As the calendar turned to May, the weather started to heat up and there were plenty of school, business and community events to keep local residents busy throughout the summer months. This week, in the second installment of the Year In Review, we look at the top stories from the front page of The News in the May through August issues. Next week, we wrap up the three-part series looking back at September through December.
MAY
Saturday, April 27 was very busy at the Community Center in downtown Riverbank, with not one, not two, but three separate events happening there throughout the day.
Beginning at 8 a.m., volunteers working with the Love Riverbank day of community service met at the gazebo on the south side of the park there, off of Stanislaus Street. There, they signed in, received an event T-shirt and specific information about their assignments. The Love Riverbank work was done at locations throughout town, with many different kinds of improvement work performed, from planting trees in some of the parks to cleanup along the river, and many others. While the projects were going on, a lot of other work was happening in the rest of the park, setting up and getting prepared for the fun activities of the Founders Day Carnival, scheduled for noon to 5 p.m. The third edition of the carnival, having started as part of Riverbank’s Centennial Celebration back in 2022, included a number of booths and game activities. In the midst of all this, the City of Riverbank hosted a Community Health Faire in the Community Center itself. The Faire offered health screenings, including blood pressure and glucose screenings as well as other resources and health care-related information.
Riverbank High School students, staff, faculty and families came together this past week to celebrate academic achievement on campus this year. Ninety-nine students, from freshmen through seniors, received their Academic Block Awards and certificates on Wednesday, May 1 during a program hosted in the Ray Fauria Gymnasium. In addition to their certificates, some received an actual Block R patch, while others received a pin to be added to their previously presented Block R awards.
The second edition of Food Truck Friday on May 10 was a success, building off the large crowd that turned out on May 3 for the first of five consecutive events in May. Designed to bring the community together to kick off the weekend with some good food and relaxing fun, the array of food trucks roll in to the Riverbank Sports Complex for a few hours. Formal time for Food Truck Fridays is 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
With over $125,000 raised so far, the Relay For Life of Greater Stanislaus County met with success over the weekend. The multi-city, multi-county combined regional event to raise funds for the American Cancer Society drew hundreds of participants and dozens of teams to Johansen High School in Modesto. It was a quick turnaround time from the 2023 to the 2024 event, as teams were at John Thurman Field in Modesto the last day of September and first day of October in 2023. The decision to move back to a spring Relay and return to Johansen – where the Modesto event had been in years past – meant a shorter time frame for fundraising and getting teams together. Presenting sponsor was ConAgra Brands and teams came from Oakdale, Riverbank, Modesto, Tracy, Ripon, Patterson and more, with participants from several other communities including Escalon and Turlock. The 24-hour Relay ran from 9 a.m. Saturday, May 18 to 9 a.m. Sunday, May 19.
Riverbank High School gathered administrators, staff and other community members, along with families and friends of graduating seniors this past week to honor the recognition they received at the end of the school year.
A special Honors and Awards event was staged on Wednesday, May 15, in the Ray Fauria Memorial Gymnasium on the RHS campus. The program started with 10 different award categories, presented by either host Principal Ed Vaca or teacher and Athletic Director Juan Harvey. Vaca awarded 12 seniors with his Principal’s Exceptional Effort Award, along with Kate Tigert and Fatima Gonzalez as California Scholastic Federation Life Member honorees. Gonzalez and Ramon Torres were named as Salutatorian and Valedictorian, respectively.
A good-sized crowd enjoyed their brunch at the After Mother’s Day Omelette Breakfast at the Riverbank Community Center on Sunday, May 19. It is an annual fundraiser put on by the local Riverbank Historical Society, which provides the organization with operating funds to get them through the year. In addition to the custom-made omelettes, the day featured opportunity drawings that featured a number of interesting prizes.
Class of 2024 Riverbank High and Adelante High School seniors received diplomas and graduated into their futures. Adelante, the continuation high school, saw 29 students advance, in the early evening on Friday, May 24, in ceremonies held in the Ray Fauria Memorial Gymnasium on the RHS campus. About an hour after the conclusion of Adelante’s ceremonies, Principal Ed Vaca had to pick up and start again, moving over to Angelo Novi Stadium, for the beginning of Riverbank High’s graduation.
