National Night Out & Ice Cream Social

Calling all Wood Streets residents!!!!  Tonight (August 3, 2010) is “National Night Out”!  It’s actually America’s Night Out Against Crime!

National Night Out (NNO) is a unique crime/drug prevention event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW).  This year’s event is sponsored by the Historic Wood Streets Association (HWSA) and is gearing up for a wonderful time tonight, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., as we all observe National Night Out.  Please join us at 3465 Ramona Drive in the Wood Streets for free ice cream, fun, and visits from the City of Riverside Police and Fire Departments, along with council member Mike Gardner.  The kids will enjoy the big fire truck!

In 2009, the National Night Out campaign involved citizens, law enforcement agencies, local officials and neighborhood organizations from over 15,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide.  In all, over 36 million people participated in National Night Out in 2009.  Let’s make 2010 even better!

National Night Out is designed to:

• heighten crime and drug prevention awareness
• generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime programs
• strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships
• send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and are fighting back

If you live in another community, please consider registering for an organizational kit, available at the NNO website linked above, for your National Night Out in 2011.  Once you register, you will receive NNO updates during the period leading up to next year’s event.

Local Farmers’ Markets

The Riverside Downtown Farmers’ Market is a place for area farmers to sell their seasonal crops directly to customers.  When Tara and I first heard about this, we had just started taking our healthy eating to the next level, so this was perfect timing.  Instead of driving a car to the market and contributing to polluting the environment, we ride our bicycles.  Exercise… pollution reduction… healthy food… what a great way to start almost each and every weekend.

Located on the Main Street Pedestrian Mall between 5th and 6th Streets (adjacent to the Mission Inn) in the arts and culture district of downtown Riverside, it provides a unique opportunity to shop for fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, hummus, aged gouda cheese by Winchester Cheese Co., fresh baked bread from Old Towne Baking Co. and other specialty food items.

Open every SATURDAY from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

A photo of my beach cruiser’s handlebar basket overflowing with my farmers’ market haul a couple of weekends ago.  Nectarines, plums, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, cabbage, broccoli, corn, eggplant, etc. all for under $30!

Every FRIDAY from 8 a.m. to noon at the Sears parking lot (corner of Streeter and Arlington) is the original Riverside Certified Farmers’ Market open rain or shine at the same location for over 25 years!  This farmers’ market specializes in local ‘mom & pop’ farms and organic backyard gardeners that offer everything from heirloom tomatoes to ancient varieties of corn.  Because growing your own food is the healthiest, these farmers give friendly farming advice.

In addition to the organic farmers, there are local bakeries, fresh cut flowers, hot roasted peanuts, local honey, potted orchids, and a colorful assortment of local artisans including hand-mined stone jewelry and natural soy candles.  Some vendors accept Visa and MasterCard, and there’s an ATM machine on the premises.

No matter which Farmers’ Market you attend, maybe even both, please be sure to wear comfortable shoes, a hat (or umbrella) and bring your canvas shopping bags.  We’ll see you there!

Green Home Conversions & Rebates

Want to save $$$ on energy costs?  Tired of that hot/stuffy room?  Are you afraid to run your air conditioner?  Confused by all the advertisements?  Don’t know where to begin?  The “Wood Streets Green Team” can help!

The Wood Streets Green Team’s mission is to provide resources to assist Wood Streets residents in increasing the sustainability of their lifestyle.  Their website is a resource where all Riverside residents can share insights, ask questions, and request information about living more sustainably. 

Join us on Sunday July 25, 2010 for a workshop entitled ”Green Home Conversions with Riverside Public Utilities Rebates” from 3 pm to 5 pm at RCC‘s Hall of Fame in the Student Union Center (click here for campus map). 

This workshop will feature Ryan Bullard from Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) who will explain the new Whole House Rebate Program, a tiered rebate that gets bigger the more environmentally friendly projects you perform.  Steven Rawls from REEIS (Residential Energy Efficiency Improvement Specialists) will teach you how to determine the most important and cost effective improvements for your home.

The green shape under the words “Wood Streets Green Team” is the map outline of the Wood Streets neighborhood here in wonderful and historical Riverside, California!

This workshop will provide valuable information for everyone concerned about the environment, their community, and their future.  

Though the Team is geographically located in the Wood Streets neighborhood, all Riverside residents are invited to join the Team and attend the workshops!  We look forward to seeing you there.

Park ‘N Bark Classic Car Show

Come on down and support the animals of Riverside County at the Park ‘N Bark Classic Car Show on Saturday, July 17, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the new Western Riverside Animal Shelter (6851 Van Buren Boulevard).  Special pet adoption rates for everyone!

