More drops in the local bucket

Violet: Okay... okay, I'm gonna leave, but I'll tell you one thing... don't you ever refer to me as 'your girl' again

Mr. Hart: What in God's name are you talking about?

Violet: I'll tell you what I'm talking about; I'm no girl, I'm a woman. I'm not you wife... OR your mother.


----9 To 5




Lily Tomlin, the actress and comedian is bringing her one-woman show to Riverside next weekend.

Thank goodness there's some culture coming to this town! She'll be at the Municipal Auditorium on Saturday, March 29 at 8 p.m.


Also, on that same day and about a mile away will be the latest rendition of the Riverside County Almanac with two performances, one at 2 p.m. and the other at 6:30 p.m. at Zacatecas Cafe in the Eastside. The price is $15 and includes a meal.



Speaking of culture, here's where a discussion is taking place on whether arts and music should be included in the curricula of schools in the Riverside Unified School District. Many people think they should. Interestingly enough, in many countries where their students perform very well in math, the students are introduced to music programs at very early ages because there's a correlation between developing skills in mathematics and music.

But it's not a good year for the school district which also has to decide whether or not to close down Grant Elementary School, a process which has led to much protest including at a recent school board meeting by parents of students and other supporters.




If you're into ghost hunting, Riverside is the place for you. The most haunted building in Riverside? The Mission Inn. Hauntings in that hotel include that of the "blue lady" who mostly just pops in once in a while and shows employees and guests her head.


A list of haunted hot spots in Riverside is here. There are actually stories of little elves living on Mt. Rubidoux that throw pebbles at the people as they walk by but those appear to be tall tales.




Here are the latest actions from the Riverside City Council including the approval of the library and museum renovation task force (aka the Committee to Re-elect Ron Loveridge 2009) and the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.

Notable for the latter was the sole vote cast by District One supervisor, Bob Buster against the actions of eminent domain on Main Street involving three parcels which will be used for the planned expansion for the law library. Buster wanted to do further research to find other prospective sellers to the county, obviously believing that eminent domain is the last tool in the county's arsenal not the first.

You have a choice here for those in District One. You can re-elect someone who has the principle to make a decision like that, to stand apart from the majority (which no doubt is read by that majority as being "divisive") or you can elect instead another "me too" person when it comes to eminent domain. After all, we've seen the votes taken to push or threaten eminent domain in Riverside by its governmental body.

Buster also voted against night flights by DHL and spoke against them, before a pending election year or deciding to throw his hat in the ring. But Election 2008 is just getting started and there's money to be raised.


Here is one site which assists political candidates on hosting fundraisers to fill their campaign coffers.



Surveillance cameras are coming to of all places, Redlands!



The excitement of the denizens of that college town which will now be airing its own version of Candid Camera on every corner is tempered somewhat by the surprising news that breathing the air in the Inland Empire can harm your bodily organs. As if that's any surprise to most residents in this area.




More bad news on the impact of the state's budget on the local level. San Bernardino County's own budget will be experiencing a $30 million shortfall so there will be major cuts all around.


Riverside will be presenting its own budget process in the upcoming months. It's important to keep an eye on it to see exactly where the cuts will be and just as importantly, where they won't be.




In San Diego, a woman and her 8-year-old child found out that running into an off-duty city police officer was what was dangerous. Both of them were shot and injured by an officer who was enraged after one vehicle cut the other one off in traffic. The shooting is under investigation by the officer's agency of employment.




Former Orange County Sheriff Michael Carona is out a defense attorney because he said he can no longer afford to pay him.





The last clothing worn by Sean Bell was put on display during the trial of three New York City Police Department officers who were charged in connection with his fatal onduty shooting.



(excerpt, New York Daily News)



Nicole Paultre Bell, Bell's fiancee and the mother of his two children suddenly rose from her seat in the hushed courtroom, burst into tears and ran for the doors.

"If you think about it, how my son died, with all the bullets, what they tried to do to him, destroy their bodies, you're talking about a lot of shots," Bell's visibly upset father, William, said later at a prayer vigil outside.

"Any excuse they try to come up with, whatever, it's not good for me. I won't even hear it. My son is dead."