Continuing to live up to its ‘City of Action’ motto, there was plenty of activity that made headlines during 2025 for The Riverbank News. This week we start a four-part look back at those top news events, covering the first quarter of the year, January through March.
JANUARY
The annual Youth League Basketball program got underway at Riverbank High School the first weekend in January, sponsored by the RHS boys and girls basketball coaches and corresponding team members. Sign-ups will continue Saturday, Jan. 11, with the second of two training days scheduled. There, players learn basketball skills such as dribbling, passing and shooting. The final four weeks will be games played against each other.
The Riverbank City Council and newly elected Mayor Rachel Hernandez met for its first time in 2025 on Tuesday, Jan. 14, reorganizing standing committees, naming a new vice mayor, and hearing several reports. Mayor Rachel Hernandez – a past council member who defeated longtime incumbent Mayor Richard D. O’Brien in November – nominated new District 2 Council Member Cindy Fosi to the post of vice mayor, confirmed by a unanimous vote by the rest of the council.
A community clean up event is being organized for Monday, Jan. 20, from 9 a.m. to noon in Riverbank. The goal of the event, said coordinator Cynthia Prieto-Diaz, is to come together in service to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day while cleaning up “our shared environment.” The volunteer event is an outreach of ESAL, Engineers & Scientists Acting Locally, which is a national non-profit working to increase civic engagement by STEM students and professionals.
The Stanislaus County Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) Local Board will soon be opening the competitive application process for Phase 42 funding of $318,040. Funding is awarded to eligible jurisdictions by the National EFSP Board through the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency. Funding consideration will be given to eligible applicants from local public or private voluntary organizations serving Stanislaus County with an existing and fully operational program.
The Counseling Department at Riverbank High School hosted a Career and College Fair on campus on Friday, Jan. 24. It was designed to expose students to the “wonderful opportunities available to them,” as well as intended to help expand their horizons when considering a type of career they might like to pursue. Although not every single organization invited was able to come, more than 43 were invited. Most were included inside the Ray Fauria Memorial Gymnasium on campus, with tables, chairs and other display space available, but a number of local first responders set up in the parking lot out front.
Riverbank Winter Homecoming Queen and King, seniors Avah Luu and Giovany Ruiz, were crowned during halftime of the varsity boys basketball game on Friday evening, Jan. 31. Luu, a strong forward on the varsity girls basketball team, had just finished playing a game before the boys, while Ruiz is a defenseman and midfielder on the varsity soccer squad.
FEBRUARY
Riverbank Parks and Recreation Department offered the community a little bit of a head start on the Valentine’s Day celebration, by hosting a special My Little One & Me dinner-dance this past week. They put on the event in the evening on Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Riverbank Community Center, running from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Moms, dads, or both, brought their youngsters to enjoy a dinner and an evening of music and dancing. There were a couple of Valentine-themed craft stations as well, where the youngsters could create take-home projects, such as bracelets.
While the campus expansion and improvement project continues at Cardozo Middle School on Santa Fe Street, the Parent Teacher Club there is staying busy as well. The PTC invites all in the community to join them for a Saturday morning, Feb. 22 Flapjack Fundraiser at the local Applebee’s Grill & Bar, 2449 Claribel Road, Riverbank. The hearty breakfast menu includes pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, and choice of coffee, tea, juice or soft drink. Proceeds will help support the various programs and projects of the Cardozo PTC, benefitting the local middle school students.
The Riverbank Historical Society gathered for its annual meeting at Perko’s Restaurant. The event features information for its members while they eat dinner, including where the budget stands, as well as plans and activities scheduled for the coming year. In addition, officers for the coming year are announced. Officers include President Steve Bordona, Vice President Jamie Vickers, Secretary Bertha Reyes and Treasurer Cindy Fosi.
For the eighth time, Riverbank High School’s Athletic Boosters organization hosted their annual fundraising crab feed in Oakdale, staged on Feb. 22. The event was staged in the F.E.S. Portuguese Hall in neighboring Oakdale, where it has been for the past few years, having outgrown the Riverbank Community Center where it started. The feed is a major fundraiser for the Boosters, who use their money to help provide equipment for sports teams at Riverbank High School, as well as small scholarships for senior athletes.
MARCH
The Winterguard unit of the music department at Riverbank High School won the WGI Union City Regional competition for Scholastic Regional A Class, according to RHS Band Director Joey Aguilar. Winterguard is an indoor color guard sport and performance art derived from military ceremonies. Modern winterguard is a competitive, performance-based activity which incorporates choreographed staging, dance, and manipulation of equipment such as flags, prop rifles, and sabers (also known as “spinning”). The RHS Winterguard took top honors over 14 other schools from California, Nevada, and Canada with an overall high score of 80.46, Aguilar said.
The Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), Stanislaus Charter and the Stanislaus County Office of Education (SCOE) honored 24 local students during the Every Student Succeeding Recognition event on March 11, 2025. At the end of the program, Superintendent Scott Kuykendall announced that Naomi Campbell, a 12th grade student from Adelante High School in the Riverbank Unified School District, is the ACSA regional nominee and recipient of a $500 scholarship.
Riverbank Mayor Rachel Hernandez and members of the City Council proclaimed March as Women’s History Month at their March 11 meeting. They presented the proclamation to Elizabeth Rodarte, of the Riverbank Unified School District. Rodarte is Assistant Superintendent of Student Services and Interventions with the district. She has been a relentless advocate for equity, inclusion, and student success, noted the mayor. Her journey began as a Parent Involvement Specialist for Montebello Unified School District, where she empowered families—especially those from marginalized communities—to have a voice in their children’s education.
Every March, California recognizes Older Californians Nutrition Month. California offers a wide array of services to ensure older adults have access to groceries and nutritious meals, helping to promote healthy living. While many older adults face economic challenges and food insecurity, programs providing free group and home-delivered meals help ease burdens throughout California. “Ensuring that older Californians have access to healthy meals and essential services is part of our broader commitment to equity and well-being across all generations,” said California Health & Human Services Agency (CalHHS) Secretary Kim Johnson. “Through programs like CalFresh, the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, the Older Californians Act, and community partnerships, we’re strengthening our efforts to achieve a California for All where every individual, no matter their age, can thrive.”
The folks in the Drama Department at Riverbank High School have scheduled its spring production coming up late next week. They’ll be staging “Mean Girls Jr.,” a musical, in the Black Box Theatre on campus from Friday, March 28 through Sunday, March 30. The production is based on the 2004 movie written by Tina Fey, and the stage version is also written by her. The plot is about how kids react to cliques in high school.
Next week, look for the second installment of the 2025 review, featuring April, May and June.
