Changes in city leadership and a focus on the 100-year celebration for Riverbank were among the top stories in the pages of The News in the first half of 2022. This week, we start our annual Year In Review, sharing some of the highlights from January through June.
JANUARY
The Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority (StanRTA) resumed fares as of Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, after six months of free rides provided to the community. The 2022 fare structure applies to all StanRTA “The S” services which resulted from a merger of Modesto Area Express (MAX) and Stanislaus Regional Transit (StaRT) last July. Former MAX and StaRT passes will be honored if they have not been used or activated. “We understand this will be a big change to the community after so many months of free rides,” said Philip McGuire, CEO of StanRTA. “We hope folks are pleasantly surprised by the fare reductions we’ve enacted.”
As the Omicron variant spreads throughout the state, cases in Stanislaus County have increased rapidly since Christmas Eve. This surge threatens to again jeopardize the county health care system’s ability to care for people and is a significant disruptor to businesses, schools, and critical infrastructure. Everyone living, working, and learning in Stanislaus County are urged to take steps now to reduce the risk to themselves, their families and friends, and all people with whom they interact. The most significant increase in cases has been seen within ages 18-34.
It’s a new year, but a 50-plus year tradition was able to return to the Riverbank High campus this past weekend, and will continue for five more weeks. The Riverbank Youth Basketball Clinic was back after being canceled last year by COVID concerns. It celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020, just before the pandemic hit, so this year is the 51st for the clinic. Organized and staffed by Riverbank High School basketball coaches and teams, both boys and girls, the clinic is open to boys and girls in the community. The clinic began on Saturday, Jan. 8, at courts in the Ray Fauria Memorial Gymnasium.
Mayor Richard D. O’Brien and members of the Riverbank City Council took time at last week’s regular council meeting to acknowledge the contributions of outgoing City Manager Sean Scully. Instead of waiting until the end of the meeting, where staff and council comments are usually heard, O’Brien took to the podium at the end of public comments, earlier on the agenda, to commend Scully’s service to Riverbank over the past five years. Council member Luis Uribe and newly-elected Vice Mayor Cal Campbell followed in turn, and eventually council member Rachel Fernandez added her voice. Member Darlene Barber-Martinez also contributed her comments, but did so via Zoom call, from her home. When it was his turn to comment, Scully read from prepared thoughts, fearful that he might be a little too emotional to just “wing it.” He said he wanted to express his gratitude to the council, staff team and community for “allowing me to serve as your City Manager the past five years.” His final day on the job as Jan. 14.
He grew up in Riverbank and graduated from Vista High School in Escalon in 2005. In 2009, he lost his life in service to this country, killed in action while serving as a Navy Corpsman in Afghanistan. Now, James Ray ‘Doc’ Layton is among the California service members memorialized in a new exhibit, on display at the American Veterans First facility at 6436 Oakdale Road in Riverbank. Layton was just 22 years old when he gave his life; he was tending the wounds of an injured Marine when both of them were struck and killed in Kunar province, during an ambush by insurgents. AVF CEO Duke Cooper of Oakdale said Layton is one of the many California residents remembered; all those included have given the ultimate sacrifice.
Stanislaus County Office of Education (SCOE) along with the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Region VII recently held the Employees Making a Difference event. This year, it was hosted virtually and the program honors classified staff from school districts within Stanislaus County. Mesa Verde Elementary School Paraprofessional and ELL Resource Assistant Salome Trujillo received top honors. “I am very appreciative and honored to have received the awards,” remarked Trujillo. “My favorite part about being a Paraprofessional is making connections with students and celebrating their accomplishments.” Not only did Trujillo receive top honors for the Paraprofessional Category but she also received the annual Jane Johnston Civility Award for exemplifying the principles of civility both at work and in her personal life. She has been a Paraprofessional for 15 years and has been working at Mesa Verde for the past 12 years where she provides support to students as they work towards English proficiency, as well as other duties.
