A 4-year-old with hair to spare and a heart of gold

Four-year-old Lodi resident Emma Smith recently did the unthinkable for many kids her age: she donated half of her hair to a local cancer patient.

The Vinewood Preschool student told mom Jennifer Smith that she wanted to donate her hair to someone who needed it. She came to the decision on her own after seeing others who had lost their hair. She was also aware that her great-grandmother had also lost her hair because of cancer. Emma’s grandmother Jenna Larson says her granddaughter is more mature than her years.

Once Emma’s mom was convinced she was serious about making the donation, they marched on down to the Precision 6 hair salon on Ham Lane and got it done. Grandma Jenna says Emma has a heart for others. Her donation measured 10 1/2 inches, and it was the first time she’d had actually gotten her hair cut. The donation was coordinated through Locks of Love, a charity that provides custom-made hair prosthetics to disadvantaged children who have suffered hair loss as a result of medical conditions. Emma’s grandmother beams with pride, saying it shows what kids can do.

CITY DIVIDED: Have you been following the debate — some might even call it an uproar — over the metal “dividers” someone installed on public benches in the downtown area? The implied intent is to keep people from sleeping on the outdoor furniture. There are those who are so incensed by it that they’ve complained to the city council. Someone even offered a $1,000 bounty for the name of the perpetrator.

It’s a regular whodunit because the culprit’s identity remains a mystery to most, but the city and The Shadow know. In fact, the bars have been removed and the “involved parties” have reimbursed the city for the removal costs. However, not everyone was worked up about the partitions.

Local businessman Gary Wiman says on social media that he’s fed up with all the fuss. He points out that most of the metal benches at city bus stops in town have dividers that were part of the design, and no one’s bad-mouthing those. He says, “Benches were installed for ALL of the public to use. Anyone is free to sit there. No one should be allowed to sleep there.” Audrey Clanton agrees, saying, “The benches are not there for one individual to take over and make it their campsite."

MOVIN’ ON: Blair King, who spent the last 11 years as city manager of Coronado, near San Diego, and was Lodi’s city manager from about 2005 to 2010, has accepted the same position in Bainbridge Island, Wash., across from Seattle. King spent much of his tenure in Lodi battling the budget during the financial crisis that gripped the country back then. He was widely credited with shoring up the city’s finances during that tumultuous time.

RE-FUND: Despite some calls to “defund the police,” in part by removing uniformed officers from school campuses, the city and school district are moving ahead with a memorandum of understanding to keep campus cops on the job. The three-year

contract calls for LUSD to reimburse the city $315,410 annually for two of the four officers who circulate between 20 different local schools. The officers are reportedly called upon five to 10 times a day for intervention, enforcement and stand-by. … The city will be replacing several electric vehicle public charging stations and adding a new one at Kofu Park on Ham Lane, at a cost of $70,000. … The Lodi Fire Foundation is holding a drive-thru taco dinner that will benefit Lodi firefighters this Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Loel Center, 105 S. Washington St. The food is from Rancho San Miguel, so you know it will be authentic.

WELCOME BACK: Just like spring flowers that bloom again, some popular events are coming back after COVID-19 put the kibosh on them last year, further evidence of normalcy returning to our area. One such event is the Wine and Chocolate weekend, slated for May 15-16.

This year’s event will look a bit different than those previously because of safety precautions being taken. The crowds will be smaller and it is by reservation-only, according to the event website. Some 20 local wineries will be participating. Tickets are available at lodiwineandchocolate.com. … Jessie’s Grove Winery is bringing back its “Groovin in the Grove” concert series this year, slated for June 26 through August 24. It will feature Fleetwood Mask, Shane Dwight, Longtime: A Tribute to Boston, and Beatles Mania. Plus alota wine.

THIS ‘N THAT: Guess how much the city spends annually for repairing block walls — $37,000! It’s part of a block wall repair program the city funds each year. Who knew there were so many block walls in town? … The Lodi-Tokay football game has been held at the Grape Bowl for eons, but not this year. It ended up being played at the Tokay High field. Why? “It was easier to navigate the COVID-19 event restrictions at a district site,” according to district publicist Chelsea Vongehr.

KEEPING CULTURE ALIVE: They were there. Did you see them? Indian basketweavers came to Lodi Lake a few weeks ago from all over California to gather white sedge root.

That’s the coarse grass-like plant that thrives in wet places like along the Mokelumne River in the Lodi Lake Nature Area. The plants are key ingredients in basketmaking. Who knew?

Lodi resident Fred Briones, a California Indian Basketweavers Association board member, led the harvest. Just when you thought basketweaving was a lost art.

GETTING TO WORK: There’s a new workplace solution in Lodi for businesses and professionals who need an office for a day, week, month, or longer.

It’s called Clearsuites and is located at Kettleman and Central, in the Kettleman Station shopping center.

The new office concept is being managed by Lisa Craig, a former planning commission member and owner of the Craig Group.

SPEED FREAKS: Neighbors have apparently had it up to here with speeding traffic along Central Avenue at Poplar Street, near Blakeley Park. It’s gotten so bad that neighborhood resident Lyndsy Davis started circulating a petition online, demanding the city make Central and Poplar a four-way stop.

They also want to prohibit semi-trucks from using Poplar Street. Finally, they are requesting flashing pedestrian crossing lights be installed at the intersection. “As a mother, pet owner and general member of our community, I am asking you to join me in a demand for change in our neighborhood,” she writes.

Davis describes conditions there as not being safe or acceptable and says something must be done about it. Presumably, the petition will be presented to the city council at some point.

ALL ABOARD: The plan to convert 1.7 miles of unused railroad spur line that stretches between Woodbridge and Highway 99 may take one step closer to reality.

The city council is poised to approve a grant to conduct a study of the proposal, which calls for either putting a bike trail alongside the existing rails, or yanking them out altogether and utilizing the entire pathway between the old General Mills plant and the highway for a bike path.

The S.J. Council of Governments is offering to fund most of the Lodi Greenline Feasibility Study to the tune of $80,750. If it does happen, the project will “connect key outdoor recreational, educational, civic, and commercial centers in the City,” according to the city.

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