Home Care In Lodi, CA

Lodi, California, is a charming small city located in the San Joaquin Valley, known for its excellent wineries and vineyards. However, there's much more to Lodi than just its wine scene. From beautiful parks to delicious cuisine, this city has something to offer for everyone. Here are some of the top benefits of living in or visiting Lodi, California.

Parks and Outdoor Activities

One of the most significant advantages of living in Lodi is its abundance of beautiful parks and outdoor activities. Lodi Lake Park is a popular destination that offers a variety of activities such as kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing, and hiking. Micke Grove Regional Park is another beautiful park in Lodi that features a Japanese Garden, a zoo, and a historical museum. There's also the Cosumnes River Preserve, which is a nature reserve with an abundance of wildlife, hiking trails, and bird-watching opportunities.

Food Scene

Lodi is home to some incredible restaurants and cafes that offer a wide variety of cuisines. If you're in the mood for Italian food, Rosewood Bar & Grill is a fantastic option, serving up classic dishes like spaghetti carbonara and chicken parmesan. The Dancing Fox Winery and Bakery is another popular spot known for its wood-fired pizzas and freshly baked bread. For breakfast or brunch, head to Towne House Restaurant, which offers a delectable menu featuring farm-to-table ingredients.

Local Businesses

Supporting local businesses is essential, and Lodi has plenty to choose from. Downtown Lodi is home to numerous locally owned shops, including Alebrijes Mexican Bistro, a colorful and vibrant eatery serving traditional Mexican cuisine, and Cheese Central, which offers an incredible selection of artisan cheeses. Another great option is House of Coffees, a local roaster that has been serving Lodi for over 30 years.

Family-Friendly Activities

Lodi is a great place to raise a family, thanks to its plethora of family-friendly activities. World of Wonders Science Museum is a must-visit attraction for children and adults alike, offering interactive exhibits that educate and entertain. Lodi Stadium 12 Cinemas is another popular spot, featuring the latest movie releases and comfortable seating. For a fun outdoor activity, head to Laser Quest Lodi, which offers laser tag games for all ages.

Historical Sites

If you're a history buff, Lodi has plenty of historical sites to explore. The San Joaquin County Historical Museum is located in Micke Grove Regional Park and features exhibits showcasing the history of the San Joaquin Valley. The Hill House Museum is another historical landmark worth visiting, offering a glimpse into life in Lodi during the late 1800s. For a unique experience, visit the Kofu Park Japanese Internment Camp Memorial, which honors the Japanese Americans who were held captive during World War II.

From its beautiful parks to its delicious cuisine, Lodi, California, is a city that has something for everyone. Whether you're a foodie, history buff, or outdoor enthusiast, you'll find plenty to enjoy in Lodi. Plan a visit to this charming city and discover all that it has to offer.

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Lodi High School is the latest campus to have its logos redesigned as part of a district re-branding campaign.

The Lodi Unified School District Board of Education voted 6-1 to approve new logos for the high school, as well as Larson, Needham and Wagner-Holt elementary schools Tuesday night.

Millswood Middle School also had a new logo approved with the vote.

Board member Gary Knackstedt cast the dissenting vote, stating he did not like the new designs for the high school, particularly the standalone “L” that would emblazon the Flames’ football helmets, as well as other campus materials.

The “L” is a solid red, block-style capital letter set against a backdrop of flame. The new logo keeps the block-style, but the lower half of the “L” is red, and the upper half transitions into gold, depicting the color of flame. The letter is also completely bordered by white trim, which in turn is bordered by red trim.

“It didn’t strike me as something I’d want to put on a kid,” Knackstedt, a former Lodi High athletic director, said Tuesday. “Part of it is, Lodi High School has been around since forever. I think we’re changing something just to change it, and I think you’re going to have a big backlash if you do.”

Knackstedt suggested staff come back with a different concept, but only after surveying the Lodi High community. Lodi High School vice principal Sera Baysinger told the board that committee made up of staff, students and parents met over the course of the 2022-23 school year to design the new logo, and surveys were ultimately sent out to the community at large for feedback.

