A free exhibit featuring photos, artifacts and information about Riverside's Camp Anza will be on display for four months at the City's Metropolitan Museum, 3580 Mission Inn Ave., starting tomorrow.

The exhibit commemorates an exciting era in Riverside history when the camp was a World War II staging area for soldiers before boarding transport ships to the Pacific Theater.  Holding 20,000 soldiers at a time, it was the final glimpse of America many soldiers saw before shipping out.  It was also a "welcome home" point for as many as 500,000 returning soldiers.

Remnants of the camp, which existed from 1942-1946, can still be seen in the Arlanza neighborhood of Riverside. 

The exhibit continues until Jan. 31, 2009.

Exhibition Focuses On Art Influences

A free exhibit about modern influences on local artists opens Thursday at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum, 3580 Mission Inn Ave.

The show, "Artists Declare," offers samples of art's external influences - family, traditions, current events, political issues and technology - as well as comments from the artists themselves.   Works by Charles Bibbs, Justin Huffman, Beatriz Krumbein and Douglas Miles will be exhibited.

There is an opening reception at the museum from 6 to 9 p.m., Thursday, during Arts Walk, the monthly open house for Riverside galleries and museums.

The exhibit continues until March 15, 2009.

For more information, call (951) 826-5273 or go online at www.riversideca.gov/museum.

James Ramos

"We invite the public to join us and learn more about the history of California and its Native peoples, "said James Ramos, California Native American Day Project Director and San Manuel Band of Mission Indians tribal member. "This is a rare opportunity to share in songs and dances that are rarely seen outside of California's native communities and reservations.

Since 1999, nearly 30,000 students and teachers have participated in the CICAC, a weeklong forum offering a variety of educational activities about Native Americans indigenous to California, through workshops, educational resources and informative discussions by tribal members and academics.

Over five days of this year's conference, nearly 1,500 students are scheduled to participate in events such as basketry, bird singing and pottery classes. All student and teacher events are held in the Santos Manuel Student Union.

Former Governor Ronald Reagan officially acknowledged the contributions of California's Native Americans in 1968 when he signed a resolution proclaiming the fourth Friday of September as American Indian Day. Eventually, in 1998, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill No. 1953 (Baca), establishing Native American Day as an official state holiday. Today, people of all ages celebrate California Native American Day by learning more about the culture, heritage and traditions of California's Indians.

American Indian health issues, language preservation and improving archaeology practices in California will highlight the 23rd annual California Indian Conference on Friday, Oct. 3, and Saturday, Oct. 4, at the UC Riverside Palm Desert Graduate Center.

The conference theme is "Good Medicine and Healthy Nations." Conference sessions will cover a variety of subjects from preserving the language, music and cultural traditions of California's Native Americans to access to medical care and programs that address major health issues of American Indians such as obesity and diabetes.

The event is sponsored by UCR's California Center for Native Nations, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the Rupert Costo Chair in American Indian Affairs, UCR's Center for Ideas and Society and California State University, San Bernardino.

For 23 years California Indians, scholars and Native Americans from many parts of North America have met at the California Indian Conference to learn about the culture, language, history, literature and lives of California Indians, said Cliff Trafzer, professor of history and Costo Professor of American Indian Affairs at UC Riverside.

Multiple conference sessions on Oct. 4 - titled "Finding Common Ground" - will provide an opportunity to share concerns about archaeology practices in California with the Archaeological Resources Committee of the State Historic Preservation Office. Committee member Donn Grenda will be present to take comments.

"There are a lot of hard feelings in California about the way developers build with respect to protecting sites that are important to American Indians," Trafzer said. "These sessions will give American Indian people a chance to talk directly with the commission about their concerns, such as desecration of graves."

Also featured during the conference will be art shows by Billy Soza War Soldier, a Luiseño Indian from the Soboba Indian Reservation near San Jacinto; George Blake, a Hupa Indian from the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation; and James Luna, a Luiseño performance artist from the La Jolla Indian Reservation.

The Palm Desert Graduate Center is located at 75080 Frank Sinatra Drive, Palm Desert.

For information go to http://ccnn.ucr.edu/cic2008/ , or contact Cliff Trafzer at CETrafzer@aol.com  or (951) 827-1974. No registration is required. Events are free and open to the public.

The high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane on the Riverside Freeway (State Route 91), between Tyler Street and Magnolia Avenue will be closed for three weekends, starting this weekend, Sept. 26-28, and continuing Oct. 3-5 and 17-19.

Construction of the La Sierra Avenue overpass requires the closure of the freeway's eastbound and westbound HOV lanes from 8 p.m., Friday, until 5 a.m., Sunday, on all three weekends.  

Additionally, both eastbound and westbound No. 1 and 2 lanes will close from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights on all three weekends.

La Sierra Avenue over the freeway will remain open during construction, although delays are expected.  All businesses will remain open and accessible.  Drivers should use alternate routes, such as Pierce, Magnolia or Tyler Streets, during the closures.

The project is expected to be completed by the summer of 2009.

For more information, call the City of Riverside Public Works Department at (951) 826-5760.