A quarterly review of the City's budget proposed City purchasing reforms intended to create opportunities for local businesses, and considering a program to provide secure overnight parking and support services for residents living in their vehicles are all on this week's agendas.
Morning calm at Lake Evans, with the first light of sunrise gently warming Fairmount Park. (Luke López)
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Show Off Riverside's Beauty! We're proud to feature community photos at the top of our newsletters and on social media—capturing the charm and vibrancy of our city. Got a favorite shot of Riverside? Share it with us and help us celebrate the beauty of our community!
Sunday Gazette: January 26, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday!
Because of you, The Gazette passed a new milestone late last week and now has over 8,000 Riversiders subscribed. 8,000 is particularly meaningful because it means we're ending the first month of 2025 halfway and on track toward our end-of-year goal of 16,000 subscribers, which would represent 5% of the city's population.
We're committed to this work, and over this coming year, we'll onboard a dedicated City Hall reporter and add Tuesday and Thursday mornings to our publication schedule to move closer to becoming the newsroom our city deserves.
Thank you for welcoming us into your inboxes four times a week; it means the world to our small team.
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No new paid supporters joined us this week, which makes us all the more appreciative of those who already support us. Your ongoing financial support is vital to our success in serving Riverside with the news it deserves!
Hollywood Comes to Riverside: Fox Film Shoots "David Harum" at Local Fairgrounds
Will Rogers stars in adaptation of bestselling novel, bringing 150-person crew and hiring hundreds of local extras.
Roy Hunt standing outside the Golden State Theater. (Author's collection)
Hollywood invaded Riverside for a few days in early January 1934. Starting at 8:30 on Monday morning, January 8, Fox Film Corporation arrived with a crew of 150 people to film scenes for their new picture, "David Harum." The crew was housed at both the Mission Inn and the Reynolds Hotel.
The movie was an adaptation of Edward Noyes Westcott's 1898 best-selling novel David Harum: A Story of American Life. The main character was David Harum, a small-town banker and horse trader. The movie climaxed with a sulky or harness race in which John Lenox, a bank teller who worked for Harum, won a 10 to 1 odds bet to gain enough money to propose to his sweetheart, Anne Madison. The two rival racers were David Harum and Deacon Perkins.
Each week, we will introduce a new neighbor. This is not a who's who list. These are regular Riversiders doing exceptional things.
Diana Saenz, owner of TruBliss Fitness. (Brenda Flowers)
Diana is the owner of TruBliss Fitness in Riverside, where she has created a welcoming space that empowers women on their fitness and wellness journeys. A passionate advocate for women’s health, she uses her gym as a hub for promoting physical and mental well-being, while also fostering a sense of community. Diana has been deeply involved with the PTA, serving in various roles at local schools, Riverside Council PTA, and 23rd District PTA, and continues to support students through scholarships for graduating seniors in the Riverside Unified School District. Beyond her business, she gives back generously by supporting local schools, first responders, veterans groups, and animal organizations. She also organizes fundraisers for breast cancer awareness and champions shopping small to uplift local businesses. Diana’s dedication to service and her inspiring leadership shine brightly in Riverside, where she and her husband are raising their three children in Woodcrest.
A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns.
(Tomas Sobek/Unsplash)
This week, we're continuing our exploration of fashion-inspired creativity with a focus on the indispensable zipper. This ingenious invention, with its interlocking teeth and smooth gliding action, has revolutionized the way we fasten our clothes, secure our belongings, and interact with the world around us. In pop cultural terms, "zip it" is another way to shut someone down verbally.
Zippers are not merely functional objects or interjections; they're also tactile and visual delights. The rhythmic sound of a zipper opening and closing, the visual patterns created by the interlocking teeth, and even the existential fear of walking about with your zipper down can spark our imaginations and unlock new creative pathways. Anyone who has figured out discreet ways to check our zippers without being caught at the task can attest to the creativity required!
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.
