Michael’s career in Riverside showed him early on that the city values history, culture, and preservation, something his hometown of Atlantic City, NJ, lacked. He quickly became involved in documenting historic buildings such as the Courthouse, Mission Inn, California Museum of Photography, Culver Center, Muni Auditorium, and, of course, the Fox Theater, which was the subject of his 2010 book on its restoration. Michael has donated a significant amount of photography to institutions like the Fox, Evergreen Cemetery, and arts organizations including IECF, Riverside Arts Council, Division 9, and RCAA Galleries downtown. He is proud to have created a comprehensive archive of Riverside’s culture, architecture, art, events, and the personalities behind them.
A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns.
Snowflakes sparkle at Mission Galleria Antiques.
This week's thing we'll use to hold our attention for several minutes of creative contemplation is what visitors to the Inland Empire this time of year are trying to escape back home: snow! If you're satisfied by the simulation of snow, I highly recommend a visit to downtown Riverside's "Festival of Lights," where thousands of twinkling symbols of snowflakes help illuminate our downtown through New Year's.
Snow is formed by weather patterns operating beyond the full understanding of knowledgeable meteorologists and predictive analytics. Like our creative moments, snow can fall in unexpected places, and we have only a little control over how long it will last.
Can Tree Wonderland 2024 Raises $61,000 to Fight Holiday Hunger
The 4th Annual Can Tree Wonderland brought together over 40 groups to create festive tree-inspired displays made of canned goods, raising vital support for hunger relief in the Riverside and San Bernardino communities this holiday season.
Feeding America Riverside/San Bernardino (FARSB) celebrated the success of its 4th Annual Can Tree Wonderland event, raising over $61,000 to combat hunger this holiday season. Held on December 14 and inspired by a Grinch theme, the canned food drive was generously supported by the Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions Foundation.
Carolyn Fajardo, FARSB’s CEO, shared her appreciation for the community's participation, "We’re blown away by the support for Can Tree Wonderland this year, especially as we head into the holiday season."
