Tuesday Gazette: September 8, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Tuesday! Today is National Ampersand Day, a small celebration of the little "&" that shows up everywhere once you start looking for it: on old storefronts, in family business names, on the sides of trucks. It got its start as shorthand for the Latin "et," and it's been sneaking into signs and logos ever since.
So here's a little writing prompt for your Tuesday: finish this sentence, "Riverside is ___ & ___," and tell us what you filled in. Coffee & community. Palm trees & porches. Whatever fits your version of this city. Send us your answer, or just keep it in your back pocket for the next time you're doodling in the margins of a meeting.
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CITY HALL
Council Holds Off on Expanding City Manager's Purchasing Power
Council members split on whether raising the city manager's contract approval limit to $220,000 would speed up projects or reduce public oversight.
City council members will keep voting on most contracts over $100,000 after rejecting a plan to expand city manager authority.
Why it matters: Council members will still vote in public on most contracts over $100,000, preserving current transparency while a committee studies raising that threshold to $220,000.
Driving the news: Council voted Tuesday to send a plan raising the city manager's contract approval limit from $100,000 to $220,000 to the Finance Committee.
- Members approved a narrower set of changes — covering fleet vehicles, certain employee benefits and police canine purchases — in a unanimous vote.
By the numbers: Formal procurements would have dropped from 1,397 to 669 over three years, with about 94% of spending still requiring council review.
- Freed-up staff time — about 996 hours a year — would go toward contract administration and compliance, not budget savings.
What they're saying: Councilmember Sean Mill warned that removing contracts from public view risks a "shroud of secrecy."
- Councilmember Steve Robillard countered that procurement delays are stalling city projects, like a Ward 3 senior center's flooring replacement.
What's next: The Finance Committee will review the proposed thresholds before any changes return to the full council for a public vote.
- Staff must report back within 12 months on procurement timelines, vendor participation and compliance.
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RUSD
Three Students Take Oath as Riverside Unified Board Members
Leah Blanford, Seoyool Kim and Kelsey Troast will each serve a term representing student perspectives at school board meetings this year.
Three Riverside Unified students will take turns representing peers on the school board this year. Each serves a different stretch of the 2026-27 school year.
Why it matters: STEM Academy and Riverside Poly students now have a rotating voice in board discussions on school culture and districtwide priorities.
What's new: Blanford, Troast and Kim took the Oath of Office at the Aug. 27 board meeting, each serving a staggered term.
- Blanford serves first (Aug. 27-October), followed by Troast (November-February) and Kim (March-May).
Who they are:
- Leah Blanford, STEM Academy senior — ASB vice president, Speech and Debate president and co-chair of volunteer group Assisteens; headed to NYU for public policy
- Kelsey Troast, Riverside Poly senior — ASB and Link Crew member, varsity tennis player, mentors younger students after school
- Seoyool Kim, STEM Academy junior — Asian Student Union president, Youth Advisory Council environmental lead, studying environmental chemistry after graduation
What they're saying: Superintendent Sonia Llamas praised the students for stepping forward "with courage, curiosity and a commitment to serve."
The bottom line: Board President Noemi Hernandez Alexander said giving students a board seat helps schools grow with the community's needs.
Read and share the complete story...
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Noteworthy
Mariachi Campana de Riverside, a youth ensemble from the Riverside Arts Academy, was crowned national champion at the 2026 National Mariachi Championship in Anaheim, as ABC7 reported.
UCR ranked No. 30 among public universities for research in Washington Monthly's 2026 rankings, and No. 14 for access to low-income students, out of 142 universities considered.
CBU's B.S. in Cybersecurity has been officially validated by the NSA as a Cyber Defense Program of Study, aligning the curriculum with national academic excellence standards.
This Week in Riverside
Today
- Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Basic Training Course at Riverside City EOC
- ScotSurplus Sale at ScotSurplus Store
- Karaoke Tuesday Competition at the Hideaway at The Hideaway
Tomorrow
- Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
- Stretch & Dance Class at Janet Goeske Senior Center
- Wild California: Stories of Science, Water & Life at University of California, Riverside
- FREE Beginning Square Dance Lessons with Line Dancing at Cowtown Square Dance Center
- 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)
- BRICKTOYAFACE PRESENTS: 909DAY at Riverside Municipal Auditorium- Garden Room
- Riverside Jams at Carbon Nation Brewery
Save the Date
- Sep 11: FREE YOGA - The Evolution of Ashtanga with Kristin Varner at Community Yoga Center
- Sep 11: Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
- Sep 12: FREE YOGA - The Art of Vinyasa with Catherine Murray at Community Yoga Center
- Sep 12: FREE YOGA - Yin Yoga with Kristin Varner at Community Yoga Center
- Sep 13: Welcome Back Party! at First Congregational Church of Riverside
- Sep 14: FREE YOGA - Moody Mondays with Cherie Amour at Community Yoga Center
- Sep 16: FREE Beginning Square Dance Lessons with Line Dancing at Cowtown Square Dance Center
- Sep 16: FREE YOGA - Seated Yoga with Kristin Varner at All Saints Episcopal Church
- Sep 18: Open Mic Night at Riverside Baha'i Center
- Sep 25: Moon Festival at Heritage House
- Oct 3: Aquamotion Aquathon at Shamel Pool
- Oct 7: Fifty & Better Health Fair at Janet Goeske Center
- Nov 14: Riverside Veterans Parade - Downtown Riverside/Market St.
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