RIVERSIDE CITY COLLEGE
SEPTEMBER 29,
VIEWPOINTS VIEWPOINTSONLINE.ORG
2022
VOL. 101, NO. 3
Warehouse proposal threatens longtime landowners Upcoming Bloomington project development meeting reveals communication hindrances between county officials and their residents JENNIPHER VASQUEZ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
a lot of the entertainers that went on to do some incredible things got their start.” Many performers did move on to gain great success, including Petruschin who applied to be on RuPaul’s Drag Race’ second season. At the time, Petruschin was a fledgling drag queen that couldn’t afford all the expenses of competing on the show. However, Pierre took it upon himself to help with the costs so that the young, up and coming performer could represent Riverside. “I said here’s a little money, buy what you need and go,” St. Pierre said in a May 2019 interview with Hey Riverside. “I want you to make us proud.” Petruschin went on to place second in RuPaul’s drag race that season, landing a job as the show’s
Bloomington neighbors, city officials and hopeful developers packed the San Bernardino County Government Center Chambers and an overflow room as the groups debated plans to potentially demolish homes and Zimmerman Elementary School in unincorporated Bloomington. However, language barriers are proving to be an obstacle. The San Bernardino County Planning Commission approved the proposal, funded and produced by Howard Industrial Partners, to construct an industrial business warehouse on over 200 acres of land by a vote of 3-0 with one abstention. The vote came after a full day of presentations, a Q&A session and public comments by several Bloomington land owners, who both opposed and supported the plan. Some felt the deck was stacked against the opposition. A Bloomington resident, who stated her opposition, was the first public voice who needed an interpreter to translate her statement to the audience. After her comments, many protesting the warehouse project noticed that her statements were not being translated in full. As the Spanish speaking resident slowly spoke to the Planning Commission in order to allow the
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STEPHEN DAY | VIEWPOINTS
Employees and long time patrons of The Menagerie remember David St. Pierre on Sept. 24 with flowers and photo tribute.
Community mourns DTR icon CHEETARA PIRY MANAGING EDITOR
A safe space lost a champion. A jam-packed group of more than 200 dressed like they were either at Studio 54 or their Sunday best gathered to celebrate the life of the longtime owner of the Menagerie, an LGBTQIA2+ bar in downtown Riverside on Sept. 24. David St. Pierre, owner of the spot, died at 59 on Sept. 6 after battling cancer. “The word menagerie describes exactly what the bar is, an eclectic group of many different things,” Phillip (Cassi) Bailey, 56, longtime friend and St. Pierre’s oldest bartender said. “It’s inclusive and welcoming to everybody and anybody.” The memorial took place
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behind the bar living up to its namesake hosting a motley crew. The community rallied together to make the celebration of St. Pierre’s life possible. A neighboring Mexican restaurant, El Patron, catered the event while family and longtime colleagues and employees helped to set up the tent, stage and tables. “It just shows how many talented people and how many people (in general) cared about David,” Bailey said. The Menagerie’s 24-year bartender hosted the memorial, sharing memories of St. Pierre’s character. He remembered him as one who never complained, always strived to have good entertainment and cared deeply for people. The duo was creating a show that would premiere in December at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium, and up until the very end St. Pierre was working.
“The last few months were really bad,” Bailey remembered, “I asked him ‘are you sure you’re up for this?’ and he said ‘don’t treat me like a sick man, I have to do this, because I have to keep my mind busy.” The duo were responsible for the conception of hosting drag shows, shaping to be one of the main features of the Menagerie. Over two decades ago, Bailey and St. Pierre partnered in creating a drag show called “All That Glitters” eventually evolving into a show called “Snatched” hosted by David Petruschin (Raven), 43. The bar became home to several drag performers, since it was one of the only “safe spaces” in the Inland Empire for drag entertainers and ally to the LGBTQIA2+ community. “He turned it into a space that people wanted to come to,” Bailey shared. “It was definitely a place
OPINION 8
LIFE
Riverside jails blame inmate deaths on fentanyl overdose
President Vurdien sits down with Viewpoints
INDEX
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