The Gazette’s Publisher Justin Pardee with his family (from left): Reeve, Titus, Boaz, Cosette, and Lindy.
Wednesday Gazette: April 16, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Wednesday!
"Please send one of your reporters..." is a phrase I read multiple times a week. Allow me to explain what that has to do with the picture of my family above.
These messages at the top of every one of our newsletters are what we call "Toppers" inside the Raincross Gazette newsroom (two tables pulled together in the corner of Condron Coffee every Monday morning). Toppers are a great place for us to highlight information that otherwise doesn't have a natural place in the news, but the real reason they exist is to help us build a relationship with you, our readers.
It's not news to any of you that trust in journalistic outlets has been on a nationwide decline for the better part of a decade. I stick my face at the top of all these emails in the hopes that if you don't yet trust our reporting, you might at least trust me.
To me, it's important you know the Gazette is produced regularly by just three people:
Ken, our full-time Community Editor, is out and about town each week working to find and report 6-10 stories a week keeping you informed on the best things happening in town.
Amy, our part-time Content Manager, edits and publishes our stories, builds our newsletters, manages social media, processes our newsroom email, interviews Neighbors of the Week, and she's developing systems that will ensure the reliability of our work.
I'm doing our City Hall reporting, but most of my time is spent attempting to grow our revenue so we can hire a full-time City Hall reporter, move Amy to full-time, and keep expanding our team, coverage, and reach from there.
So, when people ask me to send, or why I didn't send, "one of your reporters" it's simply because we don't have them yet. Please know I would love to be covering every single thing you know we're missing, we're just not there yet.
I'm sharing these behind-the-scenes details now because I need to ask for your understanding and patience in the coming weeks.
Many of you who know me personally (Riverside really is just a big small town after all) know my wife Lindy took on a gnarly battle against Stage-4 breast cancer in March 2022 and countless Riversiders have stood with us since the beginning. While Lindy remains healed and cancer-free, last fall, a new small lump was discovered in the same breast of the original diagnosis. The good news is that it is a non-invasive “Stage-0” type cancer, the bad news is that it is a different type of cancer that does pose a long-term threat due to her preexisting Stage-4 diagnosis.
Tomorrow, Lindy will have the first of two significant surgeries this month and while building the newsroom Riverside deserves is my passion, my family's well-being is my priority. I'm going to stay as engaged as possible in this work, but Ken and Amy are stepping up in a big way to keep things moving forward – please show them love while I'm out most of this month and be gracious if anything slips through the cracks as they both take on extra responsibilities for the rest of April.
If you want to stay updated with my family you can follow along on Instagram. I look forward to jumping back into this work as soon as possible.
City Council Dismisses City Attorney Phaedra Norton Without Cause
Five council members vote to terminate employment effective immediately, two recuse themselves
Phaedra Norton, who served as Riverside City Attorney from June 2021 until her dismissal on April 15, 2025. (Courtesy of City of Riverside)
Riverside City Council voted Tuesday to dismiss City Attorney Phaedra Norton without cause, effective immediately.
Councilmember Jim Perry, speaking as the council's spokesperson, announced the decision following a closed session.
"The City Council decided to dismiss the city attorney without cause," Perry said. "Per the terms of the city attorney's employment contract, this action is effective immediately."
Council members Philip Falcone, Clarissa Cervantes, Steven Robillard, Jim Perry and Steve Hemenway voted for the dismissal, while Chuck Conder and Sean Mill recused themselves from the action.
From community clean-ups to insect fairs and garden tours, Riverside offers meaningful ways to celebrate sustainability this Earth Day, April 22.
The California Air Resources Board is one of many Sustainability institutions located in Riverside. (Ken Crawford)
When the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970, it represented a radical idea. It aimed to organize educational events and mobilize activists around various environmental issues, harnessing the protest spirit of the 1960s and transitioning it into a more structured approach. While grassroots elements and environmental activism still exist today, much has changed in fifty-five years. Most companies and governments now have sustainability departments, and protecting the environment has become a crucial part of doing business in the United States and much of the world.
Angela Scott-Briggs in her recent article in TechBullion, The City of Riverside: The Innovation & Sustainability Hub of California, tells the story of how the large presence of Colleges and Universities and a conscious investment, by the City to court green tech businesses and environmental institutions has put Riverside in an excellent position to lead the next wave of the green economy.
Bar Ni Modo Brings Elevated Mexican Cuisine and Innovative Cocktails to Riverside's Farm House Collective
Arcade brand founders unveil their latest concept with prime stage-side location and contemporary take on familiar flavors.
Bar Ni Modo at the Farm House Collective is the latest offering from the successful Arcade Team. (Shane Levario)
Bar Ni Modo, the latest concept from Arcade founders Stephen Hasemeyer and Shane Levario, celebrated its soft opening at Riverside's Farm House Collective. The Mexican-themed establishment offers refined small plates and cocktails in a prime location near the venue's stage.
Driving the news: Ni Modo is set to fully open to the public this weekend, following a friends and family event and soft opening period.
The bar is part of the highly anticipated Farm House Collective adaptive reuse project.
Why it matters: Arcade's reputation for innovative concepts and strategic locations positions Ni Modo as a potential cornerstone of the Farm House Collective experience.
The bar's proximity to the stage makes it ideal for enjoying drinks during performances.
The big picture: Ni Modo represents Arcade's commitment to elevating Riverside's culinary scene, offering a contemporary take on authentic Mexican cuisine.
The concept aligns with Arcade's brand identity of ambitious, unpretentious establishments.
What's next: Reservations are recommended for the remainder of the week and can be made through OpenTable.com.
Farm House Collective operates Sunday through Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m.
A non-definitive, opinionated crawl through Riverside's pizza spots with that certain something. Joints where the vibe matters as much as the slice.
Tommy Salami’s in Woodcrest is a new. “joint” in town. (Ken Crawford)
What Qualifies As A Pizza Joint?
There are a bunch of ways to get a pizza. You can get your pizza via take out, delivery, super fast and highly customizable chain shops, or by the slice, but there is something unique about a pizza joint. I’m talking about the place you go after the Friday night softball game or for a kid’s birthday party. It has to have most, if not all of the following characteristics.
Room for large groups - where families and teams can spread out.
Claw machines/arcade games - entertainment while you wait.
Beer in a pitcher - the way nature intended.
Unbelievably loud atmosphere - the authentic soundtrack of a pizza joint.
Long bench seats - classic family-style seating.
Pebbled plastic cups - you know the ones.
Television on the wall - probably playing sports. A great reason to yell in a restaurant.
Kids sprinting full speed - the ultimate sign of a family pizza place.
They may sponsor your local youth soccer or High School Football team.
UCR's Developmental Psychology Department invites parents to register their children (birth to 18 years) in the Collaborative Database for participation in paid research studies.
Tickets are now on sale for California Baptist University's 2025-26 theatre season featuring five productions, including "A CBU Christmas" which sold out the past two years.
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