Signs of hope as we emerge from nightmare

We made it! As Lodi and Lodians begin to emerge from the yearlong nightmare that is COVID-19, there are signs of life and hope. The city has announced that it is preparing to discard the governor’s “blueprint” in mid-June, albeit with a few caveats.

For all businesses and venues, it will be “business as usual, subject to mask-wearing,” city officials said last week. While Sacramento could always change its mind on timing, and the city would probably be obliged to follow, things are currently looking positive for a return to normal on June 15.

• July 4th festivities at Lodi Lake are tentatively being planned, according to the city. The Kiwanis Club pancake breakfast will also be held this year on the 4th at Lodi Lake, according to club big-wig Chet Somera. He says they are unsure of the format at this time, depending on what restrictions, if any, are in place in July. They are hoping for a return to normal, but are prepared to scale it back to a “drivethrough-only” event, if necessary. Much is riding on the governor’s pledge to drop most restrictions in June.

• Several popular sporting events will also return this year, if things have returned to somewhat normal, according to sponsor David Phillips of Michael David Winery. They include the Lodi Mile scheduled for September, the Womble Rumble in November, and the Giro D Vino bicycling tour of local wineries, also slated for this November. All these events and more were canceled last year because of youknow-what.

• There is probably no better evidence that the city is returning to normal than the full pallet of Clorox disinfectant wipes seen at Costco last week, with no line of people clamoring to buy them all. Last year at this time people were sprinting to the back of the store to score even one package of the coveted commodity. Ahhh, budding signs of normalcy. Finally.

UPDATES: A “Justice for Daunte Wright Solidarity March” is planned for this Saturday, April 24 at American Legion Park on Hutchins and Vine. The event is being promoted by Lucie Martinez.

• Even though the World of Wonders (WOW) Museum has reopened, the street in front has not. Sacramento Street between Elm and Pine has been closed for

about a year now, following a fire that gutted one of the old historic brick buildings on that block.

And it will remain cordoned off for several more months, according to Community Development Director John Della Monica. It is believed at least one of the brick buildings will need to come down as a result of the fire, and the street is closed because the buildings may be dangerously unstable.

• City Manager Steve Schwabauer says he expects to name a new fire chief within a few weeks, pending completion of background checks. Ron Penix has served as the interim chief since last December, when Chief Gene Stoddart retired. Schwabauer also says first round interviews for Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services director are happening at the end of April.

• Speaking of fires, no cause of the fire that ravaged the small strip mall on Pioneer at Cherokee a few weeks ago has been reported. Interim Chief Penix says he’s waiting to “hear back from the investigator.”

• Stephen Marino read our item last week about the building boom that’s happening in Lodi, and was wondering when the city is going to impose water rationing “because of the impending drought.“Great question. It should be noted that California cities, including Lodi, are under some pressure from Sacramento to build additional housing, especially “affordable housing,” all of which puts additional strain on the water supply. Currently, Lodi gets about half its water from the Mokelumne River and the rest from pumping it from the underground aquifer. The city put a new water treatment plant into service in 2012, which enabled it to suck water from the river and purify it for drinking. Before that, all the water came from the groundwater basin, which was receding at an alarming rate.

CLOSED: Lodi’s Edible Arrangements store next to Starbucks on Ham Lane has closed. Owner Rachael Morgan posted on social media, “Today is our last day of business! We are so appreciative of everyone who joined us in this journey, from employees to customers, family and friends. We love you Lodi! We couldn’t have asked for a better community to serve up some sweetness to.”

The store opened in 2008 under different ownership, says Morgan. She and her brother Ryan worked for the previous owners, but took over the business in 2016.

• Habanero Hots Mexican Restaurant should reopen in mid-May. It has been closed since late last year after an electrical fire broke out in the kitchen. It took longer than expected for building permits to be issued, but now things are moving ahead at full speed, says owner John DeNigris. While the fire did minimal damage, the required closure gave DeNigris the opportunity to do some extensive remodeling, including a new kitchen and flooring throughout.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Site work has begun in the new Talavera subdivision, which consists of 27 single-family residential lots at the end of Cochran Road at Willow, where Twin Arbors Athletic Club once was. The developer is DM Squared Homes, Inc. of Stockton. The 5.42-acre parcel was first developed as Sunwest Swim and Racquet Club in the early ‘70s. It later became Twin Arbors Athletic Club, part of a regional, multi-facility group out of Sacramento. A few years ago the company sold two of its three Lodi locations. It chose to close the third one, the Cochran Road location, with plans to turn the property into a housing development.

ODD BURGERS: We tried the Sunday Brunch at the new Oddfellows Tavern in Woodbridge and are delighted to recommend you try it. The restaurant is in the old brick building that was once the Odd Fellows Hall, on the corner of Mokelumne and Lower Sacramento Road — where the Cactus Mexican Restaurant once was. Their brunch menu includes such favorites as chicken and waffles, brunch burger, Nashville chicken sandwich, eggs Benedict, and avocado toast. The food was excellent as was the service. The prices were surprisingly affordable ($$). Their dinner menu, which we have not tried, includes traditional fare as New York steak, “Oddburgers”, chicken confit, lamb, salmon, and fish and chips. Even though the building has been around for a hundred years, the new owners have spiffed up the old girl, making for a delightful dining experience.

LAST LAUGH: Someone posted: “Now that I have lived through an actual plaque, I totally understand why Italian Renaissance paintings are full of naked fat people laying on couches.”