However, Baysinger said the committee received minimal response to the survey, and ultimately submitted the designs to the board for approval. Baysinger, a Lodi High alum, said it was difficult to imagine a new logo for the high school, but they do change, and the intent of the new design was to appeal to the students and community at large.

She added the committee did not receive any complaints or concerns about the new logo in the responses.

“Lodi High School is steeped in tradition, and the block ‘L’ has some cause for concern for the athletic department just because our community is so strongly behind the traditional block ‘L’ with the solid coloring,” she said. “But we do know we need to move forward into a new digitized age.”

In 2021, the board approved a strategic communication plan to keep the community at-large more informed about district activities.

The plan included four new communication goals, one of which was a rebranding that included a new website that was more user friendly, as well as new logos and identities for school sites.

At first, other board members supported Knackstedt’s suggestion to have staff return with a new proposal. But when district spokeswoman Chelsea Vongehr said a new committee at Lodi High would need to be formed in order to begin the redesign process again, and that selecting a new logo could take as much as 12 months, board members changed their minds, not wanting to delay the process another year.

“You’re always going to have naysayers,” board member Courtney Porter said. “You get one person here, one person there (against the logo). Everything went out. People didn’t respond (to the survey). That’s on them.”

LODI, Calif. — A new outdoor eatery proposed for Downtown Lodi hopes to blend entertainment, food, entrepreneurship and community.

'Boxcar,' planned for the corner of Sacramento Street and Lodi Avenue, would be comprised of 28 stacked railroad boxcars housing different food vendors, tables and areas for activities.

"It's a great area where people can go to different vendors, pick what they want to eat or choose to drink and then everybody kind of coming together and partaking in more communal activities," said John Vierra part-owner of the Lodi firm hired to plan the development. "Either it's games or just sitting in a common seating area, you know, just enjoying the company."

Vierra is eager for the day that he can walk from his office to the eatery for lunch, but ideally, business people won't be the only customers.

"The younger demographic is wanting more, they're wanting to be outside, they're wanting more choices. They enjoy food, wine and beer mixed with recreational activities" said Vierra. "The hours of operation will end at 10 (p.m.). So, you know, really just hitting more the family market. We want it to be a very family-centered type of use."

The city of Lodi still has to approve site planning for the project, but if things stay on track, Vierra expects to break ground in 2024. The project, spearheaded by a Lodi-area landlord who rents restaurant spaces, has been in the works for three years.

Part of the goal of Boxcar will be to serve as a launchpad, or fast track, for those considering opening a restaurant.

"Instead of a full restaurant, it's more localized into these smaller footprints, and then it's shared in this kind of common dining area so it has a more urban feel, a more unique kind of business plan," said Vierra. "It is kind of like an incubator where it tests these concepts and lets those that are just flourishing and doing well to expand."

As planning continues full steam ahead for Vierra, excitement and hunger are getting off the rails.

"We take pride in enhancing our community," said Vierra. "So it's really gratifying working on a project just two blocks away from the office that will have a direct impact on the community that we work in, and some of us live at."

For nearly five decades, marching bands from all across Northern California have come to Lodi to participate in a day of music and fun.

This weekend, the Grape Bowl Classic Band Review will mark 45 years of competition and parade in Lodi.

Typically held at Lawrence Elementary School and the Grape Bowl, this year's review on Nov. 4 will be held at Tokay High School due to construction at the Grape Bowl, and some 5,000 spectators are expected to attend. The event is hosted by Lodi and Tokay high schools.

The day begins Nov. 4 at 7:30 a.m. in Tokay's performing arts center, where 16 bands will take part in the jazz competition.

The annual parade will begin at 9:15 on Century Boulevard at Ham Lane. The procession, featuring 26 bands, will head west and turn around just before reaching Mills Avenue and return to Ham Lane. Tokay will represent Lodi Unified, and Galt and Liberty Ranch high schools will represent the Galt Joint Unified High School District. Chavez and Edison high schools will represent Stockton Unified.