A small group of Riverbank residents and friends turned out to honor our fallen heroes with a Memorial Day Ceremony at the Veteran’s Wall, in front of the Community Center on Monday, May 27. The program started at 11:30 a.m., with Mayor Richard O’Brien welcoming those in attendance. There was a presentation of the colors by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Honor Guard, followed by the National Anthem. Former councilman and mayor, Pastor Charles Neal gave an invocation, followed by guest speaker Buck Condit, Stanislaus County District 1 Supervisor. His district includes Riverbank, Oakdale, the east side of Modesto and unincorporated areas of Knights Ferry and Valley Home. He is a Riverbank resident, and retired Fire Captain.
JUNE
Riverbank Parks and Recreation Department has already begun offering swim lessons to residents, just in time to cope with the 100-plus degree temperatures we’ve been having lately. The Riverbank Community Pool is located at the corner of Seventh and Stanislaus streets. It officially opened for recreational swimming on June 1. Hours are Monday through Friday, 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturdays 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The swimming lessons are offered in two-week sessions, each day Monday through Thursday. Sessions began on June 3, with the next session scheduled from June 17 through 27.
The week where nearby Modesto celebrates the graffiti craze created by native son George Lucas shared a bit of the hoopla with residents in Riverbank. Thursday, June 6 saw hot rodders, custom and classic car enthusiasts visit the parking expanse between Cool Hand Luke’s restaurant and the iMax area of Galaxy Theatres on Patterson Road. For nearly as far as the eye could see, rows and rows of vehicles, some in pristine condition, some in different stages of repair were available to view, and – for many attendees – sometimes drool over.
The Riverbank Parks and Recreation Department has organized its schedule for summer camp sessions for local youth. The full day camps will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with registration open to children from six to 12 years of age. Camps will run for four days each.
Lined up like they were hoping to score Taylor Swift tickets or the latest iPhone release, the crowd arrived well ahead of the formal ribbon cutting ceremony and official opening of the doors to the Costco store in Riverbank. The new mode of shopping has arrived in the City of Action, with the grand opening of the new Costco Wholesale members-only market, the first store in the still-being-developed Crossroads West shopping center. City officials and other dignitaries welcomed Costco management and crew on Thursday, June 13, just ahead of the ribbon cutting at the main entrance. A large crowd had gathered, on both sides of the doorway, to be there when it opened. Some, it was noted, had been in line since the day before. City Council members stretched the red ribbon across the entrance, while store management representatives cut it, with most of the huge staff watching from just inside the store. Although the ceremony was scheduled for 7:30 a.m., with a planned opening for 8 a.m., the actual cutting was quite brief, and people were allowed in starting just about at the half hour.
The local Chamber of Commerce hosted another Business Expo, staged in the Riverbank Community Center. It has been a few years since the last one, but organizers said there were more than 20 businesses represented at the latest edition, with booths inside covering a wide range of offerings. Some were brick and mortar, storefront businesses here, others were business people who operate out of their homes. Two booths were even set up out in front of the center. Graphic designers, insurance companies, jewelers, even the Stanislaus County Workforce Development organization was there. The Expo was staged on Thursday, June 13, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
A vibrant celebration of Mexican culture was observed over the weekend at the Riverbank Community Center. Running from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 15, Expo Mexico Magico featured the cultural contributions from states in the heart of Mexico, including the states of Jalisco, Hidalgo, Guerrero and Michoacan. There were activities for all ages, with live music, colorful dances and delicious food. Booths offering food and beverages, handmade and manufactured products, and a variety of activities, many for youngsters, stretched across the grassy park area, from up by the swimming pool down to along Santa Fe Street, opposite Cardozo Middle School. Inside the Community Center, there were some tables and chairs set up for those who wished to take their food purchases there to sit and eat.
Residents of Riverbank celebrated the national holiday Juneteenth with music and vendors at the Community Center in the downtown area this past week. The celebratory event was held between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19. That date was selected as, officially, Juneteenth National Independence Day, first recognized as a federal holiday in 2021. It was the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983. Juneteenth is a portmanteau of the words “June” and “nineteenth”. On June 19, 1865, a Union Calvary General ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas, at the end of the Civil War.
JULY
Riverbank Police Services Chief Ed Ridenour met with members of the City Council to let members know what’s going to be happening with illegal fireworks in the area for the July 4 holiday period. He let council members know that the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department Air Support Unit has acquired some new equipment that will allow them to pinpoint addresses of homes where illegal fireworks are being set off. The point is to cite the homeowner, he added, not necessarily the person lighting them. Ridenour said that the citations carry a stiff fine with them, aimed at curtailing the dangerous activity. With the 100-plus degree heat wave impacting the region throughout this week, dead leaves, limbs, grass and weeds can easily lead to wildfires when the hot fireworks fall from the sky.
