COVID-19, protests, smoky skies, heroic rescues and other events that defined the year in Lodi
One thing is certain: 2020 has been a year like none other.
Dominating the headlines globally, a novel coronavirus discovered in Wuhan, China soon spread worldwide in a pandemic not seen since the 1918 influenza first reared its head in Kansas. Soon, cities and countries around the world were shutting down to try and get the spread under control, and phrases like “flattening the curve,” “social distancing” and “herd immunity” were making their way into everyday vocabulary.
Nationally, all eyes were on the hotly contested presidential election. President-elect Joe Biden has spent the final days of the year building his transition team and nominating his cabinet, while incumbent President Donald Trump launched a series of lawsuits aimed at overturning the results.
And in Lodi, rocked by the pandemic, presidential politics and protests to open schools, open businesses and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, it’s been a roller coaster of a year.
Pandemic shuts down Lodi
For the city of Lodi, the COVID-19 pandemic began on March 5, when a local couple told the Associated Press they had been on a cruise ship with someone who had tested positive for the virus. Five days later, a San Joaquin County resident had tested positive.
Five new cases were discovered on March 13, and the county’s first death was reported March 18. The following day, and Lodi City Hall and businesses across the county began shutting down due to health and safety concerns.
Schools announced classes would transition to distance learning via online meetings, and dances, graduation ceremonies and other events were canceled.
When Gov. Gavin Newsom order a statewide stay-at-home requirement, Lodi residents flocked to supermarkets and drug stores, stocking up on food, hand sanitizer and soaps, paper towels and toilet paper, leaving shelves bare for weeks.
The governor’s stay-at-home order required restaurants to only provide takeout and delivery, and forced gyms and churches to cease all operations.
The Cross Culture Community Church and Fitness System gym made state and national headlines by defying those orders, with the former being locked out of its Ham Lane building it had been renting from another religious congregation.
The church and the gym both sued Newsom, citing a violation of their First and 14th Amendment rights.
By the end of April, local business owners and their clientele protested the governor’s orders, holding a large protest at the corner of Lower Sacramento Road and Kettleman Lane.
As the pandemic gradually gained steam, two Lodi companies worked to find solutions to stop the spread, with Cepheid developing a COVID-19 test that provided patients results in 45 minutes. Lustre-Cal acquired four Plexiglas airway boxes from global manufacturers and donated them to Adventist Health Lodi Memorial.
Residents and business owners also contributed efforts to stopping the spread of COVID-19, as Fashion Safari owner Tammy Blair began creating homemade masks in April and selling them at her School Street location. The Lodi Rag Quilters also began making masks, donating them to the World of Wonders Science Museum to distribute to youngsters attending summer camps.
While businesses faced uncertain futures, some owners found creative ways to remain open. Kelli Ann Knowles, owner of Stella Boutique on School Street, transitioned to an online platform with the help of Greenline, a local company that provides marketing and business development tools to retailers around the world.
The Dancing Fox, Village Coffee Shop and Brick House Restaurant & Lounge all came together with the City of Lodi and the LOEL Senior Center to provide three meals a day to seniors through the Great Plates Delivered program, made possible by the State of California. A total of five local restaurants are now providing meals through the program.
While the number of COVID-19 cases reported in Lodi were lower than other parts of the county early on, the number of patients being treated at Adventist Health Lodi Memorial exploded by July.
As a result, the Department of Defense sent a team of doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists to the hospital to help combat the rise in patients. That team left the hospital in September, but a second team was deployed last week to again assist with a spike in numbers as intensive care unit capacity dropped to 0% in the San Joaquin Valley region.
Because businesses were either forced to close or place employees on furloughs, more Lodians were out work or on the brink of homelessness. As a result, local charities such as Grace and Mercy Charitable Foundation, the Salvation Army and the Emergency Food Bank of San Joaquin County saw an uptick in the need for food and clothing.
And Lodi has grieved other losses.
On March 30, Jeff Baumbach was the first Lodi resident known to have passed away due to complications of COVID-19. A nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Stockton, Baumbach was 57. Friends and neighbors of the family gathered in the street outside his home on April 1 — spread out to a safe distance — to show their support for his wife Karen, who was quarantined inside as she also fought the novel coronavirus. They held up their cellphone flashlights in tribute to her husband.
