What’s going on in Lodi?
REPRISE: About 40 years ago I wrote a column that appeared in the Lodi News-Sentinel for several years named “Mann’s World.” It was, for lack of a better description, a “gossip column” on the order of Chronicle columnist Herb Caen (apologies to Mr. Caen).
I later published the Lodi Life and Times, a twiceweekly newspaper of general circulation, for about seven years, among several other endeavors since then. But journalism has always been my first love. And Lodi, its people, places and things, has always fascinated me — not so much what makes headlines, but things happening below the news radar. That’s what this column will be about, mostly. So here goes.
GERRYMANDERING WE WILL GO: Lodi is about to embark on a profound change in the way it elects members to the city council.
Starting this November, “candidates will reside in a specific district and be elected by citizens living in that district,” according to City Clerk Jennifer Ferraiolo. Now that all the map-drawing dust has settled, looks like only Bob Johnson and Mark Chandler live in the same district, which means they would go head-to-head this year. But wait a minute. Johnson isn’t up for re-election until 2020, and his term cannot be shortened, so Mr. Chandler, should he choose to run, will duke it out with any other candidates who emerge from that district.
If re-elected, both Mark and Bob will represent the same district for two years, after which Johnson will automatically be given the golden boot when his term ends. But will Mr. Chandler run again? Methinks he will. One thing every firstterm politician wants: a second term.
POLITICS UNUSUAL: Is it now time to start thinking of having voters elect the mayor — a task traditionally left to fellow council members — and term limits?
NAME CHANGE: Members of Temple Baptist Church, home of Jim Elliot Christian High School and Lodi Christian School on Lower Sacramento Street between Tokay and Vine, will soon vote to change their name to Grace Point Church. Temple Baptist began as a spinoff (“church plant”) of First Baptist Church about 70 years ago and was originally located on Crescent Avenue. The congregation bought acreage on Lower Sac back in the ‘70s and gradually built buildings and made the move out there.
LAST SUPPER: The Omelet House at Victor and Highway 99 apparently lost its lease and has closed permanently. But they also have
STEVE MANN
a restaurant by the same name in Stockton, at Cherokee and Newton. Across town, the Jack in the Box building is all jacked up, undergoing a total make-over, a la McDonald’s.
MORE CHANGES: Retired Lodi Police Department Lt. Chet Somera, who has been the heart and soul of the Downtown Lodi Farmers Market and leader of the Police Partners squad for years, has resigned from those two worthy activities and is now sales manager for a local credit card processing company. His son Nick, you may have recently read, is running from San Francisco to Baltimore this summer as a fundraiser for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults. That’s some 4,000 miles! Nick’s the real deal.
A few years ago he laced up (actually, he didn’t even tie his shoes) for the first time ever and ran in the Trix Run at Lodi Lake. He’d never run a race before, but still managed to finish in the top five. Now, that’s disgusting to us folks who strain our livers just to be a finisher.
DRINK UP: Who’s the former city official who’s gone from bean counting to bean roasting? Next time you go through the line at Java Stop, ask ‘em who bakes their beans.
POWERED UP: Have you seen those Pacific Gas and Electric Co. commercials featuring one Cynthia Haynes, who lives in Auburn, touting safety training? Yep, she’s the same Miss Haynes who hails from Lodi and once worked for the city developing promotional programs. Among her many credits include being the inspiration behind the Light Parade and All Veterans Plaza.
TEE’D UP: That local real estate tycoon who bought a house along Woodbridge Golf Course for about $800,000, only to bulldoze it down, is almost done with construction of his new digs, ones more to his liking.