Along with the rest of the country, Riverbank Mayor Richard D. O’Brien and the city council declared July 2024 as National Parks & Recreation month. In doing so, they noted that such departments promote physical activity, emotional and mental health benefits and wellness through organized and self-directed fitness, play, and connecting people. In addition, the department creates memorable experiences through youth sports and enrichment activities, teen centers and programs, adult fitness, free special events and more. Accepting the proclamation, on behalf of his staff and the department, was Director Michael Patton, who joined the city about eight months ago.
On what became yet another triple-digit day here in Central California, Riverbank residents took time on the Fourth of July to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day with of plenty state Fire Marshal-approved ‘Safe and Sane’ fireworks in neighborhoods around town. Some, with multiple families celebrating in a block, lit up streets with multicolor sparks and flames. But, there were the illegal fireworks in evidence as well, those shooting high up into the dark night, with loud bangs and large umbrellas of sparks and flaming ashes flying through the sky. Some, set off from Northern Modesto, were easily visible here, as were those launched from inside the city limits.
The number of unhoused individuals counted across Stanislaus County dropped slightly compared to last year. The 2024 Homeless PIT Count data, released July 5, identified 2,052 homeless people, down from last year’s total count of 2,091. The count is a snapshot in time – a total of unsheltered and sheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night during the last 10 days of January. The Stanislaus County annual census found 980 unsheltered individuals and 1,072 sheltered people in the county. A total of 12 cities were included in the count; Modesto had the most homeless, 1622, while Riverbank came in at number five with 28 homeless counted and Oakdale was at number six, with 26 homeless. Other cities included in the count were Turlock, Empire, Patterson, Ceres, Newman, Waterford, Crowslanding, Salida and Denair.
Despite temperatures spiking to 108 degrees and an Excessive Heat Warning from the National Weather Service in place when the gates to the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds in Turlock officially opened to the general public, it was a determined crowd that made it out to the opening day of the 106th Stanislaus County Fair on Friday afternoon, July 5. To keep the Fourth of July spirit going, the first 1,000 kids received red, white and blue glow necklaces and all active and former military members were admitted free of charge.
This past week began another edition of a community event that has roots as far back as 20 years ago in downtown Riverbank. The inaugural Tuesday Market launched on July 9, with vendors both in Plaza del Rio Park, and on both sides of Santa Fe Street, between Third and Fourth streets. It is scheduled for each Tuesday night weekly, through July 30. Originally set for 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., organizers rescheduled it for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., in recognizing the triple-digit temperatures that clamped down on the region lately. Shoppers seemed to enjoy the additional shade the later start time offered them, plus the fact that temps didn’t quite get that high on Tuesday.
Public Health officials in Stanislaus County have confirmed the first human West Nile Virus (WNV) infection this season, in an adult male with a non-neuroinvasive illness. WNV is primarily transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes and can cause mild to severe illness. Public Health and the local mosquito abatement districts announced the first pools of mosquitoes positive for WNV in May 2024.
Members of the office of State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil’s Fourth District office made a stop in Riverbank over the weekend, recognizing a local organization for its service. The Central Valley Community Resources group, based here in Riverbank but serving Stanislaus County, received an award as one of the District’s Non-Profit of the Year honorees for 2024 on Saturday, July 20. The recognition ceremony was held in an administrative building on the campus of the Riverbank Industrial Complex. CVCR was represented by Chief Executive Officer Darlene Barber-Martinez, along with a number of its volunteer board members.
The City of Action recently welcomed a new staff member; as Beckie Robbins was introduced at a recent city council meeting and is serving as the Assistant Finance Director. She began working in the finance department in July and has a background in municipal government, having worked for the City of Escalon for almost 16 years.
A new store in a renovated location, the Cost Less Foods in Riverbank – in the former O’Brien’s Market – opened its doors as of Wednesday, July 31. Spokesman John McCabe said the hours will be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. O’Brien’s closed its doors at the end of the day on Sunday, July 7 and on July 8, workers began the task of remodeling the facility to become the new Cost Less Market in the same location. “We are excited to serve the Riverbank community with brands they know and trust at low prices. The Riverbank location will be our ninth,” McCabe said. “The store will have everyday low prices and store personnel gladly bag your groceries.”