On July 3, Adventist Health Lodi Memorial nursing assistant Donna Frey was also lost to the pandemic. She was 65.
“To know Donna was to love Donna,” said coworker Danielle Pugh, a clinical nurse at the hospital. “Never in my life have I met a more genuine and pure soul, who gave herself so selflessly in providing care to others.”
The two health care workers are among a number of local residents who have died due to complications from the virus.
There has been a light at the end of the 2020 tunnel, though. Adventist Health Lodi Memorial, as well as six other hospitals in the county, began vaccinating their ICU employees with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in December. The general public is expected to have access to the vaccine in the spring of 2021.
Vaccines from Moderna and AztraZeneca/Oxford University were also beginning to be distributed by the end of the year.
Lodi mourns Councilman Bob Johnson
On Feb. 26, Lodi City Councilman Bob Johnson passed away at the age of 80, after battling health issues for several years. Johnson had served on the council since his election in 2004, spending three terms as the city’s mayor.
“He was a straight shooter,” fellow Councilman Alan Nakanishi said upon hearing of his passing. “He said what he meant, and he meant what he said. He was very well-respected, and I think Lodi was blessed for many years to have him serve on the council. He will be greatly missed by the city and the council.”
Johnson was born and raised in New York City, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism from St. Bonaventure University. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, earning the rank of captain, and then built a career in the financial industry.
He moved to Lodi in 1979, quickly becoming active in the community. He joined the Boosters of Boys and Girls Sports, serving as president in 1985, and served on the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission from 1988 to 1998 and again from 1999 to 2004 — the break was to spend 10 months on the city council after Councilman David Warner was elected as a San Joaquin County judge. He also gave his time to the Lodi District Chamber of Commerce, San Joaquin County YMCA and Lodi Tokay Rotary Club.
“He will be deeply missed by many,” City Manager Steve Schwabauer said. “We can take comfort in knowing Bob gave his every effort in service to the town he so loved.”
He was honored with a bench and plaque memorial at Lodi Lake.
Area residents turn out for Black Lives Matter protests
Following the police killings of George Floyd in Minnesota and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, hundreds of Lodians participated in a handful of protests to support the Black Lives Matter movement over the summer.
The first protest was held soon after video footage of Floyd’s death went viral, along with a video of a white woman calling New York police after Christian Cooper, a Black bird-watcher, asked her to leash her dog in Central Park.
Kimberly Curfman and Stefanie Engelmann, a pair of local mothers, organized a protest in front of the Lodi Police Department on June 3 to draw attention to the events. The protesters made it clear they wanted to draw attention to a national trend, and some of the demonstrators made a point of noting that they support Lodi’s police officers.
“(Holding this demonstration at) the police station, for me, was because there’s brutality happening in retaliation against police as well,” Engelmann said. “You can’t take an eye for an eye. Hate doesn’t combat hate, and love is the only thing that can combat that.”
Just a few days later, on June 7, another peaceful protest was held in Lodi, this time at the intersection of Kettleman Lane and Lower Sacramento Road.
Hundreds of protesters turned out with signs naming Floyd, Taylor, Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, Rekia Boyd, Sandra Bland, and other Black Americans who had been killed in encounters with police officers. For hours, protesters chanted and crossed at the light to bring attention to the deaths, with local community leaders speaking.
The protesters marched from the intersection to DeBenedetti Park, where Pastor Curtis Smith of Destiny Christian Center in Stockton led them in chanting “I can’t breathe” for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the length of time that Floyd was held to the ground by a police officer with a knee on his neck.
The two events kicked off a summer of regular protests, organized by individual Lodi residents, local organizations, and in a few cases, supported by groups from Stockton and Sacramento.
The protest that gained the most attention was held at American Legion Park in early September, when a Sacramento-based social justice group and members of the Stockton BLM group invited to help with a “Defund the Lodi PD” march were confronted by some 200 counter-protesters carrying American flags and banners supporting President Donald Trump.