FEBRUARY
At its Tuesday, Jan. 25, meeting, the Riverbank City Council bid farewell to City Clerk Annabelle Aguilar, recognizing her 15 years of service to the community. During the Presentations portion of the agenda, Mayor Richard O’Brien called Aguilar down from her spot on the dais to the podium where people address the council. He presented her with an engraved trophy/clock, and when he noticed that it had stopped, he jokingly pointed out that it must have known her tenure with the city was coming to an end. She also received a bouquet of flowers from members of the city staff.
There’s newly-crowned royalty on the Riverbank High campus these days, as Homecoming Week festivities wound down with the crowning of a King and Queen. The coronation came at halftime of the Riverbank-Ripon varsity boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 28. All the candidates were introduced to the crowd, along with their parent or escorts, then the King was announced, followed by the Queen. Damien Bolanos was named Winter Homecoming King, then, right after, his girlfriend, Monica Hernandez, was announced as Winter Homecoming Queen.
Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Detective Dalton Gonzalez hosted a special presentation at the Teen Center in Riverbank recently; the Gang Awareness meeting was geared towards parents in the community. There were about 10 people in attendance at the Feb. 1 session that received information on understanding gangs, why kids join gangs, and what signs or symbols to look for to recognize if their child is a part of one as well as options to prevent it. “The presentation was specifically targeted at parents,” said Gonzalez. “So they can identify changes with their own children specifically in their teenage years. That is when the gang lifestyle and promotion is going to become more appealing to them.” Gonzalez will be hosting this presentation throughout the county and in the future he would like to do a presentation specifically for teenagers.
The Riverbank Chamber of Commerce has been through many changes through the years but has still remained a resource for businesses in Riverbank. There is new leadership has gone into effect, with Monica Perez taking the role as the new Chair. The membership at one time had about 100 businesses and currently it is at about 33 members. “I am taking the responsibility of growing and being the face of the Chamber to sustain the members that we have currently and assisting our ambassadors and the current board,” said Perez. “One of the major goals I have is to increase the value of the chamber to our memberships and to our local businesses.”
Stanislaus County Fair officials have confirmed the dates for the 110th Fair in 2022. In making the announcement on Tuesday, Feb. 8, officials noted that “The fun is back!” and this year’s edition of the Stanislaus County Fair is set to run for 10 days, from July 8 through 17, 2022. “We had a very successful 2021 Modified Fair and we have already begun securing great entertainment and exciting exhibits for this year’s 2022 Fair,” said Matt Cranford, Chief Executive Officer for the Stanislaus County Fair.
MARCH
The City of Riverbank’s Parks and Recreation Department has released the Spring/Summer 2022 Activity Guide that has a variety of special events, summer camps, classes, and aquatics for all ages. With Recreation Supervisor Tony Lemonds celebrating his one-year anniversary with the City this month in March, he has been seasoned with a full year of events.
Saturday evening, March 5, the City of Riverbank officially kicked off its celebration of 100 years since it was incorporated, with a Centennial Gala Dinner, staged at the Community Center. Organized by a community committee, it was headed up by city Administrative Assistant Gaby Hernandez, and made up of citizens and members of local organizations. As participants arrived, the decorations were everywhere, and they might have suggested a ‘Black & White’ ball, but a closer look showed there were also hints here and there of gold and silver. The notices suggested that participants might wear 1920s apparel, which many did. Some attendees mentioned how freeing it felt to be able to go out to a public event. It was just about two years ago that COVID-19 and its pandemic closed many things down across town, the country, and the world.
The Riverbank City Council and the public were given an update on the Cheese and Wine Festival; the city will continue the partnership with Simply Divine Events, LLC for the 2022 festival and there was discussion about moving the wine tasting event back to the Community Center.
Riverbank Mayor Richard O’Brien presented the State of the City address on Thursday, March 17 and said there is plenty to be proud of in connection with continued growth and development for the City of Action. The Mayor addressed several topics including managing the pandemic, new developments, affordable housing, homelessness, Riverbank Industrial Complex (RIC), and tax sharing.