AUGUST
Members of the Riverbank City Council met with the Planning Commission members for a joint public hearing this past week to begin the process of updating the city’s Housing Element. The session was hosted in the Riverbank Community Center, on Wednesday, July 31. The idea behind the joint hearing was to solicit input from residents on how the city should add to its available housing in coming years. The work focuses on the Housing Element of the city’s General Plan, to update it to comply with state law. It will become the sixth cycle planning period of the General Plan. The one in place now took effect June 30, 2023 and runs through Dec. 31. 2031.
Families in the area celebrated National Night Out in Silva Park, joining with Riverbank first responders for an evening of fun on Tuesday, Aug. 6. At the park, families, friends and neighbors joined together in an effort to help build a police-community partnership, intended to help make Riverbank a safer, better place to live. It was the 40th Annual National Night Out, which is observed across the country, and a number of years ago, Riverbank Police Services Chief Ed Ridenour got the idea to celebrate it in one, large place, settling on Silva Park in Crossroads. The event grew out of Neighborhood Watch celebrations on the same day, but originally, parades of emergency equipment would go from neighborhood to neighborhood, ultimately having less time to talk with people before it was time to pack up and go to the next stop on their list.
With classes officially starting for the 2024-25 school year on Thursday, Aug. 8, about 200 members of the Class of 2028 were on campus this past week for a few hours. They got a head start on their high school journey, with a morning of information, recreational activities and team-building. Freshman Orientation was hosted in the Ray Fauria Memorial Gymnasium. In addition to the freshmen involved, they were joined by a number of RHS staff members, as well as a group from the Link Club, a leadership group of upperclassmen, both male and female, who were to be assigned to the incoming students to assist them through the school year.
Candidates have put their names in for Mayor and Council races in Riverbank, with Friday, Aug. 9 deadline being the deadline for filing for the November election. Though several are vying for the offices, filing for one seat was extended. Incumbent council member Rachel Hernandez, in District 2, filed to run for mayor, and therefore is not running for reelection to the council. That officially extends the filing period for her council post to Aug. 14, at 5 p.m. There is a candidate who filed for District 2, Cynthia (Cindi) L. Fosi, who formerly served in the position, before Hernandez was elected in 2020. But if the incumbent does not file, there is an automatic extension. Current Mayor Richard D. O’Brien filed to retain his seat by the Friday deadline and Soloman Kumar also filed for mayor, setting up a three-way race in November. There are also three candidates vying for the District 4 council seat. Incumbent Darlene Barber-Martinez, Roxanna Garcia, and Stacy Call have filed for the Nov. 5 election.
In a departure from the past, officials announced that the annual Riverbank Cheese and Wine Festival will be hosted as a one-day event this year. Normally, it covers an entire weekend, but is being offered just on one day for 2024. Date for the festival is Saturday, Oct. 12 and it is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in downtown Riverbank. There will be the traditional wine and cheese tasting expo for those 21 and older, a variety of food vendors, live musical entertainment, a section for arts and crafts vendors and a classic car show.
Good news for residents interested in continuing to beat the late summer and early fall heat — hours have been extended at the Riverbank Community Pool. Normally, the pool is closed when school starts in early August, but the Riverbank Parks and Recreation Department has announced it will continue operating the pool on select days through the month of September. The pool will be open from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on upcoming Saturdays, Aug. 24 and 31; continuing on Sept. 7, 14, 21, and 28.
Members of the Class of 2025 at Riverbank High School started the day quite early on Friday, Aug. 23. They celebrated Senior Sunrise at 6:30 a.m. that morning. They began arriving about 5:30 a.m. for this traditional event, as parents and friends started setting up breakfast tables, along with a couple of games for them to play while waiting for the sun to make its appearance. Stretched out across the all-weather track were a small trampoline-like ball bounce, along with a couple of sets of cornhole equipment, and a bin filled with sports balls. As the eastern sky got brighter, seniors began to gather in the grandstand, posing for a class photo as the sun rose.
California is making it easier than ever to cash in your empty beverage containers with more than 250 new recycling sites across 30 counties funded by recycling innovation awards. CalRecycle just awarded nearly $70 million in Beverage Container Redemption Innovation Grants for 37 projects to add dynamic recycling methods like reverse vending machines, mobile recycling, and bag-drop sites to counties around the state. Supermarket chains Save Mart and Smart and Final will get over $2 million each for reverse vending machines in 19 counties, including Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties.