Members of both groups exchanged words, and officers with several police departments formed a barrier between the factions to keep the peace.
The event remained peaceful and no arrests were or citations issued. However, city officials denounced the counter-protesters, citing inappropriate and racist behavior had been displayed during the event.
Former Lodi parks director Ron Williamson lost to COVID-19
On July 14, Ron Williamson passed away at the age of 80 after contracting the novel coronavirus, most likely at an Independence Day celebration. Williamson was a longtime Lodi resident and the former director of the city’s Parks and Recreation department.
He had worked for the City of Lodi for 35 years, 15 as head of the parks department.
“It was his heart and soul,” his wife, Suzie Williamson, said. “He strove to make it one of the best departments in the state. It wasn’t just a job to him, it was a passion.”
Williamson was also a dedicated member of the Lodi Tokay Rotary Club, and he coached youth sports and played softball.
Williamson was honored with a tree and plaque memorial at Lodi Lake, where he was already the namesake of the Ron Williamson Youth Area, a large picnic shelter featuring two barbecues, an amphitheater, a horseshoe pit and seating for 100 people. The youth area was named after him following his retirement.
Lodi police officer saves man from oncoming train
Just before 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, Lodi Police Officer Erika Urrea was patrolling near Lodi Avenue and Sacramento Street when she saw a 66-year-old man in a wheelchair who appeared to be stuck on the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.
As she watched, the arm guards began to descend to block traffic, signaling an approaching freight train.
“A northbound train was traveling pretty fast, and she rushed over to get him unstuck,” Sgt. Steve Maynard said. “She only had a few seconds, and for some reason, she couldn’t get the chair loose, so she grabbed hold of him and hauled him from the chair.”
The man suffered severe injuries to his legs, Maynard said, but Urrea saved his life by dragging him away from the tracks as the train swept through.
The department posted her body cam footage during the rescue, drawing national attention, and Urrea earned the Life Saving Medal from the Amtrak Police Department.
According to information publicly posted online by the man’s family shortly after the incident, one of his legs had to be amputated, but he was recovering from his injuries. With the help of donations from the community, they were able to replace his wheelchair.
Wildfire smoke blocks out the sun
In August, Lodi — and a large swath of Central California, from the Bay Area into the Central Valley — was blanketed in thick smoke as lightning-sparked wildfires burned throughout the state. Ash rained down, lightly dusting cars, plants and surfaces around the city, and air quality was poor for weeks.
The smoke and fires were so widespread that on Aug. 19, the Cal Fire website actually crashed due to the number of people trying to access it.
This year’s wildfire season was one of the worst on record in the state. By the end of December, more than 9,600 wildfires had burned a total of 4,177,855 acres and counting, more than 4% of the state’s total land. The August Complex scorched more than a million acres, becoming the largest wildfire ever recorded in California’s history. The Mendocino Complex, which charred 459,123 acres in 2018, dropped to the secondlargest fire in state history, closely followed by four more 2020 blazes: the SCU Lightning Complex (which crossed into western San Joaquin County), the Creek Fire, the LNU Lightning Complex and the North Complex.
The smoke became so thick that the sun barely shone, appearing dark red in a dreary, orangetinted sky, for several days in mid-August.
In September, Chief Warrant Officer Joseph Rosamond, a Lockeford resident and member of the California National Guard, became part of a daring rescue crew deployed to the massive Creek Fire in Fresno county. He commanded a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that helped to rescue about 200 people trapped by the fire near Mammoth Pool Reservoir, before smoke became so bad they had to halt the operation.
Rosamond said he’d never been part of a rescue mission like the Creek Fire.
“We’ve been trained for each individual operation,” he said. “Brownouts, people movement, rescue efforts. Very rarely do we have a situation where those are put together all at once.”
Thirty-three people were killed during 2020’s fires, and more than 10,000 structures were destroyed.
Michael David named American Winery of the Year
Wine Enthusiast has heaped honors on Lodi wineries in recent years, naming Lodi the Wine Region of the Year in 2015 and Michael David’s Adam Mettler as Winemaker of the Year in 2018.
