Dear neighbors,
As February wraps up, we reflect on how Ward 1 honored Black History Month through art and community events. Read on for an exclusive chance get to know Ward 1 artist, Mariah Green. Get the scoop on the upcoming proposed cannabis ordinance and the ongoing redistricting process. Small businesses and community organizers can check out grant opportunities for business security and community events.
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Be well,
Join me for my office hours on March 20th at 5:45 PM. Stay afterwards to join in on the Downtown Area Neighborhood Alliance meeting.
Let's Talk About Cannabis
Should Riverside consider a commercial cannabis program: yes or no? This is the question at the heart of the public hearing happening at the City Council today, February 28th at 6:15 PM. Read the report here. Read the agenda to learn how you can engage in-person or virtually.
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Millions Invested in Parks, Trash Trucks, and Housing
Riverside's $73.4 million dollar allocation in American Rescue Plan Act Funding inspired the City Council to dream big and invest it in things that matter to you. Councilmember Edwards supported the expenditure plan, which included a $10 million allocation toward parks, $4 million towards trash trucks, and $1.4 million towards Riverside's first-ever affordable housing fund. This means improving the playgrounds where your families play, bettering our trash pick up service, and creating long-term investments in housing for Riversiders. Read more about the once-in-a-lifetime allocation here.
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Reshaping Riverside
The redistricting process is almost over--and there is one more opportunity to share how you think we should reshape the boundaries of each of Riverside's 7 wards. The City Council voted to advance Draft Map A3, create Draft Map A4 to include the Northside Specific Plan and Magnolia Center, and advance Draft Map D3. Find the full list of proposed maps under item #21 here. Watch the latest discussion on this topic here (start at 1:42:03), and stay tuned for the next and final public hearing on March 14th.
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The Small Business Security Grant is officially open for applications. Read about it here and apply by March 25th to be eligible for $10,000 to make your business more secure.
Blueprints, An Exhibit by Mariah Green
"Blueprints" is the latest exhibit at Downtown art gallery, Pain Sugar. Curated by 26-year-old Ward 1 resident, Mariah Green, "Blueprints" is a collection of paintings, photography, woven yarn and fiber, and more. It stands as a "thanks to the ways Blackness has advanced societies globally."
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About the Curator, Mariah Green
Mariah Green is an an Inland Empire native whose mission is focused on Afro-futurism. Their murals adorned the facades of Urge Palette and Gram's Barbecue during the 2020 Protests, and their work was featured at the Center For Social Justice's re-opening exhibit in 2022.
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Green's talents don't end with a paint brush: they dabble in film making, archiving, publication editing, and baking (their specialty is olive oil cake). Catch more of Mariah's curatorial work later this spring at All Eyes On Me Gallery in San Bernardino for their residency--details are to come through their social media platforms.
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*For meeting information, videos, agendas, and e-comment submissions, visit us here.
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