Sign-up your pre-1974 cars to win cash awards.  The first 50 cars to register will receive dash plaques for their vehicles.  Pre-registration is $10, and registration on July 17th from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. is $15.  No motorcycles. 

There will be food, entertainment, raffles, special pet adoption rates, activities for kids, and a silent auction.  Sponsored in part by Inland Empire Classic Mustang Club, Firestone, ASK Foundation, and Lucas Oil Products, Inc.

What better way to support the animals of Riverside County!  Adopt a pet — they will love you forever!!!

Riverside Summer Concert Series

FREE Entertainment at Fairmount Park every Wednesday evening (6:00 to 9:00 p.m.) until August 11, 2010!

Entertainment line-up:
July 14         Southbound (Rock ‘n Roll)
July 21         Red Carpet Riot (90s)
July 28         Stone Soul (Motown)
August 4      Suave (Top 40)
August 11    Latin Society (Latin/Salsa)

At each concert, four participants (two youths and two adults) from the third annual “Riverside Sings! Competition” will perform, and you, the audience, will decide who moves onto the final concert where the next “Riverside Sings!” champions will be crowned.  Participants perform at 6 p.m. and intermission.  For the finale on August 11th, youth will perform at 6 p.m. and adults at intermission.

Our Independence Day was a BLAST!

On our Nation’s 234th birthday, Tara and I gathered a wonderful group of friends (for the 13th year in a row) and set out at 6:00 a.m. from my “Wood Streets” home to deliver approximately 2,000 American flags!  Each of us grabbed a few bundles of flags, set out to different sections of the neighborhood, and carefully placed one flag in each neighbor’s yard.  Some neighbors even display all of the flags they’ve gathered from us over the years!

Depending on how many friends help each year, this patriotic task can take us anywhere from 1½ to 2½ hours to complete.  This year, we finished in record time — little over an hour!  Afterwards, Tara and I treated everyone to breakfast at our local Coco’s Bakery & Restaurant.

Once our bellies were full, everyone went their separate ways to either meet up with their families, take a nap, or prepare for the annual BBQ at Tara’s house.  Hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie dogs, veggie burgers, baked beans, corn on the cob, potato salad, macaroni salad, fruit salad, green salad, and plenty of homemade desserts were enjoyed by all.  Along with the bountiful food and great company, there was swimming, badminton, bike riding, and even a cupcake food fight.

And to round out the fun-filled and patriotic day, a large group of us walked down to the end of Highland Place and watched an unobstructed view of the Mt. Rubidoux fireworks show from a large open field.

Every day, Tara and I we realize how fortunate we are to be living in such a wonderful family-oriented neighborhood, and a free country thanks to our service men and women who have sacrificed for America over the years!

“America the Beautiful” song lyrics:
O beautiful for spacious skies
For amber waves of grain
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

Fly Your Flag Correctly

Displaying the American flag on the Fourth of July is a way of showing how much you love your country, but did you know there’s a right way and a wrong way to fly it? 

You may have noticed that flags in your city are flying at half staff this weekend; this is in honor of Senator Robert Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat and longest serving U.S. Senator, who died at 92 on Monday, June 28th. 

In keeping with tradition, President Barack Obama ordered that flags at federal buildings fly at half-staff until sundown on Tuesday, July 6th.  However, the Presidential proclamation makes an exception for Independence Day, meaning that all flags, including those at U.S. federal buildings, will be raised to their full height on Sunday, July 4th, to honor our country.

If you’re flying your flag this weekend, be sure to do it correctly.  For a full rundown of the rules of flag flying, check out the U.S. Flag Code, otherwise known as the Federal Flag Amendment of 2007.

1. Fly the American flag higher than your other flags.  We all like to show our pride for home states, sports teams, colleges and more, but the flag of the United States should always be at the center of any display and should be the highest point of a group.
2. If it’s flying horizontally or at an angle, the “union” (the stars) should be at the peak of the flagstaff.  Flying the flag with the union at the bottom symbolizes “dire distress”.
3. If you’re suspending it on a rope between buildings or houses, hoist the flag out, union first, from the building.
4. Don’t lay the flag across a car in a parade or on a parade float unless it’s hoisted on a flagstaff. 
5. Bring your flag inside in inclement weather — unless you have an all-weather flag.
6. Raise the flag at sunup (or later), and take it down at sunset, unless you have proper lighting to keep it illuminated during the night hours.
7. Don’t let the flag touch the ground.  It’s a sign of disrespect.  Similarly, don’t use the flag to wrap, hold, or carry anything.
8. Don’t substitute a flag for a table cloth; the flag is not to touch anything underneath it, nor should it be displayed horizontally.  In addition, using the flag in any manner that might result in it getting dirty is a no.
9. Flag pins should be worn on the left lapel, nearest the heart, as the flag is considered a living thing.
10. Flags that are tattered or torn should be replaced — contact your local veterans organization or Boy or Girl Scouts to find a flag disposal service near you, or sent it to the Flag Keepers.

