City of Riverside’s Post

Transcript

Hey there, I'm Gabriella Madrigal. This week in support of Disabilities Pride Month, we learn about an important institution in Riverside supporting those who are visually impaired. We hear about the new city budget and how it promotes financial stability as well as increase quality of life in Riverside. Small business owners can take advantage of a special grant program, and we show you how to find details on St. paving projects in the city. So keep watching as we share what's happening in our community here on Inside Riverside. In observance of Disability Pride Month, we highlight the Braille Institute located on Brockton Ave. here in Riverside. With 100 years of service, The Braille Institute supports blind and visually impaired individuals with free programs such as career counseling, adaptive technology training, independent living skills and social interaction. The Riverside. Location provides a well equipped library and crucial services for those with low or no vision. At the Braille Institute, students and their families can explore resources to promote independence and ultimately lead to a better quality of life. To learn more about these services and more, visit brailleinstitute.org/riverside. It is time for another Riverside sports update. Our sports expert Pet Fernandez caught up with Brianna Lopez, the former Ramona softball star pitcher now making her way at the University of Mississippi. Check out our interview with Brianna. And with Hawaii, and then you had a couple great seasons there. Then you transferred to Ole Miss. What was it about Ole Miss? Was it the SEC? Did you want to see how you would fare against maybe some of the best competition in the country? Did you love the coaching staff? What was it about the Rebels? Yes. So when I entered the portal, I had told my parents that I wanted to finish my career at the best conference that there was. And it's the SEC. And so when Jamie reached out my head coach, I was like, oh, my God, like, this is it right here. You know, I loved my time. Of why I love the memories. All my friends, I still talk to a handful of them, But it just wasn't that, you know, culture that I was looking for. And so when I went to Ole Miss on my visit, I was like, they mean business. I mean, this feels like a full job. You know, we have all these great resources out there. And so I just knew once I stepped on campus, I was like, yeah, this is it. And especially in the SEC, you can't get anything better than that. You know, your your first season with old miss, if I have the stats correct, you've led the team in strikeouts. He led them in appearances. You know, you helped him get to the NCAA tournament. He was the 8th year in a row. I mean, was that kind of your expectation going into the season or were you like, man, hopefully I get in the circle this season or did you feel like I'm going to be a big part of this team? No, I mean, I definitely wanted some playing time, but I know things run differently in the SEC and I believe we had a handful of pictures And so deep down I knew that I had to work my ****. And so I remember talking to my dad like, yeah, I don't know, I might not find. I know I might not see the field. You know, we'll just see what happens. But, you know, I worked my **** off that, you know, offseason going into season. And then it finally just clicked. And I just started seeing the field a lot more often. And you know it, It's fun when your team, you know, kind of trust you behind them. And, you know, we have all these good inside jokes on and off the field. And, you know, it was just it was just a great reward. So you're you're going into your your senior season and obviously the SEC is tough, but do you feel like this is a team that can make it out of conference play and maybe make a run through the postseason to get to the College World Series? Because we know there's so many great teams. I mean, obviously Oklahoma and Texas and I could go on and on, but there's a ton of great teams in the SEC already. Yeah, Yeah, I think so. I mean, we got a whole new coaching staff. We got a couple of good transfers, you know, all the trust in our in our coach right now. But I do believe that we can make it. For this year. Though between last season and going into this next season, how do you feel like you can become a better pitcher, you can make it more, you know, bigger impact on this team? Yeah. You know, just, I think just staying true to myself and really just putting in the work. I know, like the offseason can be a little scary for us just because we tend to get a little lazy here and there. Like I, you know, mentioned I had just gotten back into throwing. But I just think, you know, just staying true to myself, just helping out my team in any way, whether that's being a starter, reliever, whatever, you know, the coach. Asked me for and we'll just put it all on the table this year. I mean last year. Best year. OK, so Brie, after Ole Miss, did you see softball in your future? Whether it's playing professionally, whether it's coaching or youth, once you get your degree or you like, you know what, I'm going to be an adult, I'm going to go into the room. It's definitely still up in the air. Body lets me. We'll see about playing pro, but I think I've been playing for too long. I've been playing since I was five years old. I'm I'm kind of at the age where I'm like, you know, I think it's time to hang up the cleats. OK, so that begs the question, what would that be like if you were pitching, if you weren't at, you know, playing softball or coaching softball? What do you think you might be doing? I think, man, I mean, I'm I'm majoring in criminal justice and Homeland Security right now, so I could see myself probably working. For Riverside Police Department and my mom actually works for the city too. So it'd be kind of fun to like see her around the city if, you know, I'm on like A tag along or something with somebody. But I definitely want to go back to school and get my masters or get my certificate in forensic science. But you know, I have so many options that just don't know what to what to choose yet. I'll wait until that door opens up. Thanks again, Pep, for another amazing interview and good luck, Brianna, during your senior season at Ole Miss. The City Council has just approved A2 year budget of 1.4 billion annually designed to enhance our cities vibrancy and livability. This budget prioritizes critical public safety upgrades such as new police radios, fire department staffing and replacement of vehicles and equipment. Our libraries and recreational services are expanding too, bringing more programs and support for everyone. Plus there's a new marketing and communications department with a. Visit Riverside campaign to promote tourism and create a distinct city brand. Developed with extensive input from residents, this budget is set to keep Riverside thriving and growing, ensuring our city remains an amazing place to live, work and play. Attention small businesses in Riverside The clock is ticking for you to apply for the Small and Micro Business Grant program. This program is designed to support local small businesses with grant awards up to $25,000 for qualified businesses. In addition to direct financial support, all applicants will have the opportunity to participate in a free one-on-one business resiliency consultation to identify opportunities for improvement and build customized strategies for their. Business applicants are encouraged to use the assistance of the Inland Empire Small Business Development Center or Inland Socal 211 Plus. Currently, the city is on round three of applications this year, which ends on August 31st. With a total of $3.2 million awarded already to 295 businesses, this is one program that you'll want to take advantage of. With summer in full swing, the coming months tend to be the peak season for street paving, especially with most of the schools out for vacation. Public works can take advantage of the lower traffic volumes for maintenance of our roads. The city has put together a special website for street paving projects. If you visit riversideca.gov/paving Map, you'll find an interactive map with all you need to know on projects under construction or those planned in the works. There's also explanations on pavement. Treatments used to preserve and rehabilitate the roads we currently have in place, so stay in the know and plan your routes accordingly as the city works to make your commute as smooth as possible. Well, that's it for our show, but stay to the end and check out the list of upcoming events. And if you want a more extensive list, visit the Riverside Community Calendar at riversideca.gov/calendar. I'm Gabriella Madrigal, and thank you for watching Inside Riverside.