A Riverbank High School alum returned to the scene of his many victories on Friday, reuniting with his track and field and cross country coaches at the all-weather track on the RHS campus. It was during a pause in the Stanislaus County Meet held on March 18, with coaches Monte Wood and Bruce Edwards taking a brief time out in the races to introduce German Fernandez, world class distance runner, who got his start as a Bruin at RHS.
American Veterans First (AVF) is preparing for another trip to the Ukraine on a humanitarian mission. They will be taking some supplies with them but what they can take is limited. With shipping issues and the expense the group decided to purchase items once they are overseas. They are accepting monetary donations to provide essentials to the people in the Ukraine.
For the past few weeks, Riverbank Unified School District (RUSD) students have been engaging in literacy activities in celebration of Read Across Riverbank through the month of March. Last week students were engrossed in a variety of stories provided by District Administrators and staff for Guest Reader Week. “Read Across Riverbank has been going well,” stated Mesa Verde Elementary Principal Lupe Velázquez. “We had some guest readers who came to the classrooms to read. Students seemed to have enjoyed it, which ultimately was the goal. To have students gain interest in reading.”
APRIL
Riverbank High School was locked down on Friday, April 1 after a threat of violence was written on a bathroom wall. Riverbank Police Services (RPS) was contacted and the school was locked down for several hours as they searched for weapons and ensured safety. There were no weapons found and the threat was determined to be unfounded. No one was hurt or injured. The investigation with RPS is ongoing. “While the threat was not a direct one, it was credible enough to warrant an investigation and search to ensure the safety of everyone on campus,” said Riverbank Unified Superintendent Christine Facella. “All schools in Riverbank Unified have safety plans in place and RHS faculty and staff are to be commended for their actions during the lockdown.”
More than 500 students from across Stanislaus County took part and a Riverbank High School student was a top placer at the Stanislaus County Office of Education’s 36th Annual Occupational Olympics and Career Exposition that was held at the Stanislaus Fairgrounds in March. The competition was steep with students from a number of high schools competing in 15 events. In the Ag Engineering Construction Trades category, Riverbank senior Jesus Tovar took First Place in the competition. He built a wooden tool box and used the tips from Building and Construction Instructor Cory Casteel. His motivation for competing this year was redemption, as Tovar did not feel like he did that great in years past. “I felt excited that I won and happy,” expressed Tovar on his first place win.
The Riverbank High School Winterguard team achieved First Place for the 2022 Central Valley Guard and Percussion Circuit Scholastic Regional A Championship. The final competition of the season was held at Enochs High School on April 2 for the high school and junior high. This past weekend the RHS Winterguard sealed the first place standing, defeating 10 other schools in the final competition for the 2022 season.
Organizers of the Downtown Market have announced that it will return next month to Santa Fe Street. With the weather warming and the produce ripening, the scheduled return is timed to coincide with the bounty of the Central Valley. Tayler Buich said the weekly event will happen every Tuesday, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in May and June this year.
Just a little over a week before the holiday itself, families, especially their youngsters, began their celebration of the Easter holiday in Jacob Myers Park this past weekend. On Saturday, April 9 the City of Riverbank’s Parks and Recreation Department organized two waves of Easter Egg Hunts along the trail in the western end of Jacob Myers Park. The first started at 10 a.m., with the young hunters fanning out along both sides of the trail, beginning near the Wedding Gazebo, looking in every nook and cranny, under every limb, leaf and bush to find the hidden eggs.
The Riverbank City Council has made it official and named Marisela Garcia the new City Manager for the City of Riverbank. With over 24 years of service to the City of Action, Garcia’s new position has finally come to fruition with the ultimate goal to be the next City Manager. “It was exciting,” stated Garcia about the official announcement at the City Council meeting of Tuesday, April 12. “Being raised in this community I went through the entire school system here and stayed local when I went to college and the university. Just being able to serve my community and having seen where it was when I was young to where it is now has been amazing and to get to be a part of that is a big goal of mine.”
