Golden hues paint the sky the day after Valentine's, casting a warm glow over Century Ave in Canyon Crest. (Bob Sirotnik)
Sunday Gazette: February 23, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday!
Last week, we asked for your ideas of what a Riverside-based NBA team should be called, and our favorite came from Patricia Holub. I would happily sport a "Raincross Renegades" jersey when out and about town!
We'll see you tomorrow!
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Thank you to the Subscribers who became paid supporters this week: Danielle Jungmann Weems and Heidi Ortloff. Your ongoing financial support is vital to our success in serving Riverside with the news it deserves!
Reilly O’Neill Tells The Story of His Grandfather’s Iconic Watercolors on YouTube
Don O’Neill is a watercolor pioneer and a civic legend. His unique vision of our city is an enduring treasure.
Detail of Riverside Historic Courthouse. (Screenshot from Reilly O’Neill’s YouTube video.)
The Raincross Gazette is launching a new series that explores Riverside’s rich history through curated YouTube videos and nostalgic storytelling. This project brings the city’s past to life by connecting historical moments with engaging online content.
Driving the news: A YouTube channel featuring watercolor paintings by the late Don O'Neill, a prominent figure in Riverside's downtown arts scene, has caught attention.
• O'Neill's grandson, Reilly, created the channel to showcase his grandfather's unique vision of Riverside.
Why it matters: Don O'Neill's work represents a bygone era of Riverside, capturing the city's essence in a distinctive watercolor style.
• His paintings push the boundaries of traditional watercolor techniques, presenting a more angular and bustling portrayal of urban life.
The big picture: Reilly O'Neill's efforts go beyond mere preservation, offering a personal perspective on his grandfather's artistic legacy.
• He balances academic rigor with personal admiration, creating compelling content for viewers.
What's next: As Riverside evolves, Don O'Neill's art may become an increasingly valuable historical record of the city's past.
• Reilly predicts his grandfather's work will represent a world vastly different from that of 2065.
Each week, we will introduce a new neighbor. This is not a who's who list. These are regular Riversiders doing exceptional things.
Kristin Varner of Community Yoga Center. (Brenda Flowers)
Kristin, a Riverside local, has dedicated her life to wellness through yoga and advocacy. After practicing yoga and law in Riverside for two decades, she co-founded the Community Yoga Initiative (CYI) in 2018 to expand affordable and inclusive yoga outreach. CYI offers over 500 free yoga opportunities each year, focusing on the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of yoga. In addition to her work with CYI, Kristin co-founded the Community Yoga Center (CYC), Riverside’s first non-profit yoga school, where she leads teacher training and meditation courses. Kristin also shares yoga with incarcerated men through the Prison Yoga Project and is an instructor for the U.S. Men’s Olympic Water Polo Team. She is part of the organizing committee for the Ananda Yoga Festival, Riverside’s first outdoor yoga festival.
A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns.
(Titus Pardee)
This week, I challenged my writing collaborator, Gemini Advanced, to come up with a non-physical object for our creative focus. No surprise, it really thought outside the box (stardust, unicorn horns, mermaid scale…I believe my writing partner is ten years old and knows me well), but her suggestion of laughter really grabbed my attention. And no surprise, laughter is a big part of my life, especially in times of challenge or uncertainty.
I use laughter to point me towards what is true and useful; it releases stress; it can knit together a roomful of strangers; it's contagious - spreading like a refreshing breeze through a crowd, leaving a trail of smiles and good cheer in its wake.Laughter is a language app that transcends cultures and borders, uniting us in a shared experience. It comes pre-installed in every model; no special downloads are required to participate in this week's creative nudge.
See something? Say something. Your tips and ideas are what fuel The Raincross Gazette. If you know of something newsworthy happening in our city, please share it with us.
