Fresh snow crowns the San Gabriels as dawn breaks over Riverside—a perfect winter postcard. (Bob Sirotnik)
Sunday Gazette: March 16, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday.
Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday! Today is National Freedom of Information Day. If you're looking for a thematically appropriate movie recommendation, try "The Post" (2017), where Spielberg, Streep, and Hanks bring to life the battle to publish the Pentagon Papers. These classified documents revealed government decision-making during the Vietnam War.
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Thank you to the Subscribers who became paid supporters this week: Anthony Hunter. Your ongoing financial support is vital to our success in serving Riverside with the news it deserves!
Sumi Harada: A Remarkable Woman from Riverside's Past
From internment camp survivor to beloved community leader, Sumi Harada's story is one of resilience, kindness, and lasting impact on Riverside.
Mine (sister), Sumi, and their parents, Ken and Jukichi Harada, in the backyard, about 1923. (Courtesy of the Museum of Riverside)
There is a house on Lemon Street in Riverside with a Riverside City Landmark (#23), a California State Historical Landmark (#1060), and a National Historic Landmark. The house was the home of the Harada family. Sumi Harada, a remarkable woman, was the family member who resided in the home the longest and an amazing woman to feature during Women's History Month.
Jukichi and Ken Harada and their young son, Masa Atsu, settled in Riverside in 1905, to find work and raise their family. Within a few years, the Haradas managed several rooming houses and operated the Washington Restaurant. By 1912 Jukichi and Ken had five children, four of whom were born in Riverside. After their son, Tadao died of diphtheria at the age of five, the family sought a less crowded residence.
Each week, we will introduce a new neighbor. This is not a who's who list. These are regular Riversiders doing exceptional things.
Debbie, our Neighbor of the Week, holds a map of the Gage Canal, reflecting her lifelong dedication to preserving and sharing Riverside’s rich history. (Brenda Flowers)
Debbie moved from Inglewood to Corona in 1968 and later settled in Riverside to attend Riverside City College and California State University, San Bernardino. She spent 38 years as an educator with Riverside Unified School District and, after retiring, returned to help update the district’s third-grade curriculum on Riverside history. Through this project, she collaborated with the Riverside Historical Society and local historians Steve Lech and Glenn Wenzel, whose support was invaluable.
Her work on the curriculum deepened her connection to local history, leading her to join the Riverside Historical Society’s board as its representative on the Riverside County Historical Commission. She is also an active member of several historical organizations. Most recently, she was part of the committee that secured the Booker T. Washington/Frank Miller tablet on Mt. Rubidoux, helping to preserve and share Riverside’s rich history.
A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns.
A little sunshine, a little sweetness—nothing beats the simple joy of a lollipop on a bright afternoon. (Titus Pardee)
This week marks our return to the material world with a focus on something tangible for your mandible: a piece of hard candy. Yes, those little, brightly colored, often individually wrapped treats are a staple in every grandmother's purse. These candies aren't just for sucking on during a long car ride or keeping hunger at bay between meals. They're also a surprisingly versatile tool for creative exploration. Their textures, flavors, and even the sounds they make can spark a range of artistic and sensory experiences.
Speaking of sensory experiences, I recently pranked myself at my favorite downtown Riverside coffee shop, Back to the Grind. They have this decorative wide-mouthed bowl on the bar top filled with these glass pieces shaped like wrapped candies. It's always amusing to see people, myself included, instinctively reach for one before realizing they're not edible. It's a testament to the power of a simple candy to grab our attention and trigger our senses.
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