Regardless of where, and how, you fly your American flag, please take a moment to reflect on the big “why” of our celebration — the birthday of our Great Nation. 

Best wishes to our fine service men and women serving around this troubled world.  We thank all of  you for your service, patriotism, and sacrifice.

To Mothers Everywhere…

Easter Sunrise Service on Mount Rubidoux

The annual sunrise service begins at approximately 6:15 a.m. on Sunday, April 4, 2010.  Participants should plan for at least 45 minutes to walk to the top.

No food or water is provided but portable toilets will be available.

Motorized transportation to the top for the elderly and disabled cannot be guaranteed. Arrive at the gate at Ninth Street and Mount Rubidoux Drive at least an hour before sunrise, preferably even earlier.

Rallys for Christ, a Montclair evangelical outreach ministry, led the service for the past few years, and Christian radio station KSGN-FM organized the event for some of the years before that. Last year, for the 100th anniversary of the service, the city invited Riverside churches, that were around in 1909, to the service. The five churches that took part last year are organizing this year’s service.

The participating congregations are First Congregational Church, First Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church and the Universalist Unitarian Church. Calvary Presbyterian Church will not have a representative Sunday, but the church is helping organize the event, said the Rev. Jane Quandt, of First Congregational. The Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino is sending a representative, and Mayor Ron Loveridge is expected to speak.

HISTORY

On April 11, 1909, Mission Inn founder, Frank Miller, and about 100 other people made their way to the summit of Mount Rubidoux and celebrated Easter at sunrise.  Riversiders and others have been doing it almost every year since.  This year, 2010, marks the 101st anniversary!

Each year after 1909, the service grew more grandiose and drew larger crowds — 10,000 in 1915.  International famous opera singer and Riverside native, Marcella Craft, performed as a soloist that year and the next.  The crowd count reached 20,000 or more in 1922, 1925 and 1926, according to “The Story of Mount Rubidoux”, by DeWitt Hutchings, Frank Miller’s son-in-law.

HAPPY EASTER to everyone, including our military service men and women!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

New Year’s Eve is here!  Have you thought about how wonderful 2010 can be for your family, friends, and strangers?  Resolutions are a New Year’s tradition.  Start a realistic list and make at least one promise with a loved one to do something out of the ordinary. 

FAMILY RESOLUTIONS:

Agree to disagree. Learn to cooperate and compromise. Put yourself in your loved one’s shoes, and truly try to understand how they are feeling and why they are reacting the way they are. Think before you speak or react. If all else fails, make believe the person you are hard on is a stranger, we often treat strangers kinder than our loved ones. Try not to hold a grudge, and don’t allow it to upset the other aspects of your relationship.

COMMUNITY RESOLUTIONS:

Volunteer somewhere you feel you could make a difference. It could be a hospital, nursing home, church daycare, literacy programs, meals on wheels or your local SPCA. You’ll know what feels right. There are volunteer opportunities everywhere. Check the Internet, local newspapers, and charities in your area.

PERSONAL RESOLUTIONS:

Plan to exercise for 10 minutes everyday. Stretching is great for circulation, walking around the block is great for your heart. Not anything strenuous, just something to get the joints moving. Dancing and yoga are also good for your overall well being.

Read a daily devotion, mantra, or quote to enlighten your spirit. Keep a daily journal of best thing that happened today or one thing per day that you are thankful for. Meditate, pray or focus on something beautiful in nature. Any of these suggestions will do wonders to nurture your inner spirit and will also help relieve stress.

FINANCIAL RESOLUTIONS:

Budget, spend less, and have more. Plan meals, shopping trips and make a list. Stick to the list and do not buy anything except what is on the list. Plan monthly allowances for birthday and special occasion gifts. Start putting money from coupon savings, bottle returns, or loose change in a jar for next year’s holidays. Have a yard sale and put those proceeds away as well. Cut down on your heating bills by wearing layers of clothing. Walk to the corner store instead of driving. Shop at thrift stores, rummage sales and garage sales for clothing, garden ornaments, and household decor.

But most of all, think positive, love and be loved…. and live every moment to its fullest!  HAPPY NEW YEAR to YOU!!!!

–Tara and April

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