News Years Holiday Service Changes

Christmas Holiday Schedule Changes

Holiday Light Tours

Lodi Avenue Ribbon Cutting

Come "Stuff The Bus" with us this November

Lodi Police Department's Eric Bradley receives Medal of Valor from Gov. ...

Labor Day Schedule Change - GrapeLine Service

Grape Bowl renovations, wire thefts

The Grape Bowl is undergoing its most dramatic renovations since its construction 70 years ago, but that construction has also provided metal thieves with the opportunity to steal wire.

The videos below show the work being done at the stadium, and a report by Fox 40 on the thefts.



 

4th of July Holiday Bus Service Changes

Grape Bowl all-weather turf construction under way

The Grape Bowl has a look it may not have seen since 1940, the year it was constructed. All the grass has been scraped off, the Everest-like crown in the center of the field has been reduced, and other parts are being smoothed and compacted before the artificial turf goes in this summer.

Wire, an old home plate and gypsum lines 12 inches deep in some places were found during the grading work. Once the dirt is properly grades, 8 inches of base will be placed on top before the all-weather turf is installed. Among the pictures below is one of the new handicapped parking spaces, with the new ramp in the background leading to the mezzanine level.

This is part of the field preparation work. The artificial turf will likely start going down in July.

How water supply lines reach a house without trenching

As part of Water Project 3, between Stockton Street and Central Avenue, just north of Kettleman Lane, new water mains and water supply lines are replacing backyard lines. It's a scene that will become more common in Lodi as part of the water meter installation project, which kicks off in 2011.
The project includes installing new water mains, some as deep as 8 feet below street level, and new water supply lines to homes.
Here are a couple photos from the water main installation on Central Avenue:

Here's a slideshow and short movie of how the service lines are brought from the sidewalk to the house without trenching the lawn.

Big Belly solar-powered trash compacting cans now in City parks

Here's what Channel 10 reported on the new cans:

Summer Youth Bus Pass Tickets go on Sale May 11th!

Transit Memorial Day Schedule

Lodi Avenue Improvements Groundbreaking

A&W Restaurant's weekly Cruise Night was the backdrop as residents, Councilmembers, Lodi Arts Commission members, representatives from San Joaquin Council of Governments and U.S. Representative John McNerney's office gathered at the Lodi Avenue Restaurant to kick off the Improvement project on Thursday, April 29th. When completed (October 2010), the project will have removed the UP Railroad tracks, constructed bulb outs, put in new landscaping, improved handicapped accessible ramps, driveways and sidewalks and made the general area from the UPRR tracks to Cherokee Lane more pedestrian friendly.

Lodi Avenue Groundbreaking Ceremony, April 29th

Channel 13's report on Officer Eric Bradley's award

Lodi police officer Eric Bradley is credited with saving the life of Judge Cinda Fox when he stopped a murder suspect's courtroom attack on the judge. Here's a link to Channel 13's report on Bradley receiving the Lodi Police Department's Silver Star award.

New Addition to the City of Lodi

Congratulations to John (Facilities Supervisor) and Michelle (Finance Department) Munoz on the birth of their baby girl Maggie Sue on Wednesday, March 31st at 11:00 p.m. Maggie Sue entered the city weighing in at 6 lbs. 7 oz. and is 18 1/2" long.

Fox 40 visits the Lodi Animal Shelter

Channel 40's Andria Borba visited Lodi for a report on the win-win relationship the City of Lodi has with People Assisting Lodi Shelter (PALS).
 

Kevin Donnelly sworn in as Lodi fire chief

Kevin Donnelly officially became the City of Lodi's fire chief on Thursday, in a ceremony that was attended by Lodi firefighters, fire chiefs from neighboring agencies, and Donnelly's family and friends. Here's a video of his swearing-in by City Clerk Randi Johl, and Donnelly's comments afterward. Running time is just under 4 minutes.

Grape Bowl update: Lighting upgrades, wheelchair ramps under construction

The Grape Bowl has new lights, has a new wheelchair ramp under construction, and may have an all-weather surface ready to play on by mid-summer of 2010.

The new lights were installed last week. They provide roughly three times the amount of light while using a third of the electricity of the previous lights. Not only are these lights energy-efficient, they can be turned on and adjusted via a secure Internet connection, making it convenient for City staff to work on the lights remotely for the convenience of Grape Bowl users.

Here are a couple pictures of the new ramp that will make it easier for individuals in wheelchairs to get from the handicap parking area to the stadium's top level. The grade is less than 2 percent.

The ADA work is scheduled to be completed in March, the same month the City Council is tentatively scheduled to put the all-weather surface project out to bid. The new field surface is being paid from development impact fees collected in previous years to provide community facilities.

With the City Council's approval, the turf would be installed in June-July, after high school graduations and before high school football season begins.

The improvements are designed to make the Grape Bowl more user-friendly and attractive for the competitive and recreational athlete, and other large-scale events, such as outdoor concerts.

Last year, George Thorogood & the Destroyers performed at the Grape Bowl, the first concert by a nationally known artist at the venue in 30 years. The Parks & Recreation Department is continuing discussions with concert promoters in hopes of bringing other well-known acts to the Grape Bowl later this year.

Electricity bills lower this month, even with extra charge

Because of a billing error by the agency that sells the City of Lodi Electric Utility most of its power, the energy cost adjustment in February, May and June will be slightly higher than it would be otherwise.

But what you may not know is the energy cost adjustment, or ECA, will still be about even with last year’s charges, so your electric bill will see little if any difference overall compared with 2009’s charges.

That’s because Lodi’s power costs are stabilizing after several years of erratic price swings in the aftermath of California’s attempt to restructure the way power was bought, sold and delivered. In addition, a slow economy has reduced demand for energy, resulting in lower prices.

The extra piece of the ECA, which will be included in February, May and June bills, was caused by a miscalculation at the Northern California Power Agency in late 2009. For three months, another utility was improperly billed for some of Lodi's transmission charges – the cost of sending power long distances over high-voltage power lines.

When the mistake was recently discovered, NCPA billed Lodi for the previous transmission charges. Although this charge could be collected from customers in one month, the City will instead spread this one-time charge over three months, resulting in a negligible difference in electricity bills.

For instance, the ECA in February 2009 was 5.43 cents a kilowatt hour. Even including the make-up charge this month, the ECA for February 2010 is 4.07 cents a kilowatt hour. For a resident using 700 kilowatt hours of energy this month, the overall result is an electric bill that is $9.52 lower in 2010 compared to 2009.

Transit President's Day Holiday Closures

Sidewalk mosaic workshops through January

Looking for a fun evening or Saturday morning community-based activity? Want to see the results of your efforts on display 24 hours a day for years to come? Then participate in one of the several Hutchins Street Square Community Center workshops to complete the sidewalk mosaics that will soon decorate East Lodi Avenue.

View the City press release for more details on times and how to RSVP. Or, you can RSVP through www.lodiarts.org.

Here are some of the 24 mosaics being worked on at Community Center. Construction on East Lodi Avenue is tentatively scheduled to begin in March. If you want a more detailed view, simply click on a photo.