Riverside’s "Happy Side" campaign set out to showcase the city’s charm, foster community pride, and draw in visitors—despite some local controversy.
Riverside’s sun rises over Woodcrest, as soon from Canyon Ridge. (Brooke Weaver)
Sunday Gazette: November 17, 2024
Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday!
Thank you to the 374 readers who took the time to respond to our reader survey over the last several weeks. That was a 30% increase in participation compared to last year's survey. Thank you!
I was thrilled that 90% of you rated The Gazette as "reputable" or "highly reputable." One of my favorite pieces of feedback came from this response:
"I'm really glad the RG exists. It's very informative. I work from home for an organization based outside of Riverside County, and this newsletter helped me connect with the city after I moved here last year when I didn't know anyone. I like that it is positive and focused on building and empowering communities.”
Helping Riversiders find that level of connectedness is my specific vision for The Gazette, and I am so glad we are beginning to realize it.
Your more critical feedback was also greatly appreciated. The most common theme was a desire for more deeply reported local news, especially about City Hall. I am eager to meet that desire and am working toward increasing our revenue and adding a dedicated City Hall reporter in the new year to bring you more of the government accountability journalism you've requested.
I'm deeply grateful that so many of you see the RG as a trusted source for Riverside news, and I promise to keep working to earn that trust every day.
Finally, congratulations to Delia Alvarado, the winner of our giveaway, who won a gift basket with a $100 gift card from Ampersand Gifts and Goods in the Riverside Plaza.
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Thank you to the Subscribers who became paid supporters this week: Mona Flores and Barbara Priebe. Your ongoing financial support is vital to our success in serving Riverside with the news it deserves!
Remembering “The Happy Side Is Riverside”Campaign
Riverside’s "Happy Side" campaign set out to showcase the city’s charm, foster community pride, and draw in visitors—despite some local controversy.
Button used in "The Happy Side is Riverside" Campaign and The Happy Side… Jingle – From the May 29, 1974, Riverside Daily Press (Author's Collection)
While Disney's slogan is "The Happiest Place on Earth," Riverside had a similar slogan for a short time fifty years ago: "The Happy Side Is Riverside."
The Riverside Chambers of Commerce (Arlington, La Sierra, and Riverside Chambers) presented a proposal in May 1974 to the city council for funding for an advertising campaign to present the city in a positive light with the "Happy Side" slogan. The campaign was developed by the Riverside firm of Hogan and Vecchio and used radio jingles, billboards, magazine and newspaper ads, buttons, decals, and other media. The purpose was to attract visitors to the city and inspire civic pride among the citizens. The Chamber wished to present Riverside from a favorable, positive, and HAPPY viewpoint.
Each week, we will introduce a new neighbor. This is not a who's who list. These are regular Riversiders doing exceptional things.
Seth Zurer at home with his fresh-baked bread. (David Fouts)
I moved to Riverside at the end of 2021 with my wife, child, and dog. After 25 years as a Chicagoan, starting over in a new community and building a new life as a family has been exciting and challenging. I’m very privileged that I’ve been able to pursue my passions here in Riverside: baking sourdough bread, talking and thinking about restaurants and food, spending time with my family, and getting to connect with so many fascinating people in my new home. I operate a cottage bakery from my Wood Streets bungalow: Zurer Bread (zurerbread.com). I love baking for my neighbors; every time someone walks up and says, “Hey, you’re the bread guy,” I get a real charge out of it. I write a regular column about eating in Riverside for the Raincross Gazette - I’m excited to be able to share my explorations and favorites with readers. But I’m perhaps most proud of my (nearly) perfect record-winning pub trivia at the Barn (on the UCR campus) with my team: go Backbenchers!! If you’d like to challenge us, I encourage you to come every Tuesday night at 5:30 pm.
A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns.
Clinging to the past. (Titus Pardee)
Hello and welcome back, back, back! Last week, we dropped into the reverberating world of echoes, exploring their sonic depths to uncover hidden dimensions of our creative sides. Did you cartograph an echo map that revealed the acoustic secrets of your surroundings? Maybe symphonies are more your thing, so you composed an echo chamber that resonated with layered soundscapes? Even if the best part of this exercise was the quiet moments between all that noise, echoes remind us that we are always making an impact on the world.
This week, we won't need our voices to be creative because we're relying on the laws of attraction for this week's creative nudge: magnets. From the compasses that guided ancient explorers to the powerful magnets that drive modern technology, magnets have played a vital role in shaping our world. Certainly, it's up to the task of helping you take a creative look at your surroundings for a few minutes.
