Sunday Gazette: August 9, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Sunday! Some of the best neighbors don't make noise about it. They're the ones quietly checking in on someone who's struggling, championing a cause without needing credit, speaking up for folks who can't speak for themselves, or simply showing up with a helping hand when it's needed most. If someone like that comes to mind, we'd love to hear about them. Nominate a Neighbor of the Week and help us shine a light on the people who make Riverside feel like home.
See you tomorrow!
Advertisement (Become an advertiser)
GARDENING
From the Kitchen Garden: August, The Keep It or Pull It Edition
Tips on what to plant, when to pick, and what to watch out for in your home garden.
When Do You Call It? Knowing When to Keep a Plant—and When to Pull It
August is when I start asking a very important question in the garden: Is this plant still worth saving? By this point in the summer, some of our plants are still producing like champions, while others are tired, stressed, covered in pests, or simply finished for the season. And sometimes the hardest gardening decision isn't what to plant—it's knowing when to let something go.
Tomatoes are a perfect example. If a tomato plant is still producing, has healthy new growth, and is putting out new flowers, keep it going! But if production has slowed dramatically, the plant is struggling, or you're seeing spider mites moving into the fresh, new growth at the top of the plant, it's time to take a hard look. If the mites are only on some of the older, lower leaves, you can often try to save the plant. But if the newest growth is infested and there isn't healthy growth pushing out, I would pull the plant. Removing a heavily infested plant can also help prevent those spider mites from moving into your beans, squash, cucumbers, and other plants. In August, sometimes the best thing you can do for your garden is make room for what's next.
Before you pull anything, though, check your water. August heat can make a healthy plant look terrible. Check that your emitters are working, your soil is actually getting wet where the roots are, and that you're watering consistently. If your tomatoes are developing brown or black, sunken spots on the blossom end, you're likely seeing blossom-end rot. It isn't usually because your soil is missing calcium; inconsistent watering can prevent the plant from moving calcium where it needs to go.
Read and share the complete August Garden Guide...
Advertisement (Become an advertiser)
CREATIVE PROMPTS
Taking Turns
A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns.
Summer is a great time for a road trip. This week, we’re getting into the car and telegraphing our desire to take a new direction by turning our attention to the turn signal.
The turn signal is one of the few features in my early-2000s car that seems designed just for me. Sometimes I leave it blinking long after I’ve turned or merged. After thirty seconds, seems reasonable, the car dings to ask if this is really the way I want to present myself to other commuters.
Consider a turn signal as a small public statement about the future. Until that near future where you no longer have to watch the road while driving, we still need ways to keep each other in the loop. Brake lights tell everyone what is happening right now. A turn signal announces what you hope to do next: I intend to move several thousand pounds of metal at a high rate of speed in your direction. Please plan accordingly.
Read and share the complete prompt...
Advertisement (Become an advertiser)
This Week in Riverside
Sunday, August 9
- Bingo at Temple Beth El Social Hall ($25)
- Prayers and Public Information Meeting at Riverside Baha'i Center
- Sunday Experiment After Dark at Downtown Experiment
Monday, August 10
- Interfaith Prayer Meeting at Riverside Baha'i Center
- Board of Public Utilities at Riverside City Hall
- FREE YOGA - Moody Mondays with Cherie Amour at Community Yoga Center
- Land Use Committee at Riverside City Hall
- Zen Educate Riverside Hiring event: Teach Substitute and Thrive at Riverside Convention Center
Tuesday, August 11
- Cleveland Wedge Clinic and Fitting at Canyon Crest Country Club ($250)
- Mayor's Nominating and Screening Committee at Riverside City Hall
- Karaoke Tuesday Competition at The Hideaway
Wednesday, August 12
- Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
- Stretch & Dance Class at Janet Goeske Senior Center
- Finance Committee at Riverside City Hall
- Riverside Mission Belles at Victoria Presbyterian Church
- FREE YOGA - Seated Yoga with Kristin Varner at All Saints Episcopal Church
- History on the Rocks - Round Two! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation ($71.21)
Thursday, August 13
- Mobility and Infrastructure Committee at Riverside City Hall
- Planning Commission at Riverside City Hall
- History on the Rocks! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation ($71.21)
Friday, August 14
- Courthouse, Murals and Heroes Walking Tour at Mission Inn Foundation ($23.18)
- Little Shop of Horrors 40th Anniversary Screening at Fox Performing Arts Center
Saturday, August 15
- Arlington Heights Cleanup at Arlington Heights Sports Park
- The Zonta Club of Riverside presents Join me for a Cup of Coffee or Tea at The Care Project Office
- Mt. Rubidoux Walking Tour at Mt. Rubidoux Trailhead, a short walk from Ryan Bonaminio Park. ($21.20)
- Plant Hope - A pottery decorating and planting event by DVAP at Arlington Library ($15- $25)
- Mosaic Art Fundraiser at Mission Inn Foundation ($100)
- The Hayds at Riverside Municipal Auditorium- Garden Room
- Los Yonics Zamacona at Fox Performing Arts Center
- MAGIC UNDERGROUND at Back to the Grind ($30- $45)
- Twilight Tours at UCR Botanic Gardens ($15- $20)
Save the Date
- August 16: FREE YOGA - The Evolution of Ashtanga with Kristin Varner at Community Yoga Center
- August 17: FREE YOGA - Moody Mondays with Cherie Amour at Community Yoga Center
- August 19: FREE YOGA - Seated Yoga with Kristin Varner at All Saints Episcopal Church
- August 21: Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
- August 22: FREE YOGA - The Art of Vinyasa with Catherine Murray at Community Yoga Center
- August 22: FREE YOGA - Yin Yoga with Kristin Varner at Community Yoga Center
- September 9: Beginning Square Dance Lessons with Line Dancing at Cowtown Square Dance Center
- October 7: Fifty & Better Health Fair at Janet Goeske Center
🗓️ See More Events 📝 Submit Your Event
📸 Submit a photo to be featured in our newsletters and social media accounts.
🏆 Nominate a remarkable Riversider as Neighbor of the Week.