Award-winning author Wendelin Van Draanen’s latest book, set in 1947 in a fictionalized Riverbank, Oakdale and Modesto, will debut in May at the Riverbank Historical Museum. Members of the Historical Society provided local background for the author, so she’s coming to town to launch her latest effort, The Peach Rebellion (Knopf/Random House), here where the tale is set.
Riverbank High School Athletic Director and Soccer Coach Juan Harvey and Cross Country and Track Coach Monte Wood last week attended the Trans-Valley League luncheon at the Turlock Country Club. Harvey reported that two RHS players have been named as TVL Scholar/Athletes of the Year. “This recognition is for one male senior student athlete and one female senior student athlete from each TVL school. Our two athletes were Damian Bolanos and Marissa Cruz,” Harvey said. “After a two-year hiatus of the event, it was great to get back to this event to recognize the senior standouts from each of the TVL schools for their success on the field, courts, and track as well as their success in the classroom.”
MAY
The fair winds here on Saturday, April 30 helped keep the sunny day comfortable, likely contributing to a strong turnout for a second segment of the Centennial Celebration here this year. Riverbank’s Founders Day Carnival was held on the park grounds and in the street in front of the Community Center, on Santa Fe Street in downtown. The free event ran from noon to 5 p.m. with a number of free booths and activities for the family, and including vendors and representatives from various community organizations. There were a number of carnival style activity booths, with a row of six of them, all largely busy through the afternoon, many featuring throwing contests, such as darts and various bean-bag games.
May is music month at Jacob Myers Park, with the first episode of the Summer Concert Series hosted on Saturday, May 7. There was music, of course, provided by singer/guitarist Nathan Ignacio, but there was more. In addition to youngsters blowing bubbles in the warm spring night at the park, there were a number of vendors.
The Starbucks in Crossroads was well protected as several Riverbank Police Services deputies were on hand on Tuesday morning, May 10 for a coffee and chat with the community. This was the first “Coffee with a Cop” that could possibly be a regular occurrence that RPS brings to the community. Sgt. Howard, Community Resource Deputy Xiong, Community Service Officer Caballero, and Motor Deputy Maldonado were all in attendance at the Starbucks with coffee or tea in hand to socialize with patrons.
Saturday, May 14 YAFT (Young Adults Fighting Tobacco) along with other volunteers gathered at the Community Center Park in Riverbank to rid the area of cigarette butts that negatively impact the community. After only an hour of garbage pick-up around the Community Center and downtown area, the group collected 1,362 cigarette butts. Riverbank City Councilmember District 2 Rachel Hernandez participated in the event along with Zoe Jonick, a Civic Spark Americorps Fellow that works with the City of Riverbank’s Planning Department and other sponsors including Climate Justice Action Now (CJAN), Jakara Movement, and the Sierra Club.
Sarah Benken, CEO and Publisher of the KNOW Book, has announced the honorees of the 2022 100 Women to KNOW, an annual award recognizing the top 100 female leaders across America. Former Riverbank Mayor Virginia Madueno made the list. Honorees were to be recognized at the Annual KNOW Women Summit, held May 15 through 17 at The Saguaro Scottsdale, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
This week Riverbank Unified School District will have several graduations and promotions going on as students move on to the next grade and others a new path all together. As for Riverbank High School Valedictorian, Christian Vigil and Salutatorian Itzel Calderon Flores, their path after high school will take them to higher education. The Riverbank High School class of 2022 will take their final walk as high schoolers at the graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m., outdoors at the Angelo Novi Stadium on campus.
The drama department, the art department and the music department at Riverbank High School combined this past week for a “Night of Fine Arts Concert and Art Show.”
