Timeline of Controversy over the Mt. Rubidoux Cross in Riverside, Ca.

Fr. Josiah Trenham, St. Andrew Orthodox Church, Riverside, Ca.

August 28th, 2012

Mayor Ron Loveridge (retiring after 20 years as Mayor on Dec. 11) and Riverside City Council receive letter from Americans United for Separation of Church and State calling attention to the fact that there is a 40 foot cross on top of public land (Mt. Rubidoux) – a fact that Americans United affirms is a violation of the constitution.

Friday, Nov. 9th, 2012

Riverside Press-Enterprise journalist Alicia Robinson breaks the news of the threatened litigation and that City Council may sell the Mt. Rubidoux Cross. This was the first public revelation of the August 28th letter. This article also includes a copy of the Americans United letter of August 28th.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/riverside/riverside-headlines-index/20121109-riverside-mt.-rubidoux-cross-may-be-sold-to-avoid-lawsuit.ece

Saturday, Nov. 10th, 2012

City Councilman Mike Gardner (Ward 1) – Mt. Rubidoux is in his ward - acknowledges that he has only been contacted by persons interested in preserving the cross, and has never been contacted by anyone wishing its removal. He also affirmed that there was plenty of time in his judgment for a coalition of interested people from the faith community and historical preservationists to buy the cross and land.

Tuesday, Nov. 13th, 2012

Local journalist Dan Bernstein publishes an article in the Riverside Press-Enterprise detailing the threatened lawsuit, the history of the Mt. Rubidoux Cross and monuments, and calling upon the City Council “to come out fighting” to preserve the cross and Riverside history.


http://blog.pe.com/dan-bernstein/2012/11/13/mount-rubidoux-riverside-and-california-history-in-the-crosshairs/
Riverside City Council Meeting at which City Staff recommends the sale of the cross to a private party. 400-500 folks and at least 100 St. Andrew Orthodox Church members are there. About 75 people speak: 72 for preserving the Cross and 3 against. 250 “Save the Cross” buttons passed out in 5 minutes. Several Christian attorneys speak to the Council about the positive feasibility of fighting any potential lawsuit due to the historic nature of Mt. Rubidoux and its 107 year old cross, the many historical markers commemorating Fr. Junipero Serra and the California Missions on site, and more. Perhaps the most eloquent speaker was a Jewish man who spoke fervently in favor of preserving the cross unmolested. The first atheist to speak and their small contingent’s semi-official spokesman is Justin M. Nelson, PhD candidate in Political Science at UCR. He was so agitated that as he approached the podium he threw off his backpack and his sweater, and caused City Council-woman Nancy Hart (Ward 6) to exclaim, “You are frightening me!”

Meeting was adjourned at 10:15pm with the Council deciding to postpone any decision to January.

Providentially, at the very same time the City of Lake Elsinore (15 miles south of Riverside) voted to defend a memorial cross in their town from threat of litigation.

This from the press- “Lake Elsinore voted unanimously to keep the cross in the design for a veterans memorial to be installed at their ballpark, despite complaints from yet another DC-based group. This one is called "Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers."
http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/lake-elsinore/lake-elsinore-headlines-index/20121113-lake-elsinore-cross-will-remain-on-veterans-memorial.ece

Wednesday, Nov. 14th, 2012

Riverside Press-Enterprise publishes article on the Council Meeting and the Controversy.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/riverside/riverside-headlines-index/20121114-riverside-residents-pack-city-hall-over-mount-rubidoux-cross.ece

Friday, November 16th, 2012

City clergy are gathering and networking. By today several Facebook pages have been created to “Save the Mt. Rubidoux Cross” – they currently have many thousands of members, and a movement to visit the cross daily is underway.
Here are the facebook links:
SAVE THE MT. RUBIDOUX CROSS - https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheMtRubidouxCross?fref=ts
OCCUPY THE MOUNT RUBIDOUX CROSS - https://www.facebook.com/events/486092574769416/
Initial plans are made for a City-wide “Save the Mt. Rubidoux Cross” Walk – that will begin at the cross and end at the City Council Chambers.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Important dates are published by the City for the installation of the new mayor on December 11th, the hosting of a city-conducted workshop on the Mt. Rubidoux Cross situation on January 15th, and the next City Council Meeting on January 22nd.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Save the Cross on-line petition is gathering signatures and sending notice to the City Council digitally.
http://www.change.org/petitions/save-mt-rubidoux

Monday, November 26, 2012

RPE has article about the “Save Mt. Rubidoux T- Shirts”
http://blog.pe.com/retail/2012/11/26/riverside-save-the-mt-rubidoux-cross-t-shirts-booming/

Tuesday, November 27th, 2012

University of California @ Riverside’s Highlander newspaper publishes an excellent article.
http://www.highlandernews.org/5737/the-separation-of-church-and-state-comes-to-riverside/

Monday, December 3rd, 2012

Riverside native and author Susan Straight wrote a commentary piece for KCET in defense of the Mt. Rubidoux Cross: Mt. Rubidoux: The Cross and The Fight Over Religion and Landmark
http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/commentary/notes-of-a-native-daughter/mt-rubidoux-the-cross-and-the-fight-over-religion-and-landmark.html

Friday, December 21st, 2012

Local Catholic Auxiliary Bishop speaks out about preserving the Cross.
http://www.icbyte.org/news/diocesan-news/271-catholics-speak-in-favor-of-mount-rubidoux-cross.html

Thursday, January 3rd, 2012

New coalition, called “Totally Mt. Rubidoux”, of three entities form to propose acquisition of the Mt. Rubidoux Cross: the Friends of Mt. Rubidoux, the Mission Inn Foundation & Museum, and the Riverside Land Conservancy.
http://www.totallymtrubidoux.org

Monday, January 7th, 2012

Riverside Press-Enterprise publishes article about this “Totally Mt. Rubidoux” Coalition.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/riverside/riverside-headlines-index/20130107-riverside-community-groups-join-together-to-save-cross.ece

Thursday, January 10th, 2013

Riverside Press-Enterprise publishes article about this “Totally Mt. Rubidoux” Coalition.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/riverside/riverside-headlines-index/20130107-riverside-community-groups-join-together-to-save-cross.ece

Thursday, January 10th, 2013

Riverside Press-Enterprise publishes article the religious origins of the initial erection of the cross in 1907
http://blog.pe.com/dan-bernstein/2013/01/10/mount-rubidoux-and-the-cross-eyewitness-1907-news/

Thursday, January 10th, 2013

"Totally Mt. Rubidoux" a new non--profit organization formed by three established groups in Riverside: the Mission Inn Foundation, the Riverside Land Conservancy, and the Friends of Mt. Rubidoux, hold an informational meeting for the Riverside Faith Community at the Monterey Room of the Mission Inn to solicit support for the idea of "Totally Mt. Rubidoux" buying and maintaining the top of Mt. Rubidoux.