San Joaquin Delta College exploring bond measure for the 2020 ballot
Grab your wallet. It looks like Delta College trustees are gathering the nerve to ask taxpayers for more money. The San Joaquin Delta College Board of Trustees voted last week to “investigate” the possibility of placing a bond issue on next year’s ballot, according to Trustee Charles Jennings, who represents Lodi. Jennings refused to comment further or even say what the money would be used for. This was confirmed by the college public information officer, Alex Breitler.
“Delta College is exploring the possibility of proposing a bond in November 2020 to construct new facilities and improve existing ones. The Board of Trustees earlier this week approved moving forward with this exploration,” he said. “No decision has been made about the potential size of any bond, and no decision has been made on specific projects to build should a bond be proposed and approved by voters . ... A final decision on whether to propose a bond is not expected until May,” said Breitler.
Sounds familiar? Remember 15 years ago when Delta College managed to get Measure L passed, that $250 million bond issue some say included a promise to build a north county campus in or near Lodi — the campus that was never built? Yes, that one. Measure L passed in 2004 by a measly 500-vote margin. Afterwards the college trustees were roundly criticized for how they mismanaged the funds. A San Joaquin County Grand Jury report would later say trustees squandered a truck load of taxpayer dollars.
No matter what the purported purpose turns out to be this time around, people are already skeptical. Lodi City Council Member Bob Johnson definitely thinks he’s seen this movie before. “In my 16 years on the city council, my greatest disappointment was the reneging by the past board” to build a campus in Lodi. “I really feel we were, in no uncertain terms, told we would have a Lodi campus,” Johnson said. But in the end, “they left us hanging,” he says.
The Delta board of trustees reportedly passed a master plan two years ago that does not reference a north county campus. Johnson also mentioned something about hell freezing over, which could be an early indicator of how a new bond issue would be received.
FOND FAREWELL: Past and present mayors, city council members and city staff last week said their fond farewells to retiring Lodi City Clerk Jennifer Ferraiolo, who has worked for the clerk’s office the past 30-something years — all her adult life, basically. Retired school principal and former mayor Dave Hinchman was on the council in the mid1980s and remembers when Jennifer was first hired. He shared a special recollection of a reception he attended in which the wine glasses had a unique adornment.
Retired judge and former mayor Dave Warner, who was on the council in 1990s, also attended. Most department heads were there, too. Fire Chief Gene Stoddart said the clerk’s office was his favorite department — next to the fire department, of course. Current City Manager Steve Schwabauer almost tearfully lavished praise upon Jennifer for her attention to detail and her assistance. Retired Orinda City Manager (and former Lodi Deputy City Manager) Janet Keeter was also on hand to say her goodbyes. Mayor Doug Kuehne presented Jennifer with a bouquet of flowers and thanked her for keeping him “out of trouble.” Assistant City Clerk Pam Ferris will serve as interim while the city council considers a replacement.
THE GIVING SPIRIT: In keeping with their holiday tradition of presenting Meals-on-Wheels clients with a poinsettia for Christmas, LOEL Center approached Costco for a donation of the plants, but the store was unable to grant the request. Instead, Costco employees decided to help out. They passed the hat and collected enough money to buy about 60 poinsettias, which were given away to the program’s clients, according to a LOEL representative. … And speaking of giving, the World of Wonders (WOW) Science Museum on Sacramento Street received its first $1 million pledge from Max and Joan Lee of Lodi, according to museum President Sally Snyde.
The money will go towards the planned museum expansion, which will cost an estimated $30 million to complete. It calls for the demolition of seven buildings across the street and the construction of “42,000 square feet of additional space (for) a vast science and cultural center.” Plans include a “media dome” for “movies, 3-D videos, live video streaming and planetarium shows … an open-air amphitheater (that) can host numerous live events, music and outdoor movie screenings.”
The project will also include an animal carrousel with 40 figures. Donors can purchase a figure for $25,000, says Snyde. And there have been some takers. The Lodi Lions Club will donate the net proceeds from their January crab feed to the WOW expansion project, according to Snyde. The museum attracts students from as far away as Fresno and north of Sacramento, she says. Some 16,000 students have participated in field study trips to the museum this year. “We’re turning schools away,” Snyde says, for lack of space.
QUILTS OF HONOR: Lodi native Terry Katzakian recently received a “quilt of honor” from the Linden Lions Club for his service in Vietnam during 1967-68. The red, white and blue quilts are handmade in Valley Springs by ladies who dedicate their time to honoring combat veterans. Terry is the son of Bozant and Lorraine Katzakian.
A WILD THANKSGIVING: Last month while you were settling in for a nice Thanksgiving dinner and college bowl games,
Lodi resident Dave Murdock was on a plane headed for the Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania, Africa’s largest. It was “the trip of a lifetime,” he says. He and his group of six were hoping to bag a cape buffalo, which Dave managed to do on day 5 of their 12-day safari. The buffalo was a 1,600pounder. The locals will share in the meat of the animal, but Dave gets to have the head preserved and mounted by taxidermist Animal Artistry in Reno. But wait, there’s more. During the trip, despite their best efforts to give it plenty of room, a three-ton (that’s 6,000 pounds!) hippo decided to charge Dave and his group. That’s like a fourlegged freight train heading your way and you’re standing on the tracks. Dave said he and his group had no choice but to shoot, dropping the animal about six feet from impact (and certain death). Was he scared? “It happened so fast,” he says, that he didn’t really have time to think about it. A Tanzania game scout, who was part of the group to monitor the hunt, took custody of the hippo, allowing no pictures to be taken of the carcass. Thanks, but we’re sticking to turkey.
LUCY UPDATE: Our little dog Lucy, who was attacked last June by an unrestrained black lab in front of Starbucks on Ham Lane, has physically healed and is mostly back to normal. However, her emotional wounds have not healed. She is noticeably different than before the ordeal. Sadly, she will probably never fully recover emotionally.
The good news is that the other dog’s owner has (reluctantly) paid full restitution ($1,071) for Lucy’s medical bills in exchange for the dismissal a misdemeanor charge brought by the city. Lodi amended its animal ordinance a few years ago making it a crime to allow a pet to go unleashed or otherwise be out of the owner’s control, especially if it bites someone or another pet.
It’s comforting to know that if your pet is undeservedly bitten by an unrestrained dog, the city can bite back. Special kudos to City Attorney Janice Magdich and Deputy City Attorney John Fukasawa.
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