Lodi’s Jimenez vying for Miss Teen title

Ana Jimenez of Lodi was recently selected to participate in the 2018 Miss Teen pageant competition on Sunday, Aug. 26, 1 p.m., at the Oakland Technical High School auditorium.

Jimenez, a Lodi High graduate, learned of her acceptance into this year’s competition when the pageant announced its selections following interviews in the local area. Jimenez submitted an application and participated in her interview session conducted by this year’s pageant coordinator.

Jimenez will compete for her share of thousands of dollars in prizes and specialty gifts distributed to contestants. Of the four age divisions, including young ladies ages 7 through 20, she will compete in the Miss Teen division. In each of these divisions, contestants compete in modeling routines including casual wear and formal wear. Most importantly, Jimenez will display her personality while interviewing with this year’s judging panel. In each phase of the competition, the panel uses personality as the main criteria for judging.

If Jimenez were to win the title of Miss Teen she would represent her community at the national pageant taking place in Orlando.

Community businesses, organizations, and private individuals will assist Jimenez in participating in this year’s competition by becoming an official sponsor for her. Through sponsorship, each contestant receives all the necessary training, rehearsals and finical support, which will allow Ana the confidence and preparation for this year’s preliminary pageant.

Any business, organization, or private individual interested in becoming a sponsor to Jimenez may contact the MIss Teen Pageant coordinator at 1-877-910-4190. The City of Stockton is once again contemplating growing houses instead of corn all the way up to Armstrong Road, as has been reported.

The Stockton Planning Commission recently considered a proposal to include construction of some 26,000 homes in the city’s general plan. While those houses may not be built for years, or decades, in the future, it is clear that Lodi and Stockton shall meet and the dream of having a perpetual greenbelt separating the two cities is being paved over. Not too many years ago Lodi’s mayor visited a Stockton Planning Commission meeting, politely urging them to preserve the greenbelt between Lodi and Stockton. He was not-so-politely told to mind his own business, and not let the door hit him on the way out.

TRAGEDY: Much of the city remains in a state of disbelief over the murder of local podiatrist Dr. Tom Shock, who opened his door to a killer and was gunned down in his doorway. Tom was well known and well liked, by all accounts, which makes his death seem all the more senseless and puzzling. While every life is precious and every homicide despicable, it seems especially unbelievable when it happens in one of Lodi’s best neighborhoods. Is anywhere safe? Not completely, of course. The two biggest questions now are who and why, questions the police are working hard to answer.

ON YOUR MARK: Well, looks like we’ll have a city council election this season after all, with the entry of a competitor in District 2, which generally encompasses northeast Lodi including most of Willow Glen and Rivergate. Spencer Rhoads, a 2009 Lodi High grad, has filed nomination papers and will knock heads with incumbent Mark Chandler for that seat. Believed to be about 27-years old (he declined to list his age on official forms), Mr. Rhoads would be the youngest person ever elected to the city council. The current title-holder is Randy Snider, who was 29 when he was elected in 1982, a distinction he’s held for 46 years.

WATCH YOUR STEP: Both my readers have reported seeing discarded heroin syringes and needles in the tree wells at Target and Hobby Lobby, and have documented as much on social media.

UPDATE: Lodi native Nick Somera, who left San Francisco on June 17 with a team of 18 runners in a quest to run across America, arrived in Baltimore, Md., on Saturday, Aug. 4. The 4,000-mile trek was to benefit the Ulman Cancer Awareness for Young Adults charity.

STUCK IN LODI: One of the burning questions of our time has been whether the rock band Credence Clearwater Revival was ever “stuck in Lodi,” as the title and lyrics of their hit song suggest. Turns out, they were, according to an email thread by the group’s one-time drummer, Bill Probst, and forwarded to me by Jerry Hugo. Seems the band, which went by the name “Golliwogs” in their earlier days, were booked to perform in Lodi by local concert promoter Otto Kundert. According to Probst, Otto “accidentally booked two groups to play at the same venue on the same night. Ooops! So, to solve that situation, he decided to let the group who arrived first get the gig, and it wasn’t CCR, so here they were………’Stuck in Lodi’” for the weekend. Now you know.

RIDING HIGH: A recent social media post from a retired Lodi police chief: “What’s not to love? Friday night. 11 p.m. Eastbound 580 at Altamont Pass. Creeping at 5-10 mph due to construction, and for the past 10 minutes all I smell is WEED! It’s like driving in (a nearby city) without the sight of homeless camps and transients mooching for drug money.” Roger that, over.

BOW-WOW BUSINESS: When Sheri Didreckson isn’t running her Sheri’s Sonshine Nutrition Center in downtown Lodi, she and husband Darrell are helping rescue dogs from euthanasia and other calamities through their Poke-ADot’s Dalmatians and Friends Rescue organization. They operate the donor-supported nonprofit rescue from their home in Acampo and can claim credit for having saved dozens of K-9s who have been taken in, cleaned up and adopted out to new “forever homes,” as Sheri puts it.

VOTE EARLY AND OFTEN: The “USA Today” newspaper is conducting its 10 Best Readers’ Choice contest. You can Vote for your favorite wine region in the USA — hopefully it’s Lodi — at this website: .As of this writing, Lodi ranked 2nd. C’mon, we can do this.

DOG GONE: One of the best lunch bargains to be found is gone. Yep, I’m talking the $1.50 Polish dog at Costco. The company announced that the dog is being dropped from the food court menu, to be replaced with healthier fare — an acai fruit bowl (a what?). What’s next — kale pizza?

PROGRESS CORNER: That’s a new commercial pad being built on the northwest corner of the Raley’s building across the street from the Rose Gate subdivision. No word yet who the tenant will be and no plans have been submitted to the city yet, according to City Hall. This is in addition to a new driveway to service a future fast food establishment in the shopping enter. ———