🗞️ Riverside News- February 4, 2026

Wednesday Gazette: February 4, 2026

Hello Riverside, and Happy Wednesday!

Our Annual Reader Survey remains open with 170 responses so far—just 230 away from our 400-response goal. Your feedback will help us chart a course to better serve you in 2026, and your anonymous demographic information helps us tell advertisers the kind of Riversiders reading The Gazette.

Each subscriber who completes the survey will be entered to win prizes from My Learning Studio, Riverside Art Museum, Bar Ni Modo, Mission Inn Museum Foundation and Old Riverside Foundation.

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GOVERNMENT

City Awards $1.9M Contract to Preserve 11.6 Miles of Streets

Project will extend pavement life on streets across all seven wards.

Riverside will resurface 11.6 miles of streets across all seven wards using preventative treatments that cost one-eighth the price of full repaving.

Why it matters: Your neighborhood streets could see slurry seal or cape seal work starting this spring — treatments that extend pavement life before expensive repairs become necessary.

Driving the news: Council voted unanimously Monday to hire Union Pavement Services of Jurupa Valley for the preservation work.

• The project targets streets still in good condition (pavement scores of 60 or higher) to prevent deterioration.

What's happening:

• 9.5 miles get slurry seal (protective asphalt coating)
• 2.1 miles get cape seal (asphalt-rubber membrane layer)
• All locations receive new traffic markings and signage

By the numbers: The preventative approach costs $1.9 million versus an estimated $16 million for full resurfacing of the same mileage, Public Works Director Alex Ramirez said.

The big picture: This is the second major street contract in two months — Council awarded $5.56 million in January for resurfacing work at different locations across five wards.

What's next: Work begins spring 2026. Track the project at the City's interactive paving map.

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ART

February ArtsWalk Honors TOFU's Legacy

Pain Sugar Gallery hosts a retrospective celebrating Irvin Kyle "TOFU" Guzman's whimsical characters and electric palette.

It is tragically common that the truly talented leave us early. The beauty of creatives is that they leave artifacts; they leave their work to tell their story even after they are gone. Riverside lost Irvin Kyle "TOFU" Guzman, leaving a big hole in the art community. But he leaves us with a body of work that sparks true joy, from whimsical characters to his electric palette. There is an energy about his work that is generating power even after he is gone.

Artist Richie Velasquez reflects: "Irvin, to Riverside, was a pioneer not just as a gifted artist, but as a truly original individual and world-builder. He followed his own heart with his characters and his vision, never bending it to fit expectations. For Riverside, he played a huge role in showing other artists how to put their names out there and believe in their own paths. He was a deeply talented human being, and more than that, an amazing friend. He would remind us that everything was temporary and Everyday Ends…"

February's ArtsWalk, the first of 2026, honors TOFU's life through his art while celebrating the continued vitality of the creative community he helped build. As always, support the local artists and artisans lining Main Street with handcrafted work that makes Downtown's pedestrian mall come alive.

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COMMUNITY

Seven Honorees Recognized for Downtown Contributions at RDP's 38th Annual Ceremony

Annual ceremony honors bookstore owner, volunteer fundraiser, and five programs shaping Downtown.

Riverside Downtown Partnership will recognize seven award recipients Feb. 19, from Dr. Jungmiwha Bullock's revitalized Downtowne Bookstore to RPD's Park and Neighborhood Specialist program.

Why it matters: The 38th Annual Meeting spotlights businesses and programs shaping Downtown's growth — from public art installations to community events attracting families.

What's new: This year's honorees share "entrepreneurial spirit, focused business effort, and extraordinary vision," Executive Director Janice Penner said.

• All recognized that Downtown is "an amazing place to invest and grow."

The honorees:

• Business Activity: Dr. Bullock purchased Downtowne Bookstore in July 2023, expanding into additional Main Street space for community events
• Downtown Safety: RPD's Park and Neighborhood Specialists patrol city parks and adjacent neighborhoods
• Arts and Culture: Riverside Community Arts Association (established 1989) promotes member artwork
• Downtown Event: Junior League's Truck-a-Palooza lets kids explore construction and emergency vehicles
• Downtown Improvement: Arts and Culture District banners and signage along Main Street
• Chair's Award: MBG Lifestyle Group's five McGuire brothers support Miracle on Main through their Miracles and Dreams Foundation
• Volunteer of the Year: Kathy Allavie drove fundraising for public art installations including oversized orange sculptures

What's next: The ceremony happens Feb. 19 at the Riverside Convention Center's Raincross Ballroom.

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Noteworthy

More than 50 community members gathered outside City Hall for the first People's State of the City, criticizing housing policies and urging reconsideration of the rejected $20.1 million Homekey+ grant before Feb. 3 deadline.

The American Red Cross faces a national blood shortage after winter weather disrupted donations, with the organization collecting 7,000 fewer blood products than needed and urging Riverside residents to donate immediately to prevent delays in critical patient care.

What's Happening in Riverside

Today

• Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
• Stretch & Dance Class at Janet Goeske Senior Center
• Reading Assistance Program at My Learning Studio
• Beating Graffitti with Detective Sergio Mercado at Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce
• History on the Rocks - Round Two! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation ($60)
• Riverside Mission Belles at Victoria Presbyterian Church
• Riverside Open Mic Music Series at Back to the Grind

Tomorrow

• Chancellor S. Jack Hu Inauguration Campus Celebration and Live Stream at Rivera Library, Lawn
• Lincoln Park Community Group at Lincoln Park Community Center
• CBU versus Tarleton State: Building Block Party at Fowler Events Center ($8- $30)
• UC Riverside Highlanders Women's Basketball vs. Cal St. Fullerton Titans at UC Riverside Student Recreation Center ($61.57)
• Artswalk - Day of Remembrance at Main Street and University Avenue
• FREE ADMISSION - First Thursday of every month during Riverside ArtsWalk at Riverside Art Museum
• Paint Party Workshop at Mission Inn Foundation ($50)

Save the Date

• February 7: Bunco at Arlington Library, Community Room ($5)
• February 7: Woodcrest Market Collective at Woodcrest Public Library
• February 11: Galentine's Women's Health Event at Janet Goeske Center
• February 14: Valentine's Day at Heritage House at Heritage House
• February 19: Empowered Leadership: Cultivating Influence and Impact at Work Well ($165)
• February 23: Sip with a Scientist at Bar Ni Modo
• March 9: REEF's Best Event Ever! Take 9! at Fox Performing Arts Center ($10- $75)

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