Taking back Lodi, one garbage truck at a time
It was a reeeeal eye-opener. Last Friday about 20 of the “Take Back Lodi” faithful gathered in front of the Lodi Grape Festival office. It was a frigid and foggy day with temps in the low 40s.
Wearing boots and gloves and armed with pitch forks and shovels, the volunteers set out to clean up several vacated homeless encampments around town. The effort is led by festival manager Mark Armstrong, who was recently named Citizen of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce.
The volunteers come together from all walks of life. Gary Wiman is a city employee there on his day off. Denise Warmerdam, legislative assistant to county Supervisor Chuck Winn, took time off to help. Gary Haas is a retired school teacher. And there were others there who just want a clean city.
The first stop was along the fence near Cherokee Lane and the northbound onramp to Highway 99. Lodi Police Community Liaison Officer Dan Schiele arrived ahead of time. He evicted the lone occupant from a ramshackle shanty cobbled together with old blankets draped over wires strung between two trees. It was tucked away in the cleft separating the freeway onramp and a parking lot.
The volunteers went to work filling up a garbage truck, donated by Dave Vaccarezza and Cal-Waste Recovery Systems of Galt. Among the finds was a small BBQ in the middle of the makeshift tent, evidently used to build fires. Plastic sheeting spread across the top of the enclosure showed signs of melting. There were various food items that no thinking person would consume.
Most of the litter was pure garbage, literally. However, a man’s wallet — probably stolen — containing a driver’s license, Medicare card, Costco card and several credit cards was discovered among the debris. It was later returned to its owner by Officer Schiele.
Several prescription pill vials still containing tablets were also found among the smelly rubble. It took about 30 minutes to clean up the first site. Then it was off to the second, located along the railroad tracks, near Lockeford Street. There, three people were sent packing by police. A man and woman began bickering, shouting profanities at each other as they left the premises. They left behind more piles of garbage. One volunteer picked up what looked like wadded up paper, but it turned out to be soiled diapers. A bottle of hypodermic syringes was also discovered and turned over to police.
Three or four campsites were cleaned up that day, with many more yet to be tackled. Those will have to wait for another day, perhaps in a couple weeks. One doesn’t have to travel overseas to witness and experience the squalor of a third world country. It’s right here in our backyard.
THE HONOR ROLL: The city may not rank very high on the financial soundness list (see last week), but when it comes to “sludge,” we rank right up there. Sludge is a nicer term for poop, which is pumped out to the city’s White Slough facility along I-5 for processing.
Are you still with me? The California Water Environment Association (CWEA) published an article a couple years back documenting the use of the activated sludge process in California.
A more recent report proclaimed, “The City of Lodi holds the record for the longest continuous use of the activated sludge process for municipal wastewater treatment in California — 96 years in 2019!” Wow! The “activated” process includes the use of “aeration and a biological floc composed of bacteria and protozoa.”
The report went on to say that “the City of Lodi’s 1923 sewage treatment plant more than meets the History Committee’s criteria for documentation.”
I guess that means we’re famous. The award-winning sewer plant was built in 1910 and was located at the corner of Ham and Kettleman, where a gas station and the city’s municipal services facility is now. Many thanks to Larry Parlin, who used to be in charge of all of that sludge, for the heads-up.
CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: So what are we getting for our money — the new half-cent sales tax, to be exact? According to a draft report, the new sales tax revenue has enabled the city to hire six new police officers, three parttime community services officers, three new firefighters, restore one fire battalion chief position, pay overtime to fully staff an engine at the Central Station, buy four new vehicles, and provide equipment and training for all new positions. The city received $1,453,364 for the first three-month period, ending last June, about $250K more than anticipated. The city council authorized $980,720 worth of expenditures, leaving about $300,000 unspent. The Measure L Oversight Committee will meet again at the end of March to consider the draft report before sending it on to the city council for approval.
ON THE CALENDAR: The Lodi Lions Club will be celebrating its 80th anniversary by sponsoring a special event featuring astronaut José Hernández at Lodi’s WOW Museum on Sunday, March 8 starting at noon. You will be able to meet, greet and have your picture taken with the local celeb. Proceeds will benefit the museum’s expansion project. … Slip on those padded bike pants and get ready for the Tour delle Vigne bike ride through wine country on May 16, which starts at the Bare Ranch Estate on Davis Road. There is a 30mile, 50-mile, 100K and 100-mile ride to choose from, so take your pick. Whichever one you choose, you’ll probably have a sore hiney when it’s over. The event is hosted by the Lodi Sunrise Rotary Club. Major sponsors are Michael-David Winery and Cycle California. … If you like German food, check this out: “With Love from Lodi” is a new cookbook available from the Lodi Chapter of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia. That’s a mouthful. It’s also a fundraiser for the group. The cookbook has 190 pages and contains 412 recipes. There are more than just a few Germans in Lodi, so the book ought to be das Gelingen. The book is available from Pam Atherstone at Pamatherstone1@gmail.com … After months of nearly no activity, construction on the new bowling alley at the corner of Sacramento and Lockeford is in full swing again. Siding is going up and the whole thing is taking shape. Won’t be long before you’ll be rolling strikes. … The sign is up for the new Mongolian BBQ restaurant in the old Walmart shopping center, a couple doors down from Strings. If this new place is like other such restaurants, you build your own bowl of goodies and the chef cooks them for you on a huge round grill. … The environmental impact report (EIR) for the Lakehouse project on Turner and Lower Sacramento roads is still being worked on, according to the architect. There are noise mitigations for this proposed development too, which must be addressed before moving forward. The project includes 150 apartment units, a 92-room hotel, 70-seat restaurant, a spa, 18,500 feet of retail, and a 240-guest banquet room. The location is the 8.8-acre site once owned by General Mills, a parcel that’s never been developed, located next to the city’s power plant.