Looking back at the sunset colors at the end of Autumn. (Bob Sirotnik)
Wednesday Gazette: January 8, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Wednesday!
Something magical happened while we were off on holiday break; before I tell you, we have something else to celebrate.
Sunday marked the four-year birthday of the Raincross Gazette, and this week marks the start of our fifth year of publishing! While many newsrooms across the country are shrinking or closing, we are steadily growing due to the persistent support of this community, and I am so grateful to be doing this work!
I published the first edition of The Gazette on January 5, 2021, to 48 subscribers. Very quickly, our list grew to over 300 subscribers, and then, for over a year and a half, growth stalled out, and we sat stuck with 385 readers. Everything changed when I quit my job in 2023 to go all in on building this newsroom, and we began to see our reach grow dramatically.
Here's the magic: we added exactly 385 new subscribers during our break!
I don't think it's possible to communicate just how big a smile planted on my face when I was checking analytics Monday morning and saw that exact number of 385 again, this time in an entirely new context, as we're now reaching nearly 7,500 Riversiders four times a week. What an incredible gift it is to tell the story of Riverside to each of you; we're committed to the vision of becoming the newsroom this city deserves.
For those of you who've been receiving these emails since before we went on break, thank you for bearing with us during our year-end giving campaign and for contributing.
During the last two weeks of December, 49 readers became new paid members (increasing our monthly revenue by over $300), and 109 readers gave $12,470 toward our campaign to hire a City Hall reporter.
We didn't reach our $40,000 goal, so I can't hire a City Hall reporter this month as I had hoped, but that won't stop our commitment. I will pair these contributions with a $20,000 grant from the Inland Empire Journalism Innovation Hub+Fund, powered by the Inland Empire Community Foundation, and will be working to have a full-time City Hall reporter on our team in the next 3-4 months and will keep you all posted on the progress; for long-time Riverside news junkies, I think you will be delighted with what's next for The Gazette.
Thank you for reading and believing in Riverside with us!
President Carter’s Legacy Lives On at Riverside Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity Riverside commemorates President Carter’s transformative contributions with a memorial event and community tribute wall.
The late President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter lending their hands to Habitat for Humanity. (Courtesy of Habitat for Humanity Riverside)
Habitat for Humanity Riverside is honoring former President Jimmy Carter's legacy with a memorial event that began January 5, 2025. The local chapter has installed a framed wall and door at the Riverside ReStore, where community members can share personal messages commemorating Carter's dedication to the organization.
Throughout his nearly four-decade partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Carter made significant contributions to Southern California communities through three "Carter Family Builds." David Hahn, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Riverside, reflected on Carter's regional impact: "President Carter led 'Carter Family Builds' three times in Southern California over the past 35 years. His most recent project was in 2007, building and fixing up homes in San Pedro. We'll really miss his influence and support."
Chancellor Kim Wilcox to Receive 2025 Riverside Hero Award
Recognized for transformative leadership, Chancellor Kim Wilcox has elevated UCR and strengthened Riverside’s role as a hub for innovation.
(Courtesy of Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce)
Chancellor Kim Wilcox of UC Riverside will receive the 2025 Riverside Hero Award at the upcoming Mayor’s State of the City Address on January 30. The Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce selected Wilcox for this honor in recognition of his outstanding leadership and contributions to the community.
As UCR's ninth chancellor, Wilcox has overseen transformative growth. Under his leadership, enrollment has surged by 25%, and the university has welcomed two Nobel Laureates to its faculty. The campus has also expanded by over two million square feet, with notable projects including the School of Medicine expansion and the North District development.
951 Market Foodie Fest: A Celebration of Flavors The 951 Market Foodie Fest—a vibrant community event—springs from the 951 Market's mission to unite people through shared experiences and joy. Join us on January 11th from 1 PM to 6 PM in the Highgrove neighborhood at the Norton Younglove Community Center, 459 Center St., Riverside, CA 92507. It is perfect for food lovers, families, and anyone seeking a fun food outing.
A Feast for the Senses This culinary adventure features local food vendors offering a diverse range of flavors. Whether you crave savory or sweet, you'll find something to delight your taste buds. The festival also hosts a marketplace where artisans sell handcrafted goods, adding a unique shopping experience to complement the food. Live music sets a festive mood, inviting visitors to unwind and soak in the atmosphere.
Tiny Argentine ants form massive supercolonies across California. Here’s how they thrive—and how to keep them outside your home.
(Courtesy of UCR Choe Laboratory)
If you have lived in Riverside for any period of time, you have very likely encountered California’s most ubiquitous wildlife in your home. We are talking about Argentine ants, Linepithema humile (= “the humble Linepithema). These are the small (about 1/8 inch) brown ants that magically appear in your home out of nowhere. First, you might see two or three on a counter; come back in fifteen minutes, and there can be dozens (or more!)
Such ant attacks are often predictable. Beware of any major change in the weather because Argentine ants like to be comfy. If there’s a cold snap, then a warm house looks good to these critters. A few days of intense rain and their shallow nests will be flooded; a dry home becomes an attraction. And, of course, when the hot, dry days of summer are finally upon us, the mere humidity of a kitchen or bathroom can generate a full-scale invasion of thirsty ants. To add injury to insult, even though this species of ant doesn’t sting, the occasional individual will bite humans.
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