National Police Week is celebrated in the month of May and there is also an annual Police Unity Tour that takes place on the East Coast where law enforcement “Ride for those that Died.” Riverbank Police Chief Ed Ridenour participated in his first Police Unity Tour earlier this month to honor those that gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Last year the ride did not occur due to the pandemic but this year the event returned. The ride begins in New Jersey and ends in Washington D.C. at
the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Throughout the ride the weather cooperated which made it an even better experience for Ridenour as this was his first ride on the East Coast.
JUNE
The Memorial Day holiday not only gives everyone a three-day weekend but allows people to honor those that fought and died defending our country. From those that battled in the Civil War to the men and women who lost their lives in Afghanistan, Memorial Day is a chance to show they are not forgotten and provide a reminder that freedom is not free. “It is a day that I love and dread each year,” stated Riverbank Mayor Richard D. O’Brien. “While remembering those who I personally know that sacrificed their lives is a joy remembering our friendship, it also is difficult. I think our event provides the proper dignity and ceremony to honor our fallen warriors.”
Members of the Riverbank City Council recently voted to approve a design for the new mural to be painted on the wall behind the stage at Plaza del Rio Park. It will be part of the Centennial Celebration, and is expected to be completed this summer. At its meeting in late May, the council considered a number of designs submitted by the city’s Centennial Committee, before picking option number 4, based on a pencil sketch submitted by local artist Alexandra Riddle, who has designed and painted, or supervised the community painting, of many of the murals around town.
The Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority (StanRTA) and City of Turlock (“Turlock Transit”) recently announced that all rides on all fixed-route buses will be free for passengers during July as part of a joint free-ride promotion. This includes local fixed-route as well as ACE, BART, and Stockton Commuter bus services, but excludes ADA Paratransit, Medivan, and Dial-a-Ride services. Funding for the joint free-ride promotion is made possible through a grant from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) under the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP), as well as federal transit funding.
A little bit of the larger Graffiti Week celebration centered primarily in and around Modesto also visited Riverbank last week, as hot rods, classic cars, antique and custom vehicles were on display on Thursday, June 9. The parking lot between Cool Hand Luke’s and the iMax Theatre at the Galaxy Luxury+ complex was filled with all manner of cars, parked in rows easily accessible by the crowd that came to look them over.
Riverbank lifeguards participated in the Lifeguard Round-Up last week at Johansen High School in Modesto. The annual event unites the lifeguards in the area to prepare them for the summer season with intensive training that covers rapid response, extractions, CPR, and first aid. With the hot temperatures and summer in full effect, people hitting the water is inevitable whether it is a swimming pool, a lake, or the river.
Central Valley Barber College at 3501 Atchison St., Riverbank, has been renovated and to celebrate they are having a Grand Opening on June 26 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Owners, Rhonda Arnold and Carl Gibbs have taken the family business to the next level with their new shop. The extensive remodel took about two years and the original shop was removed, which allowed room for a parking lot. Classes and cuts continued for the most part as the building was demolished during a school break and when they resumed the students attended classes in the new building.
The youth in the area had a detailed glimpse of the job of a law enforcement officer during the Junior Police Academy, presented this past week by Riverbank Police Services in Riverbank. The annual academy is a week-long course for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders that was filled with informational materials, relationship-building and a unique hands-on experience. The Academy was hosted by RPS and led by Community Services Officer Ana Caballero and Community Resource Deputy Xiong. There were 14 students on the scene working with and learning from deputies.
Sunny skies and the hot temperatures of summer – edging past the 100-degree mark – didn’t seem to slow down the Centennial Celebration, as it came back to downtown Riverbank on Saturday, June 25. Both a free picnic and car show were staged on city streets for the latest of the celebrations, on Third Street in front of City Hall North and City Hall South, stretching from Topeka to Stanislaus streets. Tables for serving the free meal were lined up in front of Plaza del Rio Park, along with plenty of tables and chairs in the street, to sit and eat.
Next week, a review of top stories from the second half of the year, July through December.
