City of Riverside’s Post

Transcript

Hello there and welcome. I'm Pep Fernandez, your host this week for Inside Riverside. Today we get ready for the good old 4th of July and find out where you can go and join in on the festivities. We also hear from a soccer star from Arlington High School and see some upcoming projects in the works around town. So stay in your seats as we fill you in on what's happening in our city here on Inside Riverside. Get ready for an unforgettable 4th of July as we bring back our spectacular aerial fireworks show and celebration to La Sierra Park and Mount Rubidoux. Bring your own blankets and chairs to get comfortable and enjoy the festivities. Be aware that access to the dog park at Carlson will be restricted all day on July 4th starting at 7:00 AM. And as a reminder. All fireworks are illegal within the City of Riverside. Anyone found using illegal fireworks will face a hefty $1500 fine. The city has been working diligently to reduce the use of fireworks due to their potential to cause injuries, spark dangerous fires, create stress for veterans with PTSD and frightened animals. Residents can report illegal use of fireworks by either calling 311 using the mobile app or through the web. Any calls made to 311. The Guardian Specific addresses where fireworks are being used can be made anonymously. So instead, come early to Law Sierra Park and Mount Rubidoux. You can find your spot and enjoy the fireworks show, which will begin promptly at 9:00 PM. We can't wait to see you there for a day of celebration and community spirit. Alright, we're back to my favorite segment on the show, Riverside Sports. Earlier in the week, I was able to talk to Arlington High School soccer star Javier Hernandez, who just received a huge honor. He was named the California Boys Soccer Player of the Year by Gatorade. Check out our interview with Javier. Javier, First off, congratulations on the Gatorade award, which goes to the the best player in high school. And the whole state in California is a big state with a lot of great players and teams. So what what did that mean to you, Javier, to win this? Ohh. I think just overall is first grateful, grateful for, you know, Watson and his opportunities that he gave me and, you know, his coaching staff. So just to be able to be put in Arlington Jersey was, you know, blessing. And then obviously what I had to do, I did. And, you know, I got the job done. You're the Gatorade player of the Year and and I think, you know, for the most part it's because you're a great goal scorer, but also you helped Arlington get to the Open Division championship match. I mean, when you look back on this season, what are some of the things you're going to remember about this fantastic Arlington team that only lost a couple matches at the very end of the season? Yeah, no, obviously just the the bus rides after a win or something simple as going out and getting food. But I think obviously the most memorable thing was the CIF run just. Crazy games, you know, the support, Yeah, playing home games was was crazy. So just to be able to score in here, everybody's scream was, was amazing. What did you think about the scoring record? Did you know that you were approaching it? Did you know you shattered it like you, you completely, you know, blew past the old mark? I mean, did you know that you were, you know, set to break some of these records this season? Um, to be honest, at first, I didn't really think of it much. I was just, you know, enjoying playing, playing my footie. But as we got closer, you know, Watson and the coach just started, you know, saying it here and there and, you know, I, I remember telling him, like, just don't mention it to me. Like, I don't want to know nothing about it. Like if it's going to get done, it's going to get done in with God's blessing, it did. So, yeah, you know, and, and let's wrap it up like this heavier going back to that Gatorade award. You know, Gatorade does it for all sports, you know, football and basketball. It's a very prestigious. Forward to to get that how did you find out was it an e-mail A text did somebody call you like how did you find out you won that because it's a huge deal yeah yeah, it's kind of funny story I I was still asleep I was still sleeping my mom she had came and woke me up and she was like oh she was like ohh hobby like Gatorade came out guess who what I just I remember I woke up like no way. And then he was like yeah, Congrats. And then obviously a family moment, you know. My mom and dad sacrifices. It was it was all worth it. Well, thanks again for the interview, Javier, and congratulations on this huge achievement, the best soccer player in the state of California. All right, big news for Riverside. The temporary parking lot in front of the main library will be transformed into 392 units of mixed-use student housing, retail, office space and a new parking garage, increasing library parking by 25%. The $78 million project, developed by Pelican Communities LLC includes affordable housing units and significant retail and office space with the first three hours of parking. Free for library patrons, This development, unanimously approved by the City Council, is expected to generate 200 construction jobs in over $560,000 in annual revenue. It aims to inject vitality into downtown, benefiting students and the entire community. Every Friday from now until August 9th, Riverside presents Movies in the Park. This is a free event. Seating will be on the grass, so bring a blanket or a beach chair and enjoy the cool summer evening. All movies begin at dusk. This Friday, June 21st will be the movie Puss in Boots, the Last Wish at Nichols Park. Next Friday, June 28th will be Disney's Wish at Vegas Park, so bring your family and friends out for an evening of fun and for a full list of upcoming movies. And locations, visit the community calendar at riversideca. gov/calendar. Well, that wraps up our show, but hold on a moment. If you need plans for next week, stay tuned for a list of some interesting things to come. And once again, you can check out the Riverside Community Calendar at riversideca.gov/calendar for more of the exciting events around town. I'm Pep Fernandez and thank you for watching Inside Riverside.