This year, Michael David Winery added another star to Lodi’s crown as it was named the magazine’s American Winery of the Year.
“We’re thrilled to see Lodi recognized once again by a major wine publication,” co-founder and president David Phillips said. “We’re excited about it, and very happy to see the hard work of our family and employees recognized.”
One of the world’s most well-regarded publications dedicated to wine, spirits, food and travel, Wine Enthusiast cited Michael David’s business growth of 12% in 2020 and its donation of $100,000 to fund COVID-19 research at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in conjunction with its latest “Going Viral” brand, as major factors in awarding the winery the honor.
Earlier in the year, the winery unveiled the Going Viral brand to its customers, a limited edition label in which sales were donated to COVID-19 research spearheaded by Phillips’ niece Rebecca DuBois at UC Santa Cruz. Prior to the pandemic, the label was intended to draw attention to DuBois’ work researching respiratory synctial virus.
The magazine also highlighted Michael David’s creation of the best-selling Seven Deadly Zins — sold in 2018 to the Wine Group — as well as the winery’s Freakshow, Earthquake, Petite Petit, Inkblot and other popular labels.
Lodi moves ahead with tiny homes project
After casting a wide net to find a location — and discarding one potential site following a community uproar — the City of Lodi moved forward on a project to provide affordable tiny homes to community residents in need.
The Harmony Homes project would provide permanent housing to homeless residents who have begun to turn their lives around. Potential residents would be referred by the Salvation Army, Lodi House and the Women’s Center — Youth and Family Services. Those selected to live at Harmony Homes will pay rent, and the site will be managed by the Housing Authority of San Joaquin.
As residents are selected to move into the tiny homes, space will be freed up at Lodi shelters and transitional housing programs to help get more residents off the streets and into shelter, organizers said.
While most residents of the city have been supportive of the idea of the tiny homes, the project struggled to find a location.
One proposal, to locate the homes on an unused portion of Chapman Field, met with strong resistance from the community. Another location on East Lodi Avenue was discarded because the location didn’t meet environmental standards.
On Dec. 5, the Lodi City Council voted to approve the final location at 301 E. Lodi Ave., a vacant piece of property that formerly housed a service station. Four small homes will be located at the site, including one that is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The project will be funded by a $1.25 million Homeless Emergency Aid Program grant awarded to the city in 2019.
Hothi, Khan elected to Lodi City Council
On Nov. 3, Americans turned out in record numbers to vote for offices from President of the United States to local council and school board seats.
In Lodi, there were few surprises, with incumbents keeping most of their seats. However, the Lodi City Council received two new members: In District 4, Shakir “Shak” Khan ousted longtime Councilwoman JoAnne Mounce, and in District 5, Mikey Hothi was elected to the seat left empty by the late Councilman Bob Johnson.
Hothi, a Lodi native and Tokay High School graduate, is the district director for Assemblyman Jim Cooper, D-Elk Grove. He has served on the Lodi District Chamber of Commerce’s government relations committee, and has worked with city leaders and staff in his role at Cooper’s office. He holds a degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Khan’s family moved to Lodi when he was 5 years old, and he recalled being welcomed to the community with open arms. Though he didn’t have a background in politics, he has a passion for helping the Heritage District. Khan wants to tackle the trashed alleys, drug houses and violence that has plagued Lodi’s east side for many years. He is a graduate of Tokay High School and a local business owner.
Council members and city staff paid tribute to Mounce at her final council meeting on Nov. 18. Schwabauer thanked her for her years of service not just on the council, but on the San Joaquin Partnership Board of Directors, the Greater Lodi Area Youth Commission and other organizations. Her service on the League of California Cities — including a stint as president of that organization — and her role in founding the Lodi Improvement Committee were also highlighted.
“What a journey,” Mounce said. “I couldn’t have done this without the help and support of staff. I’ll miss each and every one of you terribly. But don’t think I’m going away, because I have a strong voice.”
Mounce was first elected to the council in 2004.
In December, Councilman Alan Nakanishi was selected to serve his fourth term as mayor; he previously held the role in 2002, 2012 and 2017. Councilman Mark Chandler was selected by his fellow councilmen to serve as vice mayor.