The main event of the day is the field competition, which will take place on the Tokay football field from 3 to 8 p.m. and feature 19 bands, including Lodi High.

Lodi High's former band leader Robert Gross started the band review in 1977. There were other reviews at the time, including one in Long Beach, but Gross and other leaders wanted events that Northern California bands could attend more easily.

So Gross started the Grape Bowl Classic in Lodi, and other reviews kicked off in Pleasanton and Cupertino.

There have been some changes over the years — the parade used to march down Elm Street before moving to North Stockton Street.

Lodi Sandhill Crane Festival spokeswoman Kathy Grant said the board of directors is hoping more young people come out to this year’s event, which will be held at Hutchins Street Square from Friday, Nov. 3 to Sunday, Nov. 5.

“What makes us unique is that we really encourage the full spectrum of birders to come out, from know-nothings to know-it-alls,” she said. “A lot of our symposiums are aimed at ‘professionals,’ but we try to keep the door wide open. We want younger people to get into this, keep it going. We’re getting older and aging out.”

The festival begins Friday night with a reception and silent auction at Hutchins Street Square at 6 p.m., with hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer offered as refreshments.

In September, the board of directors was presented the 2023 Frank R. Beeler Watershed Stewardship Award from the Lower Mokelumne River Watershed Stewardship Steering Committee, and they will be honored again during the reception.

Admission to the reception is $15, and there is a 175-person capacity.

Tours of the surrounding wetlands also begin Friday at 3:50 p.m., and throughout the entire weekend, attendees can visit the Woodbridge Ecological Reserve, Staten Island in the Delta, the Cosumnes River Preserve and the Mokelumne River, among other areas, to catch a glimpse of the a variety of wildlife.

Tours will be held throughout the Sandhill crane season, which ends in February.

Throughout the season, the festival is partnering with the Fairfield Inn for guest accommodations. Mention the festival at the hotel’s front desk to receive a discount during your stay.

“We’re trying to build the area as a place for birding,” Grant said. “This is a good landing spot for humans who want to get out and explore all the places our wildlife can be found. That’s kind of our vision.”

Presentations begin at 10 a.m. Saturday with Sandhill Cranes 101, an introduction to the bird, its history, its migration and behaviors. If you miss Saturday’s symposium, it will be presented again Sunday at 11 a.m.

Native Bird Connections will have two “Secret Lives of Raptors” presentations at 10:30 a.m. and 1:40 p.m., where you’ll learn about the history and behaviors of the species, and even get to see owls and hawks in the flesh. Saturday’s keynote presentation will be “There and Back,” with Richard Crossley discussing his 16,000-mile trek from New Jersey to Alaska to document waterfowl at 12:30 p.m.

“The Private Lives of Sandhill Cranes” will be the final presentation of the day at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, where visitors will learn more about the birds’ behavior, including how to distinguish between dancing and aggression.

Denis and James Kurata return to the festival as well, performing the ancient art of Japanese taiko drumming at noon Saturday.

Sunday’s presentations begin at 10:30 a.m. with Gabe Kerschner of Conservation Ambassadors’ Wild Things! showcasing some of the organization’s special animals.

In years past, Kerschner has brought a mountain lion, brown bear, raccoon, golden eagle and rattlesnake, among other animals, to the festival. The show will be presented at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

Sunday’s keynote presentation is “The Secret Lives of Nesting Sandhill Cranes” at 12:30 p.m., where Erin Gelling, executive director of the Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition, will discuss how two pairs of Sandhill cranes were observed nesting in the Nampa Valley of Colorado.

The last presentation of the festival is “Little Flying Jewels: California’s Native Bees” at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, where visitors will learn about the importance of bees, what challenges they face and how to help them.

Workshops throughout the weekend include “Origami Crane Folding,” “Make and Take Art,” and a “Birdcarving Workshop for Beginners.”

