“The Departed” is an intriguing and action-filled story of betrayal, hidden identity, and the ever-seedy underworld of organized crime. A noteworthy strong point, the film’s cast reads like a “who’s who” of 21st century Hollywood A-listers, the most notable of which is Jack Nicholson (Frank Costello), who sees his first serious role since 2001’s “The Pledge” and the first time Nicholson has played a villain since his unforgettable portrayal of The Joker in 1989’s “Batman.

Picture a Star Trek convention except everyone is in late 19th century attire. That was the scene on the streets of Downtown Riverside the weekend of Feb. 2, when crowds gathered for the annual Charles Dickens Festival. There were dozens of actors and volunteers dressed in period attire. Minstrels and peasants roamed the streets. Many were not specific characters, but merely took on roles and personas to fit the life and times of Dickens. Others were representing characters from Dickens’ most celebrated novels.

Over the past two months, RCC has seen the resignation of President Daniel Castro, the hiring and the transition of an acting president for an interim president and progress on the search for a replacement for Chancellor Salvatore Rotella. The controversy began Dec. 8 when Tish Chavez, Castro’s assistant, sent a mass e-mail to all faculty, staff and administration at RCC. The e-mail was sent on the behalf of Castro and announced his resignation as president as of Dec. 11.

“Little Miss Sunshine” is arguably the underdog amongst the nominees for the Best Picture Oscar. Its wonderfully unique story tells of the dysfunctional Hoover family’s trip from New Mexico to southern California in order to enter young Olive (Abigail Breslin) into a beauty pageant held annually.