The “Make and Take Art” workshop invites guests to make worn artwork and take it home, while the master carvers from the Pacific Flyaway Decoy Association will help visitors carve their own bird during the birdcarving workshop.

The festival art show can be viewed at the Lodi Public Library, 201 W. Locust St. and the Lodi Arts Center, 110 W. Pine St., from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

There will be two divisions of original art: fine art, which will include watercolor, oils, pastels and ceramics, among other media; and photography.

Judging will be conducted entirely by festival attendees, and artists will receive “People’s Choice Awards” Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.

This year’s Festival Artist is Kathy Kleinsteiber, who will showcase her artwork depicting California wildlife and its habitat. The festival’s Exhibit Hall will also return to the event this year, featuring vendors and agencies offering merchandise and information about the Delta habitat. Past exhibitors have included the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Restore the Delta, and the Sacramento and San Joaquin Audubon societies, among others.

This is the 25th year the Sandhill Crane Festival has been held in Lodi, and the second in-person event since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although she did not have specific figures, Grant said last year’s festival was as popular as ever.

“It was really successful,” she said. “We were busy the whole time, and everything was packed full. It helped us refill our coffers.”

For more information about the festival, visit lodisandhill

The City of Lodi announced Tuesday that Enchanted Rock, LLC began construction of a 48-megawatt power generating unit on May 8.

The facility will be located adjacent to the city’s water treatment plant on Turner Road just west of Lodi Lake.

The power plant is scheduled to be operational by the end of the summer, the city said.

Motorists and pedestrians are being asked to use extreme caution while traveling near the construction area.

This project is being fully funded by the California Department of Water Resources as part of the state’s Strategic Reliability Reserve Program — an effort to safeguard the state’s energy system in the face of drought, wildfires, and heat waves that impacting its energy grid.

The facility would create anywhere between 20 and 48 megawatts of emergency power and be delivered directly into Lodi, rather than be transferred through a third-party system.

In addition, it will only be used in extreme peak-demand events to provide temporary power generation to stabilize and supplement existing grid-tied power supplies to avoid grid failures both statewide and locally, the city said.

Lodi Electric Utility staff will be installing the necessary electrical infrastructure to support these efforts — the cost of which will be fully reimbursed by DWR.

The facility is being built after the city experienced two straight days of lengthy power outages last September.

On the afternoon Sept. 6, the Northern California Power Agency, which supplies most of Lodi’s energy, said its dispatch center was contacted by Cal ISO with an order a dispatch operator understood as a request to shed 46.02 MW of power to prevent widespread outages.

The dispatcher then contacted several cities, including Lodi, to temporarily turn off power to some customers in those communities.

Power was shut off for about 45 minutes in the neighborhoods of Park West, Lodi West, Harvest Crossing and Bridgetowne neighborhoods, affecting 1,372 residents

The very next night, residents were without power for several hours after an unexpected equipment failure at the city’s industrial substation near Lodi and Guild avenues.

Lodi’s energy is delivered through three PG&E sub-transmission lines, the city said, adding a set of protection relays on one of the lines failed that morning. Although Lodi Electric Utility replaced the relays, a PG&E technician was required to approve the repairs, the city said.

With one relay down, the city said it was required to shed power, and at 4:14 p.m. Wednesday, was ordered to shed 35MW within 15 minutes.

One-hour, rotating outages throughout the city began at 4:30 p.m. in order to not overload the two active relays and shut the entire energy system down, the city said.

Some residents lost power twice during the outage rotations.

At the peak of the curtailment, the city said about 8,700 customers were without power.

The project will also help mitigate power import constraints in Lodi during extreme weather events and local emergencies until upgrades are completed to Lodi’s transmission inter-tie with PG&E as part of the Northern San Joaquin 230 kV Transmission Project.

For more information about this project as well as California’s Strategic Reliability Reserve Program, please visit www.water.ca.gov/What-We-Do/Power.